Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

“Here are we two officers of the Throne, and we cannot help our lord. We have been born in vain,” said Yang Biao to Zhu Jun.

Throwing their arms about each other, they wept and fell swooning to the earth. Zhu Jun went home, fell seriously ill and died.

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

Now Li Jue was irreligious and practiced magic. He often called witches to beat drums and summon spirits, even when in camp. Jia Xu used to remonstrate with him, but quite uselessly.

Yang Qi said to the Emperor, “That Jia Xu, although a friend of Li Jue, never seems to have lost the sense of loyalty to Your Majesty.”

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

Jia Xu prostrated himself, saying, “That is my dearest wish. But, Sire, say no more; let thy servant work out a plan.”

The Emperor dried his tears, and soon Li Jue came in. He wore a sword by his side and strode straight up to the Emperor, whose face became the color of clay.

Then Li Jue spoke, “Guo Si 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 Li Jue. Li Jue 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 county as Li Jue, bade him go to both factions to try to arrange peace.

Huangfu Li accepted the mission and first went to Guo Si, who said, “I would release the officers if Li Jue would restore the Emperor to full liberty.”

Huangfu Li then went to the other side. To Li Jue he said, “Since I am a Xiliang man, the Emperor and the officers have selected me to make peace between you and your adversary. Guo Si has consented to cease the quarrel; will you agree to peace?”

“I overthrew Lu Bu; 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 Youqiong, Hou Yi, proud of and confident in his archer's skill, gave no thought to others and governed alone, and he so perished. Lately you yourself have seen the powerful Dong Zhuo betrayed by Lu Bu, who had received many benefits at his hands. In no time Dong Zhuo's 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, Guo Si has seized the officers of state, but you have done the same to the 'Most Revered.' Who is worse than the other?”

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

But his commander, Yang Feng, checked him.

“Guo Si is still alive,” said Yang Feng, “and to slay the imperial messenger would be giving him a popular excuse to raise an army against you. And all the nobles would join him.”

Jia Xu also persuaded Li Jue, and gradually his wrath cooled down. Huangfu Li was urged to go away. But Huangfu Li would not be satisfied with failure. As he went out of the camp, he cried loudly, “Li Jue will not obey the Emperor's command. He will kill his prince to set up himself.”

Counselor Hu Miao tried to shut Huangfu Li's mouth, saying, “Do not utter such words. You will only bring hurt upon yourself.”

But Huangfu Li shrieked at him also, saying, “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. That is our code. If it be my lot to suffer death at the hands of Li Jue, so be it!”

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

Now more than half Li Jue's troops were from Xiliang, and he had also the assistance of the Qiangs, the tribespeople beyond the border. When Huangfu Li spread that Li Jue was a rebel and so were those who helped him, and that there would be a day of heavy reckoning, those stories disturbed the soldiers. Li Jue sent one of his officers, General Wang Chang of the Tiger Army, to arrest Huangfu Li; but Wang Chang had a sense of right and esteemed Huangfu Li as an honorable man. Instead of carrying out the orders, Wang Chang returned to say he could not be found.

Jia Xu tried to work on the feelings of the barbarian tribes. He said to them, “The Son of Heaven 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.”