小说园

第166部分（第2页）

Then　Sun　Quan　bade　Zhou　Tai　open　his　dress　and　exhibit　his　wounds　for　all　the　assembly　to　see。　The　skin　was　gashed　all　over　as　if　his　body　had　been　scored　with　a　knife。　Sun　Quan　pointed　to　the　wounds；　one　after　another；　and　asked　how　each　one　had　been　received。　And；　as　Zhou　Tai　told　him；　for　every　wound　Sun　Quan　made　him　drink　off　a　goblet　of　wine　till　he　became　thoroughly　intoxicated。　Sun　Quan　then　presented　him　with　a　green　silk　parasol　and　bade　him　use　it　on　all　occasions　as　a　sign　of　the　glory　that　was　his。

But　Sun　Quan　found　his　opponents　too　stable。　At　the　end　of　a　month　the　two　armies　were　both　at　Ruxu　and　neither　had　won　a　victory。

Then　said　Zhang　Zhao　and　Gu　Yong；　〃Cao　Cao　is　too　strong；　and　we　cannot　overe　him　by　mere　force。　If　the　struggle　continues　longer；　you　will　only　lose　more　soldiers。　You　had　better　seek　to　make　peace。〃

Sun　Quan　followed　this　advice　and　dispatched　Bu　Zhi　on　a　peace　mission　to　Cao　Caos　camp。　Sun　Quan　offered　a　yearly　tribute。　Cao　Cao　also　saw　that　the　South　Land　was　too　strong　to　be　overe；　and　consented。

Cao　Cao　insisted；　〃The　Marquis　should　first　send　away　his　army；　and　then　I　would　retire。〃

Bu　Zhi　returned　with　this　message；　and　Sun　Quan　sent　away　the　greater　part；　leaving　only　Zhou　Tai　and　Jiang　Qin　to　hold　Ruxu。　The　army　returned　to　Capital　Jianye。

Cao　Cao　left　Cao　Ren　and　Zhang　Liao　in　charge　of　Hefei；　and　he　marched　the　army　back　to　Capital　Xuchang。

On　arrival；　all　Cao　Caos　officers；　military　and　civil；　persuaded　him　to　bee　Prince　of　Wei。　Only　the　Chair　of　the　Secretariat；　Cui　Yan；　spoke　strongly　against　the　scheme。

〃You　are；　then；　the　only　man　who　knows　not　the　fate　of　Xun　Yu；〃　said　his　colleagues。

〃Such　times！　Such　deeds！〃　cried　Cui　Yan。　〃You　are　guilty　of　rebellion；　but　you　may　mit　it　yourselves。　I　will　bear　no　part　in　it。〃

Certain　enemies　told　Cao　Cao；　and　Cui　Yan　was　thrown　into　prison。　At　his　trial　he　glared　like　a　tiger；　and　his　very　beard　curled　with　contempt。　He　raged　and　cursed　at　Cao　Cao　for　a　betrayer　of　his　prince；　and　a　rebel。　The　interrogating　magistrate　reported　his　conduct　to　Cao　Cao；　who　ordered　Cui　Yan　to　be　beaten　to　death　in　prison。

Cui　Yan　of　Qinghe；

Firm　and　unyielding　was　he；

With　beard　crisp　curling　and　gleaming　eyes；

Which　showed　the　man　of　stone　and　iron　within。

He　drove　the　evil　from　his　presence；

And　his　glory　is　fair　and　high。

For　loyalty　to　his　lord　of　Han；

His　fame　shall　increase　as　the　ages　roll。

In　the　twenty…first　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（216）；　in　the　fifth　month　of　that　year；　a　great　memorial　signed　by　many　officers　went　up　to　Emperor　Xian；　praying：

＇e＇　Yi　Yin　was　was　helper　and　prime　minister　of　King　Tang；　the　founder　of　Shang　Dynasty。　After　King　Tangs　death；　Yi　Yin　served　his　sons　and　grandson。　Soon　after　Tai　Jia；　King　Tangs　grandson；　ascended　the　throne；　he　mitted　many　faults；　and　Yi　Yin；　acting　as　regent；　exiled　Tai　Jia　to　Tong　Palace………the　burial　place　of　King　Tang。　After　three　years　Yi　Yin　returned　him　the　throne。　Tai　Jia　eventually　became　an　enlightened　emperor。　Shang　Dynasty　lasted　for　650　years　（BC　1700…1050）。　It　was　this　act　of　Yi　Yin　rather　than　his　services　in　building　up　an　empire　that　has　made　him　immortal。　Whether　he　did　right　in　temporarily　dethroning　the　king　was　open　to　question；　until　a　final　verdict　was　rendered　by　Mencius　who　thought　that　his　ends　amply　justified　his　means。　This　historical　event　attests　the　extent　of　the　power　exercised　by　a　prime　minister　in　those　days。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Duke　of　Zhou　was　brother　of　King　Wu；　who　was　the　founder　of　Zhou　Dynasty。　After　King　Wus　death；　the　Duke　of　Zhou　served　his　young　son　as　regent。　The　Duke　of　Zhou　pletely　ended　the　Shang　domination；　and　he　helped　establish　the　Zhou　administrative　framework；　which　served　as　a　model　for　future　Chinese　dynasties。　Zhou　Dynasty　lasted　for　800　years　（BC　1050…221）。　。。。。。

〃The　Duke　of　Wei　has　rendered　so　great　services　that　no　minister　before　him；　in　Heaven　as　well　as　on　Earth；　not　even　Yi　Yin*　and　the　Duke　of　Zhou*；　could　match　his　manifest　merits　to　the　state。　Thus；　the　title　of　kingship　should　be　granted　to　him。〃

The　memorial　was　approved；　and　a　draft　edict　was　prepared　by　the　famous　Zhong　Yao　to　make　Cao　Cao　Prince　of　Wei。　Thrice　Cao　Cao　with　seeming　modesty　pretended　to　decline　the　honor；　but　thrice　was　his　refusal　rejected。　Finally　he　made　his　obeisance　and　was　enrolled　as　Prince　of　Wei　with　the　usual　insignia　and　privileges；　a　coronet　with　twelve　strings　of　beads　and　a　chariot　with　gilt　shafts；　drawn　by　six　steeds。　Using　the　formalities　of　the　Son　of　God；　he　decorated　his　imperial　chariot　with　bells　and　had　the　roads　cleared　when　he　passed　along。　He　built　himself　a　Palace　at　Yejun。

Then　he　began　to　discuss　the　appointment　of　an　heir…apparent。　His　principal　wife；　Lady　Ding；　was　without　issue；　but　a　concubine；　Lady　Liu；　had　borne　him　a　son；　Cao　Ang；　who　had　been　killed　in　battle　at　the　siege　of　Wancheng　when　Cao　Cao　fought　against　Zhang　Xiu。　A　second　concubine；　Lady　Bian；　had　borne　him　four　sons：　Cao　Pi；　Cao　Zhang；　Cao　Zhi；　and　Cao　Xiong。　Wherefore　he　elevated　Lady　Bian　to　the　rank　of　Queen　of　Wei　in　place　of　Lady　Ding。

The　third　son；　Cao　Zhi；　was　very　clever　and　a　ready　master　of　position。　Cao　Cao　wished　him　to　be　named　the　heir。

Then　the　eldest　son；　Cao　Pi　sought　from　the　High　Adviser　Jia　Xu　a　plan　to　secure　his　rights　of　primogeniture；　and　Jia　Xu　told　him　to　do　so　and　so。　Thereafter；　whenever　the　father　went　out　on　any　military　expedition；　Cao　Zhi　wrote　fulsome　panegyrics；　but　Cao　Pi　wept　so　copiously　at　bidding　his　father　farewell　that　the　courtiers　were　deeply　affected　and　remarked　that　though　Cao　Zhi　was　crafty　and　clever；　he　was　not　so　sincerely　filial　as　Cao　Pi。　Cao　Pi　also　bought　over　his　fathers　immediate　attendants；　who　then　rang　the