rs　were　vainly　struggling　to　keep　it　steady。　Down　he　leaped；　shouted　to　the　men　to　clear　out　and　held　the　staff　quite　steady　with　one　hand；　keeping　it　perfectly　upright　in　spite　of　the　strong　wind。

＇e＇　E　Lai；　whose　physical　strength　was　extraordinary；　was　a　general　of　King　Zhou；　the　last　king　of　Shang　Dynasty。

〃This　is　old　E　Lai*　again！〃　said　Cao　Cao。

He　gave　Dian　Wei　a　post　in　the　headquarters　and　besides　made　Dian　Wei　presents　of　an　embroidered　robe　he　was　wearing　and　a　swift　steed　with　a　handsome　saddle。

Cao　Cao　encouraged　able　people　to　assist　him；　and　he　had　advisers　on　the　civil　side　and　valiant　generals　in　the　army。　He　became　famous　throughout　the　East　of　the　Pass。

Now　Cao　Cao's　father；　Cao　Song；　was　living　at　Langye；　whither　he　had　gone　as　a　place　free　from　the　turmoil　of　the　partisan　struggles。　Cao　Cao　wished　to　be　united　with　him。　As　a　dutiful　son；　Cao　Cao　sent　the　Governor　of　Taishan；　Ying　Shao；　to　escort　his　father　to　Yanzhou。　Old　Cao　Song　read　the　letter　with　joy；　and　the　family　prepared　to　move。　They　were　some　forty　in　all；　with　a　train　of　a　hundred　servants　and　many　carts。

Their　road　led　through　Xuzhou　Region　where　the　Imperial　Protector；　Tao　Qian；　was　a　sincere　and　upright　man　who　had　long　wished　to　get　on　good　terms　with　Cao　Cao　but；　hitherto；　had　found　no　means　of　effecting　a　bond　of　union。　Hearing　that　the　family　of　the　great　man　was　passing　through　his　region；　Tao　Qian　went　to　wele　them；　treated　them　with　great　cordiality；　feasting　and　entertaining　them　for　two　days；　and　when　they　left；　he　escorted　them　to　his　boundary。　Further　he　sent　with　them　one　General　Zhang　Kai　with　a　special　escort　of　five　hundred。

The　whole　party　reached　the　county　of　Huafei。　It　was　the　end　of　summer；　just　turning　into　autumn；