Romance of the Three Kingdoms II (63 page)

The poet Tu Fu wrote a poem:—

To Chuko stands a great memorial hall,
In cypress shade, without the Chukuan Wall,
The steps thereto are bright with new grass springing,
Hid 'mongst the branches orioles are singing.
Devotion patient met reward; upon
The throne, built for the father, sat the son.
But ere was compassed all his plans conceived
He died; and heroes since for him have ever grieved.

Another poem by the same author says:—

Chuko's fair fame stands clear to all the world;
Among king's ministers he surely takes
Exalted rank, for when the empire cleft
In three, a kingdom for his lord he won
By subtle craft. Throughout all time he stands
A shining figure, clear against the sky.
Akin was he to famous I and Lu,

Yet stands with chiefs who failed, like Hsiao and Ts'ao; The fates forbade that Han should be restored, War-worn and weary, yet he steadfast stood.

Evil tidings came to the king on his return to his capital. He heard that Ch'uan Tsung had marched out with a large army from Eastern Wu and camped at the entrance to Pach'iu. No one knew the object of this expedition.

"Here is Wu breaking their oath just as the Prime Minister has died," cried the king. "What can we do?"

Then said Chiang Wan, "My advice is to send Wang P'ing and Chang I to camp at Yungan as a measure of precaution, while you send an envoy to Wu to announce the death and period of mourning. He can there observe the signs of the times."

"The envoy must have a ready tongue," said the king.

One stepped from the ranks of courtiers and offered himself. He was Tsung Yu, a man of Nanyang, an officer in the army. So he was appointed as envoy—and spy.

He set out for Chinling, arrived and was taken in to the king's presence. When the ceremony of introduction was over and the envoy looked about him, he saw that all were dressed in mourning. But Sun Ch'uan's countenance wore a look of anger, and he said, "Wu and Shu are one house; why has your master increased the guard at Poti?"

Tsung replied, "It seemed as necessary for the west to increase the garrison there as for the east to have a force at Pach'iu. Neither is worth asking about."

"As an envoy you seem no way inferior to Teng Chih," said the king, smiling. He continued, "When I heard that your Minister Chuko had gone to heaven I wept daily and ordered my officers to wear mourning. I feared that Wei might take the occasion to attack Shu, and so I increased the garrison at Pach'iu by a legion that I might be able to help you in case of need. That was my sole reason."

The envoy bowed and thanked the king.

"I would not go back upon the pledge between us," said the king.

The envoy said, "I have been sent to inform you of the mourning for the late Prime Minister."

Sun Ch'uan took up a silver barbed arrow and snapped it in twain, saying, "If I betray my oath may my posterity be cut off!"

Then he despatched an envoy with incense and silk and other gifts to be offered in sacrifice to the dead in the land of Shu.

The two envoys took leave of the King of Wu and journeyed to Ch'engtu, where they went to the King of Shu, and Tsung Yu made a memorial saying, "The King of Wu has wept for our K'ung-ming and put his court into mourning. The increased garrison at Pach'iu is intended to safeguard us from Wei, lest they take the occasion of a public sorrow to attack. And in token of his pledge King Sun, Ch'uan broke an arrow in twain."

The king was pleased and rewarded Tsung Yu
_;
moreover, the envoy of Wu was generously treated.

According to the advice in K'ung-ming's testament, the Latter Ruler made Chiang Wan Prime Minister, and Chief of the Presidents and Ceneral, while Fei I became President of a Board, and associate in the Prime Minister's office. Many other promotions were made, and among them Wu I was made Governor of HanChung, to keep Wei in check.

Now as Yang I was senior in service to Chiang Wan, who had thus been promoted over his head, and as he considered his services had been inadequately rewarded, he was discontented and spoke resentfully.

He said to Fei I, "If when the minister died I had gone over to Wei, with the whole army, I should not have been thus left out in the cold."

Fei secretly reported this speech to the king, who was angered and threw Yang into prison. He intended putting him to death, but Chiang Wan reminded him of his services, and he was reprieved. However, he was degraded and sent into HanChung, where he committed suicide through shame.

In the thirteenth year of the period
Cbien-Hsing
of Shu, the same year being the third year of
Cbincj-Lmg
of Wu, and the fourth year of
Chia-Ho
of Wei, there were no military expeditions. However, it is recorded that Ssuma I was created a
Tai-yu,
with command over all the forces of Wei. and he departed for Loyang.

King Jui, of Wei, at Hsucb'ang, made preparations to build himself a palace. At Loyang also he built the
Ch'ao-yang Tien,
or "Hall of Sunrise," and the
T'ai-cbi Tten,
or "Hall of the Firmament," both lofty and of beautiful design. He also raised a "Hall Beautiful" and a storeyed building called the "Pavilion of the Pair of Phoenixes." He also digged a Pool of the Nine Dragons. Over all these works he placed the scholar Ma Chun as superintendent of their building.

Nothing was spared that would contribute to the beauty of these buildings. The beams were carved, the rafters were painted, the walls were of golden bricks and the roofs of green tiles. They glittered and glowed in the sunlight. The most cunning artizans in the world were sought, many thousands of them, and myriads of ordinary workmen laboured day and night on these works for the king's glory and pleasure. But the strength of the people was spent in this toil, and they cried aloud and complained unceasingly.

Moreover, King Jui issued an edict to carry earth and bring trees for the Garden of the Fragrant Forest, and he employed officers of state in these labours, carrying earth and transporting trees.

The Minister of Education, Tung Hsun, ventured upon a remonstrance, saying, "From the beginning of the period
Chien-An,
a generation ago, wars have been continuous and destruction rife. Those who have escaped death are few, and these are old and weak. Now indeed it may be that the palaces are too small and enlargement is desired, but would it not be more fitting to choose the building season so as not to interfere with cultivation? Your Majesty has many honourable officers wearing beautiful headdresses, clad in handsome robes, and riding in decorated chariots to distinguish them from the common people. Now these officers are being made to carry timber and bear earth, to sweat and soil their feet. To destroy the glory of the state in order to raise a useless edifice is indescribable folly. The Great Teacher said that princes should treat ministers with polite consideration, ministers should serve princes with loyalty. Without loyalty, without propriety, can a state endure?

"I recognise that these words of mine mean death, but I am of no value, a mere bullock's hair, and my life is of no importance, as my death would be no loss. I write with tears, bidding the world farewell.

"Thy servant has eight sons, who will be a burden to Your Majesty after his death. I cannot say with what trepidation I await my fate."

"Has the man no fear of death?" said King Jui, greatly angered.

The courtiers requested the king to put him to death, but he remembered his rectitude and proven loyalty and only degraded him, adding a warning to him to curb his tongue.

A certain Chang Mou, in the service of the Heir Apparent, also ventured upon a remonstrance; he suffered death.

King Jui summoned his Master of Works, Ma Chun, and said, "I have builded high terraces and lofty towers with intent to hold intercourse with
shen
and
hsien,
gods and djinn, that I may obtain from them the elixir of life."

Then Ma replied, "Of the four and twenty emperors of the line of Han only the Emperor Wu enjoyed the throne very long and really attained to old age. That was because he drank of the essence of the brilliancy of the sun and he brightness of the moon. In the palace at Ch'angan is the Terrace of Cyprus Beams, upon which stands the bronze figure of a man holding up a Dew Bowl, wherein to distils, in the third watch of the night, the vapour from the great constellation of the north. This liquid is called 'Celestial Elixir,' or 'Gentle Dew.' If mingled with powdered jade and swallowed it restores youth to the aged."

"Take men to Ch'angan immediately and bring hither the bronze figure to set up in the new garden," said the king.

As the king commanded, they took a multitude of men to Ch'angan, and they built a scaffold around the figure. Then they attached ropes to haul it down. The terrace being two hundred feet high and the pedestal ten cubits in circumference, Ma Chun bade his men first detach the bronze image. They did so and brought it down. Its eyes were moist as with tears, and the workmen were affrighted.

Then suddenly beside the terrace sprang up a whirlwind, with dust and pebbles flying thick as a shower of rain, and there was a tempestuous roar as of an earthquake. Down fell the pedestal, and the platform crumbled, crushing many men to death.

However, the bronze figure and the golden bowl were conveyed to Loyang and presented to the king.

"Where is the pedestal?" asked the king.

"It is too heavy to transport," replied the Master Workman.

"It weighs a million catties."

Wherefore the king ordered it to be broken up and the metal brought, and from this he caused to be east two figures which he named
Weng,
Grandfather, and
Chung,
Uncle. They were placed outside the gate of the Board of War. A pair of dragons and a pair of phoenixes were also cast, the dragons forty feet high and the birds thirty. These were placed in front of the Hall of Audience.

Moreover, in the Upper Forest Garden the king planted wonderful flowers and rare trees, and he also established a menagerie of strange animals.

Yang Fou remonstrated with the king on these extravagances.

"As is well known, Yao preferred his humble thatched cottage, and all the world enjoyed tranquillity; Yu contented himself with a small modest palace, and all the empire rejoiced. In the days of Yin and Chou the Hall of the ruler stood three feet above the usual height and its area was nine 'mats.' The sage emperors and illustrious kings had no decorated chambers in lofty palaces built with the wealth, and by the strength, of a worn-out and despoiled people. Chieh built a jade chamber and elephant stables; Chou erected a surpassingly beautiful palace and a Deer Terrace. But these lost the empire. Duke Ling, of Ch'u, built beautiful palaces, but he came to an evil end. The 'First Emperor,' of Ts'in, made the Afang Palace, but calamity fell upon his son, for the empire rebelled and his house was exterminated in the second generation. All those who have failed to consider the means of the people and given way to sensuous pleasures have perished. Your Majesty has the examples of Yao and Shun, of Yu and Tang on the one hand, and the warnings of Chieh and Chou, Ch'u and Ts'in on the other. To seek only self-indulgence and think only of fine palaces will surely end in calamity.

"The prince is the first and the head; his ministers are his limbs; they live or die together, they are involved in the same destruction. Though I am timorous, yet if I dared forget my duty, or failed to speak firmly, I should be unable to move Your Majesty. Now I have prepared my coffin and bathed my body ready for the most condign punishment."

But the king disregarded this memorial and only urged on the rapid completion of the terrace. Thereon he set up the bronze figure with the golden bowl. Moreover, he sent forth a command to select the most beautiful women in the empire for his garden of delight. Many memorials were presented, but the king heeded them not.

Now the Consort of King Jui was of the Mao family of Honan. In earlier days, when he was a prince, he had loved her exceedingly, and when he succeeded to the throne she became Empress. Later he favoured the Lady Kuo, and his Consort was neglected. The Lady Kuo was beautiful and clever, and the king delighted in her. He neglected state affairs for her society and often spent a month at a time in retirement with her. Every day there was some new gaiety.

In the spring, when the plants in the Fragrant Forest Garden were in flower, the king and his favourite came to the garden to enjoy them and to feast.

"Why not invite the Empress?" asked the Lady Kuo.

"If she came nothing would pass my lips," replied the king.

He gave orders that his Consort should be kept in ignorance of these rejoicings. But when a month passed without the appearance of the king, his Consort and her ladies went to the Blue Flower Pavilion to find out what was the reason. Hearing music, she asked who was providing it, and they told her that the king and the Lady Kuo were feasting in the grounds.

That day she returned to her palace filled with rage. Next day she went out in her carriage and saw the king on a verandah.

"Yesterday Your Majesty was walking in the north garden, and you had plenty of music too," said she, laughing.

The king was wroth and sent for all the attendants. He upbraided them with disobedience and put them all to death. The Empress feared and returned to her palace.