Luo Guanzhong

“ Zhuo said, "What does Wang Yun think?" Su said, "Minister over the Masses Wang has already ordered the construction of an 'abdication platform.' All he is waiting for is the arrival of Your Excellency." Zhuo was overjoyed, saying, "I had a dream that a dragon had covered my body, and now I have received this happy news. There is not a moment to lose!" He then ordered his trusted generals -- Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Ji, and Fan Chou -- to guard Fort Mei with three thousand of his Flying Bear cavalry troops, while he arranged to return by carriage to the capital that very day. ”

“ Today, Zhuo is deceiving the Son of Heaven and bullying the people. His evil deeds could fill volumes, and he is reviled by men and gods alike. You must deliver an imperial edict to Fort Mei, instructing Zhuo to make an appearance at court. When he does, my hidden troops will kill him. This will be a major help to the house of Han, and we shall be regarded as loyal ministers; what do you think?" Su said, "I have wanted to get rid of that old scoundrel for quite some time, and was aggravated that I could not find anyone of like mind. ”

“ The bandit rebel armies simultaneously stormed into the city from all four sides. Lü Bu fought like crazy, but was unable to stop the enemy. He led several hundred cavalrymen to the exterior of the palace gates and called out to Wang Yun, saying, "The situation is dire! Minister over the Masses, please get on a horse and come with me through the pass. After that, we can come with a good plan." Yun said, "If I can protect the imperial ancestral tablets and secure peace for the nation, then that is my desire. If I have no other choice, then I will allow myself to die at the hands of the enemy. ”

“ Emperor Xian leaned out over the side and asked, "You ministers have not submitted a formal request to the imperial court, but instead have entered Chang'an without authorization. What is your intention?" Li Jue and Guo Si looked up and addressed the emperor, saying, "Senior Grand Tutor Dong was an important national-level senior minister of Your Majesty's, but was murdered by Wang Yun for no reason. We have come to seek vengeance, not to start a rebellion. All we want is to see Wang Yun, and we will withdraw our forces." ”

“ Wang Yun said, "It was these four who helped Zhuo to throw his weight around; I intend to grant amnesty to everyone in the country, with the exception of these four men." The messenger reported back to Li Jue. Jue said, "Since we are not to be granted amnesty, the only thing we can do is to split up and flee. His advisor Jia Xu said, "If each of you were to abandon your armies and strike out on your own, even a local district leader would be able to arrest you. It would be better to recruit the local men from around here, combine them with our main army, then attack Chang'an. ”

“ Amid a great throng and clamor, he set out toward Chang'an. They had not gone more than 30 li, [3] when one of the carriage wheels broke. Zhuo got out of the carriage, and continued on horseback. They had not gone more than another ten li, [4] before his horse started to whinny and neigh very loudly, breaking its bridle. Zhuo asked Su, "The carriage broke a wheel, and the horse broke its bridle; what kind of omens are these?" Su said, "The omen means that you should accept the abdication of the Han. The old must be abandoned in favor of the new. ”

“ He fought in five bouts, defeating the enemy, and causing them to retreat in each case. King Zhuang thought it strange, and asked him, "I am not a particularly virtuous person, nor have I granted you any special favors. Why would you fight like this, as if your life depended on it?" ”

“ If the exploits of a despot are successful, he will become emperor; if not, he will still become a wealthy man.
Who knew that the will of heaven is so impartial; no sooner had Fort Mei been built, than it was destroyed!
19 卻說呂布當下大呼曰:「助卓為虐者,皆李儒也!誰可擒之?」李肅應聲願往。忽聽朝門外發喊,人報李儒家奴已將李儒綁縳來獻。王允命縳赴市曹斬之;又將董卓尸首,號令通衢。卓尸肥胖,看尸軍士以火置其臍中為燈,膏油滿地。百姓過者,莫不手擲其頭,足踐其尸。王允又命呂布同皇甫嵩、李肅領兵五萬至郿塢抄籍董卓家產人口。 Let us now turn to Lü Bu, who presently yelled out, "The one who helped Zhuo in his tyranny was none other than Li Ru! Who will arrest him?" Li Su responded to the call, and volunteered his services. ”

“ When Bu asked why he had come, Chi'er's attendant produced the head, saying, "Hu Chi'er has murdered Niu Fu and taken his gold and jewelry." Bu became angry and had Chi'er] ] killed. He marched his army forward, encountering Li Jue's forces. Lü Bu did not wait for them to form ranks before raising his halberd, then leading his army in a direct frontal charge at full gallop. Jue's army was unable to put up resistance and retreated for more than 50 li, [13] before pitching camp at the foot of a mountain. ”

“ He then held talks with Guo Si, Zhang Ji and Fan Chou, saying, "Although Lü Bu is brave, he lacks a strategic mind, and is not worth worrying about. I will take my army and block the opening to the valley. Every day, I will draw him into a fight. General Guo will take his army and flank Bu, taking his rear. We will do it the same way that Peng Yue did when he circled to the rear of Chu: sounding the gongs will mean to advance, and beating the drums will mean to retreat. Zhang and Fan will split up, and make a two-pronged direct assault on Chang'an. ”

“ Of the hundreds of citizens who passed by, not one of them failed to hurl things at his head with their hands and kick his corpse with their feet. Wang Yun also ordered Lü Bu, along with Huangfu Song and Li Su, to lead 50,000 troops to Fort Mei and secure Dong Zhuo's family possessions as well as his family members. ”

“ To this day, his soul lingers around the phoenix pavilion in the imperial palace.
36 眾賊殺了王允,一面又差人將王允宗族老幼,盡行殺害。士民無不下淚。當下李傕、郭汜尋思曰:「既到這裡,不殺天子謀大事,更待何時?」便持劍大呼,殺入內來。正是:臣魁伏罪災方息,從賊縱橫禍又來。未知獻帝性命如何,且看下文分解。 After the bandit rebels had killed Wang Yun, they sent people to kill all of Wang Yun's relatives, regardless of their age. There was not a single citizen of Chang'an that did not shed tears. Presently, Li Jue and Guo Si got to thinking, and said, "Since we have gone this far, we might as well think big and kill the Son of Heaven." ”

“ I would rather put my life on the line and drown the enemy in my own blood, for I am the one whose headpiece cord was yanked off on that night." The Jin army was subsequently defeated, and Chu became stronger. This goes to show that covert kindnesses have overt rewards. ”

“ The three battles fought at Hulao were all in vain; instead, all of the patriotic songs are about Fengyi Pavilion.
6 董卓即日下令還郿塢,百官俱拜送。貂蟬在車上,遙見呂布於稠人之內,眼望車中。貂蟬虛掩其面,如痛哭之狀。車已去遠,布緩轡於土崗之上,眼望車塵,嘆惜痛恨。忽聞背後一人問曰:「溫侯何不從太師去,乃在此遙望而發嘆?」布視之,乃司徒王允也。 Dong Zhuo gave the order to return to Fort Mei that very day. All of the court officials came to see him off. From inside the carriage, Diao Chan saw Lü Bu amongst the crowd off in the distance; he was looking in the direction of the carriage. Diao Chan pretended to cover her face, as if she were crying uncontrollably. ”