第32部分(第2/7 页)

e　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　recalcitrant。　Li　Jue　tried　to　gain　favor　by　hastening　to　send　to　tell　Zhang　Ji　he　was　ready　to　make　peace。　So　did　Guo　Si。

So　the　strife　of　the　rival　factions　ended　at　last；　and　Zhang　Ji　memorialized　asking　the　Emperor　to　go　to　Hongnong　near　Luoyang。

The　Emperor　was　delighted；　saying；　〃I　have　longed　to　go　back　to　the　east。〃

Zhang