小说园

第33部分（第1页）

ersonages　in　the　silk；　and　thus　they　lowered　them　down　near　the　boat。　Then　Li　Yue　took　up　his　position　in　the　prow　leaning　on　his　sword。　Fu　De　carried　the　Empress　on　his　back　into　the　boat。

The　boat　was　too　small　to　carry　everybody；　and　those　unable　to　get　on　board　clung　to　the　cable；　but　Li　Yue　cut　them　down；　and　they　fell　into　the　water。　They　ferried　over　the　Emperor　and　then　sent　back　the　boat　for　the　others。　There　was　a　great　scramble　to　get　on　board；　and　they　had　to　chop　off　the　fingers　and　hands　of　those　who　persisted　in　clinging　to　the　boat。　The　lamentation　rose　to　the　heavens。

When　they　mustered　on　the　farther　bank；　many　were　missing；　only　a　dozen　of　the　Emperors　suite　were　left。　Yang　Feng　found　a　bullock　cart　and　transported　the　Emperor　and　Empress　to　Dayang。　They　had　no　food　and　at　night　sought　shelter　in　a　poor；　tile…roofed　house。　The　cottagers　gave　them　some　boiled　millet　but　it　was　too　coarse　to　be　swallowed。

Next　day　the　Emperor　conferred　titles　on　those　who　had　protected　him。　Li　Yue　was　made　General　Who　Conquers　the　North；　and　Han　Xian　was　appointed　General　Who　Conquers　the　East。

The　flight　continued。　Soon　two　officers　of　rank　came　up　with　the　cortege；　and　they　bowed　before　His　Majesty　with　many　tears。　They　were　Imperial　Guardian　Yang　Biao　and　Minister　Han　Rong。　The　Emperor　and　Empress　lifted　up　their　voices　and　wept　with　them。

Said　Han　Rong　to　his　colleague；　〃The　rebels　have　confidence　in　my　words。　You　stay　as　guard　of　the　Emperor；　and　I　will　take　my　life　in　my　hands　and　try　to　bring　about　peace。〃

After　Han　Rong　had　gone；　the　Emperor　rested　for　a　time　in　Yang　Fengs　camp。　But　Yang　Biao　requested　the　Emperor　to　head　for　Anyi　and　make　the　capital　there。　When　the　train　reached　the　town；　they　found　it　containing　not　a　single　lofty　building；　and　the　court　lived　in　grass　huts　devoid　even　of　doors。　They　surrounded　these　with　a　fence　of　thorns　as　a　protection；　and　within　this　the　Emperor　held　counsel　with　his　ministers。　The　soldiers　camped　round　the　fence。

Now　Li　Yue　and　his　fellow　ruffians　showed　their　true　colors。　They　wielded　the　powers　of　the　Emperor　as　they　wished；　and　officials　who　offended　them　were　beaten　or　abused　even　in　the　presence　of　the　Emperor。　They　purposely　provided　thick　wine　and　coarse　food　for　the　Emperors　consumption。　He　struggled　to　swallow　what　they　sent。　Li　Yue　and　Han　Xian　joined　in　remending　to　the　Throne　the　names　of　convicts；　mon　soldiers；　sorcerers；　leeches；　and　such　people　who　thus　obtained　official　ranks。　There　were　more　than　two　hundred　of　such　people。　As　seals　could　not　be　engraved；　pieces　of　metal　were　hammered　into　some　sort　of　a　shape。　Court　affairs　had　never　degraded　to　such　a　low　point。

Now　Han　Rong　went　to　see　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si。　After　listening　to　his　vigorous　persuasions；　the　two　rebel　generals　agreed　to　set　free　the　officials　and　Palace　people。

A　famine　occurred　that　same　year　and　people　were　reduced　to　eating　grass　from　the　roadside。　Starving；　they　wandered　hither　and　thither。　But　food　and　clothing　were　sent　to　the　Emperor　from　the　governor　of　Henei；　Zhang　Yang；　and　the　governor　of　Hedong；　Wang　Yi；　and　the　court　began　to　enjoy　a　little　repose。

Dong　Cheng　and　Yang　Feng　sent　laborers　to　restore　the　palaces　in　Luoyang　with　the　intention　of　moving　the　court　thither。　Li　Yue　was　opposed　to　this。

Dong　Cheng　argued；　〃Luoyang　is　the　original　capital　as　opposed　to　the　paltry　town　of　Anyi。　Removal　would　be　but　reasonable。〃

Li　Yue　wound　up　by　saying；　〃You　may　get　the　court　to　remove；　but　I　shall　remain　here。〃

But　when　the　consent　of　the　Emperor　had　been　given　and　a　start　made；　Li　Yue　secretly　sent　to　arrange　with　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si　to　capture　the　Emperor。　However；　this　plot　leaked　out　and　the　escort　so　arranged　as　to　prevent　such　a　thing；　and　they　pressed　on　to　the　pass　at　Zhiguan　Hills　as　rapidly　as　possible。　Li　Yue　heard　this；　and　without　waiting　for　his　rebel　colleagues　to　join　him　set　out　to　act　alone。

About　the　fourth　watch；　just　as　the　cavalcade　was　passing　Zhiguan　Hills；　a　voice　was　heard　shouting；　〃Stop　those　carriages！　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si　are　here！〃

This　frightened　the　Emperor　greatly；　and　his　terror　increased　when　he　saw　the　whole　mountain　side　suddenly　light　up。　Indeed：

The　rebel　party；　erstwhile　split　in　twain；

To　work　their　wicked　will　now　join　three　again。

How　the　Son　of　Heaven　escaped　this　peril　will　be　told　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　14　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　14

Chapter　14

Cao　Cao　Moves　The　Court　To　Xuchang；

Lu　Bu　Night…Raids　Xuzhou。

The　last　chapter　closed　with　the　arrival　of　Li　Yue　who　shouted　out　falsely　that　the　army　was　that　of　the　two　arch　rebels　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si　e　to　capture　the　imperial　cavalcade。　But　Yang　Feng　recognized　the　voice　of　Li　Yue　and　bade　Xu　Huang　go　out　to　fight　him。　Xu　Huang　went　and　in　the　first　bout　the　traitor　fell。　The　White　Wave　rebels　scattered；　and　the　travelers　got　safely　through　Zhiguan　Hills。　Here　the　Governor　of　Henei；　Zhang　Yang；　supplied　them　plentifully　with　food　and　other　necessaries　and　escorted　the　Emperor　to　Zhidao。　For　his　timely　help；　the　Emperor　conferred　upon　Zhang　Yang　the　rank　of　a　Grand　mander。　Yang　Feng　moved　his　army　to　the　northeast　of　Luoyang　and　camped　at　Yewang。

Capital　Luoyang　was　presently　entered。　Within　the　walls　all　was　destruction。　The　palaces　and　halls　had　been　burned；　the　streets　were　overgrown　with　grass　and　brambles　and　obstructed　by　heaps　of　ruins。　The　palaces　and　courts　were　represented　by　broken　roofs　and　toppling　walls。　A　small　〃palace〃　however　was　soon　built；　and　therein　the　officers　of　court　presented　their　congratulations；　standing　in　the　open　air　among　thorn　hushes　and　brambles。　The　reign　style　was　changed　from　Prosperous　Stability　to　Rebuilt　Tranquillity；　the　first　year　（AD　196）。

The　year　was　grievous　with　famine。　The　Luoyang　people；　even　reduced　in　numbers　as　they　were　to　a　few　hundreds；　had　not　enough　to　eat　and　they　prowled　about　stripping　the　bark　off　trees　and　grubbing　up　the　roots　of　plants　to　satisfy　their　starving　hunger。　Officers　of　the　government　of　all　but　the　highest　ranks　went　out　into　the　country　to　gather　fuel。　Many　people　were　crushed　by　the　falling　walls　of　burned　houses。　At　no　time　during　the　decadence　of　Han　did　misery　press　harder　than　at　this　period。