第50部分(第5/7 页)

ous　Sir；　that　the　Emperor　recognizes　Liu　Bei　as　an　uncle。〃

〃Liu　Bei　may　be　recognized　as　uncle；　but　he　is　under　my　orders　since　I　control　the　decrees　of　the　Throne。　He　will　be　all　the　more　ready　to　obey。　Beside　I　will　keep　him　here　under　the　pretense　of　having　him　near　his　sovereign；　and　he　will　be　entirely　in　my　hands。　I　have　nothing　to　fear。　The　man　I　fear　is　Yang　Biao；　who　is　a　relative　of　the　two　Yuan　brothers。　Should　Yang　Biao　conspire　with　them；　he　is　an　enemy　within　and　might　do　much　harm。　He　will　have　to　be　removed。〃

Hence　Cao　Cao　sent　a　secret　emissary　to　say　that　Imperial　Guardian　Yang　Biao　was　intriguing　with　Yuan　Shu；　and　on　this　charge　Yang　Biao　was　arrested　and　imprisoned。　And　his　death　would　have　been　passed　had　his　enemy　dared。

But　just　then　the　Governor　of　Beihai；　Kong　Rong；　was　at　the　capital；　and　he　remonstrated　with　Cao　Cao；　saying；　〃Yang　Biao　es　from　a　family　famed　for　virtue　for　at　least　four　generations。　You　cannot　trump　up　so　foolish　a　charge　as　that　against　him。〃

〃It　is　the　wish　of　His　Majesty！〃　retorted　Cao　Cao。

〃If　the　child　Emperor　Cheng　of　Zhou　Dynasty　had　put　Duke　Chao　to　death；　could　the　people　have　believed　Duke　Zhou；　the　Regent　Marshal；　had　nothing　to　do　with　it？〃

So　Cao　Cao　had　to　relinquish　the　attempt；　but　he　took　away　Yang　Biao's　offices　and　banished　him　to　his　family　estate　in　the　country。

Court　Counselor　Zhao　Yan；　an　opponent　of　the　Prime　Minister；　sent　up　a　memorial　impeaching　Cao　Cao　for　having　removed　a　minister　of　state　from　office　without　a　decree。　Cao　Cao's　reply　to　this　was　the　arrest　of　Zhao　Yan　and　his　execution；　a　bold　stroke　which　terrified　the　bulk　of　officers　and　reduced　them　to　silence。

Cheng　Yu　advised　Cao　Cao　to　assume　a　more　definite　position。　He　said；　〃Illust