Luo Guanzhong

“ Yun had already prepared a banquet of exquisite dishes. Once Lü Bu arrived, Yun came out to welcome him, then ushered him into the rear hall, and invited him to sit at the place of honor. Bu said, "I'm merely a general at the residence of the Chancellor of China. You are Minister over the Masses, a powerful official within the court. For what reason do you misplace so much courtesy?" Yun said, "Currently, there is no other true hero in the entire nation, besides you. If it is not fitting that I salute the rank of a general, then I will at least salute the talent of that general." ”

“ Now the general has listened to Yuan Shao's advice and wants to kill all of us. We beg our empress for mercy!" Empress He replied, "Don't you worry, I will protect you." She then sent a decree which ordered He Jin to enter her chambers. The empress dowager confided in him, "You and me, we're both from humble and lowly origins. If it weren't for Zhang Rang and the others, how could we possibly have attained this wealth and prestige? Jian Shuo has now acted ungraciously, and was killed for his misdeeds. How can you believe what people are saying, and want to kill all of the eunuchs?" ”

“ Su smiled and said, "'A good bird chooses for himself the tree upon which to perch, the talented subject chooses for himself the lord that he shall serve.' Your time is running out for spotting opportunities, you may regret waiting until it's too late." Bu said, "You are at court, which person do you consider to be a world-class hero?" Su responded, "I have looked around at all of the ministers, and none of them can compare to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo respects men of talent; he rewards or punishes based on merit. He will end up doing great things." ”

“ Zan was on the bridge in an instant, yelling out, "You sellout! How could you betray me?" Shao also spurred his horse onto the bridge. He pointed at Zan, saying, "Han Fu was lacking in ability, he wanted to give Jizhou to me. What does any of that have to do with you?" Zan said, "In the past, I took you for someone who understood loyalty; that's why I recommended that you be leader of the alliance. But now you've gone and done this! Your treachery is now revealed to me. How is it that you have the nerve to show yourself before the world!" Yuan Shao was outraged, saying, "Who can capture him?" ”

“ On this day, he led out his soldiers, yelling, "Liu Bei, you country bumpkin! How dare you invade my lands!" Xuande said, "I am acting in accordance with a decree from the son of heaven to go after those who are disloyal to the emperor. Your flagrant challenge of imperial authority is a crime that cannot even be atoned by death!" Ji Ling was outraged. Raising his trident, he charged on his horse toward Liu Bei. Lord Guan shouted at him, "Such a low life as you should not try to flaunt his superiority!" He rode out on his horse and engaged Ji Ling in combat. ”

“ To use such enormous powers against the eunuchs would resemble lighting up a furnace to burn a hair. But act promptly; use your powers and smite at once and all the Empire will be with you. But to summon forces to the capital, to gather many bold men into one spot, each with his own schemes, is to turn one’s weapons against one’s own person, to place one’s self in the power of another. Nothing but failure can come of it, nothing but confusion. ”

“ He is a man of great integrity and broad talent. He should take charge of Xuzhou. I would like to retire to a life of leisure, so that I can restore my health." Xuande said, "Kong Wenju compelled me to come to the aid of Xuzhou out of a sense of justice. If I were to now occupy it for no good reason, the world will judge me to be without any sense of justice." Mi Zhu said, "The house of Han is now in a state of decline, and the world is turned upside down. If you desire to make a name for yourself, now is the time. Xuzhou is full of wealth and there are hundreds of thousands households. ”

“ Why ask more questions!" The county governor ordered his attendants to withdraw, and then said to Cao, "Don't think so little of me. I'm not some yokel official; I just haven't yet met someone to call lord, that's all." Cao said, "My ancestors have eaten the bounty of the Han for generations. If I didn't think of a way to serve my country, how would I be any different from an animal? I subjugated myself to Zhuo because I wanted to seize upon the opportunity to plot against him, so that this evil could be removed from the world. The fact that I was not successful is the will of heaven!" ”

“ When everyone took a look at him, there was not one person who was not shocked. As it turns out, the man was none other than the trusted attendant Cai Yong. Yun scolded him, saying, "Dong Zhuo was a traitor. He has now been executed, which is a great fortune for the nation. You are a Han minister, but you do not celebrate for the nation. Instead, you cry for a traitor. Why is that?" Yong acknowledged his guilt, saying, "Even though I'm not a man of talent, I still know right from wrong. How could I be willing to turn my back on my country in favor of Zhuo? ”

“ But Cho was a very powerful man and held him off till Lü Pu came to his help. He struck down the assailant.
“Who told you to rebel?” said Tung.
Fou glared at him and cried, “You are not my prince, I am not your minister: where is the rebellion? Your crimes fill the heavens and every man would slay you. I am sorry I cannot tear you asunder with chariots to appease the wrath of the world.”
Tung Cho bade them take him out and hack him to pieces. He only ceased railing as he ceased to live. ”

“ When Cao heard that an emissary of the emperor had arrived, he invited him in for a meeting. As soon as he saw how striking and vibrant the man looked, Cao thought to himself, "Dong Commandery is now in the throws of a great famine. Bureaucrats, soldiers and civilians alike all look like skeletons. How is it that this man alone looks so plump?" ”

“ We should dwell behind the cloistered walls of the palace. Major affairs of state should be delegated to senior ministers, who consult with each other on their own. This is a good thing for the nation, do you really want to personally run things?" Empress Dowager Dong flew into a rage, saying, "It was you who poisoned Consort Wang out of spite and jealousy. It is only because your son is the emperor, and the mighty He Jin is your brother, that you dare speak such non-sense! I could command the general of fast cavalry to cut off your brother's head with a wave of my hand!" ”