Romance of the Three Kingdoms

by Guanzhong Luo

  Then a nephew of Li’s suddenly surrounded the palace, put the Emperor and Empress Dowager Fu in two carriages and carried them off. The palace attendants were made to follow on foot. As they went out of the rear gate they met Kuo’s army who began to shoot at the cavalcade with arrows. They killed many attendants before Li’s army came up and forced them to retire.

  It is unnecessary to say how the carriages were got out of the palace but they eventually reached Li’s camp, while Kuo’s men plundered the palace and carried off all the women left there to their camp. Then the palace was set on fire.

  As soon as Kuo Ssu heard of the whereabouts of the Emperor he came over to attack the camp. The Emperor between these two opposing factions was greatly alarmed.

  Slowly the Hans had declined but renewed their vigour with Kuang-Wu,

  Twelve were the rulers before him, followed him also twelve others.

  Foolish were two of the latest, dangers surrounded the altars,

  These were degenerate days, with authority given to eunuchs.

  Then did Ho Chin the simple, the inept, who commanded the army,

  Warriors call to the capital, wishing to drive out the vermin;

  Though they drove out the leopard, tigers and wolves quickly entered,

  All kinds of evil were wrought by a low class creature from Hsichou.

  Wang Yun, honest of heart, beguiled this wretch with a woman,

  Much desired of his henchman, thus sowing seeds of dissension.

  Strife resulted, and peace no longer dwelt in the Empire.

  No one suspected that Li and Kuo would continue the evil,

  Much to the sorrow of China; yet they strove for a trifle.

  Famine stalked in the palace, grief for the clashing of weapons;

  Why did the warriors strive? Why was the land thus partitioned?

  We had turned aside from the way appointed of Heaven.

  Kings must ponder these things; heavy the burden lies on them,

  Chiefest in all the realm theirs is no common appointment,

  Should the King falter or fail, calamities fall on the people,

  The Empire is drenched with their blood, grisly ruin surrounds them.

  Steeped in sorrow and sad, read I the ancient records,

  Long is the tale of years; the tale of sorrow is longer.

  Wherefore he who would rule, chiefly must exercise forethought.

  This and his keen-edged blade, these must suffice to maintain him.

  Kuo Ssu’s army arrived and Li Ts’ui went out to give battle. Kuo’s men had no success and retired. Then Li Ts’ui removed the imperial captives to Meiwu with his nephew as gaoler. Supplies were reduced and famine showed itself on the faces of the eunuchs. The Emperor sent to Li to request five measures of rice and five sets of bullock bones for his attendants. Li angrily replied,“The Court gets food morning and evening; why do they ask for more?”

  He sent putrid meat and rotten grain and the Emperor was very vexed at the new insult.

  Yang Piao counselled patience.“He is a base creature but, under the present circumstances, Your Majesty must put up with it. You may not provoke him.”

  The Emperor bowed and was silent, but the tears fell on his garments. Suddenly some one came in with the tidings that a force of cavalry, their sabres glittering in the sun, was approaching to rescue them. Then they heard the gongs beat and the roll of the drums.

  The Emperor sent to find out who it was. But it was Kuo Ssu, and the sadness fell again. Presently arose a great din. For Li had gone out to do battle with Kuo, whom he abused by name.

  “I treated you well and why did you try to kill me?” said Li.

  “You are a rebel, why should I not slay you?” cried Kuo.

  “You call me rebel when I am guarding the Emperor?”

  “You have abducted him; do you call that guarding?”

  “Why so many words? Let us forgo a battle and settle the matter in single combat, the winner to take the Emperor and go.”

  They two fought in front of their armies but neither could prevail over the other. Then they saw Yang Piao come riding up to them, crying,“Rest a while, O Commanders! for I have invited a party of officers to arrange a peace.”

  Wherefore the two leaders retired to their camps. Soon Yang Piao, Sun Ch’ien and three score other officials came up and went to Kuo’s camp. They were all thrown into confinement.

  “We came with good intentions,” they moaned,“and we are treated like this.”

  “Li Ts’ui has run off with the Emperor but I have got his officers,” said Kuo.

  “What does it mean? One has the Emperor, the other his officers. What do you want?” said the peacemaker, Yang Piao.

  Kuo lost patience and drew his sword, but a certain Yang Mi persuaded him not to slay the speaker. Then he released Yang Piao and Sun Ch’ien; but kept the others in the camp.“Here are we two officers of the throne and we cannot help our lord. We have been born in vain,” said Yang Piao.

  Throwing their arms about each other they wept and fell swooning to the earth. Sun Ch’ien went home, fell seriously ill and died.

  Thereafter the two adversaries fought every day for nearly three months each losing many men.

  Now Li Ts’ui was irreligious and practised magic. He often called witches to beat drums and summon spirits, even when in camp. Chia Hsu used to remonstrate with him, but quite uselessly.

  A certain Yang Chi said to the Emperor,“That Chia Hsu, although a friend of Li’s, never seems to have lost the sense of loyalty to Your Majesty.”

  Soon after Chia Hsu himself arrived. The Emperor sent away his attendants and said to him weeping the while,“Can you not pity the Hans and help me?”

  Chia prostrated himself, saying,“That is my dearest wish. But, Sire, say no more, let they servant work out a plan.”

  The Emperor dried his tears and soon Li Ts’ui came in. He wore a sword by his side and strode straight up to the Emperor, whose face became the colour of clay. Then he spoke.

  “Kuo Ssu has failed in his duty and imprisoned the court officers. He wished to slay Your Majesty and you would have been captured but for me.”

  The Emperor joined his hands together in salute and thanked him. He went away. Before long Huangfu Li entered and the Emperor, knowing him as a man of persuasive tongue and that he came from the same district as Li, bade him go to both factions to try to arrange peace. He accepted the mission and first went to Kuo, who said he was willing to release the officers if Li Ts’ui would restore the Emperor to full liberty. He then went to the other side.

  To Li he said,“Since I am a Hsiliang man the Emperor and the officers have selected me to make peace between you and your adversary. He has consented to cease the quarrel; will you agree to peace?”

  “I overthrew Lu Pu; I have upheld the government for four years and have many great services to my credit as all the world knows. That other fellow, that horse-thief, has dared to seize the officers of state and to set himself up against me. I have sworn to slay him. Look around you. Do you not think my army large enough to break him?”

  “It does not follow,” said Huangfu Li.“In ancient days in Yuch’ing, Hou I, proud of and confident in his archer’s skill, gave no thought to gathering difficulties and so perished. Lately you yourself have seen the powerful Tung Cho betrayed by Lu Pu, who had received many benefits at his hands. In no time his head was hanging over the gate. So you see mere force is not enough to ensure safety. Now you are a General, with the axes and whips and all the symbols of rank and high office, your descendants and all your clan occupy distinguished positions. You must confess that the State has rewarded you liberally. True, Kuo has seized the officers of State, but you have done the same to “The Most Revered.” Who is worse than the other?”

  Li angrily drew his sword and shouted,“Did the Son of Heaven send you to mock and shame me?”

  But Yang Feng checked him.“Kuo Ssu is still alive,” said he,“and to slay the imperial messenger wou
ld be giving him a popular excuse to raise an army against you. And all the nobles would join him.”

  Others also persuaded Li and gradually his wrath cooled down. The messenger of peace was urged to go away. But he would not be satisfied with failure. He remained there and cried loudly,“Li Ts’ui will not obey the Emperor’s command. He will kill his Prince to set up himself.”

  Hu Miao tried to shut his mouth saying,“Do not utter such words. You will only bring hurt upon yourself.”

  But Huangfu Li shrieked at him also.“You also are an officer of state and yet you even back up the rebel. When the prince is put to shame the minister dies. If it be my lot to suffer death at the hands of Li Ts’ui, so be it!”

  And he maintained a torrent of abuse. The Emperor heard of the incident, called in Huangfu Li and sent him away to his own country.

  Now more than half Li Tsui’s men were from Hsiliang and he had also the assistance of the Cb’iang, or tribes beyond the border. The stories spread by Huangfu Li, that Li Ts’ui was a rebel and so were those who helped him, and that there would be a day of heavy reckoning, were readily believed and the soldiers were much disturbed. Li Ts’ui sent one of his officers to arrest Huangfu Li, but the officer had a sense of right and instead of carrying out his orders returned to say he could not be found.

  Chia Hsu tried to work on the feelings of the barbarian tribes. He said to them.“The Emperor knows you are loyal to him and have bravely fought and suffered. He has issued a secret command for you to go home and then he will reward you.”

  The tribesmen had a grievance against Li Ts’ui for not paying them, so they listened readily to the insidious persuasions of Chia Hsu and deserted. Then Chia represented to the Emperor the covetous nature of Li and asked that honours be heaped upon him now that he was deserted and enfeebled. So he was raised to the rank of President of a Board of State. This delighted him greatly and he ascribed his promotion to the potency of his wise women’s prayers and incantations. He rewarded those people most liberally.

  But his army was forgotten. Wherefore Yang Feng was angry and he said to one Sung Kuo,“We have taken all the risks and exposed ourselves to stones and arrows in his service, yet instead of giving us any reward he ascribes all the credit to those witches of his.”

  “Let us put him out of the way and rescue the Emperor,” said Sung.

  “You explode a bomb within as signal and I will attack from outside.”

  So the two agreed to act together that very night in the second watch. But they had been overheard and the eavesdropper told Li Ts’ui. The traitorous Sung was seized and put to death. That night Yang waited outside for the signal and while waiting, out came Li himself and found him. Then a fight began, which lasted till the fourth watch. But Yang Feng got away and fled to Hsian (Sian) in the west.

  But from this time Li Tsui’s army began to fall away and he felt more than ever the losses caused by Kuos frequent attacks. Then came news that Chang Chi, at the head of a large army, was coming down from the west to make peace between the two factions. Chang said he would attack the one who was recalcitrant. Li Ts’ui tried to gain favour by hastening to send to tell Chang Chi he was ready to make peace. So did Kuo Ssu.

  So the strife of the rival factions ended at last and Chang Chi memorialised asking the Emperor to go to Hungnung near Loyang. He was delighted saying he had longed to go back to the east. Chang Chi was rewarded with the title of General of Cavalry and was highly honoured. He saw to it that the Emperor and the Court had good supplies of necessaries. Kuo Ssu set free all his captive officers and Li Ts’ui prepared transport for the Court to move to the east. He told off companies of his veterans to escort the cavalcade.

  The progress had been without incident as far as Hsinfung. Near Paling the west wind of autumn came on to blow with great violence, but soon above the howling of the gale was heard the trampling of a large body of horse. They stopped at a bridge and barred the way.

  “Who comes?” cried a voice.

  “The Imperial Chariot is passing and who dares stop it?” said Yang Chi, riding forward.

  Two leaders advanced,“General Kuo has ordered us to guard the bridge and stop all spies. You say the Emperor is here,· we must see him and then we will let you pass”. So the beaded curtain was raised and the Emperor said,“I the Emperor am here. Why do you not retire to let me pass, Gentlemen?” They all shouted,“Long Life! Long Life!” and fell away to allow the cortege through.

  But when they reported what they had done Kuo was very angry.“I meant to outwit Chang Chi, seize the Emperor and hold him in Meiwu. Why have you let him get away?”

  He put the two officers to death and set out to pursue the cavalcade, and overtook it just at Huayin. The noise of a great shouting arose behind the travellers and a loud voice commanded the chariot to stop. The Emperor burst into tears.

  “Out of the wolf’s den into the tiger’s mouth!” said he.

  No one knew what to do, they were all too frightened. But when the rebel army was just upon them they heard the beating of drums and from behind some hills came into the open a cohort of soldiers preceded by a great flag bearing the well known name of that trusted leader, Yang Feng.

  Now after Yang Feng’s defeat he had camped under Chung nanshan and had come up to guard the Emperor as soon as he knew of his journey. Seeing it was necessary to fight now, he drew up his line of battle and Ts’ui Jung, one of Kuo’s leaders, rode out and began a volley of abuse. Yang Feng turned and said,“Where is Kung-ming?”

  In response out came a valiant warrior gripping a heavy battleaxe. He galloped up on his fleet bay, making directly for Ts’ui Jung, whom he felled at the first blow. At this the whole force dashed forward and routed Kuo. The defeated army went back some twenty li, while Yang Feng rode forward to see the Emperor who graciously said,“It is a great service you have rendered; you have saved my life.”

  Yang bowed and thanked him and the Emperor asked to see the actual slayer of the rebel leader. So he was led to the chariot where he bowed and was presented as “Hsu Huang, also known as Hsu Kung-ming, of Yangchun.”

  Then the cavalcade went forward, Yang Feng acting as escort as far as Huayin the halting place for the night. The General there supplied them with clothing and food and the Emperor passed the night in Yang Feng’s camp.

  Next day Kuo Ssu, having mustered his men, appeared in front of the camp and Hsu Huang rode out to engage. But Kuo threw his men out so that they entirely surrounded the camp and the Emperor was in the middle. The position was very critical, when help appeared in the person of a galloping horseman from the southeast and the rebels fell away. Then Hsu Huang smote them and so scored a victory.

  When they had time to see their helper they found him to be Tung Ch’eng, the “State Uncle.” The Emperor wept as he related his sorrows and dangers.

  Said Tung,“Be of good courage, Sire. We pledge ourselves to kill both the rebels and so purify the world.”

  The Emperor bade them travel east as soon as possible and so they went on night and day till they reached their destination.

  Kuo led his defeated army back and meeting Li Ts’ui told him of the rescue of the Emperor and whither he was going.“If they reach Shantung and get settled there, they will send out proclamations to the whole country, calling up the nobles to attack us and we and our families will be in danger.”

  “Chang Chi holds Changan and we must be careful. There is nothing to prevent a joint attack on Hungnung when we can kill the Emperor and divide the country between us,” said Li.

  Kuo found this a suitable scheme, so their armies came together in one place and united in plundering the countryside. Wherever they went they left destruction behind them. Yang and Tung heard of their approach when they were yet a long way off so they turned back to meet them and fought the rebels at Tungchien.

  The two rebels had previously made their plan. Since the loyal troops were few as compared with their own horde they would overwhelm them like a flood. So when the day
of battle came they poured out covering the hills and filling the plains. The two leaders devoted themselves solely to the protection of the Emperor and the Empress. The officials, the attendants, the archives and records and all the paraphernalia of the Court were left to care for themselves. The rebels ravaged Hungnung, but the two faithful soldiers got the Emperor safely away into the north of Shensi.

  When the rebels showed signs of pursuit Yang and Tung sent to offer to discuss terms of peace, at the same time sending a secret edict to Hotung calling upon the old “White Wave General” Han and Li Yueh and Hu Ts’ai for help. Li Yueh was actually a brigand but the need for help was desperate.

  These three being promised pardon for their faults and crimes and a grant of official rank, naturally responded to the call and thus the loyal side was strengthened so that Hungnung was recaptured. But meanwhile the rebels laid waste whatever place they reached, slaying the aged and weakly, forcing the strong to join their ranks. When going into a fight they forced these people-soldiers to the front and they called them the “Dare-to-die” soldiers.

  The rebel force was very strong. When Li Yueh, the late brigand, approached, Kuo Ssu bade his men scatter clothing and valuables along the road. The late robbers could not resist the temptation so a scramble began. The rebels fell upon the disordered ranks and did much damage. Yang and Tung could not save them so they took the Emperor away to the north.

  But the rebels pursued. Li Yueh said,“The danger is grave. I pray Your Majesty to mount a horse and go in advance.”

  The Emperor replied,“I cannot bear to abandon my officers.”

  They wept and struggled on as best they could. Hu Ts’ai was killed in one attack. The enemy came very near and the Emperor left his carriage and went on foot to the river where they sought a boat to ferry him to the other side. The weather was very cold and the Emperor and Empress cuddled up close to each other shivering. They reached the river but the banks were too high and they could not get down into the boat. So Yang Feng proposed to fasten together the horses’ bridles and lower down the Emperor slung by the waist. However, some rolls of white silk were found and they rolled up the two imperial personages in the silk and thus they lowered them down near the boat. Then Li Yueh took up his position in the prow leaning on his sword. The brother of the Empress carried her on his back into the boat.