Chapter 95: Recalling Two Stories of

Liu Guozong's Spring Diary, Entry 14

I also recalled another story told by a foreign old man: the three Hala brothers, in order to defend their city, fought a death‑to‑the‑death battle against the invaders. In the battle, two of the three Hala brothers died, and Hala was also wounded. Meanwhile, the invaders had only three brothers left.

The three brothers of the invaders were also injured to varying degrees. The wounded invaders surrounded Hala.

Hala was certain to die.

Hala, "certain to die", seized the opportunity and "escaped",

Hala's sister saw her brother escape, then ran back to report this "bad news" to their father, Old Hala. Upon hearing that his only remaining son had fled in the face of the vicious invaders, the father fled as well.

He said angrily: "Let him go die!"

Is there any father in the world who would let his son go die? Yes, Old Hala is one such. The saying goes, "A tiger's poison does not eat its own cubs." Is Hala poisonous? The weak me says: "Not poisonous! A son who defends his homeland should bravely go to die. Such a death is proper in place and time."

But Heaven's eye, Hala's death was not an escape; it was feigning escape. Originally, among the three invaders, the severity of their wounds differed, so the distances they chased Hala varied. Thus the three became scattered.

Hala seized the opportunity and dealt with them one by one.

Truly satisfying!

I also heard another story of "Let him go die": a wealthy master took his servant on a long journey; traveling in the wilderness, they encountered four bandits who attacked. The bandits surrounded the master and forced him to hand over money for his life.

Seeing the master surrounded by the bandits, the servant grabbed the master's money chest and fled.

While negotiating with the bandits, the master took the chance to flee. Later, someone told the servant who had fled with the master's money chest: "Your master also fled." Upon hearing this, the servant was greatly disappointed and said: "How could he flee? Humph, cowardly, greedy servant!"

The servant who had fled with the master's money said: "Let him go die!" Others said.

"How could he possibly deal with three bandits by himself?" others said.

The servant who had fled with the master's money said: "Let him go die!"

You look at this wretched thing, its conscience thoroughly corrupted. "Letting him go die is exactly right!"