Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/149

 consume things that come from outside. Let us try on a dog first.”

They did and the dog died. This incident made Kuo doubt the kindly intentions of his colleague.

One day, at the close of business at Court, Li invited Kuo to his palace. After Kuo arrived home in the evening, rather the worse for too much wine, he was seized with a colic. His wife said she suspected poison and hastily administered an emetic, which relieved the pain. Kuo Ssŭ began to feel angry.

“We did everything together and helped each other always. Now he wants to injure me. If I do not get in the first blow, I shall suffer some injury.”

So Kuo began to prepare his guard for any sudden emergency. This was told to Li and he in turn grew angry, saying, “So Kuo is doing so and so.”

Then he got his guard under way and came to attack Kuo. Both houses had several legions and the quarrel became so serious that they fought a pitched battle under the city walls. When that was over both sides turned to plunder the people.

Then a nephew of Li’s suddenly surrounded the palace, put the Emperor and Empress Dowager Fu in two carriages and carried them off. The palace attendants were made to follow on foot. As they went out of the rear gate they met Kuo’s army who began to shoot at the cavalcade with arrows. They killed many attendants before Li’s army came up and forced them to retire.

It is unnecessary to say how the carriages were got out of the palace but they eventually reached Li’s camp, while Kuo’s men plundered the palace and carried off all the women left there to their camp. Then the palace was set on fire.

As soon as Kuo Ssŭ heard of the whereabouts of the Emperor he came over to attack the camp. The Emperor between these two opposing factions was greatly alarmed. Slowly the Hans had declined but renewed their vigour with Kuang-Wu, Twelve were the rulers before him, followed him also twelve others. Foolish were two of the latest, dangers surrounded the altars, These were degenerate days, with authority given to eunuchs. Then did Ho Chin the simple, the inept, who commanded the army, Warriors call to the capital, wishing to drive out the vermin; Though they drove out the leopard, tigers and wolves quickly entered, All kinds of evil were wrought by a low class creature from Hsichou. Wang Yün, honest of heart, beguiled this wretch with a woman, Much desired of his henchman, thus sowing seeds of dissension. Strife resulted, and peace no longer dwelt in the Empire. No one suspected that Li and Kuo would continue the evil, Much to the sorrow of China; yet they strove for a trifle. Famine stalked in the palace, grief for the clashing of weapons; Why did the warriors strive? Why was the land thus partitioned? We had turned aside from the way appointed of Heaven. Kings must ponder these things; heavy the burden lies on them, Chiefest in all the realm theirs is no common appointment,