三国演义英文版-第43章

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The　Emperor　bowed　and　was　silent；　but　the　tears　fell　on　his　garments。　Suddenly　someone　came　in　with　the　tidings　that　a　force　of　cavalry；　their　sabers　glittering　in　the　sun；　was　approaching　to　rescue　them。　Then　they　heard　the　gongs　beat　and　the　roll　of　the　drums。
The　Emperor　sent　to　find　out　who　it　was。　But　it　was　Guo　Si；　and　the　sadness　fell　again。　Presently　arose　a　great　din。　For　Li　Jue　had　gone　out　to　do　battle　with　Guo　Si；　whom　he　abused　by　name。
〃I　treated　you　well；　and　why　did　you　try　to　kill　me？〃　said　Li　Jue。
〃You　are　a　rebel；　why　should　I　not　slay　you？〃　cried　Guo　Si。
〃You　call　me　rebel　when　I　am　guarding　the　Emperor？〃
〃You　have　abducted　him：　Do　you　call　that　guarding？〃
〃Why　so　many　words？　Let　us　forgo　a　battle　and　settle　the　matter　in　single　bat；　the　winner　to　take　the　Emperor　and　go。〃
The　two　generals　fought　in　front　of　their　armies；　but　neither　could　prevail　over　the　other。
Then　they　saw　Yang　Biao　e　riding　up　to　them；　crying；　〃Rest　a　while；　O　manders！　For　I　have　invited　a　party　of　officers　to　arrange　a　peace。〃
Wherefore　the　two　leaders　retired　to　their　camps。　Soon　Yang　Biao；　Zhu　Jun；　and　sixty　other　officials　came　up　and　went　to　Guo　Si's　camp。　They　were　all　thrown　into　confinement。
〃We　came　with　good　intentions；〃　they　moaned；　〃and　we　are　treated　like　this。〃
〃Li　Jue　has　run　off　with　the　Emperor；　I　have　to　have　the　officers；〃　said　Guo　Si。
〃What　does　it　mean？　One　has　the　Emperor；　the　other　his　officers。　What　do　you　want？〃　said　Yang　Biao。
Guo　Si　lost　patience　and　drew　his　sword；　but　mander　Yang　Mi　persuaded　him　not　to　slay　the　speaker。　Then　Guo　Si　released　Yang　Biao　and　Zhu　Jun　but　kept　the　others　in　the　camp。
〃Here　are　we　two　officers　of　the　Throne；　and　we　cannot　help　our　lord。　We　have　been　born　in　vain；〃　said　Yang　Biao　to　Zhu　Jun。
Throwing　their　arms　about　each　other；　they　wept　and　fell　swooning　to　the　earth。　Zhu　Jun　went　home；　fell　seriously　ill　and　died。
Thereafter　the　two　adversaries　fought　every　day　for　nearly　three　months；　each　losing　many　soldiers。
Now　Li　Jue　was　irreligious　and　practiced　magic。　He　often　called　witches　to　beat　drums　and　summon　spirits；　even　when　in　camp。　Jia　Xu　used　to　remonstrate　with　him；　but　quite　uselessly。
Yang　Qi　said　to　the　Emperor；　〃That　Jia　Xu；　although　a　friend　of　Li　Jue；　never　seems　to　have　lost　the　sense　of　loyalty　to　Your　Majesty。〃
Soon　after　Jia　Xu　himself　arrived。
The　Emperor　sent　away　his　attendants　and　said　to　Jia　Xu；　weeping　the　while；　〃Can　you　not　pity　the　Hans　and　help　me？〃
Jia　Xu　prostrated　himself；　saying；　〃That　is　my　dearest　wish。　But；　Sire；　say　no　more：　Let　thy　servant　work　out　a　plan。〃
The　Emperor　dried　his　tears；　and　soon　Li　Jue　came　in。　He　wore　a　sword　by　his　side　and　strode　straight　up　to　the　Emperor；　whose　face　became　the　color　of　clay。
Then　Li　Jue　spoke；　〃Guo　Si　has　failed　in　his　duty　and　imprisoned　the　court　officers。　He　wished　to　slay　Your　Majesty；　and　you　would　have　been　captured　but　for　me。〃
The　Emperor　joined　his　hands　together　in　salute　and　thanked　Li　Jue。　Li　Jue　went　away。
Before　long　Huangfu　Li　entered。　The　Emperor；　knowing　him　as　a　man　of　persuasive　tongue　and　that　he　came　from　the　same　county　as　Li　Jue；　bade　him　go　to　both　factions　to　try　to　arrange　peace。
Huangfu　Li　accepted　the　mission　and　first　went　to　Guo　Si；　who　said；　〃I　would　release　the　officers　if　Li　Jue　would　restore　the　Emperor　to　full　liberty。〃
Huangfu　Li　then　went　to　the　other　side。　To　Li　Jue　he　said；　〃Since　I　am　a　Xiliang　man；　the　Emperor　and　the　officers　have　selected　me　to　make　peace　between　you　and　your　adversary。　Guo　Si　has　consented　to　cease　the　quarrel。　Will　you　agree　to　peace？〃
〃I　overthrew　Lu　Bu；　I　have　upheld　the　government　for　four　years　and　have　many　great　services　to　my　credit　as　all　the　world　knows。　That　other　fellow；　that　horse…thief；　has　dared　to　seize　the　officers　of　state　and　to　set　himself　up　against　me。　I　have　sworn　to　slay　him。　Look　around　you。　Do　you　not　think　my　army　large　enough　to　break　him？〃
〃It　does　not　follow；〃　said　Huangfu　Li。　〃In　ancient　days　in　Youqiong；　Hou　Yi；　proud　of　and　confident　in　his　archer's　skill；　gave　no　thought　to　others　and　governed　alone；　and　he　so　perished。　Lately　you　yourself　have　seen　the　powerful　Dong　Zhuo　betrayed　by　Lu　Bu；　who　had　received　many　benefits　at　his　hands。　In　no　time　Dong　Zhuo's　head　was　hanging　over　the　gate。　So　you　see　mere　force　is　not　enough　to　ensure　safety。　Now　you　are　a　general；　with　the　axes　and　whips　and　all　the　symbols　of　rank　and　high　office；　your　descendants　and　all　your　clan　occupy　distinguished　positions。　You　must　confess　that　the　state　has　rewarded　you　liberally。　True；　Guo　Si　has　seized　the　officers　of　state；　but　you　have　done　the　same　to　the　'Most　Revered。'　Who　is　worse　than　the　other？〃
Li　Jue　angrily　drew　his　sword　and　shouted；　〃Did　the　Son　of　Heaven　send　you　to　mock　and　shame　me？〃
But　his　mander；　Yang　Feng；　checked　him。
〃Guo　Si　is　still　alive；〃　said　Yang　Feng；　〃and　to　slay　the　imperial　messenger　would　be　giving　him　a　popular　excuse　to　raise　an　army　against　you。　And　all　the　nobles　would　join　him。〃
Jia　Xu　also　persuaded　Li　Jue；　and　gradually　his　wrath　cooled　down。　Huangfu　Li　was　urged　to　go　away。
But　Huangfu　Li　would　not　be　satisfied　with　failure。　As　he　went　out　of　the　camp；　he　cried　loudly；　〃Li　Jue　will　not　obey　the　Emperor's　mand。　He　will　kill　his　prince　to　set　up　himself！〃
Counselor　Hu　Miao　tried　to　shut　Huangfu　Li's　mouth；　saying；　〃Do　not　utter　such　words。　You　will　only　bring　hurt　upon　yourself。〃
But　Huangfu　Li　shrieked　at　him　also；　saying；　〃You　also　are　an　officer　of　state；　and　yet　you　even　back　up　the　rebel。　When　the　prince　is　put　to　shame；　the　minister　dies。　That　is　our　code。　If　it　be　my　lot　to　suffer　death　at　the　hands　of　Li　Jue；　so　be　it！〃
And　Huangfu　Li　maintained　a　torrent　of　abuse。　The　Emperor　heard　of　the　incident；　called　in　Huangfu　Li　and　sent　him　away　to　his　own　country　Xiliang。
Now　more　than　half　Li　Jue's　troops　were　from　Xiliang；　and　he　had　also　the　assistance　of　the　Qiangs；　the　northern　tribespeople　beyond　the　border。　When　Huangfu　Li　spread　that　Li　Jue　was　a　rebel　and　so　were　those　who　helped　him；　and　that　there　would　be　a　day　of　heavy　reckoning；　those　stories　disturbed　the　soldiers。
Li　Jue　sent　one　of　his　officers；　General　Wang　Chan　of　the　Tiger　Army；　to　arrest　Huangfu　Li；　but　Wang　Chan　had　a　sense　of　right　and　esteemed　Huangfu　Li　as　an　honorable　man。　Instead　of　carrying　out　the　orders；　Wang　Chan　returned　to　say　Huangfu　Li　could　not　be　found。
Jia　Xu　tried　to　work　on　the　feelings　of　the　barbarian　tribes。　He　said　to　them；　〃The　Son　of　Heaven　knows　you　are　loyal　to　him　and　have　bravely　fought　and　suffered。　He　has　issued　a　secret　mand　for　you　to　go　home；　and　then　he　will　reward　you。〃
The　tribesmen　had　a　grievance　against　Li　Jue　for　not　paying　them；　so　they　listened　readily　to　the　insidious　persuasions　of　Jia　Xu　and　deserted。
Then　Jia　Xu　advised　the　Emperor；　〃Li　Jue　is　covetous　in　nature。　He　is　deserted　and　enfeebled。　A　high　office　should　be　granted　to　him　to　lead　him　astray。〃
So　the　Emperor　officially　appointed　Li　Jue　Regent　Marshal。　This　delighted　him　greatly；　and　he　ascribed　his　promotion　to　the　potency　of　his　wise　witches'　prayers　and　incantations。　He　rewarded　those　people　most　liberally。
But　his　army　was　forgotten。　Wherefore　his　mander；　Yang　Feng；　was　angry。
Yang　Feng　said　to　General　Song　Guo；　〃We　have　taken　all　the　risks　and　exposed　ourselves　to　stones　and　arrows　in　his　service；　yet　instead　of　giving　us　any　reward　he　ascribes　all　the　credit　to　those　witches　of　his。〃
〃Let　us　put　him　out　of　the　way　and　rescue　the　Emperor；〃　said　Song　Guo。
〃You　explode　a　bomb　within　as　signal；　and　I　will　attack　from　outside。〃
So　the　two　agreed　to　act　together　that　very　night　in　the　second　watch。　But　they　had　been　overheard；　and　the　eavesdropper　told　Li　Jue。　Song　Guo　was　seized　and　put　to　death。　That　night　Yang　Feng　waited　outside　for　the　signal　and　while　waiting；　out　came　Li　Jue　himself。　Then　a　melee　began；　which　lasted　till　the　fourth　watch。　But　Yang　Feng　got　away　and　fled　to　Xian。
But　from　this　time　Li　Jue's　army　began　to　fall　away；　and　he　felt　more　than　ever　the　losses　caused　by　Guo　Si's　frequent　attacks。　Then　came　news　that　Zhang　Ji；　at　the　head　of　a　large　army；　was　ing　down　from　Shanxi　to　make　peace　between　the　two　factions。　Zhang　Ji　vowed　he　would　attack　the　one　who　was　recal