A night of torrential rain washed the earth clean of its dust and grime.
In the distance, a lone rider came racing through a cloud of dust. From afar, the rider shouted at the top of his lungs, "Great victory! Great victory! A great victory at the front! Lord Cao slew eight thousand enemies and captured ten thousand! Great victory! Great victory! Lord Cao is returning in triumph at once!" He kept shouting until he reached the allied camp, where the officers on guard stopped him. After confirming his identity, they allowed him inside. But just as he was about to report the victory to Emperor Xian, the commanding officer seized the battle report, ordered those beside him to take the man away to rest, then summoned trusted soldiers to carry the report to the assembly tent.
Naturally, all of them were Yuan Shao's trusted men.
The soldier carrying the report arrived outside the assembly tent just in time to hear a childish cry from within. "You want evidence? Then give him evidence, Beloved Minister Yuan. Let him die fully convinced! Let the world know that I am not an ungrateful man who repays kindness with enmity, lest the hearts of the people grow cold."
The soldier's heart tightened. He weighed the bamboo-slip battle report in his hand, then passed it to one of Yuan's soldiers standing outside the tent. These soldiers were all Yuan Shao's personal guards; there was no one more suitable to leave the report with. Naturally, those guards understood some of Yuan Shao's plans. After a moment's thought, they tossed the report into a nearby brazier.
Inside the assembly tent, Yuan Shao cupped his hands toward Emperor Xian and declared, "I obey Your Majesty's command!" With that, Yuan Shao strode over to Yin Kuang and said,