The Three Kingdoms Volume 1 (21 page)

When the news of their rebellion came to Wang Yun he consulted Lu Bu. “Don’t worry,” Lu Bu assured him. “They are mere rats to me. Never mind how many there are of them.”

So Lu Bu and Li Su went to oppose them. The latter was in advance and met Niu Fu. They fought hard but Niu Fu was outmatched and retreated. However, he returned unexpectedly in a night attack. Li Su was quite unprepared and was driven some thirty
li
from his camp, losing many of his men.

When Lu Bu learned about the defeat he raged at his former friend, saying, “You have blunted the fighting spirit of my army.” Then he put Li Su to death, exposing his head at the camp gate.

The next day Lu Bu led his own force to engage Niu Fu in battle. But how could the wretch be strong enough to confront the powerful Lu Bu? He was immediately driven off.

That night Niu Fu took a trusted friend of his into confidence. “Lu Bu is too valiant a fighter for us to hope to overcome. I think we’d better desert Li Jue and the others, take our valuables, and leave the army.”

His friend agreed and the two traitors packed up and left their camp with several followers. Before long they came to a river. Tempted by greed, his companion slew him and went to see Lu Bu to offer his head. Lu Bu inquired into the matter and when he learned about the truth he put the double traitor to death.

Then he advanced and soon fell in with Li Jue’s force. Without giving them time to form in battle array, he led his men in a fierce attack against his enemy; Li Jue, making no stand, retreated a long way. At last he took up a position beside a hill, where he called together the other three.

Li Jue said, “Though he is brave in battle, Lu Bu is no strategist and so not really formidable. I will lead my men to hold the mouth of the gorge and every day I will incite him to attack. And when he comes toward me, General Guo can smite his rear. Both of us will begin our assault at the sound of gongs and withdraw at the sound of drums. While we are thus engaged, you other two will march off on different routes to capture the capital. Such an attack at two points is sure to end in his defeat.”

All being of one mind, they prepared themselves to carry out this scheme. As soon as Lu Bu reached the hills, Li Jue came out to attack him. Lu Bu made an angry dash toward the enemy, who withdrew to the hills, from where they shot arrows and hurled stones like rain. Lu Bu’s men halted. At this moment a report came with the urgent news that the rear was being attacked by Guo Si. At once Lu Bu wheeled toward his new enemy but immediately the rolling drums gave them the signal to retreat, so Lu Bu could not come to blows with them. As he called in his men the gongs clanged on the other side and his former opponent came forth as if to smite him. But before he could give battle, his rear was again threatened by Guo Si, who in his turn drew off without striking a blow.

Thus Lu Bu was baited till his bosom nearly burst with rage. The same tactics continued for several days. He could neither advance nor retreat; his men had no rest.

In the midst of these distracting maneuvers a messenger rode up in haste to say that the capital was in imminent danger from a double attack. Lu Bu at once ordered a march back to save the capital. At this, both his opponents came to attack him from behind. As he was in a hurry to return to Chang’an, he had no heart to involve himself in serious fighting and his losses were quite heavy.

However, he eventually reached the capital and found the rebels there in enormous numbers and the city besieged. His attack had but little effect and as his temper became more savage many of his men went over to the rebels.

Lu Bu fell into deep melancholy. Several days later, two of Dong Zhuo’s adherents still in the capital secretly opened the city gate and the besiegers poured in. Lu Bu exerted himself to the utmost but could not stem the tide. So at the head of a few hundred horsemen he dashed over to Qingsuo Gate and called out to Wang Yun. He told the minister that the situation was desperate and asked him to ride with him to safety.

Wang Yun replied: “If the fortune of the state prevails and tranquillity is restored, my wish is fulfilled; if not, then I will sacrifice myself for it. I will not quail before danger. Pray give my thanks to the noble supporters east of Tong Pass and ask them to remember their country.”

Lu Bu urged him again and again, but he would not leave. Soon fires started up all over the city and Lu Bu had to leave, abandoning his family to their fate. He fled to seek protection from Yuan Shu in Nanyang.

Now Li Jue and his fellow rebel leaders gave full license to their ruffians, who robbed and murdered their fill. Many high officials perished in the disaster. In time they penetrated into the inner palace and the courtiers begged the Emperor to ascend the tower of Xuanping Gate to quell the rioting. At the sight of the yellow umbrella Li Jue and Guo Si checked their men and paid their respects to the Emperor. The young ruler leaned over the tower and addressed them: “My generals, why do you enter the capital in this unruly manner without my summons?”

The two rebel leaders looked up and said, “The prime minister has been slain by Wang Yun and we are here to avenge him. We are not rebels, Your Majesty. Let us have Wang Yun and we will withdraw our men.”

Wang Yun was actually among the courtiers at the Emperor’s side. Hearing this demand he said, “My plan to kill Dong Zhuo was for the benefit of the country, but as this evil has grown out of it, I will go down to these rebels.”

Torn by sorrow, the Emperor hesitated. But the faithful minister leaped from the wall, crying, “Wang Yun is here.”

The two men drew their swords and asked, “For what crime was Prime Minister Dong slain?”

“His crimes filled the heavens and covered the earth, too numerous to list. The day he died was a day of rejoicing in the whole city as you well know,” said Wang Yun.

“And if he was guilty, what have we done not to be forgiven?”

“Seditious rebels, why bandy words? I am ready to die.”

And he was slain at the foot of the tower.

Moved by the people’s sufferings,
Vexed at his prince’s grief,
Wang Yun compassed the tyrant’s death
That they might find relief.
His courage to all was known,
His loyalty across the land spread,
Dead though he is, his noble soul
Keeps guard at the tower today.

Having put the loyal minister to death, they proceeded to exterminate his whole family. All the people wept in great sorrow.

But the rebels did not stop here. Li Jue and Guo Si said to each other: “Since we have gone thus far, what could be better than to do away with the Emperor and establish our own rule?” So thinking, they drew their swords and rushed in.

The arch-devil was slain when the disaster ended,
But his licentious followers disturbed the Empire’s peace again.

Whether the Emperor would be slain or not will be told in the next chapter.

*
Famous historian in West Han, author of the
Book of History,
written between 104 and 91
B.C.

CHAPTER TEN

Ma Teng Raises an Army to Fight the Rebels

Cao Cao Attacks Xuzhou to Avenge his Father

A
t
the end of the last chapter the two rebel leaders proposed to murder the Emperor, but the other two objected.

“No, the people won’t approve of his death now,” they said. “It’s better to let him stay in power and we can use him as a bait to induce the lords to come. Remove his supporters first, then plan his destruction. Then the land will be ours.”

Li Jue and Guo Si agreed, so they ceased the attack.

The Emperor again spoke from the tower: “You have slain Wang Yun. Why do you still remain here?”

The rebel leaders replied, “Your servants desire promotions in rank as a reward for their good service to the imperial house.”

“And what ranks do you want?” asked the Emperor.

All four wrote down their wishes and passed them to the Emperor, who had no choice but to accede to their requests. So they were created generals and lords, and were given enormous power in court administration. Even the two traitors that opened the city gate for the rebels were gratified with promotions. Only then did they withdraw their troops outside the capital.

Next, they spent time finding their late master’s corpse for burial, but all they could find were a few fragments of skin and bones. So they had his image engraved in fragrant wood. Somehow they managed to lay this out in state and put in place a huge memorial service, with sacrifices and prayers. The body was dressed in robes fit for a prince and laid in a royal coffin. They selected an auspicious day to convey the coffin to Meiwu, where his tomb would stand.

But on the day when Dong Zhuo was to be entombed, a terrific thunderstorm broke out and the ground was heavily flooded. The coffin was riven asunder by thunder and his remains thrown out. They waited for the weather to change for the better so they could bury him a second time, but another thunderstorm disrupted their plan again. Altogether they tried three times to bury him, but three times their plan was thwarted and what was left of his remains was consumed by lightning. Heaven showed its full wrath with the arch villain.

Back in the capital, the real power fell to Li Jue and Guo Si, who cruelly oppressed the common folk. They also placed their own trusted followers in the company of the Emperor to keep a close watch over his every movement, so that he was hampered in whatever he did. The court officials, too, were controlled by these two rebels, who decided who was promoted or demoted. To gain popularity among the people, they especially summoned Zhu Jun to court, making him an important official in the administration of the government.

One day came a report that Ma Teng, Prefect of Xiliang, and Han Sui, Prefect of Bingzhou, with a large armed force, were rapidly approaching the capital with the intention of attacking the rebels.

Now these two generals from the west had laid careful plans. They had sent agents to the capital earlier and had found support in three officials who were to be their local allies in their scheme to destroy the rebels. These three had obtained from the Emperor two secret edicts conferring the rank of general to both of them. Ma Teng was given the title of Conqueror of the West and Han Sui, Warden of the West. With these powers the two joined forces and marched toward the capital.

Hearing of their imminent arrival the four rebel leaders called a general council to discuss how to deal with the situation. The advisor Jia Xu said: “Since the attackers are coming from a long distance, our best tactics is to fortify ourselves and wait till shortage of food works in our favor. In a hundred days their supplies will be consumed and they will have to withdraw. Then we can pursue and capture them.”

But this scheme was rejected by two officers called Li Meng and Wang Fang. They said, “This plan is no good. Give us 10,000 men and we will put an end to both of them and offer their heads to you.”

“If you fight today you will surely be defeated,” said the advisor.

The two officers cried with one voice: “If we fail we are willing to be executed, but if we win you will pay by forfeiting your life.”

The advisor then said to his two masters: “Two hundred
li
west of the capital stands a high hill where the passes are narrow and difficult. Send Generals Zhang Ji and Fan Chou to occupy this vantage point and fortify themselves so that they may support Li Meng and Wang Fang when they go out to fight.”