Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/150

 Should the King falter or fail, calamities fall on the people, The Empire is drenched with their blood, grisly ruin surrounds them. Steeped in sorrow and sad, read I the ancient records, Long is the tale of years; the tale of sorrow is longer. Wherefore he who would rule, chiefly must exercise forethought. This and his keen-edged blade, these must suffice to maintain him. Kuo Ssŭ’s army arrived and Li Ts‘ui went out to give battle. Kuo’s men had no success and retired. Then Li Ts‘ui removed the imperial captives to Meiwu with his nephew as gaoler. Supplies were reduced and famine showed itself on the faces of the eunuchs. The Emperor sent to Li to request five measures of rice and five sets of bullock bones for his attendants. Li angrily replied, “The Court gets food morning and evening; why do they ask for more?”

He sent putrid meat and rotten grain and the Emperor was very vexed at the new insult.

Yang Piao counselled patience. “He is a base creature but, under the present circumstances, Your Majesty must put up with it. You may not provoke him.”

The Emperor bowed and was silent, but the tears fell on his garments. Suddenly some one came in with the tidings that a force of cavalry, their sabres glittering in the sun, was approaching to rescue them. Then they heard the gongs beat and the roll of the drums.

The Emperor sent to find out who it was. But it was Kuo Ssŭ, and the sadness fell again. Presently arose a great din. For Li had gone out to do battle with Kuo, whom he abused by name.

“I treated you well and why did you try to kill me?” said Li.

“You are a rebel, why should I not slay you?” cried Kuo.

“You call me rebel when I am guarding the Emperor?”

“You have abducted him; do you call that guarding?”

“Why so many words? Let us forgo a battle and settle the matter in single combat, the winner to take the Emperor and go.”

They two fought in front of their armies but neither could prevail over the other. Then they saw Yang Piao come riding up to them, crying, “Rest a while, O Commanders! for I have invited a party of officers to arrange a peace.”

Wherefore the two leaders retired to their camps. Soon Yang Piao, Sun Ch‘ien and three score other officials came up and went to Kuo’s camp. They were all thrown into confinement.

“We came with good intentions,” they moaned, “and we are treated like this.”

“Li Ts‘ui has run off with the Emperor but I have got his officers,” said Kuo.

“What does it mean? One has the Emperor, the other his officers. What do you want?” said the peace-maker, Yang Piao.