dering　the　gate　wardens　to　forbid　their　exit。　Cao　Pi　first　came　to　the　gate；　was　stopped　by　the　wardens；　and　returned　to　his　palace。

But　his　brother　Cao　Zhi　consulted　Yang　Xiu；　who　said；　〃You　have　received　orders　from　the　Prince　to　go　out。　Simply　cut　down　any　who　may　try　to　prevent　you。〃

When　Cao　Zhi　went　to　the　gate　and　was　stopped；　he　shouted　out　to　the　wardens；　〃I　have　the　Prince's　order　to　go　out。　Dare　you　stop　me？〃

He　slew　the　man　who　would　have　prevented　him。　Wherefore　Cao　Cao　considered　his　younger　son　the　more　able。　But　when　some　other　person　told　him　that　the　device　came　from　Yang　Xiu；　he　was　angry　and　took　a　dislike　to　his　son　Cao　Zhi。

Yang　Xiu　also　used　to　coach　Cao　Zhi　in　preparing　replies　to　likely　questions；　which　were　learned　by　heart　and　quoted　when　necessary。　Cao　Cao　was　always　asking　this　son　his　opinion　on　military　matters；　and　Cao　Zhi　always　had　a　fluent　reply　ready。　His　father　was　not　without　suspicions；　which　were　turned　into　certainties　when　Cao　Pi　gave　his　father　the　written　replies　which　Cao　Pi　had　bribed　a　servant　to　filch　from　his　brother's　apartments。　Cao　Cao　was　quite　angry。

〃How　dare　he　throw　dust　in　my　eyes　like　this？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

Yang　Xiu　very　nearly　lost　his　life　for　his　share　in　that　business。　Now　sending　him　to　execution　on　the　charge　of　destroying　the　morale　of　the　soldiers　was　only　a　subterfuge。　Yang　Xiu　was　but　thirty…four　when　he　met　his　end。

Talented　was　Yang　Xiu；

Born　of　an　illustrious　stock；

His　pen　traced　wonderful　characters；

In　his　breast　were　beautiful　words。

When　he　talked；　his　hearers　were　astonished；

His　alert　responses　overpast　everyone。

He　died　because　of　misdirected　genius

And　not　because　he　foretold　retreat。

Cao