第一小说网

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第59部分（第2页）

〃Do　you　regard　me　as　a　mere　image？〃　cried　Huang　Zu；　angrily。

So　Huang　Zu　put　the　impudent　speaker　to　death。　Even　at　the　very　point　of　death；　Mi　Heng　never　ceased　his　railing　and　abuse。

〃Alas！〃　sighed　Liu　Biao　when　he　heard　Mi　Hengs　fate。　Then　Liu　Biao　had　the　victim　honorably　interred　near　Yingwu；　on　Parrot　Island。

And　a　later　poet　wrote　of　Mi　Heng：

Huang　Zu　could　brook　no　rival；　at　his　word

Mi　Heng　met　death；　beneath　the　cruel　sword。

His　grave　on　Parrot　Isle　may　yet　be　seen；

The　river　flowing　past　it；　coldly　green。

Cao　Cao　heard　of　the　young　mans　death　with　pleasure。

〃The　putrid　bookworm　has　just　cut　himself　up　with　his　own　sharp　tongue；〃　said　he。

As　there　was　no　sign　of　Liu　Biao　ing　to　join　him；　Cao　Cao　began　to　think　of　coercion。　Xun　Yu　dissuaded　him　from　this　course。

Said　he；　〃Yuan　Shao　is　not　subjugated；　Liu　Bei　is　not　destroyed。　To　attack　Liu　Biao　would　be　to　neglect　the　vital　to　care　for　the　immaterial。　Destroy　the　two　chief　enemies　first；　and　the　Han　River　is　yours　at　one　blow。〃

And　Cao　Cao　took　the　advice。

After　the　departure　of　Liu　Bei；　Dong　Cheng　and　his　fellow　conspirators　did　nothing　else　day　or　night　but　try　to　evolve　plans　for　the　destruction　of　Cao　Cao。　But　they　could　see　no　chance　to　attack。　At　the　new　year　audience　Cao　Cao　was　odiously　arrogant　and　overweening；　and　the　chief　conspirators　disgust　was　so　intense　that　he　fell　ill。

Hearing　of　the　State　Uncles　indisposition；　the　Emperor　sent　the　Court　Physician　to　see　him。　The　Court　Physician　at　this　time　was　a　native　of　Luoyang；　named　Ji　Ping。　A　very　famous　physician；　Ji　Ping　devoted　himself　wholly　to　the　treatment　of　his　court　patient。　Living　in　Dong　Chengs　palace　and　seeing　Dong　Cheng　at　all　times；　Ji　Ping　soon　found　that　some　secret　grief　was　sorely　troubling　him。　But　Ji　Ping　dared　not　ask　questions。

One　evening　of　the　full　moon　festival；　when　the　physician　was　just　taking　his　leave；　Dong　Cheng　kept　him；　and　the　two　men　had　supper　together。　They　eat　talking　for　some　time；　and　Dong　Cheng　by　and　by　dropped　off　to　sleep　dressed　as　he　was。

Presently　Wang　Zifu　and　the　others　were　announced。　As　they　were　ing　in；　Wang　Zifu　cried；　〃Our　business　is　settled！〃

〃I　should　be　glad　to　hear　how；〃　said　Dong　Cheng。

〃Liu　Biao　has　joined　Yuan　Shao；　and　five　hundred　thousand　troops　in　fifty　legions　are　on　their　way　here　by　different　routes。　More　than　this；　Ma　Teng　and　Han　Sui　are　ing　from　the　northwest　with　seven　hundred　thousand　Xiliang　troops。　Cao　Cao　has　moved　every　soldier　outside　Xuchang　to　meet　the　bined　armies。　There　is　a　great　banquet　in　his　palace　tonight。　If　we　get　together　our　young　men　and　servants；　we　can　muster　more　than　a　thousand；　and　we　can　surround　the　palace；　while　Cao　Cao　is　at　the　banquet；　and　finish　him　off。　We　must　not　miss　this。〃

Dong　Cheng　was　more　than　delighted。　He　called　his　servants　and　armed　them；　put　on　his　own　armor　and　mounted　his　horse。　The　conspirators　met；　as　they　had　arranged；　just　at　the　inner　gate　of　the　Prime　Ministers　palace。　It　was　the　first　watch。　The　small　army　marched　straight　in；　Dong　Cheng　leading　with　his　treasured　sword　drawn。　His　intended　victim　was　at　table　in　one　of　the　private　rooms。　Dong　Cheng　rushed　in；　crying；　〃Cao　Cao；　you　rebel；　stay！〃　and　dashed　at　Cao　Cao　who　fell　at　the　first　blow。

And　just　then　he　woke　up　and　found　it　was　all　a　dream；　but　his　mouth　was　still　full　of　curses。

〃Do　you　really　wish　to　destroy　Cao　Cao？〃　said　Ji　Ping；　going　forward　to　his　half　awakened　patient。

This　brought　Dong　Cheng　to　his　senses。　He　stopped；　terror　stricken；　and　made　no　reply。

〃Do　not　be　frightened；　O　Uncle；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃Although　I　am　a　physician；　I　am　also　a　man；　and　I　never　forget　my　emperor。　You　have　seemed　sad　for　many　days；　but　I　have　never　ventured　to　ask　the　reason。　Now　you　have　shown　it　in　your　dream；　and　I　know　your　real　feelings。　If　I　can　be　of　any　use；　I　will　help。　Nothing　can　daunt　me。〃

Dong　Cheng　covered　his　face　and　wept。

〃I　fear　you　may　not　be　true　to　me；〃　cried　he。

Ji　Ping　at　once　bit　off　a　finger　as　a　pledge　of　his　faith。　And　then　his　host　and　patient　brought　forth　the　decree　he　had　received　in　the　girdle。

〃I　am　afraid　our　schemes　will　e　to　nought；〃　said　Dong　Cheng。　〃Liu　Bei　and　Ma　Teng　are　gone；　and　there　is　nothing　we　can　do。　That　was　the　real　reason　I　fell　ill。〃

〃It　is　not　worth　troubling　you　gentlemen　with；　for　Cao　Caos　life　lies　in　these　hands　of　mine；〃　said　Ji　Ping。

〃How　can　that　be？〃

〃Because　he　is　often　ill　with　deep…seated　pain　in　his　head。　When　this　es　on；　he　sends　for　me。　When　next　he　calls　me；　I　only　have　to　give　him　one　dose　and　he　will　certainly　die。　We　do　not　want　any　weapons。〃

〃If　only　you　could　do　it！　You　would　be　the　savior　of　the　dynasty。　It　depends　upon　you。〃

Then　Ji　Ping　went　away　leaving　his　late　patient　a　happy　man。　Dong　Cheng　strolled　into　the　garden　and　there　he　saw　one　of　his　servants；　Quin　Quington；　whispering　with　one　of　the　concubines；　Yun　Ying；　in　a　dark　corner。　This　annoyed　him；　and　he　called　his　attendants　to　seize　them。　He　would　have　put　them　to　death　but　for　the　intervention　of　his　wife。　At　her　request　he　spared　their　lives；　but　both　were　beaten　forty　canes；　and　the　lad　was　thrown　into　a　dungeon。　Sulky　at　this　treatment；　Quin　Quington　broke　out　of　the　cell　in　the　night；　climbed　over　the　wall；　and　went　straight　to　Cao　Caos　palace；　where　he　betrayed　the　conspiracy。

Cao　Cao　at　once　had　him　taken　into　a　secret　chamber　and　questioned　him。

Quin　Quington　gave　the　names　of　the　conspirators；　saying；　〃Wang　Zifu；　Wu　Zilan；　Chong　Ji；　Wu　Shi；　Ma　Teng；　and　my　master　have　been　meeting　secretly。　My　master　has　a　roll　of　white　silk；　with　writing　on　it；　but　I　do　not　know　what　it　means。　Yesterday；　Ji　Ping　bit　off　one　of　his　f