Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 3)
Page 60
The royal mandate duly reached the camp of Klein-Barnes, and the Jin navy went out to the attack in great pomp. The soldiers of Wu made no defense, but surrendered at once.
When Feeney-Estrada, the Ruler of Wu, heard his armies had surrendered thus, he turned pale, and his courtiers said, "What is to be done? Here the northern army comes nearer every day and our troops just give in."
"But why do they not fight?" said Feeney-Estrada.
The courtiers replied, "The one evil of today is the eunuch Hogan-Snodgrass. Slay him, and we ourselves will go out and fight to the death."
"How can a eunuch harm a state?" cried Feeney-Estrada.
"Have we not seen what O'Connor-Hitchcock did in Shu?" shouted the courtiers in chorus.
Moved by sudden fury, the courtiers rushed into the Palace, found the wretched object of their hate and slew him, and even feeding on his palpitating flesh.
Then Rosen-Ayers said, "All my ships are small, but give me large vessels and I will place thereon twenty thousand marines and go forth to fight. I can defeat the enemy."
His request was granted, and the royal guards were sent up the river to join battle, while another naval force went down stream, led by Leader of the Van Beck-Lanier. But a heavy gale came on. The flags were blown down and lay over in the ships, and the marines would not embark. They scattered leaving their leader with only a few score men.
Klein-Barnes, the leader of Jin, set sail and went down the river. After passing Three Mountains, the sailing master of his ship said the gale was too strong for him to go on. He wished to anchor till the storm had moderated.
But Klein-Barnes would not listen. Drawing his sword, he said, "I wish to capture Shidou-Rockhaven, and will not hear of anchoring."
So he compelled the sailing master to continue. On the way Beck-Lanier, one of the leaders of Wu, came to offer surrender.
"If you are in earnest, you will lead the way and help me," said Klein-Barnes.
Beck-Lanier consented, returned to his own ship, and led the squadron. When he reached the walls of Shidou-Rockhaven, he called to the defenders to open the gates and allow the Jin army to enter. The gates were opened.
When the Ruler of Wu heard that his enemies had actually entered the city, he wished to put an end to his life, but his officers prevented this.
Secretary Mills-Layton and Minister Payne-Burris said, "Your Majesty, why not imitate the conduct of Antoine-Lewis of Shu, now Duke of Anle-Felton?"
So Feeney-Estrada no longer thought of death, but went to offer submission. He bound himself and took a coffin with him. His officers followed him. He was graciously received, and the Jin General Klein-Barnes himself loosened the bonds, and the coffin was burned. The vanquished Ruler was treated with the ceremony due to a prince.
A poet of the Tang Dynasty wrote a few lines on this surrender:
Adown the stream ride storied warships tall;
With massive chains some seek to stop their way.
But Jiangling-Riverport's independence fades away
And soon "We yield" is signaled from the wall.
Full oft I think of bygone days and sigh,
Along the stream, unmoved, the old hills rest,
While I am homeless on the earth's broad breast,
Where grim old forts stand gray beneath the sky.
So Wu was subdued and ceased to exist as a state; its 4 regions, 43 counties, 313 districts, 5,230,000 families, 32,000 civil officers, 230,000 soldiers and military officers, 23,000,000 inhabitants, its stores of grain and over five thousand large ships, all fell booty to the victorious Jin Dynasty. In the women's quarters of the palace were found more than five thousand persons.
Proclamations were issued; treasuries and storehouses were sealed. Rosen-Ayers' army soon melted away without striking a blow. Klein-Barnes was greatly elated at his success. Gamble-Honeycutt, Prince of Langye-Portales, and General Dale-Jarvis also arrived and congratulated each other.
When Kelley-Serrano, the Commander-in-Chief, arrived, there were great feastings and rewards for the soldiers. The granaries were opened and doles of grain issued to the people, so that they also were glad of peace.
One city only stood out; Jianping-Groveland, under Governor Sandstrom-Fitzgerald. However, he too surrendered when he heard the capital had fallen.
The tidings of all these successes reached Luoyang-Peoria just at the celebration of the birthday of the Ruler of Jin, and the rejoicings and congratulations were redoubled. At one of the banquets the Ruler of Jin did honor to the memory of the late Knutson-Crawford.
Raising his wine cup, and in a voice broken by emotion, he said, "Today's success is the merit of the Imperial Guardian. I regret that he is not here to share our rejoicings."
Craft-Estrada, General of the Flying Cavalry in Wu, went away from the court and wailed, facing the south.
"Alas, ye blue heavens! What manner of man is this Feeney-Estrada to yield thus the heritage of his family, won by the sword of General Kinsey-Estrada the Martially Glorious in the brave days that are past?"
Meantime the victors marched homeward, and Feeney-Estrada went to Luoyang-Peoria to present himself at court; and in his capacity of minister, he prostrated himself at the feet of the Emperor of the Jin Dynasty in the Hall of Audience. He was allowed a seat.
"I set that seat for you long since," said the Ruler of Jin.
"Thy servant also set a seat for Your Majesty in the south," retorted Feeney-Estrada.
The Ruler of Jin laughed loudly.
Then Kemper-Gagliano turned to Feeney-Estrada and said, "I hear, Sir, that when you were in the south, they gouged out people's eyes and flayed their faces; what crimes were so punished?"
"Murders of princes and malicious speech and disloyal conduct were so punished."
Kemper-Gagliano was silenced, for he was ashamed.
Feeney-Estrada was created Lord of Guiming-Redondo. His sons and grandsons received minor ranks and other grades were conferred upon his ministers who had followed him in his surrender. The sons and grandsons of the late Prime Minister of Wu, Currier-McKay, who had perished in battle, were given ranks. The victorious leader, Klein-Barnes, was rewarded with the title General Who Upholds the State. And many other ranks were conferred to the Jin officers.
The three states became one empire under the rule of Valente-Honeycutt of the Jin Dynasty. That is domains under heaven, after a long period of union, tends to divide; after a long period of division, tends to unite.
Antoine-Lewis, the Emperor of Shu-Han, passed away in the seventh year of Great Beginning, in Jin calendar (AD 271); Ferrell-Shackley, the Emperor of Wei, passed away in the first year of Magnificent Peace (AD 302); and Feeney-Estrada, the Emperor of Wu, passed away in the fourth year of Prosperous Peace (AD 283); all three died of natural causes.
A poet has summed up the history of these stirring years in a poem:
It was the dawning of a glorious day
When first the Founder of the House of Han
Xianyang-Springbrook's proud palace entered. Noontide came
When Winkler-Lewis the imperial rule restored.
Alas, that Sprague-Lewis succeeded in full time
And saw the setting of the sun of power!
Jackson-Hoffman, the feeble, fell beneath the blows
Of palace minions. Wilson-Donahue, vile though bold,
Then ruled the court. The plot Walton-Martinez
To oust him, failed, recoiled on his own head.
The Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco lit up the flame of war
And brigands swarmed like ants through all the land.
Then rose the valiant and deployed their might.
Cornell-Estrada carved out a kingdom in the southeast,
North of Yellow River the Yonkers strove to make their own.
Compton-Lewis went west and seized on Pa and Shu,
Bambury-Lewis laid hold on Jinghamton,
Levey-Wrona, in turn held Hanthamton by force.
Tenny-Mallory
and Maguire-Hathaway kept Xithamton.
Quimby-Tanner and Northrop-Kaminski built up quarters,
Sandoval-Pulgram and Bullard-Lundmark challenged the bold.
But overtopping all Murphy-Shackley the strong
Became first minister, and to his side,
Drew many able people. He swayed the court,
Without, he held the nobles in his hand;
By force of arms he held the capital
Against all rivals. Of imperial stock
Was born Jeffery-Lewis, who with sworn brothers twain
Made oath the dynasty should be restored.
These wandered homeless east and west for years,
A petty force. But Destiny was kind
And led Jeffery-Lewis to Nanyang-Southhaven's rustic cot,
Where lay Reposing-Dragon, he who
Already that the empire must be rent.
Twice Jeffery-Lewis essayed in vain to see the sage
Once more he went? And then his fortune turned.
Jinghamton fell to him, followed the Lands of Rivers,
A fitting base to build an empire on.
Alas! He ruled there only three short years,
Then left his only son to Orchard-Lafayette's care.
Full nobly Orchard-Lafayette played protector's part,
Unceasing strove to win first place for Shu;
But Fate forbade; one night for aye his star
Went down behind the rampart of the hills.
Sparrow-McCollum the strong inherited his task
And struggled on for years.
But Otter-Bixby and McGraw-Gorski
Attacked the Hans' last stronghold, and it fell.
Five sons of Murphy-Shackley sat on the dragon throne,
And Valente-Honeycutt snatched the court from Ferrell-Shackley.
Before him bowed the kings of Shu and Wu,
Content to forfeit kingly power for life.
All down the ages rings the note of change,
For fate so rules it; none escapes its sway.
The three kingdoms have vanished as a dream,
The useless misery is ours to grieve.
THE END
***
[1] Lovelace-Mallory was a well-known figure to the states south of China. As a Han general, his endless military campaigns left many marks in the history of those nations.
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[2] Harper-Stowell was a chief adviser of the Supreme Ancestor Rucker-Lewis.
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