小说园

第170部分（第1页）

All　was　simple　gaiety。

That　night　the　mander　of　the　Imperial　Guards；　Wang　Bi；　and　his　officers　had　a　feast　in　their　camp。　Just　after　the　second　watch　had　begun；　they　heard　a　great　shouting　in　the　camp；　and　someone　came　in　to　say　that　a　fire　had　started　in　the　rear。　Wang　Bi　hurriedly　left　the　table　and　went　outside。　He　saw　flames　leaping　up　and　rolling　by　and　heard　shouts　of　〃Kill！〃　rising　on　every　side　and　echoing　to　the　very　sky。　He　thought　the　camp　had　certainly　mutinied；　and；　jumping　on　his　horse；　went　out　at　the　south　gate。　Just　outside　he　ran　against　Geng　Ji；　who　loosed　an　arrow　which　struck　him　in　the　shoulder。　He　nearly　fell　with　the　shock；　but　he　got　away　toward　the　west　gate。　He　found　he　was　pursued　by　armed　men；　so　he　got　flurried；　dismounted；　and　went　on　foot。　Presently　he　came　to　the　house　of　Jin　Yi　and　hammered　at　the　door。

Now　the　fire　that　had　created　such　a　scare　had　been　raised　by　Jin　Yis　own　people　sent　for　that　purpose；　and　Jin　Yi　had　followed　them　to　fight　when　the　time　came。　Hence　there　was　no　one　but　the　woman　folks　left　in　his　house。　When　the　women　heard　the　clamor　at　the　door；　they　thought　Jin　Yi　had　e　back。

Jin　Yis　wife；　from　the　door　of　the　womens　quarter；　called　out；　〃Have　you　killed　Wang　Bi？〃

This　was　a　shock；　but　it　told　Wang　Bi　that　his　quondam　friend　was　now　an　enemy。

Wherefore　Wang　Bi　fled　further　to　the　house　of　Cao　Xiu　and　told　him；　〃Geng　Ji　and　Jin　Yi　have　raised　a　disturbance。〃

Cao　Xiu　immediately　armed　himself；　got　to　horse；　and　led　out　a　thousand　troops。　He　found　fires　on　all　sides；　and　the　Tower　of　the　Five　Phoenixes　was　in　flames。　The　Emperor　had　fled　into　the　recesses　of　the　Palace；　but　Cao　Caos　friends　and　partisans　were　defending　the　Palace　gates　like　grim　death。

In　the　city　the　crowd　was　shouting　one　to　another：　〃Slay　Cao　Cao　and　restore　the　Hans！〃

When　Xiahou　Dun　had　received　thirty　thousand　troops　and　the　mand　to　keep　watch　and　ward　over　the　capital；　he　had　gone　into　camp　three　miles　from　the　city。　When　he　saw　the　conflagration　start；　he　set　the　army　in　motion　and　surrounded　the　city。　He　also　sent　reinforcements　to　Cao　Xiu　within。

Inside　the　city　the　fighting　went　on　all　night。　No　one　joined　the　conspirators；　the　small　band　were　left　to　their　own　efforts。　Soon　it　was　reported　that　Jin　Yi；　Ji　Mao；　and　Ji　Mu　were　slain。　Geng　Ji　and　Wei　Huang　found　their　way　to　one　of　the　gates；　but　there　they　met　Xiahou　Duns　main　force　and　were　made　prisoners。　The　handful　of　men　with　them　were　cut　to　pieces。

When　the　fighting　subsided；　Xiahou　Dun　went　into　the　city　and　set　his　troops　to　put　out　the　fires。　He　also　laid　hands　on　the　whole　households　of　the　five　conspirators。　Then　he　sent　a　report　to　Cao　Cao；　who　sent　back　orders　to　execute　the　two　conspirators　and　put　to　death　in　public　all　the　members　of　the　five　families。　He　was　also　to　arrest　every　official　and　send　the　whole　batch　to　Yejun　for　interrogations。

Xiahou　Dun　sent　his　two　chief　prisoners　to　the　place　of　execution。　They　shouted　against　Cao　Cao。

〃Living　we　have　failed　to　slay　you；　Cao　Cao。　Dead　we　will　be　malicious　spirits　smiting　rebels　in　all　places！〃

The　executioner　smote　Geng　Ji　on　the　mouth　with　his　sword；　so　that　the　blood　gushed　out；　but　he　continued　to　shout　as　long　as　he　could。

Wei　Huang；　his　fellow…conspirator；　dashed　his　temples　on　the　ground；　crying；　〃How　I　hate　him！〃　and　ground　his　teeth　till　he　broke　them　to　fragments。　And　they　both　died　of　hatred　and　exhaustion。

Who　can　with　outstretched　hands　uphold　the　sky

Or　thrones　maintain　by　simple　loyalty？

Hans　day　was　done；　two　would　avert　the　doom；

But　failed；　and　carried　anger　to　the　tomb。

Xiahou　Dun　carried　out　his　chiefs　orders　and　sent　the　officials　he　had　arrested　to　Yejun。　There　Cao　Cao　set　up　two　flags；　one　red　and　one　white；　in　the　drill　ground　and　sent　all　the　officials　thither。　Then　he　addressed　them。

〃In　this　late　rebellion　some　of　you　went　out　to　extinguish　the　fire；　some　of　you　stayed　within　doors。　Let　those　who　went　forth　to　put　out　the　fire　take　their　stand　by　the　red　flag；　and　those　who　remained　in　their　houses　go　to　the　white　flag。〃

The　officials　thought　within　themselves；　〃Certainly　there　can　be　nothing　wrong　in　trying　to　put　out　a　fire；〃　so　they　nearly　all　placed　themselves　under　the　red　flag。　Only　about　a　third　went　to　the　white。

Then　the　order　was　given　to　seize　all　those　by　the　red　flag。

They　protested。　〃We　are　guiltless！〃　cried　they。

Cao　Cao　said；　〃At　that　time　you　intended　not　to　put　out　the　flames　but　to　aid　the　rebels。〃

He　sent　them　all　down　to　River　Zhang　and　had　them　put　to　death　on　the　bank。　There　were　more　than　three　hundred　victims。　He　rewarded　those　who　were　under　the　white　flag　and　sent　them　to　their　homes　in　the　capital。

Wang　Bi　died　from　his　wound　and　was　buried　with　great　honor。

Cao　Xiu　was　placed　over　the　guards；　Zhong　Yao　was　created　Prime　Minister　of　the　princedom　of　Wei；　Hua　Xin　became　High　Minister。　The　occasion　was　taken　to　create　six　grades　of　the　title　of　Lordship　with　three　divisions　each；　eighteen　in　all。　There　were　seventeen　grades　of　Marquis　West　of　the　Pass。　And　all　these　had　golden　seals　of　office　with　purple　ribbons。　There　were　also　sixteen　ranks　of　Interior　Marquis　and　Exterior　Marquis。　They　had　silver　seals　with　tortoise　ornaments　on　the　back　and　black　ribbons。　There　were　five　classes　of　Minister　with　three　grades　in　each　class。　These　had　brass　seals；　with　chain　ornaments　and　ribbons。　And　with　all　these　various　gradations　of　ranks　and　nobility　reorganized；　the　court　was　entirely　reformed。　There　were　new　ranks　and　new　people　in　office。

Cao　Cao　then　remembered　the　warning　about　a　conflagration　in　the　capital　and　wished　to　reward　Guan　Lu　for　his　prescience；　but　he　would　receive　nothing。

Meanwhile；　in　East　River　Land；　Cao　Hong　with　an　army　of　fifty　thousand　went　into　Hanzhong。　He　placed　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　in　mand　at　points　of　importance；　while　he　went　on　to　the　attack。　At　that　time　Zhang　Fei　and　Lei　Tong　were　holding　Baxi。　Ma　Chao　marched　to　Xiabian　and　sent　Wu　Lan　out　as　Van　Leader　to　reconnoiter。　He　fell　in　with　Cao　Hong；　and　Wu　Lan　was　going　to　retire。　But　General　Ren　Kui　advised　against　this。

Said　Ren　Kui；　〃The　enemy　are　newly　arrived。　Why　not　fight　and　take　the　keen　edge　off　their　pride？　If　we　do　not　fight；　how　can　we　look　our　chief　in　the　face　when　we　return？〃

So　it　was　decided　to　offer　battle；　and　Ren　Kui　rode　out　and　challenged　Cao　Hong。　The　challenge　was　accepted；　and　the　warriors　advanced。　Cao　Hong　cut　Ren　Kui　down　in　the　third　encounter　and　pressed　the　advantage；　and　Wu　Lan　was　beaten　off。　When　Wu　Lan　returned　and　told　Ma　Chao；　he　was　blamed。

〃Why　did　you　attack　without　orders　and　bring　about　this　defeat？〃