In Gaoyi, within Yuan Shao's residence, civil officials and military generals stood in two rows, watching the furious Yuan Shao seated above them.
Not only had the table been kicked over, one of its corners had also been hacked off. Fruit and wine littered the floor, while a Han sword lay tossed aside amid the mess.
Yuan Shao had already flown into a rage when he received the news. But now, having summoned his worthy officials to deliberate, the more he spoke of how Wang Yan's bandits had suddenly raised troops to attack—how over six thousand men had fought more than ten thousand, how Qu Yi's army had failed to hold them and collapsed at the first blow, how Qu Yi himself had been captured alive, and how Huang Zhong had led the Martial Proclamation Guard into Gaoyang County—the angrier he became. At last, he erupted, leaving the room in such disarray.
After a moment of silence, the great general Yan Liang stepped forward with cupped hands. "My lord, I am willing to lead twenty thousand elite troops and take Huang Zhong's dog head."
Yan Liang's words broke the silence. The upright Tian Feng spoke up. "Last year, I heard that Lü Bu had left Wild Goose Pass to join Wang Yan's bandits. General, is your valor enough to match Lü Bu?"
"Hmph. Everyone says Lü Bu is brave, and they say Wang Yan's bandit is even braver than Xiang Ji. I refuse to accept that. Whether I can match him or not will be settled on the battlefield, where strength is tested and life and death decided. Sir, merely hearing their names has filled you with fear. You only bolster others' ambition while diminishing our own prestige. To grow timid before battle is no proper way."
At Tian Feng's