Romance of Three Kingdoms

Ru. Li Ru had not fallen in spite of the shock and at once scrambled to help Dong Zhuo to regain his feet and led him inside to the library, where they sat down.　　

t I dreamed a dragon coiled round my body," said Dong Zhuo GREatly pleased, "and now I get this happy tidings! I must not neglect the opportunity."　　So Dong Zhuo gave instructions to his four trusted generals for the safekeeping of his city. Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji were to guard Meiwo with three thousand troops of the Flying Bear Army. Then Dong Zhuo announced his intention of starting on the morrow.　　"When I am Emperor, you shall be Commander of the Capital District," said he.　　"Your minister thanks you," said Li Su.　　Dong Zhuo went to bid farewell to his ninety-year-old mother.　　"Whither are you going, my son?" asked she.　　"I go to receive the abdication of Han; and soon you will be the Empress."　　"I have been feeling nervous and creepy these few days. It is a bad sign."　　"Anyone about to become the Mother of the State must have premonitions," said her son.　　He left her with these words.　　Just before starting, he said to Diao Chan, "When I am Emperor, you shall be Lady of the Palace."　　She bowed low thanking him, but she knew and inwardly rejoiced.　　Dong Zhuo went out, mounted his carriage, and began his journey to Capital Changan with an imposing escort. Less than ten miles the wheel of his carriage broke. He left it and mounted a horse. Another ten miles the horse snorted and neighed, threw up his head and snapped the reins.　　Dong Zhuo turned to Li Su and asked what these things portended.　　"It means that you are going to receive the abdication of the Hans, which is to renew all things: To mount the jeweled chariot and sit in the golden saddle."　　And Dong Zhuo was pleased and convinced with this answer. During the second day's journey a violent gale sprang up, and the sky became covered with a thick mist.　　"What does this mean?" said Dong Zhuo.　　the wily Li Su had an interpretation for this also, saying, "You are ascending to the place of the dragon: There must be bright light and lurid vapor to dignify your majestic approach."　　Dong Zhuo had no more doubts. He presently arrived and found many officials waiting without the city gate to receive him, all but Li Ru who was ill and unable to leave his chamber. He entered and proceeded to his own palace, where Lu Bu came to congratulate him.　　"When I sit on the throne, you shall command the whole armies of the empire, horse and foot," said Dong Zhuo.　　That night Dong Zhuo slept in the midst of his escort. In the suburbs that evening some children at play were singing a little ditty, and the words drifted into the bedchamber on the wind.　　[hip, hip, hip]"the grass in the meadow looks fresh now and GREen, Yet wait but ten days, not a blade will be seen."[yip, yip, yip]　　the song sounded ominous but Li Su was again prepared with a happy interpretation: "It only means that the Lius are about to disappear, and the Dongs to be exalted."　　[e] the staff, the cloth, and the mouths formed the Chinese characters, implied the name of Lu Bu.　　Next morning at the first streak of dawn, Dong Zhuo prepared for his appearance at court. On the way he saw a Taoist, dressed in a black robe and wearing a white turban, who carried in his hand a tall staff with a long strip of white cloth attached. At each end of the cloth was drawn a mouth*.　　"What is the meaning of this?" said Dong Zhuo.　　"He is a madman," said Li Su, and he told the guards to drive the fellow away.　　Dong Zhuo went in and found all the officials in court dress lining the road. Li Su walked beside his carriage, a sword in his hand. When Li Su reached the north gate of the Forbidden City, he found the soldiers of Dong Zhuo drawn up outside and only the pushers of the Palace carriage, a twenty or so, were allowed to proceed further.　　When Dong Zhuo arrived near the Reception Hall, he saw that Wang Yun and all the other officials standing at the door were armed.　　"Why are they all armed?" said Dong Zhuo to Li Su.　　Li Su was silent as he helped push the carriage forward swiftly to the entrance.　　Suddenly Wang Yun shouted, "the rebel is here! Where are the executioners?"　　At this call sprang from both sides soldiers armed with halberds and spears who attacked Dong Zhuo. He had not put on the breastplate he usually wore, and a spear pierced his breast.　　He sank down in the carriage calling loudly for his son, "Where is Lu Bu?"　　"Here, and with a decree to deal with a rebel!" said Lu Bu, as he appeared in front of his "father."　　thereupon he thrust his trident halberd through the victim's throat. Then Li Su hacked off the head and held it up.　　Lu Bu, his left hand holding his halberd, thrust his right hand into his bosom whence he drew the decree, crying, "The decree was to slay the rebel Dong Zhuo--no other!"　　the whole assembly shouted, "Wan shui! Live forever! O Emperor!"　　A sympathetic poet has written a few lines in pity:　　[hip, hip, hip] Await the time, O noble, and be king, Or failing, reap the solace riches bring;Heaven never is partial, but severely just, Meiwo stood strong, yet now it lies in dust. [yip, yip, yip]　　the lust of blood awakened, Lu Bu urged the slaughter of Li Ru, who had been the confidant of the murdered Prime Minister, and Li Su volunteered to go in search of him. But just then a shouting was heard at the gates, and it was told them that a household servant had brought Li Ru in bonds. Wang Yun ordered his immediate execution in the market place.　　Dong Zhuo's head was exposed in a crowded thoroughfare. He was very fat, and the guards made torches by sticking splints into the body, spilling the corpse's GREase over the ground. The passers-by pelted the head and spurned the body with their feet.　　Wang Yun ordered a force of fifty thousand under Lu Bu, Huangfu Song, and Li Su to destroy Meiwo. Learning the news of their master, Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji fled west swiftly through the night with their Flying Bear Army to Liangzhou Region.　　When arriving Meiwo, Lu Bu's first deed was to take Diao Chan into his charge. then they slew every member of the Dong family, sparing none, not even Dong Zhuo's aged mother. The heads of Dong Zhuo's brother Dong Min and his nephew Dong Huang were publicly displayed in the market place. In Meiwo were hidden many young ladies of good families. These were set free. All properties were confiscated. The wealth was enormous--several hundred thousand ounces of gold, millions of silver coins, pearls, gems, silks, velvets, furs, grain stores.　　When they returned to report success, Wang Yun rewarded and feasted the soldiers. Banquets were held in the Ministry Hall to which all the officials were invited. They drank and congratulated each other. While the feasting was in proGREss it was announced that someone had come and was wailing over Dong Zhuo's corpse exposed in the market place.　　"Dong Zhuo has been put to death," said Wang Yun, angrily. "Every body is glad to be rid of him, and yet one is found to lament over him. Who is this?"　　[e] Cai Yong had had an illustrious career as a court official. When Dong Zhuo took over the court, Cai Yong resigned his post as a minister. Later on, Dong Zhuo wanted to increase the influence of the government over the local lords, and so he invited Cai Yong back, threatening if Cai Yong had refused he would have put to death Cai Yong's whole family. (chatper 4) Cai Yong's daughter Cai Yan was a well-known poetess. ......　　So Wang Yun gave orders to arrest the mourner and bring him in. Soon he was brought in, and when they saw him all were startled. For he was no other than Imperial Historian Cai Yong*.　　Wang Yun spoke to Cai Yong angrily, "Dong Zhuo has been put to death as a rebel, and all the land rejoices. You, a Han minister, instead of rejoicing, weep for him. Why?"　　Cai Yong confessed his fault, saying, "I am without talent, yet know what is right. I am not the man who turns my back on the dynasty and toward Dong Zhuo. Yet once I experienced his kindness, and I could not help mourning for him. I know my fault is grave, but I pray you regard the reasons. If you will leave my head and only cut off my feet, you may use me to continue the History of Han, whereby I may have the good fortune to be allowed to expiate my fault."　　All were sorry for Cai Yong, for he was a man of GREat talents, and they begged that he might be spared.　　the Imperial Guardian, Ma Midi, secretly interceded for him, saying, "Cai Yong is famous as a scholar, and he can write glorious history, and it is inadvisable to put to death a man renowned for rectitude without consideration."　　But in vain, for the High Minister was now strong and obdurate.　　[e] Emperor Wu, aka Liu Che, (reigned BC 141-87) whose reign was longest among the Han emperors. Emperor Wu was perhaps the most influential Han emperor who concerned not only about expanding territory but also about developing trade with other countries (the Silk Road, for example). Emperor paid special attention to longevity, and his court often had elaborate rituals. ......　　[e] Sima Qian (BC 145-85) astronomer, calendar expert, and the first GREat Chinese historian, noted for his authorship of the "Historical Records" or Shi Ji, which is considered to be the most important history of China down to the end of the 2nd century. ......　　Wang Yun said, "Centuries ago, Emperor Wu* spared Sima Qian* and employed him on the annals, with the result that many slanderous stories have been handed down to us. This is a trying period of GREat perplexity, and we dare not let a specious fellow like this wield his pen in criticism of those about the court of a youthful prince and abuse us as he will."　　Remonstrance and appeal being vain, Ma Midi retired. But he said to his colleagues, "Is Wang Yun then careless of the future? Worthy people are the mainstay of the state; laws are the canons of action. To destroy the mainstay and nullify the laws is to hasten destruction."　　As was