小说园

第273部分（第2页）

〃Your　Majesty　should　move　faster；　for　things　may　change　swiftly；〃　said　the　aged　one。

Sun　Xiu　thanked　the　old　man。

At　Busai　Pavilion　awaited　Sun　En　with　a　chariot；　but　Sun　Xius　modesty　would　not　allow　him　to　mount　it。　He　remained　in　his　own　simple　carriage　and　therein　traveled　to　the　Palace。　Officials　lined　the　road　to　salute　him；　and　he　dismounted　to　return　their　salutations。　Then　Sun　Chen　stood　forth　and　bade　them　take　the　newly…elected　Emperor　by　the　arm　and　lead　him　into　the　Great　Hall；　where；　after　thrice　refusing　the　honor；　he　at　last　took　his　seat　in　the　Dragon　Throne　and　received　the　jade　seal　passed　from　one　ruler　to　another。

When　all　the　officers　had　made　obeisance；　there　were　the　usual　amnesties；　promotions；　and　honors；　and　Eternal　Tranquillity；　the　first　year　（AD　258）；　was　the　name　of　the　new　reign。　Sun　Chen　was　confirmed　as　Prime　Minister；　with　the　Imperial　Protectorship　of　Jingzhou。　Moreover；　Sun　Hao；　the　son　of　his　elder　brother；　was　created　Lord　of　Wucheng。

Sun　Chen；　with　five　persons　in　his　family　holding　lordships　and　the　whole　army　under　their　mand；　was　immensely　powerful；　able　to　set　up　and　pull　down　at　will。　The　new　Ruler　of　Wu；　Sun　Xiu；　secretly　feared　him；　and　although　outwardly　he　showed　Sun　Chen　great　favor；　yet　he　kept　careful　watch　over　Sun　Chen；　whose　arrogance　knew　no　bounds。

In　the　winter　Sun　Chen　sent　into　the　Palace　presents　of　oxen　and　wine　as　birthday　gifts。　The　Ruler　of　Wu　declined　them。　Sun　Chen　was　very　annoyed　and　took　the　presents　to　Zhang　Bus　residence；　where　they　two　dined　together。　Zhang　Bu　was　the　General　of　the　Left　Army。

When　warmed　with　wine；　Sun　Chen　said；　〃When　I　deposed　the　present　Prince　of　Kuaiji；　many　people　urged　me　to　take　the　throne　myself。　But　I　acted　magnanimously　and　set　up　this　present　Emperor。　Now　I　suffer　the　mortification　of　seeing　my　presents　rejected。　You　will　see　what　will　e　of　this　slight。〃

Zhang　Bu　showed　sympathy；　but　the　next　day　he　secretly　told　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　and　Sun　Xius　fears　increased　so　that　he　could　not　rest。　Shortly　after　this；　Sun　Chen　sent　a　large　body　of　troops　under　the　mand　of　Minister　Meng　Zong　into　camp　at　Wuchang；　and　Sun　Chen　armed　them　from　the　state　arsenals。

Whereupon　General　Wei　Miao　and　Imperial　Guard　Shi　Shuo　secretly　memorialized　the　Ruler　of　Wu：　〃Sun　Chen　has　moved　the　troops　outside　and　provided　them　with　state　arms。　This　action　points　to　rebellion。〃

Sun　Xiu　was　shocked；　and　called　in　Zhang　Bu　to　consult；　and　he　said；　〃The　Veteran　General　Ding　Feng　is　an　able　and　trustworthy　officer。　He　should　be　consulted。〃

So　Ding　Feng　was　called　and　taken　into　the　Emperors　confidence。

〃Have　no　anxiety；〃　said　Ding　Feng。　〃I　will　find　some　way　of　ridding　the　state　of　this　evil。〃

〃What　do　you　propose？〃

〃When　the　winter　court　is　held；　and　all　the　officers　are　assembled；　spread　a　great　banquet　and　invite　Sun　Chen。　I　shall　be　ready　to　act。〃

Wei　Miao　and　Shi　Shuo　were　taken　into　the　plot　and　were　to　do　what　was　possible　outside　the　Palace；　and　Zhang　Bu　saw　to　arrangements　within。

One　night　a　heavy　storm　came　on　to　blow；　which　tore　up　great　trees　by　the　roots。　However；　by　daylight　it　had　abated；　and　that　morning　an　Emperors　messenger　arrived　bearing　an　invitation　to　a　banquet　in　the　Palace。　Sun　Chen　rose　from　his　couch；　and；　as　he　did　so；　fell　flat　on　the　ground　as　though　he　had　been　pushed　from　behind。　This　accident　troubled　him；　and　he　felt　apprehensive；　so　he　called　half　a　score　of　his　trusty　guards　to　act　as　his　escort　to　the　Palace。

As　he　was　leaving　home；　his　family　besought　him　not　to　go　out；　saying；　〃The　storm　last　night　and　the　fall　this　morning　are　fearful　omens。　You　should　not　go　to　that　banquet。〃

However；　he　made　light　of　their　fears　and　said；　〃My　brothers　are　holding　the　army。　Who　will　dare　e　near　me？　But　if　there　is　anything　amiss；　you　just　give　a　fire　signal　from　the　Prime　Ministers　residence。〃

So　Sun　Chen　took　his　seat；　and　the　carriage　set　out。　When　he　reached　the　court；　the　Ruler　of　Wu　rose　from　his　place　to　wele　him；　and　at　table　Sun　Chen　sat　in　the　seat　of　honor。　The　banquet　proceeded。

〃There　is　a　fire　outside：　What　does　that　mean？〃　said　a　guest　presently。

Sun　Chen　rose　to　go　out；　but　the　Ruler　of　Wu　said；　〃There　is　no　danger；　and　there　are　plenty　of　soldiers　outside　to　take　care　of　that。〃

Just　at　that　moment　Zhang　Bu　entered　at　the　head　of　thirty　armed　guards。　He　rushed　up　the　banquet　chamber；　shouting；　〃I　hold　a　mand　to　slay　the　rebel　Sun　Chen！〃

＇e＇　Jiaozhou　was　a　deep…south　region；　which　is　now　northern　Vietnam。

Instantly　the　Prime　Minister　was　seized。　He　fell　prostrate　before　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　knocking　his　head　on　the　ground　and　crying；　〃Spare　my　life！　Exile　me　to　Jiaozhou*；　where　I　will　do　plow　work。〃

〃Did　you　exile　any　of　your　victims………Teng　Yin；　Lu　Ju；　Wang　Chun；　and　others？〃　said　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　angrily。

The　order　went　forth　to　carry　out　the　execution；　and　Sun　Chen　was　hustled　out　and　put　to　death。　No　single　person　of　his　servants　raised　a　hand　to　help　him。

Then　Zhang　Bu　read　an　edict：　〃Sun　Chen　is　the　only　culprit；　and　no　other　will　be　questioned。〃

Then　at　Zhang　Bus　request；　the　Ruler　of　Wu　went　up　on　the　Tower　of　the　Five　Phoenixes。　Zhang　Bu；　Wei　Miao；　and　Shi　Shuo　brought　the　brothers　of　the　Prime　Minister　before　Sun　Xiu；　and　he　condemned　them　to　death。　After　this　their　families　were　slain；　so　that　many　hundreds　suffered　death。　Not　content　with　all　these　things；　the　tomb　of　Sun　Jun　was　broken　open　and　his　corpse　beheaded。

Magnificent　tombs　were　raised　to　his　victims………Zhuge　Ke；　Teng　Yin；　Lu　Ju；　Wang　Chun；　and　others。　Thus　at　last　loyalty　was　rewarded；　and　the　banished　were　permitted　to　return　home　with　full　pardon。　The　conspirators　were　rewarded。

News　of　this　revolution　was　sent　into　Chengdu；　and　the　Latter　Ruler　sent　an　envoy　into　Wu　with　felicitations。　In　return；　the　Ruler　of　Wu　sent　Xue　Xu　as　his　envoy　to　Shu。

When　Xue　Xu　returned；　the　Ruler　of　Wu　questioned　about　affairs　in　the　west；　and　Xue　Xu　said；　〃All　affairs　of　state　are　in　the　hands　of　a　certain　eunuch　named　Huang　Hao；　and　all　the　courtiers　look　up　to　him　as　to　a　father。　At　court　plain　truth　is　never　heard；　and　the　country　people　look　sallow　and　starved。　The　whole　country　appears　on　the　verge　of　destruction。　The　birds　on　the　roof　do　not　know　that　the　building　is　about　to　be　burned。〃

〃Ah　！　If　only　Zhuge　Liang　the　Martial　Lord　was　still　aliv