第170部分(第2/7 页)

ity　the　crowd　was　shouting　one　to　another：　〃Slay　Cao　Cao　and　restore　the　Hans！〃

When　Xiahou　Dun　had　received　thirty　thousand　troops　and　the　mand　to　keep　watch　and　ward　over　the　capital；　he　had　gone　into　camp　three　miles　from　the　city。　When　he　saw　the　conflagration　start；　he　set　the　army　in　motion　and　surrounded　the　city。　He　also　sent　reinforcements　to　Cao　Xiu　within。

Inside　the　city　the　fighting　went　on　all　night。　No　one　joined　the　conspirators；　the　small　band　were　left　to　their　own　efforts。　Soon　it　was　reported　that　Jin　Yi；　Ji　Mao；　and　Ji　Mu　were　slain。　Geng　Ji　and　Wei　Huang　found　their　way　to　one　of　the　gates；　but　there　they　met　Xiahou　Dun's　main　force　and　were　made　prisoners。　The　handful　of　men　with　them　were　cut　to　pieces。

When　the　fighting　subsided；　Xiahou　Dun　went　into　the　city　and　set　his　troops　to　put　out　the　fires。　He　also　laid　hands　on　the　whole　households　of　the　five　conspirators。　Then　he　sent　a　report　to　Cao　Cao；　who　sent　back　orders　to　execute　the　two　conspirators　and　put　to　death　in　public　all　the　members　of　the　five　families。　He　was　also　to　arrest　every　official　and　send　the　whole　batch　to　Yejun　for　interrogations。

Xiahou　Dun　sent　his　two　chief　prisoners　to　the　place　of　execution。　They　shouted　against　Cao　Cao。

〃Living　we　have　failed　to　slay　you；　Cao　Cao。　Dead　we　will　be　malicious　spirits　smiting　rebels　in　all　places！〃

The　executioner　smote　Geng　Ji　on　the　mouth　with　his　sword；　so　that　the　blood　gushed　out；　but　he　continued　to　shout　as　long　as　he　could。

Wei　Huang；　his　fellow…conspirator；　dashed　his　temples　on　the　ground；　crying；　〃How　I　hate　him！〃　and　ground　his　teeth　till　he　broke　them　to　fragments。　And　they　both　died　of　hatred　and　exhaustion。

Who　can　with　outstretched　hands　uphold　the　sky

Or　th