Romance of Three Kingdoms

old standing, but the real cause of the present trouble is in the improper influence allowed them by the emperors and the misplaced favoritism

suns drop behind his dwelling. Alarmed by the portent, he hastily dressed and went forth to look about him. Then he saw a bright light shooting up from a heap of straw. He hastened thither and then saw two youths lying behind it.　　"To what household do you belong, young gentlemen?" asked the farmer.　　the Emperor was too frightened to reply, but his companion said, "He is the Emperor. There was a revolution in the Forbidden City, and we ran away. I am his brother, Prince of Chenliu."　　the farmer bowed again and again and said, "My name is Sui Lie. My brother Sui Yi is the former Minister of the Interior. My brother was disgusted with the behavior of the eunuchs and so resigned and hid away here."　　the two lads were taken into the farm, and their host on his knees served them with refreshment.　　It has been said that Min Gong had gone in pursuit of Eunuch Duan Gui. By and by Min Gong overtook Duan Gui and cried, "Where is the Emperor?"　　"He disappeared! I do not know where he is!"　　Min Gong slew Duan Gui and hung the bleeding head on his horse's neck. Then he sent his troops searching in all directions, and he rode off by himself on the same quest. Presently he came to the farm. Sui Lie, seeing what hung on his horse's neck, questioned him and, satisfied with his story, led him to the Emperor. The meeting was affecting. All were moved to tears.　　"the state cannot be without its ruler," said Min Gong. "I pray Your Majesty return to the city."　　At the farm they had but one sorry nag and this they saddled for the Emperor. The young Prince was taken on Min Gong's charger. And thus they left the farm. Not beyond one mile from the farm, they fell in with other officials and several hundred guards and soldiers made up an imposing cavalcade. In the cavalcade were Wang Yun, Minister of the Interior; Yang Biao, Grand Commander; Chunyu Qiong, Commander of the Left Army; Zhao Meng, Commander of the Right Army; Bao Xin, Commander of the Rear Army; and Yuan Shao, Commander of the Center Army. Tears were shed freely as the ministers met their Emperor.　　A man was sent on in front to the capital there to expose the head of Eunuch Duan Gui.　　As soon as they could, they placed the Emperor on a better steed and the young Prince had a horse to himself. Thus the Emperor returned to Luoyang, and so it happened after all as the street children's ditty ran:　　[hip, hip, hip] Though the emperor doesn't rule, though the prince no office fills, Yet a brilliant cavalcade comes along from Beimang Hills. [yip, yip, yip]　　the cavalcade had not proceeded far when they saw coming towards them a large body of soldiers with fluttering banners hiding the sun and raising a huge cloud of dust. The officials turned pale, and the Emperor was GREatly alarmed. Yuan Shao rode out in advance.　　"Who are you?" said Yuan Shao.　　From under the shade of an embroidered banner rode out a leader, saying, "Do you have the Emperor?"　　the Emperor was too panic stricken to respond, but the Prince of Chenliu rode to the front and cried, "Who are you?"　　"Dong Zhuo, Imperial Protector of Xizhou Region."　　"Have you come to protect the Chariot or to steal it?" said Prince Xian.　　"I have come to protect," said Dong Zhuo.　　"If that is so, the Emperor is here: Why do you not dismount?"　　Dong Zhuo hastily dismounted and made obeisance on the left of the road. Then Prince Xian spoke graciously to him. From first to last the Prince had carried himself most perfectly so that Dong Zhuo in his heart admired his behavior, and then arose the first desire to set aside the Emperor in favor of the Prince of Chenliu.　　they reached the Palace the same day, and there was an affecting interview with Empress He.　　But when they had restored order in the Palace, the Imperial Hereditary Seal, the special seal of the Emperor, was missing.　　Dong Zhuo camped without the walls, but every day he was to be seen in the streets with an escort of mailed soldiers so that the common people were in a state of constant trepidation. He also went in and out of the Palace careless of all the rules of propriety.　　Commander of the Rear Army Bao Xin spoke of Dong Zhuo's behavior to Yuan Shao, saying, "This man harbors some evil design and should be removed."　　"Nothing can he done till the government is more settled," said Yuan Shao.　　then Bao Xin saw Minister of the Interior Wang Yun and asked what he thought.　　"Let us talk it over," was the reply.　　Bao Xin said no more but he left the capital and retired to the Taishan Mountains.　　Dong Zhuo induced the soldiers of the two brothers He Jin and He Miao to join his command, and privately spoke to his adviser Li Ru about deposing the Emperor in favor of the Prince of Chenliu.　　"the government is really without a head. There can be no better time than this to carry out your plan. Delay will spoil all. Tomorrow assemble the officials in the Wenming Garden and address them on the subject. Put all opponents to death, and your prestige is settled."　　So spoke Li Ru, and the words pleased Dong Zhuo mightily.　　So the next day Dong Zhuo spread a feast and invited many guests. As all the officers went in terror of him, no one dared be absent. Dong Zhuo himself rode up to the garden last of all and took his place with his sword girded on. When the wine had gone round several times, Dong Zhuo stopped the service and the music and began to speak.　　"I have something to say. Listen quietly all of you!"　　All turned towards him.　　"the emperor is lord of all. If he lacks dignity and behaves in an unseemly manner, he is no fitting inheritor of the ancestral prerogatives. He who is now on the throne is a weakling, inferior to the Prince of Chenliu in intelligence and love of learning. The Prince is in every way fitted for the throne. I desire to depose the Emperor and set up the Prince in his place. What think you?"　　the assembly listened in perfect silence, none daring at first to utter a word of dissent. But one dared; for suddenly a guest stood up in his place, smote the table and cried.　　"No! No! Who are you that you dare utter such bold words? the Emperor is son of the late Emperor and has done no wrong. Why then should he be deposed? Are you a rebel?"　　the speaker was Ding Yuan, Imperial Protector of Bingzhou.　　Dong Zhuo glared at Ding Yuan, roaring, "there is life for those who are with me, death for those against!"　　Dong Zhuo drew his sword and made for the objector. But the watchful Li Ru had noticed standing behind Ding Yuan a particularly dangerous looking henchman of his, who was now handling his halberd threateningly, and whose eyes were blazing with anger.　　So Li Ru hastily interposed, saying, "But this is the banquet chamber, and state affairs should be left outside. The matters can be fully discussed tomorrow."　　His fellow guests persuaded Ding Yuan to leave, and after his departure Dong Zhuo said, "Is what I said just and reasonable?"　　[e] Yi Yin was was helper and prime minister of King Tang, the founder of Shang Dynasty. After King Tang's death, Yi Yin served his sons and grandson. Soon after Tai Jia, King Tang's grandson, ascended the throne, he committed many faults, and Yi Yin, acting as regent, exiled Tai Jia to Tong Palace--the burial place of King Tang. After three years Yi Yin returned him the throne. Tai Jia eventually became an enlightened emperor. Shang Dynasty lasted for 650 years (BC 1700-1050). It was this act of Yi Yin rather than his services in building up an empire that has made him immortal. Whether he did right in temporarily dethroning the king was open to question, until a final verdict was rendered by Mencius who thought that his ends amply justified his means. This historical event attests the extent of the power exercised by a prime minister in those days. ......　　[e] Huo Guang (BC ?-68) a general and regent of Han. After Emperor Wu died, Huo Guang became regent to three successive emperors, and the second one had been the Prince of Changyi, who was on the throne for only twenty-seven days. Huo Guang had the Prince of Changyi declared unfit to rule and deposed him. Even though Huo Guang contributed much to the empire's stabilization, after he died, he was distanced by the emperor and most of his family were executed for conspiracy charges. ......　　"You are mistaken, Illustrious Sir," said Lu Zhi. "Of old Emperor Tai Jia of the Shang Dynasty was unenlightened. Wherefore the sage Minister Yi Yin* immured him in the Tong Palace till he reformed. Later the Prince of Changyi ascended the throne, and in twenty-seven days he committed more than three thousand categorical faults. Wherefore Regent Marshal Huo Guang* declared in the ancestral temple that the Prince of Changyi was deposed. Our present Emperor is young, but he is intelligent, benevolent, and wise. He has not committed a single fault. You, Sir, are an imperial protector of a frontier region and not a metropolitan official and have had no experience in state administration. Neither have you the pure intentions of Yi Yin and Huo Guang which qualified their actions. The Teacher said: 'Only with Yi Yin's purpose can one act like Yi Yin. Otherwise, such a deed is treason.'"　　Dong Zhuo angrily drew his sword to slay the bold Lu Zhi, but two other officials remonstrated.　　"Minister Lu Zhi is the cynosure of the whole country, and his violent death would stir the hearts of all people!" said Court Counselors Cai Yong an