by Luo Guanzhong
Today's excerpt from Chapter 4
25Upon hearing this explanation, the county governor personally untied his ropes, and helped him onto a chair. He then paid ritual obeisance, saying, "You truly are a loyal servant of the country!" Cao Cao also gave obeisance, and asked for the county governor's name. The county governor said, "My surname is Chen, and my given name is Gong; my style name is Gongtai. My dear old mother and my wife are both in Dong Commandery. I am moved by your loyalty to the country; I would like to abandon my post and follow you on your escape." Cao was extremely happy. That night, Chen Gong collected some travel money, and gave Cao Cao a change of clothes; he also brought along two straight swords, one for each of them. They climbed onto their horses and rode toward his home village.
26
After riding for three days, they arrived at the area around Chenggao, just as it was turning dark. Cao used his riding crop to point to a thick forested area, saying to Gong, "There is a man who lives here who is my father's sworn brother; his surname is Lü, and his given name is Boshe. Let's go and ask him for news of my family, and see if he can put us up for the night; what do you say?" Gong said, "Perfect." The two rode to the front of the villa, got off of their horses, and entered in to see Boshe. She said, "I heard that the court has issued a warrant for your arrest, and that they are scouring the countryside for you. Your father has already fled to Chenliu. How were you able to make it here?" Cao told him the whole story up to that point, saying, "If it weren't for county governor Chen, I would be mincemeat by now." Boshe paid obeisance to Chen Gong, saying, "If the son of my sworn brother had not had you, the entire Cao family would have been decimated. Why don't you sit back and relax? Tonight, you can lodge in my humble abode." After he finished speaking, he got up to go inside. After a while, he came back out and said to Chen Gong, "I don't have any decent wine in the house. Allow me to travel to the village in the west to buy a jug for you." With that, he hurried off on his donkey.
Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Lays of Ancient Rome by Macaulay.
This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.
Chapter Summary: Deposing the Han emperor: Chenliu becomes emperor; plotting against the villain Dong: Mengde presents a dagger.
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This translation from Wikipedia. See license CC-BY-SA.
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