Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/152

 Lately you yourself have seen the powerful Tung Cho betrayed by Lü Pu, who had received many benefits at his hands. In no time his head was hanging over the gate. So you see mere force is not enough to ensure safety. Now you are a General, with the axes and whips and all the symbols of rank and high office, your descendants and all your clan occupy distinguished positions. You must confess that the State has rewarded you liberally. True, Kuo has seized the officers of State, but you have done the same to “The Most Revered.” Who is worse than the other?”

Li angrily drew his sword and shouted, “Did the Son of Heaven send you to mock and shame me?”

But Yang Fêng checked him. “Kuo Ssŭ is still alive,” said he, “and to slay the imperial messenger would be giving him a popular excuse to raise an army against you. And all the nobles would join him.”

Others also persuaded Li and gradually his wrath cooled down. The messenger of peace was urged to go away. But he would not be satisfied with failure. He remained there and cried loudly, “Li Ts‘ui will not obey the Emperor’s command. He will kill his Prince to set up himself.”

Hu Miao tried to shut his mouth saying, “Do not utter such words. You will only bring hurt upon yourself.”

But Huangfu Li shrieked at him also. “You also are an officer of state and yet you even back up the rebel. When the prince is put to shame the minister dies. If it be my lot to suffer death at the hands of Li Ts‘ui, so be it!”

And he maintained a torrent of abuse. The Emperor heard of the incident, called in Huangfu Li and sent him away to his own country.

Now more than half Li Ts‘ui’s men were from Hsiliang and he had also the assistance of the Ch‘iang, or tribes beyond the border. The stories spread by Huangfu Li, that Li Ts‘ui was a rebel and so were those who helped him, and that there would be a day of heavy reckoning, were readily believed and the soldiers were much disturbed. Li Ts‘ui sent one of his officers to arrest Huangfu Li, but the officer had a sense of right and instead of carrying out his orders returned to say he could not be found.

Chia Hsü tried to work on the feelings of the barbarian tribes. He said to them. “The Emperor knows you are loyal to him and have bravely fought and suffered. He has issued a secret command for you to go home and then he will reward you.”

The tribesmen had a grievance against Li Ts‘ui for not paying them, so they listened readily to the insidious persuasions of Chia Hsü and deserted. Then Chia represented to the Emperor the covetous nature of Li and asked that honours be heaped upon him now that he was deserted and enfeebled.