小说园

第18部分（第2页）

Main　Next　to　Chapter　8　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　8

Chapter　8

Wang　Yun　Prepares　The　Chaining　Scheme；

Dong　Zhuo　Rages　At　Phoenix　Pavilion。

This　is　what　Kuai　Liang　said；　〃Sun　Jian　is　now　gone；　and　his　children　are　but　youths。　Seize　this　moment　of　weakness　to　break　into　Changsha；　and　it　is　yours　in　one　beat　of　the　drum。　If　you　return　the　corpse　and　make　peace；　you　give　them　time　to　grow　powerful；　and　evil　will　ensue　to　Jingzhou。〃

〃How　can　I　leave　Huang　Zu　in　their　hands？〃　said　Liu　Biao。

〃Why　not　sacrifice　this　blundering　warrior　for　a　region？〃

〃But　he　is　my　dear　friend　and　to　abandon　him　is　wrong。〃

So　Huan　Ji　was　allowed　to　return　to　his　own　side　with　the　understanding　that　Sun　Jians　dead　body　should　be　given　in　exchange。　Sun　Ce　freed　his　prisoner；　brought　away　his　fathers　coffin；　and　the　fighting　ceased。　Sun　Jian　was　interred　in　the　plains　of　Que。　When　the　ceremonies　were　over；　Sun　Ce　led　his　army　home　again。

＇e＇　The　Yangtze　or　Yangzi　river；　which　flows　from　west　to　east　to　the　Pacific　at　Shanghai。

In　Changsha；　the　southern　territory　of　the　Great　River*；　Sun　Ce　set　himself　to　the　task　of　ruling　well。　Being　humble　and　generous；　he　invited　to　his　side　humans　of　wisdom　and　valor　and　so　bore　himself　that　all　the　best　and　bravest　of　the　country　gathered　about　him。

Meanwhile；　Dong　Zhuo　at　Capital　Changan；　when　he　heard　of　the　death　of　the　turbulent　Sun　Jian；　said；　〃An　evil　that　pressed　hard　upon　my　heart　has　been　removed！〃

He　asked　what　children　Sun　Jian　had　left；　and　when　they　told　him　the　eldest　was　but　seventeen；　he　dismissed　all　anxiety　from　his　thoughts。

From　this　time　forward　his　arrogance　and　domineering　spirit　waxed　worse　and　worse。　He　styled　himself　〃Imperial　Rector；〃　a　name　full　of　honor；　and　in　all　his　behavior　aped　imperial　state。　He　created　his　younger　brother；　Dong　Min；　Lord　of　Huazhou　and　made　him　mander　of　the　Left　Army。　A　nephew；　Dong　Huang；　was　made　Court　Counselor　and　placed　in　mand　of　the　Palace　Guard；　and　everyone　of　his　clan；　young　or　old；　was　ennobled。　Eighty　miles　from　the　capital　Dong　Zhuo　laid　out　a　city　called　Meiwo；　an　exact　replica　of　Changan；　with　its　palaces；　granaries；　treasuries；　and　magazines；　and　employed　a　quarter　of　a　million　people　to　build　it。　Here　he　accumulated　supplies　sufficient　for　twenty　years。　He　selected　eight　hundred　of　the　most　beautiful　maidens　and　sent　them　to　dwell　in　his　new　city。　The　stores　of　wealth　in　every　form　were　incalculable。　All　his　family　and　retainers　found　quarters　in　this　new　city。

Dong　Zhuo　visited　his　city　at　intervals　of　a　month　or　so；　and　every　visit　was　like　an　imperial　progress；　with　booths　by　the　roadside　to　refresh　the　officials　and　courtiers　who　attended　him　to　the　northwest　Royal　Gate　and　saw　him　start。

On　one　occasion　Dong　Zhuo　spread　a　great　feast　for　all　those　assembled　to　witness　his　departure；　and　while　it　was　in　progress；　there　arrived　a　large　number　of　rebels　from　the　north　who　had　voluntarily　surrendered。　The　tyrant　had　them　brought　before　him　as　he　sat　at　table　and　meted　out　to　them　wanton　cruelties。　The　hands　of　this　one　were　lopped　off；　the　feet　of　that；　one　had　his　eyes　gouged　out；　another　lost　his　tongue。　Some　were　boiled　to　death。　Shrieks　of　agony　arose　to　the　very　heavens；　and　the　courtiers　were　faint　with　terror。　But　the　author　of　the　misery　ate　and　drank；　chatted　and　smiled　as　if　nothing　was　going　on。

Another　day　Dong　Zhuo　was　presiding　at　a　great　gathering　of　officers　who　were　seated　in　two　long　rows。　After　the　wine　had　gone　up　and　down　several　times；　Lu　Bu　entered　and　whispered　a　few　words　in　his　masters　ear。

Dong　Zhuo　smiled　and　said；　〃He　was　always　so。　Take　Minister　Zhang　Wan　outside。〃

The　others　all　turned　pale。　In　a　little　time　a　serving　man　brought　the　head　of　their　fellow　guest　on　a　red　dish　and　showed　it　to　their　host。　They　nearly　died　with　fright。

〃Do　not　fear；〃　said　Dong　Zhuo　smiling。　〃Minister　Zhang　Wan　was　in　league　with　Yuan　Shu　to　assassinate　me。　A　letter　he　wrote　fell　by　mistake　into　the　hands　of　my　son；　so　I　have　had　him　put　to　death。　You　gentlemen；　who　have　no　reason；　need　have　no　fear。〃

The　officials　hastened　to　disperse。　One　of　them；　Minister　of　the　Interior　Wang　Yun；　who　had　witnessed　all　this；　returned　to　his　palace　very　pensive　and　much　distressed。　The　same　evening；　a　bright　moonlight　night；　he　took　his　staff　and　went　strolling　in　his　private　garden。　Standing　near　one　of　the　creeper　trellises；　he　gazed　up　at　the　sky　and　the　tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks。　Suddenly　he　heard　a　rustle　in　the　Peony　Pavilion　and　someone　sighing　deeply。　Stealthily　creeping　near；　he　saw　there　one　of　the　household　singing　girls　named　Diao　Chan。

This　maiden　had　been　brought　up　in　his　palace；　where　she　had　been　taught　to　sing　and　dance。　At　twenty…one；　she　was　then　just　bursting　into　womanhood；　a　pretty　and　clever　girl　whom　Wang　Yun　regarded　more　as　a　daughter　than　a　dependant。

After　listening　for　some　time；　Wang　Yun　suddenly　called　out；　〃What　mischief　are　you　up　to　there；　you　naughty　girl？〃

The　maiden　dropped　on　her　knees　in　terror；　saying；　〃Would　thy　unworthy　handmaid　dare　to　do　anything　wrong？〃

〃Then　what　are　you　sighing　about　out　here　in　the　darkness？〃

〃May　thy　handmaid　speak　from　the　bottom　of　her　heart？〃

〃Tell　me　the　whole　truth。　Do　not　conceal　anything。〃

And　the　girl　said；　〃Thy　handmaid　has　been　the　recipient　of　bountiful　kindness。　She　has　been　taught　to　sing　and　dance　and　been　treated　so　kindly　that　were　she　torn　in　pieces　for　her　lords　sake；　it　would　not　repay　a　thousandth　part。　She　has　noticed　lately　that　her　lords　brows　have　been　knit　in　distress　and　knows　it　is　on　account　of　the　state　troubles。　But　she　has　not　dared　to　ask。　This　evening　he　seemed　sadder　than　ever；　and　she　was　miserable　on　her　lords　account。　But　she　did　not　know　she　would　be　seen。　Could　she　be　of　any　use　she　would　not　shrink　from　a　myriad　deaths。〃

A　sudden　idea