Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/39

 for their friends, punishment only for their enemies. This led to rebellion. Wherefore it would be well to slay the eunuchs and expose their heads and proclaim what had been done throughout the whole empire. Then reward the worthy. Thereby the land would be wholly tranquil.”

But the eunuchs fiercely opposed this and said the memorialist was insulting the Emperor and they bade the guard thrust him without.

However, the eunuchs took counsel together and one said, “Surely some one who rerdered some service against rebels resents being passed over.”

So they caused a list of unimportant people to be prepared for preferment by and by. Among them was Yüan-tê, who received the post of magistrate of the Anhsi district, to which he proceeded without delay after disbanding his men and sending them home to their villages. He retained a score or so as escort.

The three brothers reached Anhsi, and soon the administration of the district was so reformed and the rule so wise that in a month there was no law-breaking. The three brothers lived in perfect harmony, eating at the same table and sleeping on the same couch. But when Yüan-tê was in the company of others, the two younger brothers would stand in attendance, were it even a whole day.

Four months after their arrival there came out a general order for the reduction of the number of military officers holding civil posts, and Yüan-tê began to fear that he would be among those thrown out. In due course the inspecting official arrived and was met at the boundary, but to the polite obeisance of Yüan-tê he made no return, save a wave of his whip as he sat on his horse. This made the younger brothers furious; but worse was to follow.

When the inspector had arrived at his lodging, he took his seat on the daïs leaving Yüan-tê standing below. After a long time he addressed him.

“Magistrate Liu, what was your origin?”

Liu Pei replied, “I am descended from Prince Ching. Since my first fight with the Yellow Turban rebels at Chochün I have been in some score of battles, wherein I gained some trifling merit. My reward was this office.”

“You lie about your descent and your statement of services is false,” roared the inspector. “Now the Court has ordered the reduction of your sort of low class officials.”

Yüan-tê muttered to himself and withdrew. On his return to the magistracy he took council with his secretaries.

“This pompous attitude only means he wants a bribe,” said they.

“I have never wronged the people to the value of a single stalk of stubble; then where is a bribe to come from?”