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welcome them and give them food. When the troops came to Lun- tou, this country would not yield. After besieging the capital for several days, the city was taken and the people slaughtered. From hence all was easy going westward till the capital of Tayuan. When the Han troops numbering 30 thousand came to the capital, they were met with and set upon by the Tayuan troops. Then the Tayuan troops were defeated by Han shooters and fled inside the city to take cover behind the parapets. General Erhshih thought about going away to attack the city of Yu-hcheng but was afraid lest delay would cause mishap. So he had the water supply of the capital cut off and besieged the city for more than forty days. The outer city was broken and a brave general of Tayuan, nobleman Chienmi was taken prisoner. The Tayuan troops were greatly frightened and retreated to the middle city. The noblemen of Tayuan conferred and one of them said: "Han is attac- king Tayuan because our King Mukua hid the steed and killed the Han envoy. If we kill our King Mukua and yield the steed, the Han troops would most likely depart. If they should refuse to depart, it would not be too late than to fight till we die." The other noblemen agreed, and they jointly killed King Mukua. One of the noblemen, taking the head of Mukua, came to General Erhshih and parley in this way: "If Han stops attacking us, we will offer all our good horses to be taken by you at will, and will give Han troops food. If you refuse to do so, we will kill all the good horses. In the meantime, our rescue from Kangchu is soon due. When it comes, with us from within and Kangchu from without, your Han troops will be attacked from both sides. Consider well which to choose." At that time, Kangchu was waiting and watching the Han troops. As the latter were yet fresh, it dared not come forward. Gene- ral Erhshih conferred with Chao Shih-cheng, Li Chih, and others and learnt that the Tayuan people inside the capital had newly learnt the art of well-drilling from a person from Chin and that they had still plenty stores of food. Han troops had come to punish the chief culprit Mukua, and now Mukua's head was already here. If they should refuse to lift the siege under these terms, the Tayuan people would endeavour to guard the city, and Kangchu would come to their rescue when it saw the Han troops becoming tired. In that case, the Han troops would certainly be defeated. All the officers agreed with this line of reasoning. The Tayuan terms were accepted. Tayuan took out its good horses for Han to choose, and supplied Han troops with food. The Han troops took several scores of the good horses and 3,000 stallions and mares of the middle and lower breeds. They also made Moshe the King of Tayuan, who was a nobleman and had treated Han envoys well, and pledged alliance and peace with him. So the Han troops ultimately returned home without entering the middle city of the Tayuan capital. - 18 -