people　have　been　stripped　naked。　Yet；　Sir；　you　do　not　hasten　to　inquire　after　local　conditions　and　how　to　rescue　the　people　from　misery；　but　first　pute　the　possibilities　of　taxation。　Can　you　expect　to　gain　the　support　of　our　people　by　such　means？〃

Cao　Cao　accepted　the　rebuke；　changed　the　policy；　thanked　him；　and　treated　him　all　the　better　for　it。

As　soon　as　Jizhou　was　settled；　Cao　Cao　sent　to　find　out　the　movements　of　Yuan　Tan。　He　heard　Yuan　Tan　was　ravaging　Ganling；　Anping；　Bohai；　and　Hejian。　Moreover；　the　scouts　brought　the　news　that　Yuan　Shang　had　fled　to　Zhongshan；　and　Yuan　Tan　led　an　expedition　against　him；　but　Yuan　Shang　would　not　face　a　battle。　He　had　gone　away　to　Youzhou　to　his　brother　Yuan　Xi。　Yuan　Tan；　having　gathered　Yuan　Shang's　troops；　prepared　for　another　attempt　on　Jizhou。

Whereupon　Cao　Cao　summoned　him。　Yuan　Tan　refused　to　e；　and　Cao　Cao　sent　letters　breaking　off　the　marriage　between　Yuan　Tan　and　his　daughter。　Soon　after　Cao　Cao　led　an　expedition　against　Yuan　Tan　and　marched　to　Pingyuan；　whereupon　Yuan　Tan　sent　to　Liu　Biao　to　beg　assistance。　Liu　Biao　sent　for　Liu　Bei　to　consult　about　this。

Liu　Bei　said；　〃Cao　Cao　is　very　strong　now　that　he　has　overe　Jizhou；　and　the　Yuans　will　be　unable　to　hold　out　for　long。　Nothing　is　to　be　gained　by　helping　Yuan　Tan；　and　it　may　give　Cao　Cao　the　loophole　he　is　always　looking　for　to　attack　this　place。　My　advice　is　to　keep　the　army　in　condition　and　devote　all　our　energies　to　defense。〃

〃Agreed；　but　what　shall　we　say？〃　said　Liu　Biao。

〃Write　to　both　the　brothers　as　peacemaker　in　gracious　terms。〃

Accordingly　Liu　Biao　wrote　thus　to　Yuan　Tan：

〃When　the　superior　person　would　escape　danger；　that　person　does　not　go　to　an　enemy　state。　I　heard　recently　that　you　had　crooked　the　k