Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/42

 Moreover, Fêng Hsü was in league with the late rebels. Unless Your Majesty looks to it the State will fall.”

“There was no proof against Fêng,” replied the Emperor. “Are there none faithful among the eunuchs?”

The minister beat his forehead on the steps of the throne and did not desist from remonstrance. Then the Emperor grew angry and commanded his removal and imprisonment with Liu T‘ao. That night he was murdered.

Then a forged edict went forth making Sun Chien Prefect of Changsha, with orders to suppress the rebellion, and in less than two months he reported the district all tranquil. For this he was created Marquis of Wuch‘êng. Further Liu Yü was made magistrate of Yuchowto move against Yüyang and suppress Chang Chü and Chang Shun. The Prefect of Taichow recommended Yüan-tê to Liu Yü, who welcomed him and gave him rank and sent him against the rebels. He fought with and worsted them, and entirely broke their spirit. Chang Shun was cruel and his men turned against him. One of his officers then slew him and brought in his head, after which the others submitted. The other leader Chang Chü saw that all was lost and committed suicide.

Yüyang being now tranquil Liu Pei’s services were reported to the throne and he received full pardon for the insult to the inspector. He also became an official in Mich‘êng. Then Sun Chien stated his previous good services and he was made Pieh-pu Ssŭ-ma and sent to Pingyüan.

This place was very prosperous and Yüan-tê recovered something of his old manner before the days of adversity. Liu Yü also received preferment.

In the summer of the year 189 the Emperor became seriously ill and summoned Ho Chin into the palace to arrange for the future. This man Ho had sprung from a humble family of butchers, but a sister had become a concubine of rank and borne a son to the Emperor, named Pien. After this she became Huang-hou or Empress and Ho Chin became powerful. The Emperor had also greatly loved a beautiful girl named Wang who had borne him a son named Hsieh. The Empress Ho had poisoned the girl from jealousy, and the babe had been given into the care of the Empress Dowager Tung, who was the mother of the Emperor Ling. She was the wife of Liu Chang, the Marquis of Tu-ting. As time went on and the Emperor Huan had no son of his own he adopted the son of the marquis, who succeeded as the Emperor Ling. After his accession he had taken his own mother into the palace to live and had conferred upon her the title of T‘ai-hou, or Empress Dowager.

The Dowager Empress had always tried to persuade her son to name Hsieh as the Heir Apparent, and in fact the Emperor greatly loved the boy and was disposed to do as his mother