by Luo Guanzhong
2Let us now turn to Dongzhuo, who was about to kill Yuan Shao; Li Ru stopped him, saying, "The matter cannot yet be decided, you should not kill indiscriminately." Yuan Shao bid farewell to the ministers and departed, sword in hand. He hung a bamboo placard on the eastern gate which announced his intention to depart for Jizhou. Zhuo said to Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, "Your nephew lacks courtesy, but I would not wish for you to lose face, so I will let it slide for now. What about the issue of deposing the emperor?" Wei said, "Grand Commandant, if that is your view, then so be it." Zhuo said, "Anyone who dares to interfere with my plans shall be dealt with severely according to military law." All of the ministers were paralyzed with fear; they all said, "We will all obey your orders." After the banquet had ended, Zhuo asked his aide Zhou Bi and captain Wu Qiong, "What do you make of Yuan Shao's leaving?" Zhou Bi said, "Yuan Shao left in anger; in the heat of the moment, if we were to place a bounty on his head, it would mean rebellion for sure. Moreover, the Yuan family have shown benevolence to the people for four generations; their students and former employees are scattered throughout the land. If the talented ones of their group were to gather their followers, other brave warriors would rise up as well. If that were to happen, the entire area to the east of the mountains would no longer be yours. If you were to pardon him and make him a governor of a commandery, then Shao would be delighted by the prospect of a reprieve. Then, you would not have anything to worry about." Wu Qiong said, "Yuan Shao is fond of scheming, but lacks judgment. He is not worth worrying about. I truly think it is best to make him governor of a commandery. This would appease the people's minds."
3
Dong Zhuo followed their advice. That day, he sent someone to give the post of governor of Bohai Commandery to Shao. On the first day of the ninth lunar month, the emperor was invited to Jiade Hall, where all of the military and civilian officials had gathered. Zhuo drew his sword and addressed the crowd, "the Son of Heaven is ignorant and weak, and is not qualified to rule the country. I have a proclamation that I would like read out loud." With that, he ordered Li Ru to read the proclamation; it said:
4
The late Emperor Ling of Han abandoned his subjects for the next world at far too young an age. An emperor is someone that everyone looks up to and relies on. However, the current emperor does not have it within him to take matters seriously, and does not command respect. Moreover, he has not been diligent in observing the period of mourning for the late emperor. His poor sense of decorum is evident for all to see; he is an embarrassment to the throne. His mother, the empress dowager, did not teach him properly, the way a mother should; as a result, the administration of the government is in a state of chaos. After the Empress Dowager of Yongle died suddenly, the people expressed suspicions of foul play. Is it not evident that there has been a breakdown in the observance of the three essential relationships and that there has been a violation of the laws of heaven and earth? Prince Xie of Chenliu is virtuous and majestic, and earnestly observes proper etiquette. He has also shown remorse during the period of mourning for the late emperor, and has never said anything wrong. His good and decent reputation is well-known throughout the land. He is a suitable heir to the late emperor, and can unify the country for the next 10,000 generations. The current emperor is hereby demoted to Prince of Hongnong, and the empress dowager will henceforth relinquish all control of the government. The Prince of Chenliu is invited to become emperor. In so doing, he shall be conforming to the wishes of both heaven and man, and thereby give hope to the citizenry.
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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