Lately Jingzhou was overwhelmed and many officers of high ranks failed in their duty. Only I remained in Fangling and Shangyong. Now I desire you, sir, to understand graciously, to sympathize with your servant, and to condone the step he is about to take. I am but a mean man, incapable of maintaining loyalty to the end. To do what I know is wrong does not lessen my crime. But as the saying goes, “No harsh words at the end of a friendship and no heart-burning on the departure of a subordinate.” I wish, sir, these words will also be observed by you. I write this with extreme trepidation.
Liu Bei flared up in a rage. “That impudent traitor!” he cried. “How dare he taunt me by playing with words?”
He wanted to muster a force at once to seize the deserter, but Zhuge Liang said, “You had better send Liu Feng to capture him and let the two tigers wear themselves out. Whether Liu Feng succeeds or fails, he will have to come to the capital, and then you can remove him. Thus you can kill two birds with one stone.”
Liu Bei took his advice. Orders were sent to Mianzhu, and Liu Feng obediently led out his men.
At that time Meng Da had gone to offer his service to Cao Pi. When he arrived Cao Pi was holding a great council of his officials. He was summoned before the new Prince of Wei, who asked, “Is this surrender of yours a fraud?”
Meng Da replied, “The Prince of Shu wants to kill me for failing to rescue Guan Yu. I have come out of fear and nothing else.”
However, Cao Pi was still in doubt. Just then it was reported that Liu Feng had come with a large army to attack Xiangyang and challenge Meng Da in particular to battle.
Cao Pi said, “If you are true in your submission, go to Xiangyang and bring me Liu Feng’s head. I will have no more doubt.”
Meng Da replied, “There is no need to fight. I will convince him by argument and persuade him to surrender too.”
Cao Pi was pleased and so Meng Da was given several honorable titles and sent to guard Xiangyang. Now two Wei generals, Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang, were already in the city, with the intention of subduing the neighboring districts. Meng Da arrived, met his two new colleagues, and was told that Liu Feng was camped fifty li from the city. Therefore he wrote to his former colleague urging him to surrender. But Liu Feng was in no mood to listen to him this time—instead, he tore up the letter and put the messenger to death.
“The renegade has already made me neglect my duty to my uncle, and now he even wants to alienate me from my father! He tries to reduce me to a disloyal and unfilial son,” cried Liu Feng in wrath. The next day he led out his army to challenge. Meng Da went out with his army to meet him. Liu Feng rode to the front, pointed with his sword at his opponent, and railed at him.
“Death is poised on your head,” replied Meng Da, “yet you are still blind enough not to see it.”
Liu Feng rode out, flourishing his sword. He engaged Meng Da, who ran away before the fight developed. Liu Feng pursued hotly for a great distance. Then he fell into an ambush and found himself attacked on two sides. At this Meng Da also turned back to join the battle. Liu Feng was forced to fly toward Shangyong, pursued all the way by his enemy. When he reached the city and hailed the gate he was met by a volley of arrows.
“I have surrendered to Wei,” cried Shen Dan from the city tower.
In his rage Liu Feng wanted to attack the city, but as the army of Wei was close behind, he could make no stand and had to set off for Fangling. When he arrived there, however, he found the banners of Wei all along the walls. Then he saw Shen Yi signal from the tower, and at once there appeared from behind the wall a body of men led by Xu Huang.
Unable to withstand him, Liu Feng fled westward for home and Xu Huang took advantage to pursue. By the time Liu Feng had returned to Chengdu, he had only a handful of men remaining.
He went in to see his father to whom he, kneeling and weeping, related what had happened in detail. But to his pleading Liu Bei showed no sign of sympathy.
“Shameful son!” cried Liu Bei. “Are you brazen enough to come and see me?”
“I did want to rescue my uncle from his mishap but Meng Da prevented me from doing so by his persuasive tongue.”
“You eat as a man, you dress as a man, and you are not an image of clay or wood! Did you have no sense of a man? How could you listen to the slanderous tongue of a renegade?”
Liu Bei ordered him to be put to death. But he felt some regret later when he heard of how Liu Feng had torn up Meng Da’s letter and killed his messenger when the latter had tried to induce him to surrender. This and his grief for the death of his brother afflicted him so much that he fell ill. So no military campaign was launched.
After his accession to princedom, Cao Pi promoted the whole court to higher ranks and rewarded them with gifts. Soon afterwards, escorted by an army of 300,000 men, he went southward to inspect his home town of Jiaojun in Peiguo and offered prodigious sacrifices at his ancestors’ tombs. Villagers lined the roads, presenting him with cups of wine to welcome him in simulation of the respect accorded the founder of Han when he returned home to Pei.
Then a report came to say that the faithful Xiahou Dun was dying and Cao Pi hastened back to Yejun, but arrived too late to bid him farewell. He put on mourning for him and instituted an elaborate funeral ceremony to honor him.
In the late summer of that year various auspicious signs were reported: a phoenix seen to bow at Shiyi, a qi-lin* at Linzi, and a yellow dragon observed in Ye. Two high officials named Li Fu and Xu Zhi discussed the appearances of these rare animals, and putting them all together concluded that they presaged that Wei was about to supplant Han and the ceremony of abdication should be administered. Presently a deputation of some forty officials went into the palace to propose to Emperor Xian that he should abdicate and yield the throne to the Prince of Wei.
It is time to set up the throne of Wei,
And the end has come for the reign of Han.
How the Emperor would reply will be disclosed in the next chapter.
Footnotes
* A derogatory term for an old soldier, used here to abuse Liu Bei.
* A minister of the Kingdom of Yue in the period of Spring and Autumn, who helped his king defeat his enemy Wu.
† Uncle of King Wen of Jin in the period of Spring and Autumn, who accompanied his nephew in exile for nineteen years but declared his resignation when the king was making a homeward journey. However, it was only a gesture to remind the king of his service.
* A minister of the Kingdom of Wu, who warned his master against the Kingdom of Yue but was put to death.
† A general of the Qin Dynasty.
* A legendary animal of good fortune, resembling a deer.
CHAPTER EIGHTY
Emperor Xian of Han Is Deposed by Cao Pi
Liu Bei Claims to be the True Successor of Han
Hua Qin was the spokesman of the deputation of officials that went into the palace. He said to Emperor Xian: “Since his accession, the Prince of Wei’s virtue has been acclaimed throughout the four corners of the empire and his humanity has reached every creature on earth. He is truly unmatched in all the ages, not even by the ancient rulers Tang and Yu. We, your servants, have taken counsel among ourselves and come to the conclusion that the fortune of Han is exhausted. Therefore we trust Your Majesty, in imitation of our earliest rulers Yao and Shun, will yield the throne and the empire to the Prince of Wei, thereby satisfying the will of Heaven and the hearts of men, and enabling yourself to enjoy the happiness of repose. Your abdication will be the greatest fortune for your ancestors and for all your subjects. Having thoroughly debated this matter, we have come to lay it before you.”
The Emperor listened in severe shock, and for a time could not reply. Then, weeping sadly, he looked at the assembly and pleaded, “How can I abandon my empire? It was won through such arduous struggles by my great ancestor, its founder, who, after destroying Qin and overwhelming Chu, established the empire of Han, which has been handed down for four centuries. Though I do not possess remar
kable talents, yet I have done no wrong. You must give this a just consideration.”
Hua Qin led Li Fu and Xu Zhi forward and said, “If Your Majesty does not believe our words, pray ask these two, who will explain.”
Li Fu said, “Since the Prince of Wei took office, several auspicious animals, like the qi-lin, the phoenix, and the yellow dragon have been sighted. The grain of felicity has flourished and sweet dew has watered the earth. All these augur that Heaven decrees a change and Wei must replace Han.”
Xu Zhi continued, “My colleagues and I, watching the aspects of the sky at night, have noticed the gradual fading of the fortune of the Hans. Your Majesty’s own star has become dim whereas the stars for Wei illumine the whole earth, indicating such prosperity that words are rendered impotent to describe it. These signs also coincide with an oracle which says:
‘Ghost’ at the side of ‘sent’,
For the Han, nothing to be said.
‘Noon’ in the east and ‘word’ in the west,
Two suns shine, one on the other set.*
“The interpretation is unmistakably: ‘Wei at Xuchang is to inherit the throne of Han.’ Your Majesty must consider this.”
The Emperor said, “All these so-called auspicious signs and oracles are purely illusory. Is it reasonable that I should suddenly abandon my ancestral heritage for such illusions?”
Wang Lang, another high-ranking official, said: “Since ancient times, rise and fall have been the law of all things. Prosperity is inevitably followed by decline. Has any kingdom endured forever or any house never failed? The House of Han, handed down through four centuries to yourself, has lost its vigor and the time has come to yield. There must be no delay or calamity will ensue.”
Weeping loudly, the Emperor retired to his private chamber while the officials, laughing, also left the hall.
Next morning they assembled in the Audience Hall but the Emperor did not appear. So they sent some eunuchs to request his presence. Still he feared to show himself. Surprised, Empress Cao, daughter of Cao Cao, asked him why he did not attend the court as usual, especially when he was requested to go out.
“Because your brother wishes to depose me and become emperor himself. He has set the whole court against me to force me to abdicate.”
“How can my brother do such a dreadfully rebellious thing?” she said, indignantly.
Just as she spoke, Cao Hong and Cao Xiu, both armed, entered the chamber and requested His Majesty to proceed to the Audience Hall.
The Empress abused them. “This is exactly the doing of you rascals! For the sake of wealth and power for yourselves, you have conspired to rebel. My father, whose merits had overshadowed all in the whole land, never dared to aspire to the sacred throne. But my brother, who has only just succeeded him, is so insatiable in his hunger for power that he intends to usurp the throne. Heaven will surely punish him!”
She wept bitterly as she went inside and the attendants also sobbed in sorrow. Then Cao Hong and Cao Xiu pressed the Emperor to go out into the hall, and at last he had to yield.
There, Hua Qin took up the issue of abdication again. “Your Majesty should do as we advised yesterday to avoid any misfortune.”
The Emperor sobbed. “All of you have enjoyed the bounty of Han for years, and many among you are descendants of officials who rendered great services to the dynasty. How can you bring yourselves to act against all propriety toward your lord?”
“If Your Majesty refuses to follow our advice I fear misfortune is imminent. Once that happens, do not blame us for being disloyal.”
“Who dares to murder me?” cried the Emperor.
Hua Qin shouted ferociously, “Everyone knows that Your Majesty does not have the attributes of a successful ruler and that is why the country is beset with troubles. Were it not for the presence of the Prince of Wei in your court, many a man would slay you. How can Your Majesty be so ungrateful? Is Your Majesty waiting for all men to rise against you?”
The Emperor, shocked at the violence of his language, shook out his sleeves and rose to go away. Wang Lang shot a meaningful glance at Hua Qin, who rushed forward and seized the Emperor by the sleeve.
“Have you consented or not?” he glowered at the Emperor monstrously. “One word!”
The Emperor trembled with terror.
“Where is the keeper of the imperial seal?” shouted Cao Hong and Cao Xiu, drawing their swords.
“Here I am,” cried Zu Bi, keeper of the imperial seal, as he stepped calmly to the front.
They tried to force the seal from him, but he said, “The seal belongs to the Emperor. How dare you seek it from me?” Cao Hong ordered him to be put to death but, fearless, he abused the usurpers to his final breath.
Dethroned was the House of Han by wicked ministers,
Who falsely claimed to follow the deeds of Yu and Tang.
The crowd of officials at court were all on Wei’s side
Save one, the keeper of the seal, and loyally he died.
The Emperor trembled in abject fear, and when he saw the whole court full of armed men, all soldiers of Wei, he burst into tears.
“I will give up the throne to the Prince of Wei. Pray spare my feeble life and let me live out the few years Heaven has assigned me.” He wept as he spoke.
“The prince will not mistreat Your Majesty,” said Jia Xu. “Pray prepare the abdication document quickly to calm the people.”
Intimidated into submission, the Emperor told Chen Qun to draft the document. As soon as it was finished, Hua Qin, followed by the whole court, took it to the palace of the prince and presented it to Cao Pi together with the imperial seal. Cao Pi read the document with rapture.
During the whole of my thirty-two years of reign the land has been in a state of turmoil, but the spirits of my ancestors have preserved me in the midst of danger. Now from the aspects of the sky and the hearts of the people I see that the rule of Han is exhausted and fortune has devolved upon the House of Wei, as can be seen from the success in war enjoyed by the late prince and the resplendent virtue of the present prince.
By all noble principles the empire is no private possession, but a public trust. Therefore the great ruler Yao, to his eternal glory, did not yield his throne to his own son. How I admire this deed! Now in imitation of him I have resolved to abdicate and give my empire to my prime minister, the Prince of Wei, who will not, I hope, decline.
As soon as the document was read out Cao Pi stepped forth to accept the nomination. But Sima Yi said that although the edict and the seal had been sent, decorum demanded his refusal at first so as to silence criticism from the people. Cao Pi saw the wisdom of this advice and so ordered Wang Lang to draft a memorial feigning a modest refusal of the offer on the ground of unfitness and asking that some other more capable personage be sought. When this reached the Emperor he was perplexed and asked the officials what he should do next.
Hua Qin replied, “When his father (Cao Cao) was offered the rank of prince he declined it thrice—but he finally accepted. Your Majesty should issue another edict to make the offer again and the prince will certainly accept.”
The Emperor had no other choice but to obey. So another official was requested to draft a second offer, which was again sent, together with the seal. The new edict read as follows:
To the Prince of Wei. You have modestly refused my offer to succeed the throne. But I have long been aware of the eclipse of the power of Han and I could only rely upon the support of the late prince, your father, who virtuously undertook the great task of removing evil forces and restoring peace to the land. Now you have succeeded your noble father. Already your virtue is resplendent, your fame universal, and your benevolence conveyed to the four seas and eight districts. The divine choice rests upon you. In the days of old, Shun rendered twenty meritorious services, so Emperor Yao abdicated and offered him the throne. Later Shun also abdicated and offered the kingdom to Yu the Great, who performed the magnificent service of taming the flooding river. Following the
noble practice of Emperor Yao, it is a matter of obligation for the House of Han to yield its throne to the wise to ensure tranquillity of the Earth and manifest the command of Heaven.
“By the hand of Zhang Yin this edict is sent with the Emperor’s emblems and the imperial seal.”
Cao Pi was ecstatic when he received this. But upon second thought he said to Jia Xu, “Although I have received two such edicts, I fear that I may not escape being branded as a usurper by posterity.”
“That is easily arranged,” replied Jia Xu. “Direct Zhang Yin to take the seal back again and tell Hua Qin to make the Emperor set up an altar of abdication and select an auspicious day for the ceremony. Then assemble all the officials at the altar and tell the Emperor to offer the seal to you with his own hands and surrender the empire to Wei. That will clear away all doubts and silence any criticism.”
So the seal was once more returned with a memorial in modest language. The Emperor again inquired of the courtiers how he was to understand this second rejection.
Hua Qin said, “Your Majesty can set up an altar of abdication and assemble nobles, officials, and common people there to witness the prince’s succession to the throne. Then you and your descendants will receive favor from Wei.”
The Emperor consented. A site was soon chosen at Fanyang, where an altar of three stories was erected, and a propitious day in the tenth month was set out for the abdication. On the appointed day Emperor Xian requested Cao Pi to ascend the altar and receive his abdication. At the foot of the altar stood the officials, more than four hundred in all, and an enormous number of soldiers and the Imperial Tiger Guards. There the Emperor presented the seal to Cao Pi who took it in his hands. Then all those about the altar knelt down to listen to the reading of the announcement of abdication.
The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation Page 8