Translation:Romance of the Three Kingdoms/Chapter 2

by Luo Guanzhong

第二回

Chapter 2

張翼德怒鞭督郵　何國舅謀誅宦豎

Zhang Yide gets angry and whips the County Inspector; Royal uncle He plots the murder of the wretched eunuchs.^[2]

1

且說董卓字仲穎，隴西臨洮人也。官拜河東太守，自來驕傲。

Let us now take a moment to talk about Dong Zhuo, whose style name was Zhongying,^[3] and was from Lintao in Longxi. His official title was governor of Hedong Commandery, and he had always been arrogant.^[4]

2

當日怠慢了玄德，張飛性發，便欲殺之。玄德與關公急止之曰：「他是朝廷命官，豈可擅殺？」飛曰：「若不殺這廝，反要在他部下聽令，其實不甘！二兄要便住在此，我自投別處去也！」

On the day that he slighted Xuande, Zhang Fei flew into a rage, and wanted to kill him. Xuande and Lord Guan rushed to stop him, saying, "He is an official appointed by the court, how can you take matters into your own hands and kill him?" Fei replied, "If I don't kill this scoundrel, I will end up under his command and have to take orders from him; in all honesty, I have no desire to do that! If you two brothers of mine would like to stay here, I will go it alone somewhere else!"^[5]

3

玄德曰：「我三人義同生死，豈可相離？不若都投別處去便了。」飛曰：「若如此，稍解吾恨。」於是三人連夜引軍來投朱雋。雋待之甚厚，合兵一處，進討張寶。是時曹操自跟皇甫嵩討張梁，大戰于曲陽。

Xuande said, "We three are bound by oath to live and die together, how can we part from each other? It would be better for all three of us to go elsewhere." Fei replied, "If that is the case, it would abate my anger somewhat." The three of them then led their troops night and day toward Zhu Jun's position. Jun was very gracious; he combined the two groups, and together they went after Zhang Bao. At this point in time, Cao Cao had joined Huangfu Song in going after Zhang Liang; they were engaged in a major battle in Quyang.^[6]

4

這裏朱雋進攻張寶。張寶引賊眾八九萬，屯于山後。雋令玄德為其先鋒，與賊對敵。張寶遣副將高昇，出馬搦戰，玄德使張飛擊之。飛縱馬挺矛，與昇交戰，不數合，刺昇落馬。玄德麾軍直衝過去。張寶就馬上披髮仗劍，作起妖法。只見風雷大作，一股黑氣，從天而降；黑氣中似有無限人馬殺來。

Meanwhile, Zhu Jun launched an attack against Zhang Bao. Zhang Bao was in command of eighty to ninety thousand troops. They were holed up in the mountains. Jun ordered Xuande to take point, and engage with the bandit rebel force. Zhang Bao sent his second in command, Gao Sheng, to ride out on horseback and pick a fight; Xuande directed Zhang Fei to attack him. Fei raced out on his horse, his long lance raised, and engaged Sheng in combat. After not more than a couple of passes, Sheng was skewered, and fell from his horse. Xuande commanded his troops to charge. Zhang Bao hastily raised his straight sword, and began performing sorcery. All one could see was a large amount of wind and thunder, and then a black haze emerged from out of nowhere. Emerging out of the black haze was a countless number of soldiers on horseback, who killed everyone in their path.

5

玄德連忙回軍，軍中大亂，敗陣而歸，與朱雋計議。雋曰：「彼用妖術，我來日可宰猪羊狗血，令軍士伏于山頭；候賊趕來，從高坡上潑之，其法可解。」玄德聽令，撥關公、張飛各引軍一千，伏于山後高岡之上，盛猪羊狗血并穢物準備。次日，張寶搖旗擂鼓，引軍搦戰，玄德出迎。交鋒之際，張寶作法，風雷大作，飛砂走石，黑氣漫天；滾滾人馬，自天而下。玄德撥馬便走，張寶驅兵趕來。將過山頭，關、張伏軍放起號砲，穢物齊潑。但見空中紙人草馬，紛紛墜地；風雷頓息，砂石不飛。

Xuande quickly ordered his army to retreat, but the rank and file descended into chaos. Having been soundly beaten, he returned to confer with Zhu Jun. Jun said, "He is using sorcery; tomorrow I will slaughter pigs, rams and dogs for their blood. I will order my troops to hide on the hilltops. They will wait for the bandit rebels to rush in, then pour blood on them from above. This should nullify their magic." Xuande followed orders, and allocated 1,000 soldiers each to Lord Guan and Zhang Fei. They were both to hide their troops high up on a ridge, and prepare the contaminant made from the blood of pigs, rams and dogs. The following day, Zhang Bao led his men, waving their banners and beating their war drums, out to pick a fight. Xuande rode out to meet them. Just as the two armies began to cross swords, Zhang Bao performed his sorcery. The wind howled and the thunder roared; dust and debris was kicked up by the wind, and a black haze enveloped the sky. A steady stream of people and horses appeared from nowhere. Xuande wheeled his horse around and took off in a dead run. Zhang Bao ordered his soldiers to give chase. As soon as they passed by the hilltop, Guan and Zhang's hidden armies ignited their signal flares, and began pouring down the contaminant in unison. After that, all they could see were paper men and straw horses falling to the ground in great numbers. The wind and thunder stopped in an instant, and sand no longer flew all over the place.

6

張寶見解了法，急欲退軍。左關公、右張飛，兩軍都出，背後玄德、朱雋一齊趕上，賊兵大敗。玄德望見地公將軍旗號，飛馬趕來，張寶落荒而走。玄德發箭，中其左臂。

Zhang Bao saw that his magic spell had been broken and hurried to recall his troops. With Lord Guan on the left, and Zhang Fei on the right, both armies came out of hiding, while Xuande and Zhu Jun brought up the rear. The bandit rebel army suffered a major defeat. Xuande saw the general of the earth banners, and raced his horse in that direction. Zhang Bao fled the scene, avoiding the well-traveled routes. Xuande shot an arrow at him, which pierced his left arm.

7

張寶帶箭逃脫，走入陽城，堅守不出。朱雋引兵圍住陽城攻打，一面差人打探皇甫嵩消息。探子回報。

Zhang Bao escaped with the arrow still in him; he entered the city of Yangcheng, and dug in. Zhu Jun had his army surround Yangcheng, and then launched an attack. He also sent someone to bring back news of Huangfu Song. The messenger reported back.

8

且說皇甫嵩大獲勝捷，朝廷以董卓屢敗，命嵩代之。

As it turned out, Huangfu Song had won a major victory, and because of Dong Zhuo's numerous defeats, the court ordered that Song replace him.

9

嵩到時，張角已死。

When Song arrived, Zhang Jue was already dead.

10

張梁統其眾，與我軍相拒，被皇甫嵩連勝七陣，斬張梁於曲陽。

Zhang Liang was now the leader, and was locked in battle with our forces. Zhang Liang lost seven straight battles to Huangfu Song, and was beheaded in Quyang.

11

發張角之棺，戮尸梟首，送往京師。餘眾俱降。朝廷加皇甫嵩為車騎將軍，領冀州牧。皇甫嵩又表奏盧植有功無罪，朝廷復盧植原官。

They recovered Zhang Jue's casket; then they mutilated his body, and sent the head back to the capital so that it could be posted high on a wooden pole for all to see. All of the remaining followers surrendered. The court granted Huangfu Song the title of general of chariots and cavalry, and made him overlord of Jizhou. Also, Huangfu Song submitted a petition to the emperor on behalf of Lu Zhi, emphasizing his innocence and his achievements. The court restored Lu Zhi to his original position.

12

曹操亦以有功，除濟南相。

Cao Cao was awarded with a new post as well, thanks to his own achievements. He was made minister of Jinan.

13

即日將班師赴任。

He departed for his new post that very day with his army.

14

朱雋聽說，催促軍馬，悉力攻打陽城。賊勢危急，賊將嚴政，刺殺張寶，獻首投降。

After Zhu Jun listened to the report, he pressed his army to attack Yangcheng with all their might. The bandit rebels' situation was desperate. Consequently, the bandit general Yan Zheng assasinated Zhang Bao, and his head was offered as proof of his followers' sincerity in wanting to surrender.

15

朱雋遂平數郡，上表獻捷。時又黃巾餘黨三人。

Thus, Zhu Jun pacified several commanderies; he submitted a report to the emperor which listed all of the loot obtained from the campaign. At that time, there were still three remaining Yellow Turban diehards.

16

趙弘、韓忠、孫仲，聚眾數萬，望風燒劫，稱與張角報仇。朝廷命朱雋即以得勝之師討之。雋奉詔，率軍前進。時賊據宛城，雋引兵攻之，趙弘遣韓忠出戰。雋遣玄德、關、張攻城西南角。韓忠盡率精銳之眾，來西南角抵敵。朱雋自縱鐵騎二千，逕取東北角。賊恐失城，急棄西南而回。玄德從背後掩殺，賊眾大敗，奔入宛城。朱雋分兵四面圍定，城中斷糧，韓忠使人出城投降。雋不許。

Zhao Hong, Han Zhong and Sun Zhong had gathered between twenty to thirty thousand troops. Following in the footsteps laid out by their illustrious former leader, they burned and pillaged, saying that it was in the name of avenging Zhang Jue. The court ordered Zhu Jun to immediately prosecute, using his army which was now flush with victory. Jun obeyed the imperial edict, and led his army on an advance. At the time, the bandit rebels were occupying Wancheng. Jun led his army on an attack, while Zhao Hong sent Han Zhong out to fight. Jun sent Xuande, Guan and Zhang to attack the southwest corner of the city. Han Zhong gathered up all of his best troops, and deployed them to the southwest corner to defend against the enemy. In the meantime, Zhu Jun set loose a force of 2,000 armored cavalry, and made a direct play for the northeast corner. The bandit rebels feared that they would lose the city, and immediately abandoned the southwest corner so that they could regroup. Xuande took them by surprise from the rear; having suffered a major defeat, the bandit rebels now retreated into Wancheng as fast as possible. Zhu Jun divided his forces, and surrounded the city on all sides. The city was now cut off from any new food supplies, so Han Zhong sent someone out of the city to say that they were ready to surrender. However, Jun would not allow it.

17

玄德曰：「昔高祖之得天下，蓋為能招降納順；公何拒韓忠耶？」雋曰：「『彼一時，此一時也。』昔秦項之際，天下大亂，民無定主，故招降賞附，以勸來耳。今海內一統，惟黃巾造反；若容其降，無以勸善。使賊得利，恣意劫掠，失利便投降：此長寇之志，非良策也。」

Xuande asked, "In the days of old, when Gaozu took over the world, did he not entice his enemies to surrender and allow those who obeyed his governance to rejoin society; why do you refuse Han Zhong?"^[7] Jun replied, "That was then, this is now. In the days of old, during the time of Qin and Xiang, the world was in chaos, and the people had not chosen a leader. Therefore, enticing the enemy to surrender with the promise of a reward made sense. Nowadays, the country is united, with the exception of the Yellow Turbans who are in rebellion; if we were to allow them to surrender, nothing good would come from it. If we give the bandit rebels a leg up, they will rob and plunder at will; if we cause them to lose the advantage, they can simply surrender; this emboldens the will of the bandit rebels, so it is not a good strategy."

18

玄德曰：「不容寇降是矣。今四面圍如鐵桶，賊乞降不得，必然死戰。萬人一心，尚不可當，況城中有數萬死命之人乎？不若撤去東南，獨攻西北。賊必棄城而走，無心戀戰，可即擒也。」

Xuande said, "We will not allow the thugs to surrender, and that's that. We now have them surrounded as if they were in an iron barrel; even if they beg to surrender, they will receive no quarter, this will inevitably be a fight to the death. Ten thousand people are of the same mind; resistance is futile. At any rate, doesn't this mean that tens of thousands of city residents now have a death sentence? It would be better to withdraw our forces from the southeast, and focus our attack on the northwest. The bandit rebels will be forced to abandon the city and leave. They will unintentionally get caught up in the heat of battle, and then we can nab them."

19

雋然之，隨撤東南二面軍馬，一齊攻打西北。韓忠果引軍棄城而奔。雋與玄德、關、張，率三軍掩殺，射死韓忠。

Jun concurred with him, and they withdrew the forces from the southeast^[8]; the two forces, now united, attacked the northwest in unison. As expected, Han Zhong abandoned the city and fled with his army. Jun, along with Xuande, Guan and Zhang, led the three armies on a surprise attack.^[9] Han Zhong was killed by an arrow.

20

餘皆四散奔走。正追趕間，趙弘、孫仲引賊眾到，與雋交戰。雋見弘勢大，引軍暫退。弘乘勢復奪宛城。雋離十里下寨。方欲攻打，忽見正東一彪人馬到來。

The rest scattered in all four directions. Just as they were catching up, Zhao Hong and Sun Zhong led their bandit army in an attack on Jun. Jun saw that Hong's army was powerful, and withdrew for the time being. Hong took advantage of the situation and again took control of Wancheng. Jun traveled about ten li,^[10] then made camp. Just as he was about to mount an attack, he suddenly saw a group of horses and men approaching from due east.

21

為首一將，生得廣額闊面，虎體熊腰；吳郡富春人也；姓孫，名堅，字文臺；乃孫武子之後。年十七歲時，與父至錢塘，見海賊十餘人，劫取商人財物，于岸上分贓。堅謂父曰：「此賊可擒也。」遂奮力提刀上岸，揚聲大叫，東西指揮，如喚人形狀。賊以為官兵至，盡棄財物奔走。堅趕上，殺一賊。

Sun Jian

In the lead was a man with a wide forehead and broad face, a torso like a tiger's, and a waist like a bear's; he was from Fuchun in the Wu Commandery. His surname was Sun, his given name was Jian, and his style name was Wentai;^[11] he was a descendant of Sun Wuzi. When he was seventeen years old, he traveled with his father to Qiantang. Along the way, they spotted more than ten pirates who had robbed some merchants, and were now on shore dividing up the loot. Jian said to his father, "I must arrest these pirates." He then took out his sword, and made his way onto shore with much bravado, screaming and shouting, and giving commands to his east and to his west, as if giving instructions to a bunch of men. The pirates assumed that government troops had arrived, ditched all of their loot, and fled the scene. Jian chased after them and killed one of the pirates.

22

由是郡縣知名，薦為校尉。後會稽妖賊許昌造反，自稱陽明皇帝聚眾數萬；堅與郡司馬招募勇士千餘人，會合州郡破之，斬許昌并其子許韶。刺史臧旻，上表奏其功，除堅為鹽瀆丞；又除盱眙丞，下邳丞。

Because of this, he became somewhat of a local celebrity, and was recommended for the position of captain. Later on, the evil bandit Xu Chang from Guiji started a rebellion, calling himself the Yangming Emperor, and had amassed a force of tens of thousands. Jian and the commandery's military clerk recruited a force of more than one thousand brave men. They came together from the various cities and counties in order to quash the rebels, and to behead Xu Chang and his son Xu Shao. Provincial governor Zang Min wrote a glowing letter of praise to the emperor; as a result, Jian was made an assistant governor of Yandu, Xuyi and Xiapi Counties.

23

今見黃巾寇起，聚集鄉中少年及諸商旅，并淮泗精兵一千五百餘人，前來接應。

Recently, he saw that the Yellow Turban bandits had staged an uprising, so he gathered together all of the local youths and traveling merchants, along with more than 1,500 elite troops from the area around the Huai and Si Rivers,^[12] and set out to intercept them.

24

朱雋大喜，便令堅攻打南門，玄德打北門，朱雋打西門，留東門與賊走。孫堅首先登城，斬賊二十餘人，賊眾奔潰。趙弘飛馬挺搠，直取孫堅。堅從城上飛身奪弘搠，刺弘下馬。

Zhu Jun was overjoyed, and ordered Jian to attack the south gate; Xuande would attack the north gate, Zhu Jun would attack the west gate, and the east gate was given over to the bandits so that they could make their exit. Sun Jian first climbed onto the city wall, then he slew more than twenty of the bandit rebels. The bandit rebels all scattered. Zhao Hong charged on his horse at full speed, his long lance raised, directly toward Sun Jian. Jian leaped from the city wall and grabbed Hong's lance. He then stabbed Hong, who fell from his horse.

25

却騎弘馬，飛身往來殺賊。孫仲引賊突出北門，正迎玄德，無心戀戰，只待奔逃。玄德張弓一箭，正中孫仲，翻身落馬。

He jumped onto Hong's horse and rode back and forth at high speeds, killing bandit rebels. Sun Zhong led his bandits out the north gate, directly toward Xuande. Unintentionally caught up in the heat of battle, all his men could think about was fleeing. Xuande drew back an arrow onto his bow, and shot at Sun Zhong, who fell over off of his horse when the arrow struck home.

26

朱雋大軍隨後掩殺，斬首數萬級，降者不可勝計。南陽一路，十數郡皆平。雋班師回京，詔封為車騎將軍，河南尹。雋表奏孫堅、劉備等功，堅有人情，除別郡司馬，上任去了。

After that, Zhu Jun's vast army went on a killing rampage before anyone had time to react. They took tens of thousands of heads, and it became impossible to tally up all of the people who surrendered. Near Nanyang, more than ten commanderies had been pacified. Jun disbanded his army, and returned to the capital. In an imperial edict, he was granted the title of general of chariots and cavalry; he was also made commander of Henan.^[13] Zhu Jun submitted a petition to the emperor in which he praised the accomplishments of both Sun Jian and Liu Bei. Jian had connections, so he was made military clerk in another commandery, and left to take up his new post.

27

惟玄德聽候日久，不得除授。三人鬱鬱不樂，上街閒行，正值郎中張鈞車到。玄德見之，自陳功績。鈞大驚，隨入朝見帝曰：「昔黃巾造反，其原皆由十常侍賣官鬻爵，非親不用，非讐不誅，以致天下大亂。今宜斬十常侍，懸首南郊，遣使者布告天下，有功者重加賞賜，則四海自清平也。」

However, Xuande still had not received an assignment, even after many days of waiting. The three of them were depressed, and were wandering aimlessly about the streets of town, when commander Zhang Jun's chariot arrived.^[14] Xuande paid him a visit, and recounted all of his accomplishments. Jun was shocked, and raised the issue with the emperor on his next visit to the palace. He said, "When the Yellow Turbans rebelled, it was all because the ten regular attendants had accepted bribes from people that wanted to obtain an official post or title of nobility. They would not hire someone unless he was one of their cronies, and they would not punish anyone that was not their personal enemy. This led to chaos across the country. We should behead the ten regular attendants, and hang their heads on poles in the south area of the capital. Then, we should send emissaries to inform the entire country; the men who have made significant contributions should be given sizable rewards,^[15] which will pacify the nation."

28

十常侍奏帝曰：「張鈞欺主。」帝令武士逐出張鈞。十常侍共議：「此必破黃巾有功者，不得除授，故生怨言。權且教省家銓注微名，待後却再理會未晚。」

The ten regular attendants submitted a written petition to the emperor which said that, "Zhang Jun is bullying the emperor." The emperor commanded the armed guards to escort Zhang Jun out of the palace. The ten regular attendants consulted with each other, saying, "This arrangement will certainly cause damage to the men who helped put down the Yellow Turbans. If these people do not obtain posts, it will stir up resentment among them. For the time being, we should instruct the relevant officials to register them for some minor positions. That way, it will not be too late if we need to deal with them later on."

29

因此玄德除授定州中山府安喜縣尉，尅日赴任。玄德將兵散回鄉里。

Because of this, Xuande was made magistrate of Anxi county, which was under the jurisdiction of the Zhongshan government seat^[16] at Dingzhou. A date was set for him to take up his post. Xuande led his troops back home and released them from service.

30

止帶親隨二十餘人，與關、張來安喜縣中到任。署縣事一月，與民秋毫無犯，民皆感化。到任之後，與關、張食則同桌，寢則同牀。如玄德在稠人廣坐，關、張侍立，終日不倦。

He only brought a retinue of a little more than twenty men to Anxi, which included Guan and Zhang. He had been in his position for one month, and not a single infraction was committed against the people.^[17] Through his example, the people were all motivated to reform their errant ways. After taking up his post, he ate at the same table, and slept in the same bed, with Guan and Zhang. However, when Xuande was in a public venue, Guan and Zhang would stand beside him all day long in attendance, and not get tired.

31

到縣未及四月，朝廷降詔，凡有軍功為長吏者當沙汰。玄德疑在遣中。

They had not yet been in the county for four months, when the court issued an edict; civil officials with military experience were to be removed from their posts.^[18] Xuande suspected that he might also be relieved of his duties.

32

適督郵行點至縣，玄德出郭迎接，見督郵施禮。督郵坐于馬上，惟微以鞭指回答。

Around that time, the county inspector was making his rounds to each county. When he arrived, Xuande went outside of the outer city walls to greet him. When he spotted the inspector, he gave him a salute. However, the inspector merely responded with a slight wave of his riding crop while still on his horse.

33

關、張二公俱怒。及到館驛，督郵南面高坐。玄德侍立堦下。良久，督郵問曰：「劉縣尉是何出身？」

Guan and Zhang were both incensed by the slight. After they all arrived at the inn, the inspector took his place on the raised platform on the south side of the room,^[19] with Xuande standing in attendance at the foot of the platform. After a while, the inspector asked, "County magistrate Liu, what is your family background?"

34

玄德曰：「備乃中山靖王之後；自涿郡剿戮黃巾，大小三十餘戰，頗有微功，因得除今職。」督郵大喝曰：「汝詐稱皇親，虛報功績！目今朝廷降詔，正要沙汰這等濫官污吏！」

Xuande replied, "I am the descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan; I came from Zhuo Commandery to fight against the Yellow Turbans. I have probably been involved in more than thirty battles. I was moderately successful, so I was given my current post." The inspector shouted back, "You're lying about being related to the imperial family, and you have made a false report about your exploits! The court has now issued an edict; we want to get rid of corrupt officials like you!"

35

玄德喏喏連聲而退，歸到縣中，與縣吏商議。吏曰：「督郵作威，無非要賄賂耳。」

Xuande could only to blurt out a steady stream of "yes sirs" as he was leaving; he then returned to the county seat to consult the county clerk. The clerk said, "If the inspector is throwing about his weight, it can only be because he wants a bribe."

36

玄德曰：「我與民秋毫無犯，那得財物與他？」次日，督郵先提縣吏去，勒令指稱縣尉害民。

Xuande replied, "I have not committed even the slightest infraction against the people, where would I get the money to give to him?" The following day, the inspector went to the county clerk, and forced him to testify that the county magistrate had caused harm to the people.

37

玄德幾番自往求免，俱被門役阻住，不肯放參。

Xuande personally went on multiple occasions to plead for leniency, but was intercepted by the gate guards on each occasion. The inspector was unwilling to grant him an audience.

38

却說張飛飲了數盃悶酒，乘馬從館驛前過。

Let us now turn to Zhang Fei, who had been drowning his sorrows with multiple cups of wine. He rode his horse past the inn.

39

見五六十箇老人，皆在門前痛哭。飛問其故，眾老人答曰：「督郵逼勒縣吏，欲害劉公；我等皆來苦告，不得放入，反遭把門人趕打！」張飛大怒，睜圓環眼，咬碎鋼牙，滾鞍下馬，逕入館驛，把門人那裏阻擋得住。直奔後堂，見督郵正坐廳上，將縣吏綁倒在地，飛大喝「害民賊！認得我麽？」

He spotted fifty or sixty old people, all standing in front of the gate weeping and sobbing. When Fei asked the reason, all of the old people responded, saying, "The county inspector is forcing the county clerk to cause harm to Lord Liu; we have all come to lodge our strongest protests, but have not been allowed inside. Moreover, we were beaten back by the gate guards!" Zhang Fei flew into a rage, his eyes grew wide as saucers, and his teeth clenched up like a steel vice. He scrambled off of his horse, and walked straight into the inn. Who among the gate guards would have even been able to block his way? He strode into the rear chamber, and saw that the county inspector was in the midst of holding court. The county clerk was tied up and lying prone on the floor. Fei screamed out, "You rotten scoundrel. You are causing harm to the people! Do you know who I am?"

40

督郵未及開言，早被張飛揪住頭髮，扯出館驛，直到縣前馬樁上縛住。

The county inspector had no time to respond before Zhang Fei grabbed him by his hair, and dragged him out of the inn. He took him to the front of the county seat, and bound him to the hitching post for horses.

41

攀下柳條，去督郵兩腿上着力鞭打。

He then broke off a willow branch, and began to flog the inspector about the legs with great force.

42

一連打折柳條十數枝。

He broke more than ten willow branches in a row.

43

玄德正納悶間，聽得縣前喧鬧，問左右。答曰：「張將軍綁一人在縣前痛打。」玄德忙去觀之，見綁縛者乃督郵也。

While Xuande was sulking, he heard a loud noise from the county seat, and asked his attendants what was happening. They said, "General Zhang has bound someone at the county seat, and is now viciously beating him." Xuande hurried over to see what was happening, and then he saw that it was the county inspector who had been bound.

44

玄德驚問其故。飛曰：「此等害民賊，不打死等甚！」

Startled, Xuande asked for the reason. Fei responded, "People like this here scoundrel, who injure the people, need to be beaten to death, or what have we come to!"

45

督郵告曰：「玄德公救我性命！」

The county inspector cried out, " Xuande, save my life!"

46

玄德終是仁慈的人，急喝張飛住手。旁邊轉過關公來曰：「兄長建許多大功，僅得縣尉，今反被督郵侮辱。吾思枳棘叢中，非棲鸞鳳之所；不如殺督郵，棄官歸鄉，別圖遠大之計。」

After all, Xuande was a kind person, so he urgently yelled at Zhang Fei to stop. Lord Guan came over from the side, and said, "Brother, you have done so many great things, but have only been granted the position of county magistrate. Now, you have been insulted by the county inspector. I think that a thorn bush is no place for a phoenix to roost;^[20] It would be better to kill the county inspector, resign from your post, and return home. Don't make such grandiose plans."

47

玄德乃取印綬，掛于督郵之頸。

Xuande then took his official seal, and hung it around the county inspector's neck.^[21]

48

責之曰：「據汝害民，本當殺却；今姑饒汝命。

He then scolded him, saying, "Since you have harmed the people, I should kill you and be done with it. However, I am going to spare your life.

49

吾繳還印綬，從此去矣。」

I am returning my official seal, and am now leaving."

50

督郵歸告定州太守，太守申文省府，差人捕捉。玄德、關、張三人，往代州投劉恢。恢見玄德乃漢室宗親，留匿在家不題。

The county inspector reported the matter to the governor of Dingzhou, who then submitted a written request to the provincial level government for an arrest warrant.^[22] Xuande, Guan and Zhang all headed for Daizhou to seek out Liu Hui. When Hui discovered that Xuande was a member of the house of Han, he hid him away at his residence and kept silent.

51

却說十常侍既握重權，互相商議：但有不從己者誅之。趙忠、張讓差人問破黃巾將士索金帛，不從者奏罷職。皇甫嵩、朱雋皆不肯與，趙忠等俱奏罷其官。帝又封趙忠等為車騎將軍，張讓等十三人皆封列侯。朝政愈壞，人民嗟怨。於是長沙賊區星作亂。

Let us now turn to the ten regular attendants; by now, they wielded a considerable amount of power. After discussing the issue with each other, they decided that anyone who did not comply with their demands should be eliminated. Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang sent people to demand gifts of gold and cloth from the soldiers who fought the Yellow Turbans. Their plan was to petition the emperor to dismiss anyone who did not comply with their demands. Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun refused to give anything, so Zhao Zhong and his faction petitioned the emperor to have both of them removed from their posts. Moreover, the emperor gave the post of general of chariots and cavalry to Zhao Zhong. Thirteen others, including Zhang Rang, were given honorary marquis status. The government administration became increasingly corrupt, and the people began to complain. After that, a bandit from Changsha named Ou Xing began to wreak havoc.

52

漁陽張舉、張純反，舉稱天子，純稱大將軍。

In Yuyang, Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun rose up in rebellion. Ju proclaimed himself Son of Heaven,^[23] and Chun declared himself supreme general.

53

表章雪片告急，十常侍皆藏匿不奏。一日，帝在後園與十常侍飲宴，諫議大夫劉陶，逕到帝前大慟。帝問其故。陶曰：「天下危在旦夕，陛下尚自與閹宦共飲耶？」帝曰：「國家承平，有何危急？」陶曰：「四方盜賊並起，侵掠州郡。其禍皆由十常侍賣官害民，欺君罔上。朝廷正人皆去，禍在目前矣！」

Dire reports came flooding into the capital, but the ten regular attendants hid them all, and did not report them to the emperor. One day, the emperor was enjoying food and drink in the rear courtyard with the ten regular attendants, when Advisor Liu Tao walked straight in front of the emperor and lost his composure.^[24] The emperor asked the reason, and Tao responded, "The world is crashing down upon us, and yet Your Majesty is enjoying wine with the eunuchs!" The emperor responded, "The country has been in a state of continuous peace and prosperity, what crisis are you referring to?" Tao said, "Bandits have risen up in every corner of the empire, and are invading all of the cities and commanderies. The reason for this disaster can be traced to the ten regular attendants, who have taken bribes in exchange for granting positions within the government. They have caused great harm to the people, and have deceived their emperor. All of the honest people within the court have left, and disaster is upon us!"

54

十常侍皆免冠跪伏於帝前曰：「大臣不相容，臣等不能活矣。願乞性命歸田里，盡將家產以助軍資。」言罷痛哭。

The ten regular attendants all removed their hats, and knelt down in prostration in front of the emperor, saying, "If the head ministers do not like us, we will have no way of surviving! We beg for our lives; we would like to return to our home villages, and donate all of our personal wealth in order to help with army provisions." Their words now finished, they began to weep and cry.

55

帝怒謂陶曰：「汝家亦有近侍之人，何獨不容朕耶？」呼武士推出斬之。劉陶大呼：「臣死不惜；可憐漢室天下，四百餘年，到此一旦休矣！」

The emperor angrily addressed Tao, "Your family has personal attendants, why is it that only I am not allowed this privilege?" The emperor called for the guards to take him away and have him beheaded. Liu Tao yelled back, "I do not care about dying! The true pity is that after more than 400 years of Han rule, it all now comes to an end!"

56

武士擁陶出，方欲行刑，一大臣喝住曰：「勿得下手，待我諫去。」眾視之，乃司徒陳耽。逕入宮中來諫帝曰：「劉諫議得何罪而受誅？」帝曰：「毀謗近臣，朕躬。」耽曰：「天下人民，欲食十常侍之肉，陛下敬之如父母，身無寸功，皆封列侯；況封諝等結連黃巾，欲為內亂。

The guards^[25] forcibly led Tao out of the chamber. They were about to carry out his sentence, when a senior official yelled at them to stop, saying, "Take no further action, wait for me to advise the emperor." They all looked to see who it was. It was Minister over the Masses Chen Dan. He walked straight into the palace, and admonished the emperor, saying, "What crime has Advisor Liu committed that he should receive a death sentence?" The emperor replied, "He has slandered my closest attendants, and insulted me personally." Dan said, "The people of the nation want to eat the ten regular attendants for breakfast, yet Your Majesty reveres them like parents. They have done nothing of merit, and yet they have all been granted honorary marquis status. Not only that, Feng Xu was in cahoots with the Yellow Turbans, and was on the verge of wreaking havoc.

57

陛下今不自省，社稷立見崩摧矣！」

If Your Majesty does not engage in some introspection right now, the country will be toppled for sure!"

58

帝曰：「封諝作亂，其事不明。十常侍中，豈無一二忠臣？」

The emperor responded, "If Feng Xu was involved in wreaking havoc, I was not aware of it. Among the ten regular attendants, surely there must be at least one or two that are loyal ministers?"

59

陳耽以頭撞階而諫。

Chen Dan reiterated his opinion while banging his head on the ground in subservience.

60

帝怒，命牽出，與劉陶皆下獄。是夜，十常侍即於獄中謀殺之。

The emperor was outraged, and ordered him removed. Both he and Liu Tao were thrown in prison. That night at the prison, the ten regular attendants had them both murdered.

61

假帝詔以孫堅為長沙太守，討區星。

They forged an imperial decree which made Sun Jian the governor of Changsha, so that he could prosecute Ou Xing.

62

不五十日，報捷，江夏平。

Within less than fifty days, victory was reported, and Jiangxia was pacified.

63

詔封堅為烏程侯，封劉虞為幽州牧，領兵往漁陽征張舉、張純。代州劉恢以書薦玄德見虞。虞大喜，令玄德為都尉，引兵直抵賊巢，與賊大戰數日，挫動銳氣。張純專一凶暴，士卒心變，帳下頭目刺殺張純，將頭納獻。

An imperial decree was issued which made Jian the marquis of Wucheng; Liu Yu was made overlord of Youzhou, and led his army toward Yuyang in order to go after Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun. Liu Hui of Daizhou wrote a letter of recommendation on behalf of Xuande, and sent it to Yu. Yu was overjoyed; he issued an order for Xuande to be made a captain, and to lead a force of men to make a direct assault on the bandits' lair. They engaged in heavy fighting with the bandits for several days, and remained steadfast despite several setbacks. Zhang Chun was especially cruel, which caused his soldiers to have a change of heart. Zhang Chun's chief underling stabbed him to death, and then he handed over the head.

64

率眾來降。張舉見勢敗，亦自縊死。

After that, he led the rebel army in surrender. Zhang Ju saw that the situation was hopeless, so he hanged himself.

65

漁陽盡平。劉虞表奏劉備大功，朝廷赦免鞭督郵之罪。

Yuyang was now completely pacified. Liu Yu reported Liu Bei's exploits to the emperor, so the court pardoned him for the beating of the county inspector.

66

除下密丞，遷高堂尉。公孫瓚又表劉玄德前功，薦為別部司馬，守平原縣令。玄德在平原，頗有錢糧軍馬，重整舊日氣象。劉虞平寇有功，封太尉。

He was made minister of Xiami County, and he was later made a military commander in Gaotang County. Gongsun Zan also wrote a glowing report about Xuande's previous exploits, and recommended that he be made a military clerk in another region. He was then made governor of Pingyuan County. When Xuande was in Pingyuan, he was given a greater stipend and was put in charge of a large number of horses and men. In this way, he was able to restore things back to the way they were in the past. For his role in putting down the bandits, Liu Yu was made Grand Commandant.

67

中平六年，夏四月，靈帝病篤，召大將軍何進入宮，商議後事。

In the fourth lunar month of the sixth year of Zhongping,^[26] Emperor Ling became deathly ill. He summoned supreme general He Jin to the palace to discuss the matter of his successor.

68

那何進起身屠家；因妹入宮為貴人，生皇子辯，遂立為皇后，進由是得權重任。帝又寵幸王美人，生皇子協。何后嫉妒，鴆殺王美人。

Prince Xie

He Jin originally came from a family of butchers. However, his younger sister had become a consort within the palace, and had given birth to Prince Bian. As a result, she became an empress, and Jin was given an important and powerful post. Emperor Ling had a special fondness for Consort Wang, who gave birth to Prince Xie. Empress He became jealous, and killed Consort Wang by poisoning her.

69

皇子協養于董太后宮中。董太后乃靈帝之母，解瀆亭侯劉萇之妻也。初因桓帝無子，迎立解瀆亭侯之子，是為靈帝。靈帝入繼大統，遂迎養母氏于宮中，尊為太后。

After that, Prince Xie was raised within the palace of Empress Dowager Dong. Empress Dowager Dong was the mother of Emperor Ling, and the wife of Liu Chang, Marquis of Jiedu Ting. Since Emperor Huan had no sons, the son of Marquis of Jiedu Ting was selected for the throne; this was Emperor Ling. Emperor Ling succeeded the throne, so his mother was also brought into the palace, and was given the title of empress dowager.

70

董太后嘗勸帝立皇子協為太子。帝亦偏愛協，欲立之。當時病篤，中常侍蹇碩奏曰：「若欲立協，必先誅何進，以絕後患。」帝然其說，因宣進入宮。進至宮門，司馬潘隱謂進曰：「不可入宮。蹇碩欲謀殺公。」進大驚，急歸私宅，召諸大臣，欲盡誅宦官。座上一人挺身出曰：「宦官之勢，起自沖、質之時；朝廷滋蔓極廣，安能盡誅？倘機不密，必有滅族之禍。請細詳之。」進視之，乃典軍校尉曹操也。進叱曰：「汝小輩安知朝廷大事！」

Empress Dowager Dong had advised the emperor to make Prince Xie the crown prince. The emperor was also partial to Xie, and wanted to pick him as his successor. Jian Shuo, the emperor's personal attendant, addressed the emperor, saying, "If Xie is chosen, He Jin must first be killed, in order to avoid any future repercussions." The emperor agreed, and summoned Jin to the palace. When Jin arrived at the gates to the palace, a military clerk named Pan Yin said to Jin, "You must not enter the palace. Jian Shuo will have you murdered." Jin was shocked; he hurried back to his private residence, and summoned all of his ministers. He wanted to kill all of the eunuchs. A man on the dais defiantly stood up and said, "The power of the eunuchs has been building ever since the time of Chong and Zhi. They have spread like a virus throughout the court; how can we possibly kill them all? If the plot is not kept secret, they could wipe us from the face of the earth." Jin looked at him, and saw that it was junior captain Cao Cao. Jin rebuked him, saying, "What would a junior ranking officer like you know about important matters of the court!"

71

正躊躇間，潘隱至，言「帝已崩。今蹇碩與十常侍商議，秘不發喪，矯詔宣何國舅入宮，欲絕後患，冊立皇子協為帝。」說未了，使命至，宣進速入，以定後事。操曰：「今日之計，先宜正君，然後圖賊。」

Just as they were pondering their next move, Pan Yin arrived, and said, "The emperor is already dead. Today, Jian Shuo talked things over with the ten regular attendants; the death is to be kept secret so that they can forge an imperial edict which summons Uncle He to the palace. They would like to take care of any future repercussions, and they would like to hold a ceremony to make Prince Xie the new emperor." He had not even finished speaking, when the order arrived for Jin to enter the palace as soon as possible so that a successor could be chosen. Cao said, "For now, the plan should be: first, choose the correct successor to the throne; next, deal with the traitors."

72

進曰：「誰敢與吾正君位討賊？」一人挺身出曰：「願借精兵五千，斬關入內，冊立新君，盡誅閹豎，掃清朝廷，以安天下！」

Jin said, "Who is daring enough to join with me in choosing the correct successor and in prosecuting the traitors?" One man stood up and said, "I would like to ready five thousand elite troops, and we will fight our way into the palace. We will then put a new successor on the throne, and kill all of the wretched eunuchs. We shall sweep through the court until it is free of any impurities, and thus bring peace to the country!"

73

進視之，乃司徒袁逢之子，袁隗之姪，名紹，字本初，見為司隸校尉。何進大喜，遂點御林軍五千。紹全身披掛。何進引何顒、荀攸、鄭泰等大臣三十餘員，相繼而入，就靈帝柩前，扶立太子辯即皇帝位。百官呼拜已畢，袁紹入宮收蹇碩，碩慌走入御園花陰下，為中常侍郭勝所殺。

Yuan Shao

Jin saw that it was the son of Minister over the Masses Yuan Feng, and the nephew of Yuan Wei. His surname was Yuan, and his given name was Shao; his style name was Benchu.^[27] He was currently serving as Colonel Director of Retainers. He Jin was overjoyed, and gave him five thousand men from the capital guard. Shao dressed himself in full-body armor. He Jin took more than thirty people with him, including such important ministers as He Yong, Xun You and Zheng Tai. They all filed into the palace, and in front of Emperor Ling's coffin, they helped Prince Bian onto the imperial throne. After all of the officials had finished paying their respects,^[28] Yuan Shao entered the palace to capture Jian Shuo. Shuo panicked and ran out into the courtyard, where he was killed in the shade of the bushes by the attendant Guo Sheng.

74

碩所領禁軍，盡皆投順。紹謂何進曰：「中官結黨，今日可乘勢盡誅之。」

The palace guards that Shuo was in charge of all surrendered. Shao said to He Jin, "The eunuchs have formed a faction, and now we should seize the opportunity to kill them all."

75

張讓等知事急，慌入告何后曰：「始初設謀陷害大將軍者，止蹇碩一人，並不干臣等事。今大將軍聽袁紹之言，欲盡誅臣等，乞娘娘憐憫。」何太后曰：「汝等勿憂，我當保汝。」傳旨宣何進入。太后密謂曰：「我與汝出身寒微，非張讓等，焉能享此富貴？今蹇碩不仁，既已伏誅，汝何聽信人言，欲盡誅宦官耶？」

People like Zhang Rang understood the dire nature of the situation, and hurriedly ran into Empress He's chambers, saying, "It was only ever Jian Shuo who plotted to set up the supreme general. It had nothing to do with us. Now the general has listened to Yuan Shao's advice and wants to kill all of us. We beg our empress for mercy!" Empress He replied, "Don't you worry, I will protect you." She then sent a decree which ordered He Jin to enter her chambers. The empress dowager confided in him, "You and me, we're both from humble and lowly origins. If it weren't for Zhang Rang and the others, how could we possibly have attained this wealth and prestige? Jian Shuo has now acted ungraciously, and was killed for his misdeeds. How can you believe what people are saying, and want to kill all of the eunuchs?"

76

何進聽罷，出謂眾官曰：「蹇碩設謀害我，可族滅其家。其餘不必妄加殘害。」

After He Jin heard her explanation, he went out and told everyone, "Jian Shuo has plotted my demise, and his entire family should be killed for it. It is not necessary to cause additional harm to any of the others."

77

袁紹曰：「若不斬草除根，必為喪身之本。」

Yuan Shao said, "If you don't nip this in the bud, it will eventually be the death of you."

78

進曰：「吾意已決，汝勿多言。」眾官皆退。次日，太后命何進參錄尚書事，其餘皆封官職。董太后宣張讓等入宮商議曰：「何進之妹，始初我擡舉他。今日他孩兒即皇帝位，內外臣僚，皆其心腹，威權太重，我將如何？」讓奏曰：「娘娘可臨朝，垂簾聽政；封皇子協為王；加國舅董重大官，掌握軍權，重用臣等。

Jin replied, "I have already made up my mind, say nothing further." After that, they all dispersed. The following day, the empress dowager ordered that He Jin be made chief of staff. All of her other people were also given official posts. Empress Dowager Dong summoned Zhang Rang to her chambers to discuss the matter. She said, "At first, I helped to advance He Jin's younger sister. Now that her son has become emperor, all of the ministers from inside and outside of the palace are her trusted confidents. She has too much power; what should I do?" Rang addressed her, saying, "You could personally take over the running of the government. You could make Prince Xie the emperor, and rule on his behalf from behind a curtain.^[29] You could then place your brother Dong Chong in a powerful post, and put him in charge of the military. If you assign me and my colleagues to important positions,

79

大事可圖矣。」董太后大喜。次日設朝，董太后降旨，封皇子協為陳留王，董重為驃騎將軍，張讓等共預朝政。何太后見董太后專權，于宮中設一宴，請董太后赴席。酒至半酣，何太后起身捧杯再拜曰：「我等皆婦人也，參預朝政，非其所宜。昔呂后因握重權，宗族千口皆被戮。今我等宜深居九重，朝廷大事，任大臣元老自行商議，今國家之幸也。願垂聽焉。」

If you do that, you will be able to accomplish great things." Empress Dowager Dong was overjoyed. The following day at court, Empress Dowager Dong handed down a decree which made Prince Xie the Prince of Chenliu. Dong Chong was made general of fast cavalry. Zhang Rang and his colleagues were all granted administrative powers to run the government. Empress Dowager He saw that Empress Dowager Dong was monopolizing power, so she organized a banquet within the palace, and requested that Empress Dowager Dong attend. After a few cups of wine, Empress Dowager He stood up, wine cup in hand, and bowed twice,^[30] saying, "We're just women after all. It is not appropriate for us to participate in the running of the government. In the past, Empress Lü was given power and as a result, a thousand people of the same clan were killed. We should dwell behind the cloistered walls of the palace. Major affairs of state should be delegated to senior ministers, who consult with each other on their own. This is a good thing for the nation, do you really want to personally run things?"

80

董后大怒曰：「汝鴆死王美人，設心嫉妒。

Empress Dowager Dong flew into a rage, saying, "It was you who poisoned Consort Wang out of spite and jealousy.

81

今倚汝子為君，與汝兄何進之勢，輒敢亂言！吾敕驃騎斷汝兄首，如反掌耳！」何后亦怒曰：「吾以好言相勸，何反怒耶？」董后曰：「汝家屠沽小輩，有何見識！」兩宮互相爭競。

It is only because your son is the emperor, and the mighty He Jin is your brother, that you dare speak such non-sense! I could command the general of fast cavalry to cut off your brother's head with a wave of my hand!" Empress He also responded in anger, saying, "I was using friendly words when I gave you advice, why do you respond with such anger?" Empress Dong said, "You come from a low-class family of meat butchers and wine sellers, what do you know about anything!" As the two of them continued their war of words.

82

張讓等各勸歸宮。何后連夜召何進入宮，告以前事。何進出，召三公共議：來早設朝，使廷臣奏董太后原係藩妃，不宜久居宮中，合仍遷于河間安置，限目下即出國門。一面遣人起送董后；一面點禁軍圍驃騎將軍董重府宅，追索印綬。董重知事急，自刎于後堂。家人舉哀，軍士方散。

Zhang Rang and his colleagues urged both of them to return to their chambers. Empress He sent word day and night for He Jin to come to the palace; when he arrived, she told him what had happened. He Jin came out, and immediately convened a meeting with the three most senior ministers. He made them hold court in the early hours of the morning, and issue a statement saying that Empress Dowager Dong started out as the wife of a low-ranking noble, and hence should not permanently reside at the palace. It further stated that it would be best if she were relocated to Hejian, and that she would have a fixed number of days within which to leave the gates of the capital. They then sent someone to escort Empress Dong, while at the same time ordering the capital guards to surround general of fast cavalry Dong Chong's manor. They were to apprehend him, and take possession of his official government seal. Dong Chong understood the dire nature of the situation, and committed suicide in a rear hall. The military troops did not disperse until his family members held the funeral.

83

張讓、段珪見董后一枝已廢，遂皆以金珠玩好結構何進弟何苗迸其母舞陽君，令早晚入何太后處，善言遮蔽；因此，十常侍又得近幸。

When Zhang Rang and Duan Gui saw that Empress Dong's branch of the family had been nullified, they resorted to using bribes of gold and pearls to collude with He Jin's younger brother He Miao and his mother, the Lady of Wuyang. The stipulation was that sooner or later, they would meet with Empress Dowager He and put in a good word so that the eunuchs would be protected. Because of this, the ten regular attendants acquired a new benefactor.

84

六月，何進暗使人酖殺董后于河間驛庭。

In the sixth lunar month,^[31] He Jin secretly sent someone to poison Empress Dong at her villa in Hejian.

85

舉柩回京，葬于文陵。進托病不出，司隸校尉袁紹入見進曰：「張讓、段珪等，流言于外，言公酖殺董后，欲謀大事；乘此時不誅閹宦，後必為大禍。

Her coffin was transported back to the capital, and laid to rest at the Wen Imperial tombs.^[32] Jin faked an illness, and did not attend the funeral. Colonel Director of Retainers Yuan Shao came in to see Jin, and said, "Zhang Rang and Duan Gui are spreading rumors. They are saying that you poisoned Empress Dong, and that you are plotting something major. If we do not seize this opportunity to kill the eunuchs, there will be a major catastrophe later on.

86

昔竇武欲誅內豎，機謀不密，反受其殃。今公兄弟部曲將吏，皆英俊之士。

In the past, Dou Wu wanted to kill them, but his secret plot was revealed, which then brought about his downfall. Right now, your allies within the military and civil bureaucracy are all stout and able men.

87

若使儘力，事在掌握。此天贊之時，不可失也。」進曰：「且容商議。」左右密報張讓。

If you were to pull out all of the stops, you could take control. You cannot let this opportune moment pass by." Jin replied, "We should discuss this more." One of his attendants secretly reported the conversation to Zhang Rang.

88

讓等轉告何苗，又多送賄賂。苗入奏何后云：「大將軍輔佐新君，不行仁慈，專務殺伐；今無端又欲殺十常侍，此取亂之道也。」后納其言。少頃，何進入白后，欲誅中涓。

Rang then relayed the information to He Miao, along with even more bribes. Miao went to Empress He, and said, "The supreme general has helped to establish a new ruler, but he has not shown any leniency. He seems bent on killing. Now he wants to kill the ten regular attendants for no reason. This is the path to chaos." The empress took his words to heart. After a while, He Jin went to the empress to tell her about his desire to kill the eunuchs.

89

何后曰：「中官統領禁省，漢家故事。先帝新棄天下，爾欲誅殺舊臣，非重宗廟也。」進本是沒決斷之人。

Empress He said, "The eunuchs are in charge of the imperial household. The house of Han has operated in this way for generations. The late emperor has only recently abandoned this world for the next, yet you want to kill all of his old ministers; this does not show proper respect to the temple of our ancestors." Jin was not a decisive man

90

聽太后言，唯唯而出。袁紹迎問曰：「大事若何？」進曰：「太后不允，如之奈何？」紹曰：「可召四方英雄之士，勒兵來京，盡誅閹豎。此時事急，不容太后不從。」

He listened to the empress dowager and murmured his compliance as he was leaving. Yuan Shao intercepted him and asked, "What has become of our great undertaking?" Jin replied, "The empress dowager will not allow it, so what can I do?" Shao said, "You could recruit brave soldiers from all over, and bring them into the capital to kill all of the wretched eunuchs. At this point, the situation is desperate. The empress dowager must not be allowed to dissent."

91

進曰：「此計大妙！」

Jin said, "That is a brilliant plan!"

92

便發檄至各鎮，召赴京師。主簿陳琳曰：「不可。俗云：『掩目而捕燕雀，是自欺也。』微物尚不可欺以得志，況國家大事乎？今將軍仗皇威，掌兵要，龍驤虎步，高下在心；若欲誅宦官，如鼓洪爐燎毛髮耳。但當速發雷霆，行權立斷，則天人順之；却反外檄大臣，臨犯京闕。英雄聚會，各懷一心。所謂倒持干戈，授人以柄，功必不成，反生亂矣。」

a brambling

He then sent notices to every hamlet, calling on troops to come to the capital. Chief of records Chen Lin said, "You must not! As the saying goes, 'to cover one's eyes while trying to catch a brambling,' this is to deceive oneself. If you are still unable to assert your will over small things, what about important matters of state? You now rely on imperial might, and a command of the military, to throw your weight about and do as you please. Your wanting to kill the eunuchs is akin to lighting a large oven just to burn up a few hairs. You merely need to unleash your wrath quickly. If you exercise your powers in a decisive manner, then everyone will follow your lead. But instead, you have issued a call to arms to all of the important ministers. They are streaming into the capital. With all of these heroes gathered together, each with a mind of his own, you are essentially offering the butt of your spear to others.^[33] By relinquishing your authority, your endeavor will surely fail, and chaos will emerge."

93

何進笑曰：「此懦夫之見也！」

He Jin laughed and said, "This is the view of a coward!"

94

旁邊一人鼓掌大笑曰：「此事易如反掌，何必多議！」視之，乃曹操也。正是：欲除君側宵人亂，須聽朝中智士謀。不知曹操說出甚話來，且聽下文分解。

A man standing to the side started to clap his hands as he burst out laughing, saying, "This is as easy as turning over your hand, there is no need for excessive debate!" They looked at the man; it was Cao Cao. It was a case of:

If the king is taken away, then the mice will come out to play. One must listen to the plans of the wise and talented men at court.

Are you wondering what Cao Cao was about to say? Keep listening, and all will be explained.

---

Notes

1. "Royal uncle" is a reference to the fact that He Jin is the brother of the emperor's consort, Empress He.
2. (Mao Zonggang annotation):

   翼德要救盧植，不曾救得。要殺董卓，不曾殺得；今遇督郵，更不能耐矣！督郵蠹國害民。是又一黃巾也。柳條一頓，可謂再破黃巾第二功。

   Yide wanted to rescue Lu Zhi, but was unable to rescue him. He wanted to kill Dong Zhuo, but was unable to kill him. Having now encountered the county inspector, he was even more rash! The county inspector was corrupt and was harming the people. It was the Yellow Turbans all over again. Whipping the county inspector with willow branches could be said to be a second triumph over people like the Yellow Turbans.

   寫翼德十分性急。接手便寫何進十分性慢。性急不曾誤事，性慢誤事不小。人謂項羽不能忍，是性急。高祖能忍，是性慢。此其說非也。項羽刻印將封，印敝而不忍與。鴻門會上，范增三舉玦而不忍發。正病在遲疑不斷。何嘗性急？高祖四萬斤金，可捐則捐之。三齊、九江、大梁之地，可割則割之。六國印，可銷則銷之。鴻溝之約，可背則背之。正妙在果斷有餘。何嘗性慢？

   Yide was quite rash. Following that, He Jin is described by the author as being quite passive. Rash people do not miss opportunities, whereas passive people miss many opportunities. It is said that Xiang Yu was incapable of being patient, and was therefore rash. Similarly, Gaozu was said to be patient and therefore passive. But, these characterizations are inaccurate. Xiang Yu had a seal made that he intended to present to a subordinate, but did not give it to him because he judged the seal to be of inferior quality. During the feast at Swan Goose Gate, Fan Zeng raised his jade pendant three times as a signal to Xiang Yu to have Gaozu killed, but Xiang Yu was hesitant, and would not give the order. His flaw was that he was indecisive. How can this be described as rash? If Gaozu was able to offer 40,000 catties of gold as an incentive for Chen Ping to defect from Xiang Yu and join with him, he would do it. If he could divide up the lands of Qi, Jiujiang and Daliang, he would. If he could do away with the seals of the six kingdoms, he would. If he could break the Treaty of Hong Canal, he would. The key to his success was his decisiveness. How could this be called passive?

   西漢則外戚盛于宦官。東漢則宦官盛于外戚。惟其外戚盛也，故初則產、祿幾危漢祚。後則王莽遂移漢鼎。而宦官如弘恭、石顯輩，雖嘗擅權，未至如東漢之橫。是西漢之亡，亡於外戚也。若東漢則不然。外戚與宦官迭為消長。而以宦官圖外戚，則常勝。如鄭眾之殺竇憲、單超之殺梁冀是也。以外戚圖宦官，則常不勝。如竇武見殺于前，而何進復見殺于後是也。是東漢之亡，亡于宦豎也。然竇武不勝，止于身死。何進不勝，遂以亡國。何也？曰：召外兵之故也。外戚圖之而不勝，至召外兵以勝之，而前門拒虎，後門進狼。國於是乎非君之國矣。亂漢者宦豎也。亡漢者外鎮也。而召外鎮者外戚也。然則謂東漢之亡，亦亡於外戚，可也。

   During the Western Han, the consort kins were more influential than the eunuchs. During the Eastern Han, the eunuchs were more influential than the consort kins. However, in the case of the consort kins, in the beginning, the Empress Lü’s two nephews Lü Chan and Lü Lu nearly brought down the Han dynasty. Still later, another consort kin, Wang Mang, usurped the power of the Han entirely. Now, even though eunuchs like Hong Gong and Shi Xian did wield power during the Western Han, they were nowhere near as treacherous as the eunuchs of the Eastern Han. It was the consort kins who brought down the Western Han. This was not the case when it comes to the Eastern Han. During the Eastern Han, it was a constant back and forth between the consort kins and the eunuchs. Now, when it comes to the eunuchs scheming against the consort kins, they often were victorious. Two examples of this are when the eunuch Zheng Zhong had Dou Xian killed, and when the eunuch Shan Chao had Liang Ji killed. However, when it comes to the consort kins scheming against the eunuchs, they often did not win. Two examples of this are when first Dou Wu was killed, and then He Jin. It was the eunuchs who brought about the downfall of the Eastern Han. Now, when Dou Wu lost, it ended with his life. However, when He Jin lost, it led to the downfall of the state. Why? It is because he brought in troops from the outside. If a consort kin’s failed plot against the eunuchs results in him bringing in outside troops to win, he is merely blocking the tigers at the front gate, while allowing the wolves to enter through the back gate. As a result, the state is no longer a state run by the monarch. It was the eunuchs who brought chaos to the Han. It was the military forces from the outer territories that brought an end to the Han. However, it was a consort kin who brought in those forces. Therefore, one might say that it also was the consort kins who brought an end to the Eastern Han.

   前於玄德傳中，忽然夾敘曹操。此又於玄德傳中，忽然帶表孫堅。一為魏太祖，一為吳太祖。三分鼎足之所從來也。分鼎雖属孫權，而伏線則已在此。此全部大關目處。

   In the previous chapter, Cao Cao’s biography suddenly was inserted into the middle of Xuande’s biography. In this chapter, we suddenly bring Sun Jian into the picture, again in the middle of Xuande’s biography. One was the founder of Wei, and one was the founder of Wu. This was the origin of the three legs of the tripod. Although it was Sun Quan who ultimately formed one of the initial legs of the Three Kingdoms tripod, the hidden thread to that outcome can be found here, in the story of Sun Jian. All of this is key to understanding the story.

   三大國將興，先有三小醜為之作引。三小醜既滅，又有眾小醜為之餘波。從來實事未嘗徑遂率直。奈何今之作稗官者，本可任意添設，而反徑遂率直耶！

   As the Three Kingdoms began to take shape, we initially see the rise of the three clowns: Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. The demise of the three clowns brought about all sorts of upheavals in their wake. The true events of history are almost never straight forward. Why would we expect a popular retelling of the story, where the author is free to add whatever he wants to the story, to be straight forward!

3. Literal meaning: second son who is clever
4. (Mao Zonggang annotation): 一味驕傲。便算不得奸雄，便不及曹操。

   He was merely arrogant. However, he was no match for the treacherous scheming of Cao Cao.

5. (Mao Zonggang annotation): 確是怒後憤急語。不然，三人義同生死，何出此言？

   This obviously was said in a moment of anger. Otherwise, why would he have said such a thing, after the three of the pledged their lives to each other?

6. (Mao Zonggang annotation): 首回夾敘曹操。此處還他一句下落，且為後文伏線。

   The story of Cao Cao was squeezed into the narrative in chapter one. Now, there is another line about him here, a hidden thread for what happens later in the text.

7. i.e. refuse to allow Han Zhong to surrender
8. The source text for this translation appears to have a typo here. Instead of, “southeast” (東南), it says “east-west” (東西), which does not make sense.
9. In ancient times, the three armies referred to the armies of the left, right and center.
10. One li was approximately 415.8 meters, ten li would have been 4.158 km (~2.582118 miles).
11. Literal meaning: writing table
12. The area between Xuyi and Xiapi.
13. Henan is where the capital is located.
14. Zhang Jun is commander of the palace guard.
15. i.e. significant contributions in fighting against the Yellow Turbans
16. Here is one of several places where the author introduces anachronisms. The Zhongshan government seat (中山府) was not established until the Song Dynasty.
17. The implication is that Xuande did not abuse his power by accepting bribes etc.
18. The term for civil officials (長吏) refers to any official of the Han Dynasty who was entitled to more than 600 dàn (石) of rice (roughly 775 bushels by today's standards).
19. According to protocol, a person of importance would sit on the south side of a room facing north.
20. A phoenix is a mythological animal that was known for its beauty. Here, it is being used metaphorically to refer to a man of greatness (such as Xuande).
21. Official seals of this period usually had a silk cord tied through a loop at the top of the seal.
22. i.e. a warrant to arrest Xuande
23. i.e. emperor
24. Liu Tao's job as advisor involves being responsible for maintaining discipline among the palace attendants.
25. The source text appears to have a typo here. Instead of 武士, “guards”, it says 武上, which is non-sensical.
26. May 189; Zhōngpíng (中平, middle peace, 184-189) was a Chinese era name from the reign of Emperor Ling of Han.
27. Literal meaning: the original
28. i.e. Paying their respects to the deceased emperor
29. Subjects were forbidden to look directly at the empress dowager.
30. A customary practice which showed one's respect.
31. July, 189
32. Northwest of present day Luoyang (the capital at that time).
33. By offering the butt of the spear, its tip will be pointed at your heart