Kan Ze meets with Cao Cao and states his purpose for coming. Cao Cao examines Kan Ze’s face, trying to spot trickery, but without luck. Then he reads the letter. After reading it six or seven times he suddenly strikes his beard and starts to laugh heartily, explaining that Zhou Yu’s flogging of Huang Gai is an example of “the ruse of self-injury”. Cao Cao continues: “You, master, have come to present this fake letter of surrender to me, risking your own life for the sake of friendship. It is a pity that you have to die. I will point out the trickery, so that you know why you have to die, and may close your eyes content.” Cao Cao orders his men to bind Kan Ze and execute him.
魯肅按照諸葛亮的說法告訴周瑜：諸葛亮也沒有識破他的苦肉計。讓周瑜高興。周瑜的謀士闞澤受黃蓋委託，夜間到江北曹營見曹操投遞詐降書。