三国演义英文版-第223章

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。　Guan　Ning　took　no　notice；　but　kept　his　eyes　on　his　book；　Hua　Xin　rose　and　went　to　the　window。　For　this；　Guan　Ning　despised　his　panion　and　the　two　parted　for　good。
Sometime　after；　in　the　disturbance　of　the　empire；　Guan　Ning　fled　into　Liaodong；　where　he　led　the　life　of　hermit。　He　wore　a　white　cap　and　lived　in　the　upper　part　of　a　house；　never　touching　the　ground　with　his　feet。　He　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　Cao　Cao　and　would　not　enter　his　service。
But　Hua　Xin　led　a　totally　different　life。　For　a　time　he　was　with　Sun　Quan；　then　he　went　over　to　Cao　Cao　and　served　him。　And　here　he　is　found　actually　laying　hands　upon　the　Empress。
His　conduct　in　this　particular　is　the　subject　of　a　poem：

That　was　a　dastardly　thing　that　Hua　Xin　did；
When　he　broke　don　the　wall　where　the　Empress　hid
And　dragged　her　forth　by　the　hair。
He　lent　his　aid　to　a　foul；　foul　crime
And　execrations　throughout　all　time；
Have　been；　and　shall　be；　his　share。

A　poet　also　wrote　concerning　Guan　Ning：

East　of　Liaodong；　so　stories　tell
Is　Guan　Ning's　tower；　where　long　he　dwelt。
Ignoble　wealth　was　Hua　Xin's　quest；
The　hermit's　simple　life　was　best。

As　Hua　Xin　hurried　the　unhappy　woman　out　of　the　hall；　the　Emperor　saw　her。　He　went　over　and　clasped　her　to　his　bosom；　weeping。
Hua　Xin　tried　to　force　her　onward；　saying；　〃The　Duke　of　Wei　ordered　no　delay！〃
〃My　doom　is　sealed；〃　wept　the　Empress。
〃And　I　know　not　when　my　turn　will　e；〃　sighed　the　Emperor。
The　soldiers　hustled　the　Empress　onward；　leaving　His　Majesty　beating　his　breast　in　despair。
〃Can　it　be　that　such　things　happen　in　the　world？〃　cried　the　Emperor　to　Chi　Lu；　who　stood　by。
And　the　Emperor　swooned。　Chi　Lu　made　the　courtiers　pick　him　up；　and　they　bore　him　into　the　Palace。
Meanwhile；　the　unhappy　Empress　had　been　taken　before　Cao　Cao。
〃I　have　dealt　well　with　you；〃　said　he　angrily；　〃and　you　requited　me　by　plotting　my　murder。　It　is　the　death　of　one　of　us；　I　see。〃
He　ordered　the　executioners　to　beat　her　till　she　died。　After　this；　he　went　into　the　Palace；　seized　her　two　sons　and　had　them　poisoned。　In　the　evening　of　the　same　day　the　whole　households　of　Mu　Shun　and　Fu　Wan　were　put　to　death　publicly。　Such　terrible　deeds　spread　terror　everywhere。　They　happened　in　the　eleventh　month　of　the　nineteenth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　214）。

As　Cao　Cao　stands　first　in　cruelty；
So　stands　Fu　Wan　in　loyalty。
A　married　pair　of　low　estate；
Had　not　been　torn　apart　by　fate。

The　Emperor　grieved　bitterly　over　the　loss　of　his　consort；　and　in　his　despair　refused　all　food。　Cao　Cao　did　not　wish　him　to　die　of　starvation　and　loneliness；　so　he　proposed　his　own　daughter　as　consort。
〃Be　not　sad；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃Thy　servant　is　no　rebel。　My　daughter　is　already　in　your　palace　as　a　secondary　lady。　She　is　wise　and　dutiful；　fit　to　be　your　consort　and　occupy　the　first　rank。〃
Emperor　Xian　dared　not　refuse；　and　therefore　at　the　new　year　（AD　215）；　in　the　time　of　the　festivities；　Lady　Cao's　name　was　inscribed　on　the　dynastic　rolls　as　Empress。　And　no　one　of　the　courtiers　dared　protest。
Wherefore　Cao　Cao　became　even　more　powerful。　But　it　pleased　him　not　to　have　rivals　in　the　land；　so　he　again　thought　of　subduing　Liu　Bei　and　Sun　Quan。
Jia　Xu　proposed；　saying；　〃Xiahou　Dun　and　Cao　Ren；　who　are　serving　on　the　frontiers；　should　be　called　to　give　their　advice。〃
They　were　sent　for；　and　Cao　Ren　was　the　first　to　arrive。　As　a　relative；　he　felt　he　had　the　right　to　see　the　great　minister　without　delay　and　went　directly　to　the　palace。
But　it　happened　that　Cao　Cao　had　been　drinking　heavily；　and　his　faithful　henchman；　Xu　Chu；　would　not　admit　the　new　arrival。
〃I　am　of　the　family；〃　said　Cao　Ren；　angry　at　the　hindrance。　〃Dare　you　stop　me？〃
〃General；　you　may　be　a　relative；　but　here　you　are　but　an　officer　from　the　frontier。　I　am　of　little　account；　but　a　duty　lies　on　me　here　in　the　palace。　Our　lord　is　overe　with　wine　and　asleep；　and　I　dare　not　allow　you　to　enter。〃
The　refusal　came　to　Cao　Cao's　knowledge；　and　he　mended　the　loyalty　of　Xu　Chu。
Soon　after；　Xiahou　Dun　came　and　was　called　to　the　council。
Xiahou　Dun　gave　his　opinion；　saying；　〃The　two　rivals　should　be　left　until　Zhang　Lu　of　Hanzhong　has　been　subdued。　The　great　army　that　can　overe　Zhang　Lu　will　be　in　condition　to　attack　the　West　River　Land；　and　it　will　be　conquered　without　difficulty。〃
The　advice　coincided　with　Cao　Cao's　own　idea；　and　so　he　prepared　an　expedition　for　the　west。

By　a　crime　he　showed　his　power　over　a　feeble　king；
This　done；　at　once　he　hastened　to　destroy　his　neighbor。

What　happened　will　be　told　in　later　chapters。
　Main　Next　to　Chapter　67　》》

　　　Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　67
　Chapter　67
Cao　Cao　Conquers　Hanzhong；
Zhang　Liao　Terrorizes　Xiaoyao。
The　expedition　against　the　East　River　Land　went　out　in　three　divisions。　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　were　Leaders　of　the　Van；　Cao　Cao　with　his　manders　marched　in　the　center；　and　Cao　Ren　brought　up　the　rear。　Xiahou　Dun　was　in　charge　of　the　missariat。
The　spies　soon　carried　the　news　into　Hanzhong；　and　Zhang　Lu　called　in　his　brother　Zhang　Wei　to　consult　how　to　meet　the　attack。
Said　Zhang　Wei；　〃The　strategic　point　to　hold　is　Yangping　Pass；　and　there　should　be　ten　stockades　there　with　the　forest　and　hills　to　support　them。　You；　my　brother；　should　make　your　depot　of　supplies　at　Hanning。〃
Thereupon　two　generals；　Yang　Ang　and　Yan　Ren；　were　sent　with　Zhang　Wei　to　the　Pass；　and　they　built　ten　stockades。
Soon　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　arrived　and　learned　the　Pass　had　prepared　a　defense。　They　camped　at　a　point　five　miles　away。　The　soldiers　were　fatigued　after　the　long　march；　and　all　lay　down　to　rest　without　placing　proper　guards。
Suddenly　the　camp　was　attacked　in　the　rear　by　Yang　Ang　and　Yan　Ren　from　different　points。　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　mounted　quickly　and　tried　to　beat　off　the　attackers；　but　the　enemy　poured　in　all　round；　and　their　army　suffered　great　loss。　They　returned　to　the　main　body　to　tell　of　their　defeat；　and　their　chief　abused　them　for　their　want　of　care。
〃Old　soldiers　like　you　should　have　known　better　and　taken　precautions　against　a　raid　of　the　camp　when　the　enemy　knew　your　troops　were　exhausted　by　a　long　march。〃
Cao　Cao　even　desired　to　put　them　to　death　as　a　warning；　but　their　fellow　officers　interceded；　and　he　spared　them。　Soon　Cao　Cao　himself　marched　in　the　van。　Then　he　saw　the　dangerous　and　evil　nature　of　the　place；　with　its　thick　growth　of　trees。　As　he　knew　nothing　of　the　roads　and　was　fearful　of　an　ambush；　he　returned　to　his　camp。
Calling　up　his　two　leaders；　Xu　Chu　and　Xu　Huang；　he　said；　〃Had　I　known　the　dangerous　nature　of　the　place；　I　would　never　have　e。〃
Xu　Chu　replied；　〃The　soldiers　are　here　now；　my　lord；　and　you　cannot　recoil　before　the　hardships。〃
Next　day　Cao　Cao　with　only　Xu　Chu　and　Xu　Huang　rode　out　to　reconnoiter　the　enemy's　camp。
As　they　rode　over　the　hills；　Cao　Cao　pointed　out　the　position　with　his　whip　and　said；　〃It　will　be　very　difficult　to　reduce　a　place　as　strong　as　this。〃
Just　then　there　arose　a　shout　in　their　rear；　and　a　shower　of　arrows　fell　about　them。　Yang　Ang　and　Yan　Ren　were　attacking；　and　the　danger　became　great。
〃Friend　Xu　Huang；　you　look　after　our　lord！〃　cried　Xu　Chu。　〃I　can　hold　the　enemy。〃
Xu　Chu　galloped　out；　and　the　two　leaders　could　not　stand　Xu　Chu　and　took　to　flight；　while　their　troops　scattered。　In　the　meantime　Xu　Huang　led　his　master　over　the　hills。　Soon　he　met　an　army　of　soldiers　led　by　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He；　who　had　heard　the　sound　of　fighting　and　had　e　to　the　rescue；　and　Cao　Cao　got　back　safely　to　camp。　The　four　generals　were　rewarded。
For　fifty　days　the　two　armies　held　each　other　at　bay　without　ing　to　a　fight。　At　the　end　of　this　time；　orders　were　given　to　retire　in　the　camp　of　Cao　Cao。
〃We　have　not　tried　the　strength　of　the　enemy；〃　said　Jia　Xu。　〃You　should　not　retire；　my　lord。〃
〃I　see　that　they　are　always　on　the　alert；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃I　am　only　retiring　to　put　them　off　their　guard。　By　and　by　I　will　send　some　light　horse　to　attack　their　rear。　I　shall　defeat　them　then。〃
〃Ah！　Your　skill　is　unfathomable！〃　cried　Jia　Xu。
Three　thousand　horsemen　led　by　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　got　round　behind　the　Yangping　Pass　by　unfrequented　roads；　while　Cao　Cao　broke　up　his　camp　and　led　his　main　body　backward。
When　Yang　Ang　heard　of　the　retreat；　h