Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/53

 Cho glared at him. “There is life for those who are with me, death for those against,” roared he.

He drew his sword and made for the objector. But the watchful Li Ju had noticed standing behind Ting Yüan a particularly dangerous looking henchman of his, who was now handling his spear threateningly, and whose eyes were blazing with anger. So he hastily interposed, saying, “But this is the banquet chamber and state affairs should be left outside. The matters can be fully discussed tomorrow.”

His fellow guests persuaded Ting Yüan to leave, and after his departure Tung Cho said, “Is what I said just and reasonable?”

“You are mistaken, Illustrious Sir,” said Lu Chih. “Of old Tai Chia was unenlightened. Wherefore I Yin immured him in the T‘ung Palace till he reformed. Later Prince Ch‘ang I ascended the throne, and in less than a month he committed more than three thousand categorical faults. Wherefore Ho Kuang, the regent, declared in the ancestral temple that he was deposed. Our present Emperor is young, but he is intelligent, benevolent and wise. He has not committed a single fault. You, Sir, are not a metropolitan official and have had no experience in state administration. Neither have you the pure intentions of I Yin which qualified his actions. Without that justification such an act is presumption.”

Tung Cho angrily drew his sword to slay the bold speaker, but another official remonstrated.

“President Lu is the cynosure of the whole country and his violent death would stir the hearts of all men,” said P‘êng Po.

Then Tung Cho stayed his hand.

Then said Wang Yün, “A great question like the deposition and substitution of Emperors is not one to be decided after a wine party. Let it be put off till another time.”

So the guests dispersed. Cho stood at the gate with drawn sword watching them depart.

Standing thus he noticed a spearman galloping to and fro on a fiery steed and asked Li Ju if he knew him.

“That is Lü Pu, the adopted son of Ting Yüan. His ordinary name is Fênhsien. You must keep out of his way, my lord.”

Tung Cho went inside the gate so that he could not be seen. But next day a man reported to him that Ting Yüan had come out of the city with a small army and was challenging to a battle. Tung Cho went forth to accept the challenge. And the armies were drawn up in proper array.

Lü Pu was a conspicuous figure in the forefront. His hair was arranged under a handsome headdress of gold and he had donned a beautiful embroidered fighting robe, a t‘ang-ni helmet and breast plate, and round his waist was a mang belt with a