第8部分(第1/7 页)

Dong　Zhuo　induced　the　soldiers　of　the　two　brothers　He　Jin　and　He　Miao　to　join　his　mand；　and　privately　spoke　to　his　adviser　Li　Ru　about　deposing　the　Emperor　in　favor　of　the　Prince　of　Chenliu。

〃The　government　is　really　without　a　head。　There　can　be　no　better　time　than　this　to　carry　out　your　plan。　Delay　will　spoil　all。　Tomorrow　assemble　the　officials　in　the　Wenming　Garden　and　address　them　on　the　subject。　Put　all　opponents　to　death；　and　your　prestige　is　settled。〃

So　spoke　Li　Ru；　and　the　words　pleased　Dong　Zhuo　mightily。

So　the　next　day　Dong　Zhuo　spread　a　feast　and　invited　many　guests。　As　all　the　officers　went　in　terror　of　him；　no　one　dared　be　absent。　Dong　Zhuo　himself　rode　up　to　the　garden　last　of　all　and　took　his　place　with　his　sword　girded　on。　When　the　wine　had　gone　round　several　times；　Dong　Zhuo　stopped　the　service　and　the　music　and　began　to　speak。

〃I　have　something　to　say。　Listen　quietly　all　of　you！〃

All　turned　towards　him。

〃The　emperor　is　lord　of　all。　If　he　lacks　dignity　and　behaves　in　an　unseemly　manner；　he　is　no　fitting　inheritor　of　the　ancestral　prerogatives。　He　who　is　now　on　the　throne　is　a　weakling；　inferior　to　the　Prince　of　Chenliu　in　intelligence　and　love　of　learning。　The　Prince　is　in　every　way　fitted　for　the　throne。　I　desire　to　depose　the　Emperor　and　set　up　the　Prince　in　his　place。　What　think　you？〃

The　assembly　listened　in　perfect　silence；　none　daring　at　first　to　utter　a　word　of　dissent。　But　one　dared；　for　suddenly　a　guest　stood　up　in　his　place；　smote　the　table　and　cried。

〃No！　No！　Who　are　you　that　you　dare　utter　such　bold　words？　The　Emperor　is　son　of　the　late　Emperor　and　has　done　no　wrong。　Why　then　should　he　be　deposed？　Are　you　a　rebel？〃

The　speaker　was　Ding　Yuan；　Imperial　Protector　of　Bingzhou。