Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/103

 One day Lü Pu went to enquire after his father’s health. Tung Cho was asleep and Cicada was sitting at the head of his couch. Leaning forward she gazed at the visitor, with one hand pointed to her heart, the other at Tung Cho asleep, and her tears fell. Lü Pu felt heartbroken. Cho drowsily opened his eyes, and seeing his son’s gaze fixed on something behind him, turned over and saw who it was. He angrily rebuked Pu saying, “Dare you make love to my beauty?” He told the servants to turn him out and not allow him to come in again.

Lü Pu went off home very wrath. Meeting Li Ju he told him the cause of his anger. The adviser hastened to see his master and said, “Sir, you aspire to be ruler of the State, why then for a small fault do you blame the Marquis? If he turn against you, it is all over.”

“Then what can I do?” said Cho.

“Recall him to-morrow; treat him well; overwhelm him with gifts and fair words and all will be well.”

So Tung Cho did so. He sent for Lü Pu and was very gracious and said, “I was irritable and hasty yesterday owing to my illness and I wronged you, I know. Forget it.”

He gave him ten catties of gold and twenty rolls of brocade. And so the quarrel was made up. But though Lü’s body was with Tung his heart was with his promised bride.

Tung Cho having quite recovered went to court again and Lü Pu followed him as usual. Seeing Tung Cho deep in conversation with the Emperor, Lü Pu, armed as he was, went out of the palace and rode off to his chief's residence. He tied up his steed at the entrance and, halberd in hand, went to the private apartments to seek his love. He found her and she told him to go out into the garden where she would join him soon. He went, taking his halberd with him, and he leaned against the rail of the Phoenix Pavilion to wait for Cicada.

After a long time she appeared, swaying gracefully as she made her way under the drooping willows and parting the flowers as she passed. She was exquisite, a perfect little fairy from the Palace of the Moon. Tears were in her eyes as she came up and said, “Though I am not the Governor’s real daughter yet he treated me as his own child. The desire of my life was fulfilled when he plighted me to you. But Oh! to think of the wickedness of the Minister, stealing my poor self as he did. I suffered so much. I longed to die, only that I had not told you the real truth. So I lived on, bearing my shame as best as I could but feeling it mean still to live. Now that I have seen you I can end it all. My poor sullied body is no longer fit to serve a hero. I can die before your eyes and so prove how true I am!”

Thus speaking she seized the curving rail as if to jump into the lily pond. Lü Pu caught her in his strong arms and wept as he held her close.