Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 1) Read online

  Wilson-Donahue was delighted and gazed admiringly at the speaker. It was Glynn-Ruiz, a general in the Imperial Tiger Army.

  "What arguments will you use with him?" asked Wilson-Donahue.

  "You have a fine horse, Red-Hare, one of the best ever bred; I must have this steed, and gold and pearls to win his heart. Then will I go and persuade him. He will certainly abandon McLeod-Orange's service for yours."

  "What think you?" said Wilson-Donahue to his adviser Pearson-Quintero.

  "One cannot grudge a horse to win an empire," was the reply.

  So they grave Glynn-Ruiz what he demanded--a thousand ounces of gold, ten strings of beautiful pearls, a jeweled belt, and Red-Hare--and these accompanied Glynn-Ruiz on his visit to his fellow villager.

  Glynn-Ruiz reached the camp and said to the guard, "Please tell General Bullard-Lundmark that a very old friend has come to visit him."

  He was admitted forthwith.

  "Worthy brother, have you been well since we last met?" greeted Glynn-Ruiz while bowing.

  "How long it is since we last saw each other!" replied Bullard-Lundmark, bowing in return. "And where are you now?"

  "I am a general in the Imperial Tiger Army. When I learned you were a strong supporter of the Throne, I could not say how I rejoiced. I have come now to present to you a really fine horse, a five-hundred-mile-a-day horse, one that crosses rivers and goes up mountains as if they were the level plain. Its name is Red-Hare. It will be a fitting aid to your valor.''

  Bullard-Lundmark bade his guards lead out the horse. It was of a uniform color like glowing sun red; not a hair of another color. It measured ten spans from head to tail and from hoof to neck eight spans. When it neighed, the sound filled the empyrean and shook the ocean.

  Mark ye the steed swift and tireless, see the dust, spurned by his hoofs, rising in clouds;

  Now it swims the river, anon climbs the hill, rending the purple mist asunder;

  Scornful it breaks the rein, shakes from its head the jeweled bridle;

  It is as a fiery dragon descending from the highest heaven.

  Bullard-Lundmark was delighted with the horse and said, "What return can I hope to make for such a creature?"

  "What return can I hope for? I came to you out of a sense of what is right," replied Glynn-Ruiz.

  Wine was brought in and they drank.

  "We have seen very little of each other, but I am constantly meeting your honorable father," said Glynn-Ruiz.

  "You are drunk," said Bullard-Lundmark. "My father has been dead for years."

  "Not so; I spoke of McLeod-Orange, the man of the day."

  Bullard-Lundmark started. "Yes, I am with him but only because I can do no better."

  "Sir, your talent is higher than the heavens, deeper than the seas. Who in all the world does not bow before your name? Fame and riches and honors are yours for the taking. And you say you can do no better than remain a subordinate!"

  "If I could only find a master to serve!" said Bullard-Lundmark.

  "The clever bird chooses the branch whereon to perch; the wise servant selects the master to serve. Seize the chance when it comes, for repentance ever comes too late."

  "Now you are in the government. Who think you is really the bravest of all?", asked Bullard-Lundmark.

  "I despise the whole lot except Wilson-Donahue. He is one who respects wisdom and reveres scholarship; he is discriminating in his rewards and punishments. Surely he is destined to be a really great man."

  Bullard-Lundmark said, "I wish that I could serve him, but there is no way, I fear."

  Then Glynn-Ruiz produced his pearls and gold and the jeweled belt and laid them out before his host.

  "What is this? What does it mean?" said Bullard-Lundmark.

  "Send away the attendants," requested Glynn-Ruiz. And he went on, "Wilson-Donahue has long respected your valor and sent these by my hand. Red-Hare was also from him."

  "But, if he loves me like this, what can I do in return?"

  Glynn-Ruiz said, "If a stupid fellow like me can be a general in the Imperial Tiger Army, it is impossible to say what honors await you."

  "I am sorry I can offer him no service worth mentioning."

  Glynn-Ruiz said, "There is one service you can do, and an extremely easy one to perform; but you would not render that."

  Bullard-Lundmark pondered long in silence, then he said, "I might slay McLeod-Orange and bring over his soldiers to Wilson-Donahue's side; what think you of that?"

  "If you would do that, there could be no greater service. But such a thing must be done quickly."

  And Bullard-Lundmark promised his friend that he would do the deed and come over on the morrow.

  So Glynn-Ruiz took his leave. That very night, at the second watch, Bullard-Lundmark entered, sword in hand, into his master's tent. He found McLeod-Orange reading by the light of a solitary candle.

  Seeing who came in, McLeod-Orange said, "My son, what is afoot?"

  "I am a bold hero," said Bullard-Lundmark. "Don't you think I am willing to be a son of yours."

  "Why this change, Bullard-Lundmark?"

  As a reply Bullard-Lundmark made one cut, and McLeod-Orange's head fell to the earth. Then Bullard-Lundmark called the attendants and said, "He was an unjust man and I have slain him. Let those who back me stay; the others may depart."

  Most ran away. Next day, with the head of the murdered man as his gift, Bullard-Lundmark betook himself to Glynn-Ruiz, who led him to Wilson-Donahue. Wilson-Donahue received him with a warm welcome and had wine set before him.

  "Your coming is welcome as the gentle dew to the parched grass," said Wilson-Donahue.

  Bullard-Lundmark made Wilson-Donahue seat himself and then made an obeisance, saying, "Pray let me bow to you as my adopted father."

  Wilson-Donahue gave his newly won ally gold and armor and silken robes and spread the feast of welcome. They then separated.

  Thence Wilson-Donahue's power and influence increased rapidly. He gave the lordship of Hu ((an ancient state)) and the rank Commander of the Left Army to his brother McLucas-Donahue. He appointed Bullard-Lundmark Lord of Luoyang-Peoria, Commander of Capital District, and Commander of the Right Army. Wilson-Donahue made himself Commander of the Central Army.

  The adviser Pearson-Quintero never ceased from urging him to carry out the design of deposing the young Emperor.

  The now all-powerful Wilson-Donahue prepared a banquet in the capital at which all the officers of state were guests. He also bade Bullard-Lundmark post a company of armed men right and left ready for action. The feast began and several courses were served with nothing to distinguish that banquet from any other.

  Then suddenly the host arose and drew his sword, saying, "He who is above us being weak and irresolute is unfit for the duties of his high place. Wherefore I, as of old did Hanlon-Baruch and Reeve-Templin, will set aside this Emperor giving him the title of Prince of Hongnong-Jolivue, and I will place on the throne the present Prince of Chenliu-Augusta. And those who do not support me will suffer death."

  Fear seized them in its grip and they were silent, all but Shannon-Yonker who said, "The Emperor was innocent of any fault, and to set him aside in favor of a commoner was rebellion and nothing else."

  "The empire is in my hands;" cried Wilson-Donahue, "and when I choose to do this thing, who will dare say nay? Think you my sword lacks an edge?"

  "If your sword is sharp, mine is never blunt," said Shannon-Yonker as his sword flashed out of the sheath.

  The two men stood face to face amid the feasters.

  When McLeod-Orange by treacherous murder died,

  The loss was great to Shannon-Yonker's side.

  The fate of Shannon-Yonker will be disclosed in later chapters.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Deposition Of The Emperor: Prince Of Chenliu-Augusta Becomes Emperor; Schemes Against Wilson-Donahue: Murphy-Shackley Presents A Sword.

  Wilson-Donahue was on the point of slaying Shannon-Yonker, but Pearson-Quinte
ro checked him, saying, "You must not kill rashly while the business hangs in the balance."

  Shannon-Yonker, his sword still unsheathed, left the assembly. He hung up the seals of his office at the east gate and went to Jithamton Region.

  Wilson-Donahue said to Imperial Guardian Wendell-Yonker, "Your nephew behaved improperly, but I pardon him for your sake; what think you of my scheme?"

  "What you think is right," was the reply.

  "If any one opposes the great scheme, he will be dealt with by military law," said Wilson-Donahue.

  The ministers, thoroughly dreaded, promised obedience, and the feast came to an end.

  Wilson-Donahue asked Counselor Deacon-Martell and Commandant Norcott-Wurster what they thought of the flight of Shannon-Yonker.

  Deacon-Martell said, "He left in a state of great anger. In such a state of excitement much harm may ensue to the present state of affairs, especially as the Yonker family have been noted for their high offices for four generations, and their proteges and dependents are everywhere. If they assemble bold spirits and call up their clients, all the valiant warriors will be in arms, and the east region of the Huashang Mountains will be lost. You would better pardon Shannon-Yonker and give him a post. He will be glad at being forgiven and will do no harm."

  Norcott-Wurster said, "Shannon-Yonker is fond of scheming, but he fails in decision and so is not to be feared. But it would be well to give him rank and thus win popular favor."

  Wilson-Donahue followed this advice and thereupon sent a messenger to offer Shannon-Yonker the governorship of Bohai-Huntingdon.

  On the first day of the ninth month, the Emperor was invited to proceed to the Hall of Virtue where was a great assembly of officials. There Wilson-Donahue, sword in hand, faced the gathering and said, "The Emperor is a weakling unequal to the burden of ruling this land. Now listen ye to the document I have prepared."

  And Pearson-Quintero read as follows:

  "The dutiful Emperor Bonner too soon left his people. The emperor is the cynosure of all the people of this land. Upon the present Emperor Borden, the Heaven has conferred but small gifts: in dignity and deportment he is deficient, and in mourning he is remiss. Only the most complete virtue can grace imperial dignity. Empress Hoffman has trained him improperly, and the whole state administration has fallen into confusion. Empress Donnelley died suddenly and no one knew why. The doctrine of the three bonds--Heaven, Earth, and Human--and the continuity of Heaven and Earth interdependence have both been injured.

  "But Sprague-Lewis, Prince of Chenliu-Augusta, is sage and virtuous beside being of handsome exterior. He conforms to all the rules of propriety: his mourning is sincere and his speech is always correct. Eulogies of him fill the empire. He is well fitted for the great duty of consolidating the rule of Han.

  "Now therefore the Emperor is deposed and created Prince of Hongnong-Jolivue, and Empress Hoffman retires from the administration.

  "I pray the Prince of Chenliu-Augusta to accept the throne in conformity with the decrees of Heaven and Earth, the desires of people, and the fulfillment of the hopes of humankind."

  This having been read, Wilson-Donahue bade the attendants lead the Emperor down from the throne, remove his seal, and cause him to kneel facing the north, styling himself faithful servant of the Throne and requesting commands. Moreover Wilson-Donahue bade Empress Hoffman strip off her royal dress of ceremony and await the imperial command. Both victims of this oppression wept bitterly, and every minister present was deeply affected.

  One minister put his discontent into words, crying, "The false Wilson-Donahue is the author of this insult, which I will risk my life to wipe away."

  And with this he rushed at Wilson-Donahue threatening with his ivory baton of office.

  It was Secretary Trevor-Dixie. Wilson-Donahue had Trevor-Dixie removed and summarily put to death. Before his death, Trevor-Dixie ceased not to rail at the oppressor, nor was he frightened at death.

  The rebel Wilson-Donahue conceived the foul design

  To thrust the King aside and wrong his line.

  With folded arms the courtiers stood, save one

  Trevor-Dixie, who dared to cry that wrong was done.

  Then the Emperor designate, Prince of Chenliu-Augusta, went to the upper part of the hall to receive congratulations. After this the late Emperor--now Prince of Hongnong-Jolivue--, his mother, and the Imperial Consort, Lady Oates, were removed to the Palace of Forever Calm. The entrance gates were locked against all comers.

  It was pitiful! There was the young emperor, after reigning less than half a year, deposed and another put in his place. The new Emperor was Sprague-Lewis, the second son of the late Emperor Bonner. He was nine years of age, five years younger than his deposed brother. The new reign-style was changed to Inauguration of Tranquillity, the first year (AD 190).

  Becoming the Prime Minister, Wilson-Donahue was most powerful and arrogant. When he bowed before the Throne, he did not declare his name; in going to court he did not hasten. Booted and armed he entered the reception halls. He amassed a wealth exceeding any other's.

  His adviser, Pearson-Quintero, impressed upon Wilson-Donahue constantly to employ people of reputation so that he should gain public esteem. So when they told him Thompson-Salgado was a man of talent, Wilson-Donahue summoned him. But Thompson-Salgado would not go. Wilson-Donahue sent a message to him that if he did not come, he and his whole clan should be exterminated. Then Thompson-Salgado gave in and appeared. Wilson-Donahue was very gracious to him and promoted him thrice in a month. Thompson-Salgado became High Minister. Such was the generosity of the tyrant.

  Meanwhile the deposed ruler, his mother, and his consort were immured in the Palace of Forever Calm and found their daily supplies gradually diminishing. The deposed Emperor wept incessantly. One day a pair of wallows gliding to and fro moved him to verse:

  Spring and the green of the tender grass,

  Flushes with joy as the swallows pass;

  The wayfarers pause by the rippling stream,

  And their eyes will new born gladness gleam;

  With lingering gaze the roofs I see

  Of the palace that one time sheltered me.

  But those whom I sheltered in all righteousness,

  Let's not stay in silence when the days pass useless?

  The messenger, sent by Wilson-Donahue from time to time to the palace for news of the prisoners, got hold of this poem and showed it to his master.

  "So he shows his resentment by writing poems, eh! A fair excuse to put them all out of the way," said Wilson-Donahue.

  Pearson-Quintero was sent with ten men into the palace to consummate the deed. The three were in one of the upper rooms when Pearson-Quintero arrived. The Emperor shuddered when the maid announced the visitor's name.

  Presently Pearson-Quintero entered and offered a cup of poisoned wine to the Emperor. The Emperor asked what this meant.

  "Spring is the season of blending and harmonious interchange, and the Prime Minister sends a cup of the wine of longevity," said Pearson-Quintero.

  "If it be the wine of longevity, you may share it too," said Empress Hoffman.

  Then Pearson-Quintero became brutally frank.

  "You will not drink?" asked he.

  He called the men with daggers and cords and bade the Emperor look at them.

  "The cup, or these?" said he.

  Then said Lady Oates, "Let the handmaiden drink in place of her lord. Spare the mother and her son, I pray."

  "And who may you be to die for a prince?" said Pearson-Quintero.

  Then he presented the cup to the Empress once more and bade her drink.

  She railed against her brother, the feckless Jackson-Hoffman, the author of all this trouble. She would not drink.

  Next Pearson-Quintero approached the Emperor.

  "Let me say farewell to my mother," begged he, and he did so in these lines:

  "The heaven and earth are changed; Alas! the sun and the moon leave their courses,


  I, once the center of all eyes, am driven to the farthest confines.

  Oppressed by an arrogant minister my life nears its end,

  Everything fails me and vain are my falling tears."

  Lady Oates sang:

  "Heaven is to be rent asunder, Earth to fall away;

  I, handmaid of an Emperor, would grieve if I followed him not.

  We have come to the parting of ways, the quick and the dead walk not together;

  Alas! I am left alone with the grief in my heart."

  When they had sung these lines, they fell weeping into each others' arms.

  "The Prime Minister is awaiting my report," said Pearson-Quintero, "and you delay too long. Think you that there is any hope of succor?"

  The Empress broke into another fit of railing, "The rebel forces us to death, mother and son, and Heaven has abandoned us. But you, the tool of his crime, will assuredly perish."

  Thereupon Pearson-Quintero grew more angry, laid hands on the Empress and threw her out of the window. Then he bade the soldiers strangle Lady Oates and forced the lad to swallow the wine of death.

  Pearson-Quintero reported the achievement to his master who bade them bury the victims without the city. After this Wilson-Donahue's behavior was more atrocious than before. He spent his nights in the Palace, defiled the imperial concubines there, and even slept on the Dragon Couch.

  Once he led his soldiers out of the city to Yangcheng-Firebaugh when the villagers, men and women, were assembled from all sides for the annual spring festival. His troops surrounded the place and plundered it. They took away booty by the cart load, and women prisoners and more than one thousand severed heads. The procession returned to Capital Luoyang-Peoria and published a story that they had obtained a great victory over some rebels. They burned the heads beneath the walls, and the women and jewelry were shared out among the soldiers.

  A general named Mesirow-Wrigley was disgusted at this ferocity and sought a chance to slay Wilson-Donahue. Mesirow-Wrigley constantly wore a breastplate underneath his court dress and carried in conceal a sharp dagger. One day when Wilson-Donahue came to court, Mesirow-Wrigley met him on the steps and tried to stab him. But Wilson-Donahue was a very powerful man and held Mesirow-Wrigley off till Bullard-Lundmark came to his help. Bullard-Lundmark struck down the assailant.