BURNING THE CAPITAL, TUNG CHO COMMITS AN ATROCITY:
HIDING THE SEAL, SUN CHIEN BREAKS FAITH.
Chang Fei rode hard up to the Pass but the defenders sent down stones
and arrows like rain so that he could not enter and he returned. The
eight lords all joined in felicitations to the three heroes for their
services and the story of victory was sent to Yüan Shao, who ordered
Sun Chien to advance.
Thereupon Sun with two trusty friends went over to the camp of Yüan
Shu. Tracing figures on the ground with his staff Sun Chien said, “Tung
Cho and I had no personal quarrel. Yet now I have thrown myself into
the battle regardless of consequences, exposed my person to the risk of
wounds and fought bloody battles to their bitter end. And why? That I
might be the means of ridding my country of a rebel and—for the private
advantage of your family. Yet you, heeding the slanderous tongues of
certain enemies, formerly withheld the supplies absolutely necessary to
me, and so I suffered defeat. How can you explain, General?”
Yüan Shu, confused and frightened, had no word to reply. He ordered the
death of the slanderers to placate Sun.
Then suddenly they told Sun, “Some officer has come riding down from
the Pass to see you, General; he is in the camp.”
Sun Chien therefore took his leave and returned to his own camp where
he found the visitor was an officer, much beloved of Tung Cho, named Li
Tsʻui.
“Wherefore come you?” said Chien.
He replied, “You are the one person for whom my master has respect and
admiration, and he sends me to arrange a matrimonial alliance between
the two families. He wishes that his daughter may become the wife of
your son.”
“What! Tung Cho, that rebel and renegade, that subverter of the throne!
Would that I could destroy his nine generations as a thank-offering to
the Empire! Think you I would be willing to have an alliance with such
a family? I will not slay you as I ought, but go, and go quickly! Yield
the Pass and I may spare your lives. If you delay I will grind your
bones to powder and make mincemeat of your flesh.”
Li Tsʻui threw his arms over his head and ran out. He returned to his
master and told him what a rude reception he had met with. Cho asked
his adviser Li Ju how to reply to this and he said that as Lü Pu’s late
defeat had somewhat blunted the edge of his desire for battle it would
be well to return to the capital and remove the Emperor to Chʻangan, as
the street boys had been lately singing:—
“A Han on the west, a Han on the east.
The deer will be safe in Chʻangan, poor beast.”
Li continued “If you think out this couplet it applies to the present
juncture. Half the first line refers to the founder of the dynasty, who
became ruler in the western city, which was the capital during twelve
reigns. The other half corresponds to Kuang-Wu who ruled from Loyang,
the capital during twelve later reigns. The revolution of the heavens
brings us to this moment and if the minister remove to Chʻangan there
will be no need for anxiety.”
Tung Cho was exceedingly pleased and said, “Had you not spoken thus I
should not have understood.”
Then taking Lü Pu with him he started at once for the capital. Here he
called all the officials to a great council in the palace and addressed
them thus:—
“After two centuries of rule here the royal fortune has been exhausted
and I perceive that the aura of rule has migrated to Chʻangan, whither
I now desire to move the court. All you had better pack up for the
journey.”
The minister Yang Piao said, “I pray you reflect. Within that city all
is destruction. There is no reason to renounce the ancestral temples
and abandon the imperial tombs here. I fear the people will be alarmed.
It is easy to alarm them but difficult to pacify them.”
“Do you oppose the State plans?” said Cho angrily.
Another official, Huang Yüan, supported his colleague, “In the
rebellion of Wang Mang, in the days of Kêng Shih and Fan Chʻung of the
Red Eyebrows, the city was burned and became a place of broken tiles.
The inhabitants scattered all but a few. It is wrong to abandon these
palaces for a desert.”
Tung Cho replied, “East of the Pass is full of sedition and all the
Empire is in rebellion. The city of Chʻangan is protected by Yaohan and
very near Shênsi, whence can be easily brought building material. In a
month or so palaces can be erected. So an end to your wild words!”
Yet another raised a protest against disturbing the people but the
tyrant overbore him also.
“How can I stop to consider a few common people when my scheme affects
the Empire?”
That day the three objectors were degraded to the rank of ordinary
people.
As Cho went out to get into his coach he met two other officers who
made obeisance. They were the President, Chou Pi, and the Captain of
the City Gate, Wu Chʻing. Cho stopped and asked them what they wanted.
Said the former, “We venture to try to dissuade you from moving the
capital to Chʻangan.”
Cho replied, “They used to say you two were supporters of Yüan Shao;
now he has already turned traitor and you are of the same party.”
And without more ado he bade his guards take both outside the city and
put them to death.
The command to remove to the new capital immediately was issued. On the
advice of Li Ju, who pointed out that money was short and the rich
people of Loyang could be easily plundered and that it was a good
occasion to remove the supporters of their opponents, Cho sent five
companies out to plunder and slay. They captured very many wealthy folk
and, having stuck flags on their heads saying they were traitors and
rebels, drove them out of the city and put them to death. Their
property was all seized.
The task of driving forth the inhabitants, some millions, was given to
two of Tung Cho’s creatures. They were sent off in bands of a hundred,
each band between two parties of soldiers, who urged them forward.
Enormous numbers fell by the road side and died in the ditches, and the
escort plundered the fugitives and defiled the women. A wail of sorrow
arose to the very sky. The tyrant’s final orders as he left were to
burn the whole city, houses, palaces and temples, and everything was
devoured by the flames. The capital became but a patch of scorched
earth.
Tung Cho sent Lü Pu to desecrate the tombs of the Emperors and their
consorts for the jewels therein, and the common soldiers took the
occasion to dig up the graves of officers and plunder the cemeteries of
the wealthy. The spoil of the city, gold and silver, pearls and silks,
and beautiful ornaments, filled many carts and with these and the
persons of the Emperor and his household Tung Cho moved off to the new
capital.
The city being thus abandoned the commander at Ssŭshui Pass evacuated
that post of vantage, which Sun Chien at once occupied. The three
brothers took Tigertrap Pass and the confederate lords advanced.
Sun Chien hastened to the late capital which was still in flames. When
he arrived dense smoke hung all over it and spread for miles around. No
living thing, not a fowl, or a dog, or a human being, remained. Sun
told off his men to extinguish the fires and set out camping places for
the confederate lords.
Tsʻao Tsʻao went to see the chief and said, “Tung has gone west; we
ought to follow and attack without loss of time; why do you remain
inactive?”
“All our colleagues are worn out and there is nothing to be gained by
attack,” said Yüan Shao.
Tsʻao Tsʻao urged him to strike a blow for the moment was most
propitious in the utter confusion that reigned, palaces burned, the
Emperor abducted, the whole world upset and no one knowing whither to
turn. But all the confederate lords seemed of one mind and that mind
was to postpone action. So they did nothing. However, Tsʻao Tsʻao and
his subordinates, with a full legion of soldiers, started in pursuit.
The road to the new capital led through Jungyang, and when the
cavalcade reached it the Prefect went to welcome Tung Cho. Li Ju said,
“As there is some danger of pursuit it would be well to order the
Prefect of this place to lay an ambush ready to cut off the retreat of
our pursuers when our army beats them off. That will teach any others
not to follow.”
Then Lü Pu was ordered to command the rear guard. Very soon they saw
Tsʻao Tsʻao coming up and Lü Pu laughed at his colleague’s foresight.
He set out his men in fighting order.
Tsʻao Tsʻao rode forward crying, “Rebels, abductors, drovers of the
people, where are you going?”
Lü Pu replied, “Treacherous simpleton, what mad words are these?”
Then from Tsʻao Tsʻao’s army rode against him Hsiahou Tun with his
spear set and they two engaged. The combat had hardly begun when Li
Tsʻui with a cohort came in from the left. Tsʻao Tsʻao bade Hsiahou
Yüan meet this onslaught. However, on the other side appeared Kuo Ssŭ,
against whom was sent Tsʻao Jên. The onrush on three sides was too much
to withstand and Lü Pu showed no signs of being vanquished, so Hsiahou
Tun had to retire to the main line. Thereupon Lü Pu’s mail-clad men
attacked and completed the defeat. The beaten men turned toward
Jungyang.
They got as far as the foot of a bare hill in the second watch, about
nine in the evening, and the moon made it as light as day. Here they
halted to reform. Just as they were burying the boilers to prepare a
meal there arose a great noise of shouting on all sides and out came
the men from the ambush fresh to attack.
Tsʻao Tsʻao, thrown into a flurry, mounted and fled. He ran right in
the way of the waiting Prefect. Then he dashed off in another
direction, but the Prefect shot an arrow after him which struck him in
the shoulder. The arrow still in the wound, he fled for his life. As he
went over the hill two soldiers lying in wait among the grass suddenly
dashed out and wounded his horse, which fell and rolled over, and as
its rider slipped from the saddle he was seized and made prisoner.
Just then a horseman riding at full speed and whirling his sword came,
up, cut down both the captors and rescued Tsʻao Tsʻao. It was his
brother Tsʻao Hung.
Tsʻao Tsʻao said, “I am doomed, good brother, go and save yourself.”
“My lord, mount my horse quickly; I will go afoot,” said Hung.
“If those wretches come up, what then?”
“The world can do without me, but not without you, my brother.”
“If I live I shall owe you my life,” said Tsʻao Tsʻao.
So he mounted. His brother tore off his own breastplate, gripped his
sword and went on foot after the horse. Thus they proceeded till the
fourth watch when they saw before them a broad stream, and behind they
still heard the shouts of pursuers drawing nearer and nearer.
“This is my fate;” said Tsʻao Tsʻao. “I am really doomed.”
His brother helped him down from his horse. Then taking off his
fighting robe he took the wounded man on his back and waded into the
stream. When they reached the further side the pursuers had already
gained the bank whence they shot arrows. Tsʻao Tsʻao all wet pushed on.
Dawn was near. They went on another thirty li and then sat down to rest
under a precipice. Suddenly loud shouting was heard and a party of
horse appeared. It was the Prefect of Jungpang who had forded the river
higher up. Just at this moment Hsiahou Tun and his brother, with a half
score men, came along.
“Hurt not my lord!” cried Hsiahou to the Prefect, who at once rushed at
him. But the combat was short. The Prefect speedily fell under a spear
thrust and his men were driven off. Before long Tsʻao Tsʻao’s other
captains arrived. Sadness and joy mingled in the greetings. They
gathered together the few hundreds of men left and then returned to
Honei.
The story broke off leaving the confederate lords in their various
camps at Loyang. Sun Chien, after extinguishing the fires, camped
within the walls, his own tent being set up near the Chienchang Hall of
the palace. His men cleared away the débris and closed the rifted
tombs. The gates were barred. On the site of the Dynastic Temple he put
up a mat shed containing three apartments, and here he begged the lords
to meet and replace the sacred tablets, with solemn sacrifices and
prayers.
This ceremony over, the others left and Sun Chien returned to his camp.
That night the stars and moon vied with each other in brightness. As
Sun sat in the open air looking up at the heavens he noticed a mist
spreading over the stars of the Constellation Draco.
“The Emperor’s stars are dulled,” said he with a sigh, “No wonder a
rebellious minister disturbs the State, the people sit in dust and
ashes, and the capital is a waste.”
And his tears began to fall. Then a soldier pointing to the south said,
“There is a beam of coloured light rising from a well.”
He bade his men light torches and descend into the well. Soon they
brought up the corpse of a woman, not in the least decayed although it
had been there many days. She was dressed in palace clothing and from
her neck hung an embroidered bag. Opening this a red box was found,
with a golden lock, and when the box was opened they saw a jade seal,
square in shape, an inch each way. On it were delicately engraved five
dragons intertwined. One corner had been broken off and repaired with
gold. There were eight characters in the seal style of engraving which
interpreted read, “I have received the command from Heaven: may my time
be always prosperous.”
Sun Chien showed this to Chʻêng Pʻu who at once recognised it as the
hereditary seal of the Emperor.
He said, “This seal has a history. In olden days one Pʻien Ho saw a
phœnix sitting on a certain stone at the foot of Ching Hill. He offered
the stone at court. King Wên of Chʻu split open the stone and found a
piece of jade. Early in the Tsʻin dynasty a jade cutter made a seal
from it and Li Ssŭ engraved the characters. Two years later it was
thrown overboard in a terrific storm on the Tungtʻing Lake as a
propitiatory offering, and the storm immediately ceased. Ten years
later again, when the Emperor was making a progress and had reached
Huaying, an old man by the road side handed a seal to one of the
attendants saying, “This is now restored to the ancestral dragon,” and
had then disappeared. Thus the jewel returned to Tsʻin. The next year
Emperor Shê died.”
“Later Tzŭ-ying presented the seal to the founder of the Han dynasty.
In Wang Mang’s rebellion the Emperor struck two of the rebels with the
seal and broke off a corner, which was repaired with gold. Kuang-Wu got
possession of it at Iyang and it has been regularly bequeathed
thereafter. I heard it had been lost during the trouble in the palace
when ‘The Ten’ hurried off the Emperor. It was missed on His Majesty’s
return. Now my lord has it and certainly will come to the imperial
dignity. But you must not remain here. Quickly go east where you can
lay plans for the accomplishment of the great design.”
“Your words exactly accord with my thoughts,” said Sun Chien.
“To-morrow I will make an excuse that I am unwell and get away.”
The soldiers were told to keep the discovery a secret. But who could
guess that one among them was a compatriot of the elected chief of the
confederacy? He thought this might be of great advantage to him so he
stole away out of the camp and betrayed his master. He received a
liberal reward and Yüan Shao kept him in his own camp. So when Sun
Chien came to take leave saying “I am rather unwell and wish to return
to Changsha,” Shao laughed saying “I know what you are suffering from;
it is called the Hereditary Seal!”
This was a shock to Sun Chien and he paled but he said, “Whence these
words?”
Shao said, “The armies were raised for the good of the State and to
relieve it from oppression. The seal is State property and since you
have got hold of it you should publicly hand it over to me as chief.
When Tung Cho has been slain it must go back to the government. What do
you mean by concealing it and going away?”
“How could the seal get into my hands?”
“Where is the article out of the well?”
“I have it not: why harass me thus?”
“Quickly produce it, or it will be the worse for you.”
Sun Chien pointing toward the heavens as an oath said, “If I have this
jewel and am hiding it myself may my end be unhappy and my death
violent!”
The lords all said, “After an oath like this we think he cannot have
it.”
Then Shao called out his informant. “When you pulled that thing out of
the well, was this man there?” asked he of Sun.
Sun Chien’s anger burst forth and he sprang forward to kill the man.
The chief also drew his sword saying “You touch that soldier and it is
an insult to me.”
In a moment on all sides swords flew from their scabbards. But the
confusion was stayed by the efforts of the others and Sun Chien left
the assembly. Soon he broke up his camp and marched to his own place.
The chief was not satisfied. He wrote to Chingchou and sent the letter
by a trusty hand to tell the governor to stop Sun Chien and take away
the seal.
Just after this came the news of the defeat and misfortune of Tsʻao
Tsʻao and when he was coming home Shao sent out to welcome him and
conduct him into camp. They also prepared a feast to console him.
During the feast Tsʻao Tsʻao said sadly, “My object was for the public
good and all you gentlemen nobly supported me. My plan was to get Yüan
Shu with his Honei men to approach Mêngching and Suantsao while the
others of you held Chʻêng-kao and took possession of the granaries and
guarded Taku, and so controlled the points of vantage. Yüan Shao was to
occupy Tanshi and go into Wukuan to help the three supports, all were
to fortify their positions and not fight. Advantage lay in an uncertain
military force showing the Empire’s possibilities of dealing with the
rebellion. Victory would have been ours at once. But then came delays
and doubts and inaction and the confidence of the people was lost and I
am ashamed.”
No reply was possible and the guests dispersed. Tsʻao Tsʻao saw that
the others mistrusted him and in his heart knew that nothing could be
accomplished, so he led off his force to Yangchou.
Then Kungsun Tsan said to the three brothers, “This Yüan Shao is an
incapable and things will go agley. We had better go too.”
So he broke camp and went north. At Pʻingyüan he left Liu Pei in
command and went to strengthen his own position and refresh his men.
The Prefect of Yenchou wished to borrow grain of the Prefect of
Tungchun. Being denied he attacked the camp, killed the leader and took
over all his men. Yüan Shao seeing the confederacy breaking up also
marched away and went east.
Now the Governor of Chingchou, Liu Piao, was a scion of the imperial
house. As a young man he had made friends with many famous persons and
he and his companions were called the Eight Dilettanti. The other seven
were Chʻên Hsiang, Fan Pʻang, Kʻung Yu, Fan Kʻang, Tʻan Fu, Chang Chien
and Tsʻên Ching. He was friends with all these. He had three famous men
who helped him in the government of his district. They were Kʻuai
Liang, Kʻuai Yüeh and Tsʻai Mao.
When the letter detailing the fault of Sun Chien arrived the two Kʻuai
and Tsʻai were sent with a legion of soldiers to bar the way. When Sun
Chien drew near the force was arranged in fighting order and the
leaders were in the front.
“Why are you thus barring the road with armed men?” asked Sun.
“Why do you, a minister of Han, secrete the Emperor’s special seal?
Leave it with me at once and you go free,” said Kʻuai Yüeh.
Sun Chien angrily ordered out a leader Huang Kai, who exchanged a few
bouts with Tsʻao Mao and presently dealt him a blow with the iron whip
just over the heart. Mao turned his steed and fled and Sun Chien got
through with a sudden rush.
However, there arose the sound of gongs and drums on the hills behind
and there was Prefect Liu in person with a large army. Sun Chien rode
straight up to him and bowing low spoke thus. “Why did you, on the
faith of a letter from Yüan Shao, try to coerce the chief of a
neighbouring district?”
“You have concealed the State jewel and I want you to restore it,” was
Liu’s reply.
“If I have this thing may I die a violent death!”
“If you want me to believe you let me search your baggage.”
“What force have you that you dare come to flout me thus?”
And only the Prefect’s prompt retirement prevented a battle.
Sun Chien proceeded on his way. But from the rear of the second hill an
ambush suddenly discovered itself and Kʻuai and Tsʻai were still
following. Sun Chien seemed entirely hemmed in.
What doth it advantage a man to hold the imperial seal if its
possession lead to strife?
How Sun Chien got clear of the difficulty will presently be told.