The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (20 page)

Lu Bu became enraged. Banging the table he shouted and roared.

His host ostentatiously tried to calm him. He said, “I forgot myself. I should not have spoken like that. Do not be so angry, General.”

“I swear I will kill the ruffian. In no other way can I wash away my shame.”

“No, no! Do not say such a thing,” said Wang Yun, putting his hand over the other’s mouth. “You will bring trouble to me.”

“I’m a warrior. How can I be subdued for long under another man’s domination?” said Lu Bu.

“It does need someone greater than the prime minister to curb such talents as yours.”

Lu Bu said, “I would not mind killing the old wretch were it not for the relation in which we stand. I fear to provoke the hostile criticism of posterity.”

His host smiled. “Your surname is Lu—his is Dong. Where was the paternal feeling when he threw the halberd at you?”

“I nearly made a great mistake if you had not pointed this out to me,” said Lu Bu hotly.

Seeing that Lu Bu had made up his mind, Wang Yun continued. “It will be a loyal deed to restore the House of Han, and your glorious name will be recorded in history and handed down to posterity. If you aid Dong Zhuo you will be a traitor and your name will stink for all time.”

Lu Bu rose from his seat and bowed to Wang Yun. “I have decided,” he said. “Trust me, sir.”

“But you may fail and bring great misfortune upon yourself,” said Wang Yun.

Lu Bu drew his dagger and, pricking his arm, swore a solemn oath by the blood that flowed.

Wang Yun fell on his knees and thanked him. “Then the line of Han will not be cut off, thanks to your efforts. But this must remain a secret. I will tell you how this is going to be worked out.”

Lu Bu promised secrecy and departed.

Wang Yun took two of his colleagues into confidence. One of them said, “The time is favorable. The Emperor has just recovered from his illness and we can dispatch an able emissary to Meiwu who will persuade Dong Zhuo to come here to discuss affairs. At the same time we will obtain a secret decree from the Emperor as authority for Lu Bu to act. Lay an ambush just inside the palace gate to kill Dong Zhuo as he enters. This is the best plan to adopt.”

“But who will be bold enough to go?”

“Li Su will be the right person. He comes from the same district as Lu Bu and is very angry with his master for not advancing him. His going will not excite any suspicions.”

“Good,” said Wang Yun. “Let’s see what Lu Bu thinks of it.”

When Lu Bu was consulted he told them that this man’s persuasive arguments had led him to kill Ding Yuan, his former benefactor. “If he should refuse this mission, I would kill him,” he said.

So they sent for Li Su. When he arrived Lu Bu said: “Formerly you talked me into killing Ding Yuan and going over to Dong Zhuo. Now this Dong Zhuo bullied the Emperor and oppressed the people. His iniquities are so many that he is hated by both gods and men. I want you to go to Meiwu and say that you have a decree from the Emperor to summon him to the palace. When he comes he will be put to death. Thus we can restore the House of the Hans and you will have the credit of being a loyal official. Will you undertake this?”

“I have been wishing to slay him, too,” said Li Su. “Only I could not find anyone to assist me. Now your intervention is really a heaven-sent opportunity. How can I hesitate?” And he snapped an arrow in two to pledge his allegiance to the scheme.

“If you can succeed, what glorious rank will not be yours!” said Wang Yun.

The next day, Li Su set out for Meiwu with a small escort. When he got there he announced himself as bearer of a decree from the Emperor. He was admitted to Dong Zhuo’s presence. After he had made his obeisance the prime minister asked what the decree was.

“His Majesty has recovered and wishes his ministers to meet him in the palace to consider the question of his abdication in your favor. That is what this summons is about.”

“What does Wang Yun think of this?”

“He has already begun the construction of an altar for your succession to the throne and only awaits your arrival, sir.”

“Last night I dreamed of a dragon coiling round my body,” said Dong Zhuo, greatly pleased. “And now I get this happy tiding! I must not neglect this good opportunity.”

So he announced his intention of starting for the capital that very day, leaving the palace in the care of Li Jue, Guo Si, and two others with the “Flying Bear” force.

“When I am Emperor you shall be my precursor,” he said.

Li Su thanked him, addressing himself as his official.

Dong Zhuo went inside to bid farewell to his aged mother.

“Where are you going, my son?” asked his mother.

“I’m going to receive the throne of Han, and soon you’ll be Empress Dowager.”

“I’ve been feeling nervous and spooked these last few days. It’s a bad sign.”

“Anyone about to become the mother of the head of state must have premonitions,” said her son.

And he left her with these words. Just before starting he said to Cicada: “When I’m Emperor, you’ll be
Guei-fei
, the first of my ladies.” She knew what this really meant but pretended to rejoice at the news and thanked him.

He went out, mounted his carriage, and began his journey to the capital with an imposing escort. Less than halfway the wheel of his carriage broke. He stepped down and mounted a horse. But soon after the horse snorted and neighed, threw up his head and snapped the reins.

Dong Zhuo turned to Li Su and asked what these signs meant.

“They mean that you are going to be the new ruler, which is to cast away everything old and bring forth the new, to mount the jeweled chariot and sit in the golden saddle.”

Dong Zhuo believed him. On the second day a violent gale sprang up and the sky became covered with a thick mist. The wily Li Su had an interpretation for this, too. “You are ascending to the dragon seat—there must be red light and lurid vapor to dignify your majestic approach.”

Dong Zhuo had no more doubts. When he arrived he found all the officials waiting outside the city gate to welcome him—all but Li Ru, who was ill and unable to leave his chamber. He entered and proceeded to his house in the capital and Lu Bu came to congratulate him.

“When I sit on the throne, you will command the whole army of the Empire, both horse and foot soldiers,” he said.

That night Lu Bu did not return to his own lodging but stayed at Dong Zhuo’s house. In the suburbs that evening some children at play were singing a little ditty and the words drifted over on the wind.

The grass in the meadow looks fresh now and green,
Yet wait but ten days, not a blade will be seen.

The song sounded ominous but Li Su was again able to provide a happy interpretation. “It only means that the Lius are about to disappear and the Dongs to be exalted.”

The next morning, at the first streak of dawn, Dong Zhuo set out to appear in court. On arriving there he found all the officials in court dress lining the road. Li Su walked beside his carriage, sword in hand. When he reached the north gate, all his guards were ordered to remain outside and only the pushers of the carriage, a score or so men, were allowed to proceed further. Then he saw in the distance Wang Yun and the other officials standing at the entrance of the Audience Hall. They were all carrying swords in their hands!

“Why are they all armed?” he asked Li Su.

Li Su did not reply but pushed the carriage straight to the entrance.

Suddenly Wang Yun shouted, “The rebel is here! Where are the executioners?”

At this call, more than a hundred armed guards sprang from both sides and attacked Dong Zhuo with their halberds and spears. He had worn a soft breastplate underneath and the weapons could not penetrate his heart. But he was wounded in the arm and he fell down from his carriage. Feeling desperate, he called loudly, “Where is my son Feng-xian?”

“Here, and with a decree to execute you, the rebel!” said Lu Bu savagely, as he appeared from behind his carriage.

With one thrust of his halberd he pierced his victim’s throat. Then Li Su hacked off the head and held it up. Lu Bu, holding his halberd in his left hand, drew the decree from his bosom with his right hand. “The decree was to slay the rebel Dong Zhuo only, but no other.”

The whole assembly shouted, “Long live the Emperor!”

The lust for blood awakened, Lu Bu urged the slaughter of Li Ru as he had helped Dong Zhuo to do evil. Li Su volunteered to go in search of him. But just then a shouting was heard at the gate and it was reported that Li Ru’s servants had brought him in. Wang Yun ordered his immediate execution in the market place.

Dong Zhuo’s head was exposed in a crowded thoroughfare. He was very fat and the guards made torches by sticking splints into his navel. The passers-by pelted the head with stones and kicked the body.

A large force under Lu Bu was sent to confiscate his property and exterminate his clan at Meiwu. Their first captive was Cicada. Then they slew every member of the Dong family, sparing none, not even his aged mother. Many young ladies of good family were hidden in the place. These were set free. Then they searched the whole palace for valuables. The spoils were enormous—stores of wealth of all types had been collected there. However, four of Dong Zhuo’s main supporters, including Li Jue and Guo Si, fled to Liangzhou with the “Flying Bear” force.

When they returned to report their success, Wang Yun gave big feasts in celebration. Banquets were also held in the meeting hall to which all the officials were invited. They drank and congratulated each other. While the feasting was in progress, a messenger came in to say that someone was wailing over the corpse exposed in the market place.

“Everybody is glad at Dong Zhuo’s execution,” said Wang Yun angrily. “Who is this man that dares to lament over him?”

So he gave orders to arrest the mourner. Soon the man was brought in. When they saw him all were startled, for he was none other than the talented Cai Yong.

Wang Yun reproached him angrily, “Dong Zhuo has been put to death and all the land rejoices. Yet you, a Han minister, instead of rejoicing, weep for him. Why?”

Cai Yong admitted guilt. “Unworthy though I am, I know what is right. Am I the man to turn my back on my country and toward Dong Zhuo? Yet once I experienced his kindness and I could not help mourning for him. I know my crime is grave but I pray you consider the reasons. If you punish me severely but do not kill me, you may still use me to continue the writing of the history of Han. In this way I may have the good fortune of expiating my crime.”

All were sorry for him, for he was a man of great talents and they begged that he might be spared. One of them secretly interceded for him, pointing out that he was a rare scholar and it would be wonderful if he could be entrusted with the writing of the annals. He also argued that it was inadvisable to put to death a man renowned for filial piety. But his effort was in vain. Wang Yun was now strong and obdurate.

He said, “In the past, Sima Qian
^*
was spared and employed on the annals, with the result that many slanderous stories have been handed down to later generations. These are trying times of great perplexity and we dare not let a specious fellow like this wield his pen in criticism of the court and a youthful emperor, and abuse us as he will.”

Remonstrance and appeal being in vain, the official retired. But he said to his colleagues: “Does Wang Yun have no regard for the future? Worthy men are the mainstay of the state and laws are the precepts of action. To destroy the mainstay and nullify the laws is to hasten destruction.”

Meanwhile, ignoring the appeal of the others, Wang Yun ordered Cai Yong to be thrown into prison and there strangled. Officials and men of letters all wept for him. Later, people commented that it was wrong for Cai Yong to lament over the tyrant’s death, but it was equally wrong for Wang Yong to kill the scholar.

Dong, the cruel dictator,
Tyrannized the state,
Fell and his sole mourner
Shared his direful fate.
But Zhuge Liang the sage
Content to live unknown.
Ne’er would he stain his name
To help a tyrant’s reign.

Now let us follow the story of the four adherents of Dong Zhuo who had fled to Shanxi when their master was slain. There, they offered a petition entreating amnesty. But Wang Yun would not hear of it.

“These four were the chief instruments of Dong Zhuo’s evils,” he said. “Although a general amnesty was proclaimed, these men should be excluded from enjoying its benefit.”

The messenger returned to tell the four that there was no hope of pardon, so they decided to flee separately. But the advisor Jia Xu thought differently.

He said, “If you throw away your army and flee singly, you will fall easy victims to any village official who may seize you. Why not cajole the Shanxi people to share your lot and make a sudden attack on the capital, and so avenge the old master? If you succeed, you gain control of the court and the country. If not, there will be time enough to run away.”

The plan was adopted and they started spreading the rumor that Wang Yun intended to harry the district. The people there were thrown into a state of terror. Then they went a step further and said, “There is no point in dying for nothing. Revolt and join us.” So they succeeded in inciting the people to join them. Together they mustered a huge army, which was divided into four units, and they all set out to raid the capital. On the way they fell in with Niu Fu, a son-in-law of their late chief, with 5,000 soldiers. He had set out to avenge his father-in-law and he became the van leader of the rebel force.