第一小说网

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第162部分（第1页）

〃Remember　the　former　attempt　with　Dong　Cheng。　The　plot　was　discovered　and　great　misery　ensued。　I　fear　that　this　will　leak　out　also；　and　both　of　us　will　be　undone。〃

Said　the　Empress；　〃We　pass　our　days　in　constant　disfort；　like　sitting　on　a　rug　full　of　needles。　If　life　is　to　be　like　this；　one　were　better　dead。　But　I　know　one　loyal　man　among　the　attendants　to　whom　I　may　entrust　the　letter。　That　one　is　Mu　Shun；　and　he　will　deliver　it。〃

Thereupon　Empress　Fu　summoned　Mu　Shun　within；　and　having　sent　away　all　others；　they　told　their　distress　to　the　faithful　one。

Emperor　Xian　said；　〃That　fellow　Cao　Cao　desires　the　dignity　of　a　prince；　and　soon　he　will　aspire　to　the　throne　itself。　I；　the　Emperor；　wish　to　order　the　father　of　my　consort　to　make　away　with　the　man；　but　the　difficulty　is　that　all　the　courtiers　are　his　creatures　and　there　is　none　whom　I　can　trust　save　yourself。　I　desire　you　to　convey　this　secret　letter　to　Fu　Wan。　I　know　your　loyalty　and　am　sure　you　will　prove　no　betrayer。〃

〃I　am　the　recipient　of　much　graciousness　for　which　not　even　death　would　prove　my　gratitude。　Thy　servant　prays　that　he　may　be　allowed　to　undertake　this。〃

The　letter　was　given　to　Mu　Shun；　who　hid　it　in　his　hair；　made　his　way　out　of　the　precincts　and　handed　it　to　its　owner。　Fu　Wan　recognized　the　handwriting　of　his　daughter　and　read　it。

Turning　to　the　messenger；　Fu　Wan　said；　〃You　know　the　fellows　creatures　are　many；　and　one　must　act　with　extreme　caution　against　him。　Unless　we　have　the　aid　of　Sun　Quans　and　Liu　Beis　armies；　Cao　Cao　will　certainly　attain　his　ends。　In　this　matter　we　must　gain　the　support　of　every　loyal　and　faithful　one　in　the　court　so　that　within　and　without　there　may　be　a　simultaneous　attack。〃

〃Then；　O　Father　of　the　Empress；　write　a　letter　in　reply　asking　for　a　secret　edict；　so　that　we　may　send　to　the　south　and　the　west　to　join　in　the　attack。〃

So　Fu　Wan　posed　a　reply；　which　he　gave　to　Mu　Shun　to　take　into　the　Palace。　This　time　also　the　letter　was　concealed　in　his　hair。

But　there　was　a　traitor；　and　Cao　Cao　heard　of　the　letters。　So　he　waited　at　a　Palace　gate　for　Mu　Shun　to　e　out。

〃Where　are　you　going？〃　asked　Cao　Cao；　when　Mu　Shun　appeared。

〃The　Empress　is　indisposed　and　has　bidden　me　call　a　physician。〃

〃Where　is　the　summon　for　the　physician？〃

〃There　is　no　summon。〃

Cao　Cao　bade　his　guards　search　Mu　Shun；　but　they　did　not　find　the　letter。

So　he　was　allowed　to　go。　But　just　then　a　gust　of　wind　blew　off　his　hat；　and　it　struck　Cao　Cao　that　that　had　not　been　examined。　So　Mu　Shun　was　called　back。　Nothing　was　found　in　the　hat；　but　when　it　was　given　back　Mu　Shun　put　it　on　with　both　hands。　There　was　something　suspicious　about　the　movement；　and　Cao　Cao　bade　the　searchers　examine　his　hair。

Therein　the　letter　of　Fu　Wan　was　found。　Cao　Cao　read　it；　which　said　that　Sun　Quan　and　Liu　Bei　were　to　be　induced　to　help。　The　unhappy　Mu　Shun　was　taken　away　into　a　secret　place　and　interrogated；　but　he　would　confess　nothing。

That　night　three　thousand　soldiers　surrounded　the　dwelling　of　Fu　Wan；　who　was　arrested　with　all　his　family。　Searching　the　house；　they　found　the　first　letter　in　the　handwriting　of　the　Empress。　Fu　Wan　and　his　family　were　then　consigned　to　a　gaol。

At　dawn；　a　party　of　Imperial　Guards；　under　Chi　Lu；　bearing　ensigns　of　authority；　entered　the　Forbidden　City　with　orders　to　take　away　the　seal　of　the　Empress。　On　the　way　they　met　the　Emperor；　who　asked　the　reason　for　a　pany　of　armed　guards　being　in　the　Palace。

〃I　have　orders　from　the　Duke　of　Wei　to　get　the　Empresss　seal；〃　said　Chi　Lu。

The　Emperor　grew　alarmed。　When　Chi　Lu　reached　the　apartments　of　the　Empress；　she　had　just　risen。　Chi　Lu　ordered　to　take　the　seal　of　the　Empress　and　went　away。

As　soon　as　the　Empress　knew　of　this；　she　recognized　her　danger　and　hid　herself　in　the　hollow　walls　of　her　private　apartments　behind　one　of　the　ceremonial　halls。　She　had　not　been　long　in　hiding　when　Hua　Xin　with　a　pany　of　five　hundred　armed　soldiers　appeared　and　asked　where　she　was。　The　Palace　people　said　they　did　not　know。　The　red　doors　of　the　hall　were　burst　open；　and　Hua　Xin　looked　in；　but　he　saw　no　lady　there。　It　occurred　to　him　where　she　might　be　hidden；　and　he　ordered　his　men　to　break　open　the　wall。　With　his　own　hands；　he　laid　hold　of　the　ladys　hair　and　dragged　her　forth。

〃Spare　my　life！〃　pleaded　she。

〃You　may　say　what　you　have　to　say　to　the　Duke！〃　cried　he。

She　pulled　down　her　hair　and　kicked　off　her　shoes；　but　a　couple　of　soldiers　pushed　her　along　in　front　of　them　outside。

It　may　be　said　here　that　this　Hua　Xin　had　a　reputation　for　learning。　He　and　two　others；　Bing　Yuan　and　Guan　Ning；　all　good　friends；　made　a　little　coterie　which　was　known　as　〃The　Dragon〃。　Hua　Xin　was　the　〃head〃；　Bing　Yuan；　the　〃belly〃；　and　Guan　Ning；　the　〃tail〃。　One　day　Guan　Ning　and　Hua　Xin　were　hoeing　in　their　garden　to　grow　some　vegetables；　when　they　turned　up　an　ingot　of　gold。　Guan　Ning　went　on　with　his　labors　without　giving　a　second　glance　at　the　find；　but　Hua　Xin　picked　it　up。　After　regarding　it　a　moment；　he　threw　it　away　again。

Another　day　Guan　Ning　and　Hua　Xin　were　reading　together　when　there　arose　a　great　shouting　outside　the　window　of　the　study。　A　minister　from　the　Palace　was　passing。　Guan　Ning　took　no　notice；　but　kept　his　eyes　on　his　book；　Hua　Xin　rose　and　went　to　the　window。　For　this；　Guan　Ning　despised　his　panion　and　the　two　parted　for　good。

Sometime　after；　in　the　disturbance　of　the　empire；　Guan　Ning　fled　into　Liaodong；　where　he　led　the　life　of　hermit。　He　wore　a　white　cap　and　lived　in　the　upper　part　of　a　house；　never　touching　the　ground　with　his　feet。　He　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　Cao　Cao　and　would　not　enter　his　service。