第275部分(第6/7 页)

f　officers　to　a　council。　They　came；　all　but　Minister　Chen　Tai。　Sima　Zhao　noticed　his　absence　and　sent　the　Chair　of　the　Secretariat　Xun　Yi；　his　uncle；　to　call　him。

Chen　Tai　wept　aloud；　saying；　〃Gossips　often　class　me　and　my　uncle　together。　Yet　today　is　my　uncle　less　virtuous　than　I。〃

However；　Chen　Tai　obeyed　the　summons　and　came；　dressed　in　the　coarse　white　cloth　of　mourning；　and　prostrated　himself　before　the　bier。　Sima　Zhao　feigned　to　be　grieved　also。

〃How　can　this　day's　work　be　judged？〃　said　Sima　Zhao。

〃If　only　Jia　Chong　be　put　to　death；　that　will　only　be　a　slight　atonement　to　satisfy　the　empire；〃　replied　Chen　Tai。

Sima　Zhao　was　silent　and　thought　long　before　he　spoke。　Then　he　said；　〃How　about　a　little　less　severe？〃

〃That　is　only　the　beginning。　I　know　not　other　punishments　less　severe。〃

〃Cheng　Ji　is　the　ungodly　rebel　and　actual　criminal。　He　should　suffer　the　death　of　shame………and　his　family；　too；〃　said　Sima　Zhao。

Thereupon　Cheng　Ji　broke　out　into　abuse　of　Sima　Zhao　and　reviled　him；　saying；　〃It　was　not　my　crime：　It　was　Jia　Chong　who　passed　on　your　own　orders！〃

Sima　Zhao　bade　them　cut　out　his　tongue　and　put　him　to　death。　They　did　so；　and　Cheng　Ji　and　his　brother　Cheng　Zu　were　both　put　to　death　in　the　market　place；　and　their　families　were　exterminated。

〃The　Emperor　must　die；〃　thus　spoke　Sima　Zhao　full　plain

In　Jia　Chong's　hearing；　and　the　Emperor　was　slain。

Although　they　killed　Cheng　Ji；　who　dealt　the　blow；

The　author　of　the　crime　we　all　well　know。

Wang　Jing's　whole　household　were　imprisoned。　He　himself　was　standing　in　the　courthouse　when　he　saw　his　mother；　Lady　Zhao；　being　brought　up　a　prisoner。

He　knocked　his　head　on　the　ground　and　wept；　saying；　〃O　unfilial　son　to　bri