第24部分(第2/7 页)

is　enemy　had　escaped；　Li　Jue　would　have　sent　an　army　to　wreak　vengeance　on　his　general。

But　his　adviser　Jia　Xu　again　came　in；　saying；　〃The　people　are　yet　unsettled；　it　was　dangerous　to　provoke　another　war。　Instead；　invite　Fan　Chou　to　a　banquet　and；　while　the　feast　was　in　progress；　executing　him　for　dereliction　of　duty。〃

This　seemed　good　to　Li　Jue；　so　the　banquet　was　prepared。　Zhang　Ji　and　Fan　Chou　accepted　their　invitations　and　went　cheerfully。

Toward　the　latter　part　of　the　entertainment　a　sudden　change　came　over　their　host　Li　Jue；　and　he　suddenly　asked　Fan　Chou；　〃Why　have　you　been　intriguing　with　Han　Sui？　You　are　turning　traitor；　eh？〃

The　unhappy　guest　was　taken　aback。　Before　he　could　frame　his　words　to　reply；　he　saw　the　assassins　rush　out　with　swords　and　axes。　In　a　moment　all　was　over；　and　Fan　Chou's　head　lay　beneath　the　table。

Scared　beyond　measure；　his　fellow…guest　Zhang　Ji　groveled　on　the　floor。

〃Fan　Chou　was　a　traitor；〃　said　the　host；　raising　Zhang　Ji　by　the　arm；　〃and　he　has　his　deserts。　You　are　my　friend　and　need　not　fear。〃

Li　Jue　gave　Zhang　Ji　mand　of　Fan　Chou's　army　with　which　Zhang　Ji　returned　to　his　headquarters　garrison　in　Hongnong。

No　one　of　the　leaders　among　the　leaguers　dared　attempt　an　attack　on　the　party　newly　risen　from　Dong　Zhuo's　disaffection；　while　on　the　other　hand　Jia　Xu　never　ceased　to　urge　his　masters　to　exert　themselves　for　the　welfare　of　the　people　and　thus　to　tempt　wise　people　to　join　them。　And　by　these　means　the　government　began　to　prosper；　and　the　court　to　reassert　its　authority。

However；　a　new　trouble　arose　in　the　shape　of　a　resurgence　of　Yellow　Scarves　in　Qingzhou。　They　came；　under　numerous　chieftains；　in　the　number　of　hundreds　of　thousand　and　plundered　any　place　they　reached。