earnestly　opposed　yielding；　saying；　〃We　cannot　surrender　to　a　lot　of　rebels　such　as　Ma　Chao　and　his　colleagues。〃

〃What　is　there　to　hope　for？〃　asked　Wei　Kang　despairingly。

Although　Yang　Fu　besought　Wei　Kang　with　bitterness　to　hold　out；　it　was　useless。　Wei　Kang　rejected　his　advice；　opened　the　city　gates；　and　bowed　his　head　in　submission。

〃You　only　yield　now　as　the　last　resource；〃　cried　Ma　Chao；　angry　at　the　delay　he　had　suffered。　〃This　is　no　real　submission。〃

Whereupon　he　put　to　death　Wei　Kang　and　all　his　family　to　the　number　of　two　score。

But　when　they　told　Ma　Chao　that　Yang　Fu　had　been　really　responsible　for　the　long　delay；　in　that　Yang　Fu　had　urged　his　master　to　hold　out；　Ma　Chao　did　not　put　him　to　death　but　praised　him　and　said；　〃Yang　Fu　had　but　done　his　duty。〃

Ma　Chao　further　showed　his　approval　by　employing　Yang　Fu　and　two　of　his　friends　in　his　own　army。　These　two　friends　were　named　Liang　Kuan　and　Zhao　Qu。

One　day　Yang　Fu　went　to　his　new　chief　and　said；　〃My　wife　has　died　in　Lintao。　I　wish　to　take　leave　for　two　months　to　bury　her。〃

Wherefore　Yang　Fu　was　granted　leave　and　went　away　from　the　army。　On　the　way；　he　went　to　his　maternal　cousin；　General　Jiang　Xu；　mander　of　Licheng。　The　general's　mother；　then　an　old　lady　of　eighty…two　was　Yang　Fu's　aunt。

When　Yang　Fu　saw　her；　he　wept　before　her；　saying；　〃Behold　an　unfortunate　man！　The　city　I　had　to　defend　is　lost；　my　master　is　dead；　and　I　have　survived　him。　I　am　ashamed　to　look　you　in　the　face。　Now　this　Ma　Chao　ravages　the　countryside；　and　everyone　hates　him。　Yet　my　cousin　sits　still　and　does　nothing　against　Ma　Chao。　Is　this　fitting　conduct　for　a　state　servant？〃

Yang　Fu　wept　bitterly。

The　old　lady　was　moved　by　his　grief；　called　in　her　son　and　said