三国演义英文版-第83章

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〃Who　sent　you　to　poison　me？〃　continued　Cao　Cao；　turning　toward　the　physician。　〃Quick；　tell　me！〃
〃Heaven　sent　me　to　slay　a　traitor！〃
Cao　Cao　angrily　ordered　them　to　beat　Ji　Ping　again；　but　there　was　no　part　of　his　body　that　could　be　beaten。　Dong　Cheng　sat　looking　at　him；　his　heart　feeling　as　if　transfixed　with　a　dagger。
〃You　were　born　with　ten　fingers。　How　is　it　you　have　now　only　nine？〃
Ji　Ping　replied；　〃I　bit　off　one　as　a　pledge　when　I　swore　to　slay　a　traitor。〃
Cao　Cao　told　them　to　bring　a　knife；　and　they　lopped　off　his　other　nine　fingers。
〃Now　they　are　all　off。　That　will　teach　you　to　make　pledges。〃
〃Still　I　have　a　mouth　that　can　swallow　a　traitor　and　a　tongue　that　can　curse　him；〃　said　Ji　Ping。
Cao　Cao　told　them　to　cut　out　his　tongue。
Ji　Ping　said；　〃Do　not。　I　cannot　endure　any　more　punishment；　I　shall　have　to　speak　out。　Loosen　my　bonds。〃
〃Loose　them。　There　is　no　reason　why　not；〃　said　Cao　Cao。
They　loosed　him。　As　soon　as　he　was　free；　Ji　Ping　stood　up；　turned　his　face　toward　the　Emperor's　palace　and　bowed；　saying；　〃It　is　Heaven's　will　that　thy　servant　has　been　unable　to　remove　the　evil。〃
Then　he　turned　and　smashed　his　head　into　the　steps　and　died。
His　body　was　quartered　and　exposed。　This　happened　in　the　first　month　of　the　fifth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　200）；　and　a　certain　historian　wrote　a　poem：

There　lived　in　Han　a　simple　physician。
No　warrior；　yet　brave
Enough　to　risk　his　very　life
His　Emperor　to　save。
Alas！　He　failed；　but　lasting　fame
Is　his；　he　feared　not　death；
He　cursed　the　traitorous　Prime　Minister
Unto　his　latest　breath。

Seeing　his　victim　had　passed　beyond　the　realm　of　punishment；　Cao　Cao　had　Quin　Quington　led　in。
〃Do　you　know　this　man；　Uncle？〃
〃Yes；〃　cried　Dong　Cheng。　〃So　the　runaway　servant　is　here。　He　ought　to　be　put　to　death！〃
〃He　just　told　me　of　your　treachery。　He　is　my　witness；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃Who　would　dare　kill　him？〃
〃How　can　you；　the　First　Minister　of　State；　heed　the　unsupported　tale　of　an　absconding　servant？〃
〃But　I　have　Wang　Zifu　and　the　others　in　prison；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃And　how　can　you　rebut　their　evidence？〃
He　then　called　in　the　remainder　of　his　followers　and　ordered　them　to　search　Dong　Cheng's　bedroom。　They　did　so　and　found　the　decree　that　had　been　given　him　in　the　girdle　and　the　pledge　signed　by　the　conspirators。
〃You　mean　rat！〃　cried　Cao　Cao。　〃You　dared　do　this？〃
He　gave　orders　to　arrest　the　whole　household　without　exception。　Then　he　returned　to　his　palace　with　the　incriminating　documents　and　called　all　his　advisers　together　to　discuss　the　dethronement　of　the　Emperor　and　the　setting　up　of　a　successor。

Many　decrees；　blood　written；　have　issued；　acplishing　nothing；
One　inscribed　pledge　was　fraught　with　mountains　of　sorrow。

The　reader　who　wishes　to　how　the　fate　of　the　Emperor　must　read　the　next　chapter。
　Main　Next　to　Chapter　24　》》

　　　Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　24
　Chapter　24
Cao　Cao　Murdered　The　Consort　Dong；
Liu　Bei　Flees　To　Yuan　Shao。
The　last　chapter　closed　with　the　discovery　of　the　〃girdle〃　decree　and　the　assembly　of　Cao　Cao's　advisers　to　consider　the　deposition　of　Emperor　Xian。
Cheng　Yu　spoke　strongly　against　this；　saying；　〃Illustrious　Sir；　the　means　by　which　you　impress　the　world　and　direct　the　government　is　the　mand　of　the　House　of　Han。　In　these　times　of　turmoil　and　rivalry　among　the　nobles；　such　a　step　as　the　deposition　of　the　ruler　will　certainly　bring　about　civil　war　and　is　much　to　be　deprecated。〃
After　reflection　Cao　Cao　abandoned　the　project。　But　Dong　Cheng's　plot　was　not　to　go　unpunished。　All　five　of　the　conspirators　with　every　member　of　their　households；　seven　hundred　at　least；　were　taken　and　put　to　death　at　one　or　another　of　the　gates　of　the　city。　The　people　wept　at　such　merciless　and　wholesale　slaughter。

A　secret　decree　in　a　girdle　sewn；
In　red　blood　written；　the　Emperor's　own；
To　the　staunch　and　faithful　Dong　Cheng　addressed；
Who　had　saved　him　once　when　enemies　pressed。
And　who；　sore　grieved　at　his　Sovereign's　fate；
Expressed　in　dreams　his　ceaseless　hate；
Carried　misfortune　and　death　in　its　train；
But　glory　to　him　who　died　in　vain。

Another　poet　wrote　of　the　sad　fate　of　Wang　Zifu　and　his　friends：

Greatheartedly　these　signed　the　silken　roll；
And　pledged　themselves　to　save　their　king　from　shame。
Alas！　Black　death　of　them　took　heavy　toll；
To　write　their　names　upon　the　roll　of　fame。

But　the　slaughter　of　the　conspirators　and　their　whole　households　did　not　appease　the　wrath　of　the　Prime　Minister。　The　Emperor's　consort　was　a　sister　of　Dong　Cheng；　and；　sword　in　hand；　Cao　Cao　went　into　the　Forbidden　City　determined　to　slay　her　also。　The　Emperor　cherished　her　tenderly；　the　more　so　as　she　was　then　in　the　fifth　month　of　pregnancy。　That　day；　as　they　often　did；　the　Emperor；　Consort　Dong；　and　Empress　Fu　were　sitting　in　their　private　apartment　secretly　talking　of　the　decree　entrusted　to　Dong　Cheng　and　asking　each　other　why　nothing　seemed　to　have　been　done。　The　sudden　appearance　of　the　angry　Prime　Minister；　armed　as　he　was；　frightened　them　greatly。
〃Does　Your　Majesty　know　that　Dong　Cheng　conspired　against　me？〃　said　he。
〃Dong　Zhuo　died　long　ago；〃　replied　the　Emperor。
〃Not　Dong　Zhuo………Dong　Cheng！〃　roared　Cao　Cao。
The　Emperor's　heart　trembled；　but　he　gasped　out；　〃Really　I　did　not　know！〃
〃So　the　cut　finger　and　the　blood　written　decree　are　all　forgotten；　eh？〃
The　Emperor　was　silent。　Cao　Cao　bade　his　lictors　seize　Consort　Dong。　The　Emperor　interposed　asking　pity　for　her　condition。
But　Cao　Cao　said；　〃If　Heaven　had　not　interposed　and　defeated　the　plot；　I　should　be　a　dead　man。　How　could　I　leave　this　woman　to　work　evil　to　me　by　and　by？〃
Said　the　Emperor；　〃Immure　her　in　one　of　the　palaces　till　her　confinement。　Do　not　harm　her　now！〃
〃Do　you　wish　me　to　spare　her　offspring　to　avenge　the　mother？〃　said　Cao　Cao。
〃I　pray　that　my　body　may　be　spared　mutilation　and　not　put　to　shame；〃　said　Consort　Dong。
Cao　Cao　bade　his　men　show　her　the　white　silk　cord。　The　Emperor　wept　bitterly。
〃Do　not　hate　me　in　the　below　realms　of　the　Nine　Golden　Springs；〃　said　the　Emperor　to　her。
His　tears　fell　like　rain。　Empress　Fu　also　joined　in　the　lament；　but　Cao　Cao　said；　〃You　are　behaving　like　a　lot　of　children。〃
And　he　told　the　lictors　to　take　Consort　Dong　away　and　strangle　her　in　the　courtyard。

In　vain　had　the　fair　girl　found　favor　in　the　sight　of　her　lord。
She　died；　and　the　fruit　of　her　womb　perished。
Stern　and　calm　her　lord　sat；　powerless　to　save。
Hiding　his　face　while　tears　gushed　forth。

When　leaving　the　Palace；　Cao　Cao　gave　strict　orders　to　the　keepers；　saying　〃Anyone　of　the　imperial　relatives　by　marriage　who　enter　the　Palace　will　be　put　to　death；　and　the　guards　will　share　the　same　punishment　for　lack　of　zeal。〃
To　make　more　sure　he　appointed　three　thousand　Imperial　Guards　from　his　own　troops　and　appointed　Cao　Hong　to　the　mand。
Then　said　Cao　Cao　to　his　counselor　Cheng　Yu；　〃The　conspirators　in　the　capital　have　been　removed；　it　is　true；　but　there　are　yet　two　others；　Ma　Teng　and　Liu　Bei。　These　must　not　be　left。〃
Cheng　Yu　replied；　〃Ma　Teng　is　strong　in　the　west　and　would　not　be　easily　captured。　He　might　be　enticed　to　the　capital　by　suave　words　and　kindly　praises；　when　he　would　be　at　your　mercy。　Liu　Bei　is　at　Xuzhou；　strongly　posted　in　an　ox…horn　formation；　and　not　to　be　lightly　attacked。　More　than　this；　Yuan　Shao　is　at　Guandu；　and　his　one　desire　is　to　attack　you。　Any　attempt　on　the　east　will　send　Liu　Bei　to　Yuan　Shao　for　help；　and　Yuan　Shao　will　e　here　at　once。　Then　what　will　you　do？〃
〃You　are　at　fault；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。　〃Liu　Bei　is　a　bold　warrior。　If　we　wait　till　he　is　fully　fledged　and　winged；　he　will　be　more　difficult　to　deal　with。　Yuan　Shao　may　be　strong；　but　he　is　not　to　be　feared。　He　is　too　undeciding　to　act。〃
As　they　were　discussing　these　things；　Guo　Jia　came　in；　and　Cao　Cao　suddenly　referred　the　matter　to　him。
〃If　I　attack　Liu　Bei；　then　Yuan　Shao　is　to　be　feared。　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃
Guo　Jia　said；　〃Yuan　Shao　by　nature　is　dilatory　and　hesitating；　and　his　various　advisers　are　jealous　of　each　other。　He　is　not　to　be　feared。　Liu　Bei　is　getting　together　a　new　army　and　has　not　yet　won　their　hearts。　You　could　settle　the　east　in　one　battle。〃
〃This　advice　is　in　harmony　with　my　thinking；〃　said　Cao　Cao。
And　he　prepared　an