Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/255

 “This Ts‘ao, now a minister, forsooth, had for ancestor a certain eunuch named T‘êng, fitting companion of Tso Kuan and Hsü Huang. All three were prodigies of wickedness and insatiably avaricious and, let loose on the world, they hindered ethical progress and preyed upon the populace. This T‘êng begged for and adopted Ts‘ao’s father who, by wholesale bribery, wagons of gold and cartloads of jewels presented at the gates of the influential, contrived to sneak his way into considerable office where he could subvert authority. Thus Ts‘ao is the depraved bantling of a monstrous excrescence, devoid of all virtue in himself, ferocious and cunning, delighting in disorder and revelling in public calamity.

“Now I, Mu-fu, a man of war, have mustered my armies and displayed my might that I may sweep away and destroy the evil opponents of government. I have already had to deal with Tung Cho, the ruffian who invaded the official circle and wrested the government. At that time I grasped my sword and beat the drums to restore order in the east. I assembled warriors, selected the best and took them into my service. In this matter I came into relations with this Ts‘ao and conferred with him to further my scheme. I gave him command of a subordinate force and looked to him to render such petty service as he was equal to. I suffered his stupidities and condoned his shortcomings, his rash attacks and facile retreats, his losses and shameful defeats, his repeated destruction of whole armies. Again and again I sent him more troops and filled the gaps in his depleted ranks. I even addressed a memorial to the Throne for him to be appointed Governor of Yenchou. I made him feared as he were a tiger. I added to his honours and increased his authority, hoping that eventually he would justify himself by a victory such as fell to Mêng Ming of Ts‘in.

“But Ts‘ao availed himself of the opportunity to overstep all bounds, to give free rein to violence and evil. He stripped the common people, outraged the good and injured the virtuous. Pien Jang, Prefect of Kiukiang, was a man of conspicuous talent and of world-wide reputation. He was honest in speech and correct in demeanour. He spoke without flattery. He was put to death and his head exposed, and his family utterly destroyed. From that day to this scholars have deeply mourned and popular resentment has steadily grown. One man raised his arm in anger and the whole countryside followed him. Whereupon Ts‘ao was smitten at Hsüchou and his district was snatched by Lü Pu. He fled eastward without shelter or refuge.

“My policy is a strong trunk and weak branches, a commanding central government and obedient feudal lords. Also I am no partizan. Therefore I again raised my banners, donned my armour and moved forward to attack. My drums