小说园

第14部分（第2页）

〃What！　Dong　Zhuo；　that　rebel　and　renegade；　that　subverter　of　the　Throne！　I　wish　I　could　destroy　his　nine　generations　as　a　thank…offering　to　the　empire！　Think　you　I　would　be　willing　to　have　an　alliance　with　such　a　family？　I　will　not　slay　you　as　I　ought；　but　go；　and　go　quickly！　Yield　the　Pass　and　I　may　spare　your　lives。　If　you　delay；　I　will　grind　your　bones　to　powder　and　make　mincemeat　of　your　flesh！〃

Li　Jue　threw　his　arms　over　his　head　and　ran　out。　He　returned　to　his　master　and　told　him　what　a　rude　reception　he　had　met　with。　Dong　Zhuo　asked　his　adviser　Li　Ru　how　to　reply　to　this。

Li　Ru　said；　〃Lu　Bus　late　defeat　had　somewhat　blunted　the　edge　of　our　armys　desire　for　battle。　It　would　be　well　to　return　to　the　capital　and　remove　the　Emperor　to　Changan；　as　the　street　children　had　been　lately　singing：

〃A　Han　on　the　west；　a　Han　on　the　east。

The　deer　（emperor）　in　Changan　shall　worry　least。〃

Li　Ru　continued；　〃If　you　think　out　this　couplet；　it　applies　to　the　present　juncture。　Half　the　first　line　refers　to　the　founder　of　the　dynasty；　Liu　Bang　the　Supreme　Ancestor；　who　became　ruler　in　the　western　city　of　Changan；　which　was　the　capital　during　twelve　reigns。　The　other　half　corresponds　to　Liu　Xiu　the　Latter　Han　Founder　who　ruled　from　Luoyang；　the　eastern　capital　during　twelve　latter　reigns。　The　revolution　of　the　heavens　brings　us　back　to　this　starting　moment。　Thus　if　you　remove　to　Changan；　there　will　be　no　need　for　anxiety。〃

Dong　Zhuo　was　exceedingly　pleased　and　said；　〃Had　you　not　spoken　thus；　I　should　not　have　understood！〃

Then　taking　Lu　Bu　with　him；　Dong　Zhuo　started　at　once　for　Capital　Luoyang。

Here　he　called　all　the　officials　to　a　great　council　in　the　Palace　and　addressed　them；　〃After　two　centuries　of　rule　here；　the　royal　fortune　has　been　exhausted；　and　I　perceive　that　the　aura　of　rule　has　migrated　to　Changan；　whither　I　now　desire　to　move　the　court。　All　you　had　better　pack　up　for　the　journey。〃

＇e＇　The　Land　Within　the　Passes；　or　Guanzhong；　was　the　area　surrounding　Changan。

＇e＇　In　the　ending　years　of　Wang　Mangs　usurpation；　rebels　ran　the　country。　The　Red　Eyebrows　rebels　were　one　of　the　most　active　of　the　robber　bands。　They　finally　captured　Changan；　and　Wang　Mang　was　killed　in　the　fighting。　。。。。。

Yang　Biao；　Minister　of　the　Interior；　said；　〃I　pray　you　reflect。　The　Land　Within　the　Passes*　is　all　destruction。　There　is　no　reason　to　renounce　the　ancestral　temples　and　abandon　the　imperial　tombs　here。　I　fear　the　people　will　be　alarmed。　It　is　easy　to　alarm　them　but　difficult　to　pacify　them。〃

〃Do　you　oppose　the　state　plans？〃　said　Dong　Zhuo　angrily。

Another　official；　Grand　mander　Huang　Wan；　supported　his　colleague；　〃In　the　era　of　Remencement　（AD　23…25）；　Fan　Chong　of　the　Red　Eyebrows　rebels　burned　Changan　to　the　ground　and　reduced　the　place　to　broken　tiles*。　The　inhabitants　scattered　all　but　a　few。　It　is　wrong　to　abandon　these　palaces　here　for　a　wasteland。〃

Dong　Zhuo　replied；　〃The　East　of　the　Pass　is　full　of　sedition；　and　all　the　empire　is　in　rebellion。　The　city　of　Changan　is　protected　by　the　Yaohan　Mountains　and　the　Hangu　Pass。　Moreover；　it　is　near　Longyou；　whence　can　be　easily　brought　timber；　stone；　brick；　and　building　materials。　In　a　month　or　so　palaces　can　be　erected。　So　an　end　to　your　wild　words！〃

Yet　Minister　of　Works　Xun　Shuang　raised　another　protest　against　disturbing　the　people；　but　Dong　Zhuo　overbore　him　also。

〃How　can　I　stop　to　consider　a　few　mon　people　when　my　scheme　affects　the　empire？〃　said　Dong　Zhuo。

That　day　the　three　objectors………Yang　Biao；　Huang　Wan；　and　Xun　Shuang………were　removed　from　their　offices　and　reduced　to　the　rank　of　moners。

As　Dong　Zhuo　went　out　to　get　into　his　coach；　he　met　two　other　officers　who　made　obeisance。　They　were　the　Chair　of　the　Secretariat；　Zhou　Bi；　and　the　mander　of　the　City　Gates；　Wu　Qiong。　Dong　Zhuo　stopped　and　asked　them　what　they　wanted。

Said　Zhou　Bi；　〃We　venture　to　try　to　dissuade　you　from　moving　the　capital　to　Changan。〃

Dong　Zhuo　replied；　〃You　two　persuaded　me　to　give　Yuan　Shao　office。　Now　he　has　already　turned　traitor；　and　you　are　of　the　same　party！〃

And　without　more　ado　he　bade　his　guards　take　both　outside　the　city　and　put　them　to　death。　The　mand　to　remove　to　the　new　capital　immediately　was　issued。

Speaking　to　Dong　Zhuo；　Li　Ru　pointed　out；　〃We　are　short　of　money　and　food；　and　the　rich　people　of　Luoyang　could　be　easily　plundered。　This　is　a　good　occasion　to　link　them　to　the　rebels　and　to　confiscate　their　properties。〃

Dong　Zhuo　sent　five　thousand　troops　out　to　plunder　and　slay。　They　captured　many　thousand　wealthy　householders　and；　having　stuck　flags　on　their　heads　saying　they　were　Traitors　and　Rebels　；　drove　them　out　of　the　city　and　put　them　to　death。　Their　properties　were　all　seized。

The　task　of　driving　forth　the　inhabitants；　some　millions；　was　given　to　two　of　Dong　Zhuos　manders；　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si。　The　people　were　sent　off　in　bands；　each　band　between　two　parties　of　soldiers；　who　drove　them　torward　Changan。　Enormous　numbers　fell　by　the　road　side　and　died　in　the　ditches；　and　the　escort　plundered　the　fugitives　and　defiled　the　women。　A　wail　of　sorrow　arose　to　the　very　sky。

Dong　Zhuos　final　orders　as　he　left　Capital　Luoyang　were　to　burn　the　whole　city：　Houses；　palaces；　temples；　and　everything　were　devoured　by　the　flames。　The　capital　became　but　a　patch　of　scorched　earth。

Dong　Zhuo　sent　Lu　Bu　to　desecrate　the　tombs　of　the　emperors　and　their　consorts　for　the　jewels　therein；　and　the　mon　soldiers　took　the　occasion　to　dig　up　the　graves　of　officials　and　plunder　the　cemeteries　of　the　wealthy。　The　spoil　of　the　city；　gold　and　silver；　pearls　and　silks；　and　beautiful　ornaments；　filled　several　thousand　carts。　With　these　and　the　persons　of　the　Emperor　and　his　household；　Dong　Zhuo　moved　off　to　the　new　capital　in　the　first　year　of　Inauguration　of　Tranquillity　（AD　190）。

Luoyang　being　thus　abandoned；　the　general　of　Dong　Zhuo　at　River　Si　Pass；　Zhao　Cen；　evacuated　that　post　of　vantage；　which　Sun　Jian　at　once　occupied。　Liu　Bei　and　his　brothers　took　Tiger　Trap　Pass　and　the　confederate　lords　advanced。

Sun　Jian　hastened　to　the　late　capital　which　was　still　in　flames。　When　he　arrived；　dense　smoke　hung　all　over　it　and　spread　for　miles　around。　No　living　thing；　not　a　fowl；　or　a　dog；　or　a　human　being；　remained。　Sun　Jian　told　off　his　soldiers　to　extinguish　the　fires　and　set　out　camping　places　for　the　confederate　lords。

Cao　Cao　went　to　see　Yuan　Shao　and　said；　〃Dong　Zhuo　has　gone　west。　We　ought　to　follow　and　attack　his　rear　without　loss　of　time。　Why　do　you　remain　inactive？〃

〃All　our　colleagues　are　worn　out；　and　there　is　nothing　to　be　gained　by　attack；〃　said　Yuan　Shao。

Cao　Cao　said；　〃This　moment　was　most　propitious　in　the　utter　confusion　that　reigned………palaces　burned；　the　Emperor　abducted；　the　whole　world　upset；　and　no　one　knowing　whither　to　turn。　The　villain　will　soon　be　ended；　and　a　single　blow　could　exterminate　Dong　Zhuo。　Why　not　pursue？〃

But　all　the　confederate　lords　seemed　of　one　mind；　and　that　mind　was　to　postpone　action。　So　they　did　nothing。

〃Those　unworthy　people　cannot　discuss　worthy　thing！〃　cried　Cao　Cao。

Then；　he　and　his　six　generals………Xiahou　Dun；　Xiahou　Yuan；　Cao　Ren；　Cao　Hong；　Li　Dian；　and　Yue　Jing………and　ten　thousand　troops　started　in　pursuit。

The　road　to　the　new　capital　led　through　Yingyang。　When　Dong　Zhuo　reached　it；　Governor　Xu　Rong　went　to　wele　the　cavalcade。

Li　Ru　said；　〃As　there　is　some　danger　of　pursuit；　it　would　be　well　to　order　the　Governor　of　this　place　to　lay　an　ambush　outside　the　city。　He　is　to　let　the　pursuers　pass　and　be　ready　to　cut　off　their　retreat；　when　our　army　beats　them　off。　That　will　teach　any　others　not　to　follow。〃

Then　Dong　Zhuo　ordered　Lu　Bu　to　mand　the　rear　guard。　Very　soon　they　saw　Cao　Cao　ing　up；　and　Lu　Bu　laughed　at　his　colleagues　foresight。　He　set　o