RoTK: The Snyder Cut

[Taishi Ci 2.0]

廢漢君董卓弄權

Chapter 7: Deposing the Han Sovereign, Dong Zhuo Toys With Power

卓欲殺袁紹，蔡邕止之曰：「事未有定體，不可妄殺。」袁紹手提寶劍，長揖百官而出，懸節東門，上馬奔冀州而去。卓與太傅袁隗曰：「汝侄無禮太甚，吾看汝面，不殺之。廢立之事，其意若何？」隗曰：「太尉見者是。」卓曰：「敢有阻大議者，以軍法從事。」大臣震動，皆雲「一聽遵命。」宴罷，卓召侍中周毖〈音庇〉 、校尉伍瓊、議郎何顒問曰：「袁紹此去若何？」周毖曰：「廢立大事，非人所及。袁紹不達大體，恐懼故出奔，非有他誌也。今購之急，勢必為變。袁氏樹恩四世，門生故吏遍於天下，若收豪傑以聚徒眾，英雄因之而起，山東非公之有也。不如赦之，拜為一郡守，則紹喜於免罪，必無患矣。」蔡邕曰：「某不使主公殺袁紹者，正為此也。袁紹好謀無斷，不足為慮耳。加之一郡守，以收民心。」卓大喜，即日差人拜紹為勃海太守。史官論曰：袁紹志大智小，好謀無決，色厲膽薄，不能就朝堂誅卓，反長揖而去，得一郡守而喜，謬之甚也。

Dong Zhuo was on the verge of slaying Yuan Shao. Yet Cai Yong checked him, saying, “You must not kill rashly while this important business hangs in the balance.” Yuan Shao, his treasured sword still unsheathed, made a long salute to the other ministers and departed from the assembly. He hung the symbols of his office at the east gate, mounted his horse, and fled for Jizhou.

Dong Zhuo then said to the Grand Tutor, Yuan Wei, “Your nephew was quite disrespectful, yet since I saw your face I did not kill him. What do you think about my proposal?”

“Grand Commandant, your views are correct,” was his reply.

“If any one opposes this great scheme, he will be dealt with by military law,” declared Dong Zhuo.

The ministers, thoroughly cowed, all assured him, “We will heed and honor your command.”

Once the feast had ended, Dong Zhuo summoned and questioned one of the Palace Attendants, Zhou Bi, one of the colonels, Wu Qiong, and one of the Gentlemen-Councilors, He Yong, asking them, “What am I to do about Yuan Shao’s departure?”

Zhou Bi told him, “Such a serious matter as the exchange of one sovereign for another is beyond the comprehension of ordinary men; it was because Yuan Shao could not grasp the full extent of what was taking place that he left and ran away in fear, for he has no other ambition in mind. Yet if you press him too hard, he is sure to attempt something untoward. Furthermore, the Yuan clan have been winning favors for four generations and their clients and former subordinates are spread across the realm; if they were to enlist the aid of the gentry to muster forces, heroes and stalwarts would rise up in kind, and you would no longer control anything east of the mountains. You had better pardon him and appoint him as the administrator of some commandery. He will be glad at being forgiven and will do no harm.”

And Cai Yong said, "This was precisely the reason why I stopped you from killing Yuan Shao, my lord. Yuan Shao is fond of scheming, but he fails in decision and so is not to be feared. It really would be best to give him a commandery and thus win popular favor.”

Dong Zhuo was very pleased; that very day, he sent a messenger to appoint Yuan Shao as Grand Administrator of Bohai.

The historian remarks: Yuan Shao was a man of great aspirations but little intellect, fond of plotting yet lacking in resolve, firm in the face yet frightened in the gall; he was grossly mistaken in his conduct, for rather than proceeding into the court to execute Dong Zhuo, he only made his salute and then departed and was happy enough to receive the post of a single commandery.

董卓權重，群臣見者皆栗然。九月朔，請帝升嘉德殿，大會文武，不到者斬。是日，群臣皆列於班次，卓掣劍在手曰：「少帝暗弱，全無威儀，不可以掌天下。今有郊天冊文，可宜宣讀。」

Dong Zhuo wielded such power that the other ministers all trembled in fear at the sight of him. On the first day of the ninth month, he asked the Emperor to proceed to the Hall of Abounding Virtue, having ordered all the civil and military officials to assemble there and that any of them who failed to attend would be beheaded. On that day, as the ministers all stood in lines to either side according to seniority, Dong Zhuo wielded his sword in hand and said, “The Young Emperor is blind and weak, totally lacking in prescence or dignity, and is unfit for controlling the realm. Here is a composition reflecting the will of Heaven; let it be read out."

李儒讀冊曰：孝靈皇帝不究高宗眉壽之祚，早棄臣子。皇帝承紹，海內惻望，而帝天資輕佻，威儀不恪，在喪慢惰，哀如故焉；兇得既彰，淫穢發聞，損辱神器，忝汙宗廟。皇太後教無母儀，統政荒亂。永樂太後暴崩，眾論惑焉。三綱之道，天地之紀，而乃有厥，罪之大者。陳留王協，聖德偉茂，規矩邈然，豐下兌上，有堯圖之表；居喪哀戚，言不以邪，岐嶷之性，成周之懿。休聲美譽，天下所聞，宜承洪業，為萬世統，可承宗廟。廢皇帝為弘農王。皇太後還政。應天順人，以慰生靈之望。

Li Ru then read out the following:

"It was not the fate of Emperor Xiao-Ling to share the long-browed longevity of Gaozong of old, for he at a young age took his leave of his people and progeny. High hopes had the people when the current Emperor inherited the succession. Yet upon him Heaven has conferred but small gifts: in dignity and deportment he is deficient and in mourning he is remiss, changing nothing in his usual conduct to reflect the gravity of his grief, his vices have become apparent and his licentiousness has made itself known, and he demeans and besmirches the divine throne and stains and soils the ancestral temple. Futhermore, in educating him the Empress Dowager has acted without the bearing of a mother and in presiding over the state she has brought about confusion and disorder, and there is much to be said amiss in the sudden death of Empress Dowager Yongle. To permit such a sorry state of affairs in the bonds of human relations or the order of Heaven and Earth to continue would be a serious crime.

"The Prince of Chenliu, Liu Xie, is profuse and abundant in sagacity and virtue and is an exceptional example of temperance and propriety; in richness of form below and pleasingness of face above he matches the standard of the image of Yao, in conducting mourning and expressing grief he has never uttered a wayward word, and in the majesty of his character he is as exemplary as King Cheng of Zhou. All the realm has heard pleasing accounts and handsome praise for him. Let him inherit the grand design, continue the legacy of ten thousand generations, and succeed to the care of the ancestral temple. The Emperor is hereby deposed and created as Prince of Hongnong, and the Empress Dowager will devolve control of the administration.

"Done in conformity with the decrees of Heaven and the desires of men and in reflection of the wishes of the living and the dead."

李儒讀冊已罷，卓叱左右：「扶少帝下殿，解其璽綬，面北長跪，稱臣聽命。」少帝號哭，百官慘慘然。卓呼太後去服候敕，太後哽咽，群臣含悲。階下一大臣憤然高叫曰：「賊臣董卓敢為欺天之謀，而廢賢明之主，不若與之同死！」揮手中象簡直擊。董卓大怒，喝武士簇下，乃是尚書丁管。丁管罵不絕口，卓命牽出斬之，至死神色不變。

Once Li Ru had finished the reading, Dong Zhuo ordered his attendants, "Lead the Emperor out of the hall, remove his seal and ribbon of office, and cause him to kneel facing the north, henceforth referring to himself as a subject and requesting commands." The Young Emperor wailed in grief, while the officials all felt morose. Then Dong Zhuo called for Empress Dowager He to strip off her dress of ceremony and await the imperial command; she was choked with sobs, while the ministers all had to bite their tongues to hold back their grief.

Suddenly from the foot of the stairs, one of the chief ministers exploded with indignation, exclaiming, "The traitorous minister Dong Zhuo dares to make a mockery of Heaven’s arrangements and to depose a wise and worthy lord! Better that I should die with him!" And he rushed at Dong Zhuo to strike him with his ivory baton of office. In a rage, Dong Zhuo called on his warriors to subdue his attacker: it was one of the Masters of Writing, Ding Guan. Dong Zhuo ordered Ding Guan dragged out and beheaded, yet Ding Guan never ceased cursing Dong Zhuo, and even to the moment of his death he maintained his composure.

卓請陳留王登殿，群臣皆呼萬歲。禮畢，卓令扶何太後並弘農王於永安宮，隨侍又有唐妃及宮女二人，月給食糧，諸臣下毋得輒入，違者滅三族。可憐少帝四月登基，至於九月被董卓廢之。卓所立陳留王協，表字伯和，靈帝中子，即獻帝也，九歲即位。董卓為相國，贊拜不名，入朝不趨，劍履上殿。封黃琬為太尉，楊彪為司徒，荀、爽為司空，韓馥為冀州牧，張邈為陳留太守，張資為南陽太守。時年庚午歲，改為初平元年。

Dong Zhuo then invited the Prince of Chenliu to come up into the hall, and the ministers all called out their wishes for his long life. Once they had finished, Dong Zhuo ordered that Empress Dowager He and the Prince of Hongnong were to be removed to the Palace of Perpetual Calm, along with the Prince’s consort Lady Tang and two of his palace women; they were to receive a monthly stipend of food and supplies, but none of the ministers were to be given access to see them, with those that violated this law being sentenced to the execution of their family to the third degree. How pitiful to think that the Young Emperor had ascended the throne in the fourth month and yet already by the ninth month he had been deposed by Dong Zhuo.

The Prince of Chenliu whom Dong Zhuo had placed on the throne was Liu Xie, styled Bohe; he was Emperor Ling's middle son, and would later be known as Emperor Xian. He was eight years old when he inherited the throne.

Dong Zhuo appointed himself as Chancellor of State and gave himself several privileges: when arriving at court the ushers would only announce him as "the Chancellor" without uttering his name, when entering the court chamber he was not obliged to hurry to his place as was customary, and when visiting the palace he was no longer required to remove his shoes or to leave his sword behind. He appointed Huang Wan as Grand Commandant, Yang Biao as Minister Over The Masses, Xun Shuang as Minister of Works, Han Fu as Governor of Jizhou, Zhang Miao as Administrator of Chenliu, and Zhang Zi as Administrator of Nanyang. This was during the Gengwu year (190); the reign-style was changed to the first year of Chuping or Inceptive Peace.

何太後與少帝、唐妃困於永安宮中，日夜優嘆，衣服飲食，盡皆缺少。帝淚下不曾幹，偶見雙燕飛入庭中，帝遂吟詩一首。詩曰：嫩草綠凝煙，裊裊雙飛燕。洛水一條青，陌上人呼羨。遠望碧雲深，是吾舊宮殿。何人仗忠義，寫我心中怨。

Empress Dowager He, the Young Emperor, and Lady Tang were immured in the Palace of Perpetual Calm; day and night they sighed with grief, while all their stipends of food and clothing fell woefully short. The Young Emperor wept so often that he never had a dry eye. One day the sudden glimpse of a pair of swallows flying into the courtyard moved him to utter a stanza of verse:

The grasses graceful in the mist
The sweeping swallows soar in bliss
The river all a line agleam
The peasants make their mirthful scene
Yet hidden off amidst the haze
The hallways of my former days
Is there no one loyal true
To recognize my rancor too?

卓時常使宮女探聽動靜。是日獲得此詩，來呈於卓。卓曰：」劉辨休矣！怨望故作此詩，殺之有名矣。」喚李儒帶武士十人來殺少帝。帝與母何後正在樓上嗟嘆，宮女報李儒至。帝大駭。儒執鴆酒與帝曰：「春日融合，董太師特上壽酒。」少帝泣曰：「何相逼如是也？」儒曰：「壽酒無疑。」太後曰：「既雲壽酒，汝當先飲。」儒怒曰：「汝母子特不飲耶？」呼左右持短刀白練於前，曰：「壽酒不飲，可領此二般。」唐妃跪告儒曰：「妾身代帝飲酒，願相公可憐母子性命。」儒叱曰：「量汝何等，可代王死？」儒舉杯與何太後：「你可先飲？」後捶胸大罵何進無禮之賊，勾引董卓入京，致有今日之禍。儒催逼帝，帝曰：「容某與母作別。」

During this time Dong Zhuo would often send palace women to look into the activities of the Young Emperor, and on this day his agent noted the poem and sent word of it to Dong Zhuo. "Liu Bian is finished!" Dong Zhuo exulted. "By composing this ditty out of anger, he's given me a reason to kill him." And he ordered Li Ru to take ten warriors to go and kill the Young Emperor.

The Young Emperor and Empress Dowager He were expressing their sorrows atop a tower when one of the palace women reported the arrival of Li Ru; the Young Emperor greatly shuddered. Li Ru offered a cup of poisoned wine to the Emperor, saying, “As spring is the season of blending and harmonious interchange, Grand Instructor Dong has sent you a special cup of the wine of longevity."

The Young Emperor wept as he asked, "Why do you oppress us so?"

"There is naught amiss in the wine of longevity," said Li Ru.

“If it is wine of longevity as you say, you ought to drink first,” said Empress Dowager He.

Li Ru became brutally frank. “So mother and son insist on not drinking?” he pressed. And he called the men with daggers and white cords and bade her look at them, saying, “The wine of longevity, or these?”

Then Lady Tang knelt and said, “This handmaiden will drink in place of the Emperor, sir, if only you will pity the lives of a mother and her son."

But Li Ru only mocked her, saying, "And what good are you, that you can die for a prince?”

Then he presented the cup to the Empress Dowager once more and said, “Will you drink first?” Yet she only beat her chest and cursed the short-sightedness of her brother He Jin, who had invited Dong Zhuo into the capital and thus brought about this disaster.

Next Li Ru pressured the Young Emperor.

“Let me say farewell to my mother,” begged he.

大慟而作歌曰：天地易兮我何安？棄萬乘兮退守藩。為臣逼兮命不久，勢將去兮空淚潸。唐妃抱帝，亦作歌曰：皇天將崩兮後土頹，身為帝姬兮命不隨。生死異路兮從此畢，奈何煢〈音窮〉 速兮心中悲。歌罷，相抱而哭。

With great emotion he composed this ode:

The world's turned upside down
What place is left for me?
Nevermore to sit my throne
But only to guard the wall
Now menaced by my subjects
My life can't last for long
The end for me is coming
As vainly fall these tears

Lady Tang embraced the Young Emperor as she devised her own song:

The sky above is falling
The earth below has cracked
Although your kingly consort
Your fate I cannot follow
This part of life our parting
To walk our separate roads
How can it come so swiftly?
Such anguish in my heart

And as her singing died away, they held one another and wept.

李儒喝曰：「太尉立等回報，汝等俄延，望誰救耶？」何太後大罵：「國賊董卓，逼我子母，皇天豈祐汝耶！」手指李儒：「汝等助紂作業之徒，必當族滅！」 李儒大怒，雙手捽住太後，直攛下樓。少帝楸住李儒衣服，唐妃向前攪做一團。儒喚武士絞死唐妃；以鴆酒灌殺少帝。

Li Ru broke in to remark, "Even now the Grand Instructor is awaiting my report, while you are only dragging things out. Hoping someone is coming to save you, perhaps?”

But Empress Dowager He cried out, “Dong Zhuo, you traitor to the state, forcing my son and me to our deaths! How could August Heaven ever support you?" And she pointed at Li Ru and exclaimed, "All you wretches helping this tyrant to fulfill his ambition deserve to have your whole clans wiped out!"

This accusation so enraged Li Ru that he laid hands on Empress Dowager He and threw her off the tower. And though the Young Emperor grabbed at Li Ru's clothes to try and stop him while Lady Tang kicked up a fuss in front of him, Li Ru ordered the warriors to strangle Lady Tang to death with a cord while he forced the poisoned wine down the Prince’s throat and put an end to him.

史官有詩曰：太後飛身墜玉樓，唐妃素練系咽喉。君王服毒皆身喪，漢室江山自此休。

A later historian made this poem:

The Empress Dowager flew from the jade tower
Lady Tang's sobs were choked by the cord
As sovereign supped, all met their deaths
Thus wrecked were the lands of the House of Han

儒還報卓，卓命拖出城外埋之。自此每夜入宮，奸淫宮女，夜宿龍床，禁庭公主，盡皆淫之。常引一軍出城外，前行到陽城，時當二月，村民社賽，男女皆集，引軍圍住，盡皆殺之，掠其婦女財物，收萬千余件，都裝在車上，懸頭千余顆於車下，連軫還都，先報董太尉殺賊，大勝而回。各城門外焚燒其頭，以婦女財物盡散與宿帳軍士。

Once Li Ru had returned and reported the achievement of the cruel deed to his master, Dong Zhuo ordered that the bodies be taken outside the city for burial. And from then on, Dong Zhuo went into the palace every night, having his way with the palace women and spending the night on the imperial couch; even the princesses of the inner palace were not spared from his carnal desires.

On one occasion, Dong Zhuo led his soldiers out of the city and marched to Yangcheng; it was the second month by then, and the local villagers, men and women alike, had assembled from all sides for the annual festival. Dong Zhuo’s troops surrounded the place and slaughtered all the men, while plundering the women and girls and all the wealth, grabbing goods by the thousands and tens of thousands, and lashing them all to carts to bring back. They hung more than a thousand heads from their carts as they returned to the capital, spreading word that Grand Instructor Dong was returning from a fresh victory over some bandits. Dong Zhuo had the heads burned outside each of the city gates and distributed the women and treasures out among his soldiers.

越騎校尉伍孚，字德瑜，見卓殘暴太甚，群臣戰栗，莫敢言者，惟有伍孚於朝服下披小鎧，藏短刀，候董卓入朝。孚迎到閣下，掣出短刀，直刺卓。卓氣力大，兩手驅住；呂布便入，揪倒伍孚。卓問曰：「誰教汝反？」孚瞪目大叫：「汝非吾君，吾非汝臣，何反之有？汝亂國篡位，罪惡盈天，今是吾死之日，故來誅奸賊也！恨不車裂汝於市朝，以謝天下！」 董卓大怒，命呂布將出剖剮之。罵不絕口。

The Colonel of Charging Cavalry, Wu Fu styled Deyu, saw how even at the sight of Dong Zhuo's extreme violence and depravity all the other ministers only trembled and fright, with none daring to speak out against him. Wu Fu thus put on a small breastplate beneath his court robes and concealed a dagger on his person, then watched for when Dong Zhuo would leave court. As Dong Zhuo came out, Wu Fu met him on the steps, pulling out his knife to stab at him. Yet Dong Zhuo had such powerful instincts that he caught the dagger between both hands, and Lü Bu quickly came to his help and forced Wu Fu to the ground.

“Who's put you up to this rebellion?” Dong Zhuo demanded.

Wu Fu glared at him and cried out, “You are not my lord, I am not your minister: where is the rebellion? You have usurped power and brought disorder to the state; your crimes and vices fill the heavens, and it was because I was fated to die today that I resolved to come execute a traitor and a villain! I only regret I couldn't tear you asunder with chariots in the marketplace to appease the realm!”

Enraged, Dong Zhuo ordered Lü Bu to take Wu Fu out and hack him to pieces, yet Wu Fu only ceased railing as he ceased to live.

後史官有詩曰：漢末忠臣說伍孚，沖天豪氣世間無。朝堂殺賊名猶在，萬古堪稱大丈夫！

In later ages a historian wrote this poem:

Among patriots at the end of Han
Let us speak of Wu Fu
With valor mounting to the very heavens
Unrivalled in that age
In court he sought to slay a traitor
His name is with us still
May every age proclaim him
The measure of a man

董卓自此出入，常帶披甲武士，前後圍繞。

From this time on, whenever Dong Zhuo went in or out it was always in the company of armored guards flanking him all around, front and rear.

袁紹在渤海，知卓弄權，乃差人賫密書來見王允。書曰：卓賊欺天廢主，人不忍言；入亂禁宮，神亦不祐。公反恣其跋扈，如不聽聞，豈為報國效職之臣哉？紹今集兵練馬，欲圖掃清帝室，未敢輕舉。公想食祿於漢朝，當乘間圖之。如有驅使，即當奉命。書不盡言，請宜照察。密之。王允得書，尋思無計。

At Bohai, Yuan Shao heard of Dong Zhuo’s misuse of power and sent an agent to bring a secret letter to Wang Yun. He wrote, “Dong Zhuo has deposed his sovereign and made a mockery of Heaven, so that the people cannot bear to speak of his actions, and he has intruded into and caused chaos within the inner palace, so that the spirits will not support him either. Yet Sir, you suffer his aggressions as if you knew naught of them. Is that any way for a subject of the state to show his gratitude or fulfill the duties of his office? Even now I am mustering soldiers and gathering horses, for I plan to sweep clear the imperial seat; I refrain only from daring to make any hasty movement. Sir, considering the sustenance and salary you have received from the Han court, it becomes you to find some opening to act; send me your swift messenger and I will be ready to respond at once. I write but briefly, yet trust you will grasp my intentions. Be discrete." Yet even after reading the letter, Wang Yun could not think of any plan to carry out.

一日，於侍班閣子內見漢朝舊臣俱集，王允請曰：「今日老夫賤降，晚間少閑，欲屈眾大臣就舍下少酌，幸勿見阻。」眾官皆曰：「必來添壽。」 當晚，就後堂設宴，燈燭熒煌，公卿皆至。允視之，皆漢朝舊臣，心中暗喜。酒至半酣，王允舉盞，掩面大哭。眾官曰：「司徒貴降，不可發悲。」允曰：「老夫非賤降之日，要與眾官聚會，恐賊生疑，故推賤降。吾哭者，哭漢天下也。董賊勢若泰山，吾等朝夕難保。想漢高皇提三尺劍，斬白蛇，起義兵，子孫相承四百余年，誰想喪於董卓之手。吾等舍死，無益於國。」眾公卿盡皆掩面而哭。坐上一人撫掌大笑曰：「滿朝大臣，夜哭到明，明哭到夜，焉能哭死董卓耶？」允視之，乃是驍騎校尉曹操也。允大怒，責之曰：「汝祖宗食祿漢朝四百余年，不思報本，反欲縱賊耶？汝去告變，吾等死亦漢家鬼也！」操曰：「非笑別事，笑眾大臣無一計殺董卓耶。某雖不才，略施小計，可斷董卓頭，懸於都門外，以謝天下。」王允聽罷，乃避席而問曰：「孟德有何高見，匡扶漢室？」試看曹操道出甚話來？

One day, when he saw that all the senior ministers of the Han court had gathered in the attending chambers, he said to his colleagues, “Today marks the humble birth of this old fellow, and I'm having a little get-together this evening; I hope you gentlemen will humor me by coming to my home for a little repast, if you would be so kind as to not decline."

“We certainly will come,” they each replied, “and shall wish you long life.”

That evening the tables were spread in a back room, the lanterns all glowing and shimmering as the chief ministers arrived; Wang Yun was secretly pleased when he saw that everyone present was a longstanding member of the Han court. When the wine had made a few rounds, Wang Yun lifted his cup, then covered his face and loudly wept.

The ministers said, "Minister Wang, you ought not to express such grief on the day of your birth."

“It is not my birthday,” replied he. “I only wished to call you all together and I feared lest the traitor should suspect, thus I made that the excuse. What I weep for is the Han realm; the traitor Dong's influence is as solid as Mount Tai, while none of us can even be sure of living to see the next morning. Oh, who could have guessed that when Emperor Gao of Han wielded his three-footer blade, chopped off the head of the white snake and led an uprising, and handed down his inheritance to his descendants for more than four hundred years that the whole enterprise would meet its end at the hands of Dong Zhuo? Even our deaths would do nothing to benefit the state!"

At this, most of the other ministers began to cover their faces and weep as well. Yet seated among the guests was one man who only clapped his hands and broke into laughter. “If all you court ministers weep from dusk until dawn and from dawn until dusk, will your tears slay Dong Zhuo?” said he.

Wang Yun looked to see who this was: the Colonel of Agile Cavalry, Cao Cao. The old minister lashed out at him. “For these same four centuries, your own ancestors have received the salary of the Han court as well,” he seethed. “Yet instead of thinking how to make good on their legacy, you prefer to let that traitor do as he wishes? Go and inform against us, then; even in death, our ghosts will still serve the house of Han!"

"Don't mistake me," said Cao Cao. “I'm only laughing at the prospect that the whole lot of you can't come up with a single plan to kill Dong Zhuo. Why, even as hopeless a fellow as myself has already started hatching a little plot to cut off Dong Zhuo's head and hang it outside the gates of the capital to appease the realm."

As soon as he heard this, Wang Yun leapt from his mat to ask, "Mengde, how can you be so sure that you can save and preserve the house of Han?"

What was Cao Cao going to say, I wonder?

[Taishi Ci 2.0]

曹孟德誅殺董卓

Chapter 8: Cao Mengde's Execution of Dong Zhuo

曹操曰：「近日操進身以事董卓者，實有意以圖之。今卓甚愛，有事必共議之。聞司徒有七寶刀一口，願借與操入相府可刺殺之，萬死無恨！」王允曰：「孟德果有是心，漢天下甚幸！」操遂言誓於允前。取七寶刀與操，其刀長尺余，七寶嵌飾，極其鋒利。操帶之。良久，皆散。

What Cao Cao said was, “I’ve only been putting myself forward to serve Dong Zhuo lately so that I can find a chance to destroy him, and by now he's become so fond of me that he always consults me on any matter. Minister Wang, I’ve heard you have a certain ‘Seven Treasures Blade’; if you will let me take it into the Chancellor’s office to assassinate Dong Zhuo, then even if I died ten thousand times I wouldn’t regret it!”

“So that really was your intention, Mengde,” Wang Yun said. “How blessed the Han realm is!”

Cao Cao thus swore an oath before Wang Yun, who got his Seven Treasures Blade and gave it to him; the sword was more than a chi in length, it was inlaid with seven gems, and its blade was very keen. Cao Cao took it, and at length all the guests dispersed.

操平明徑入相府，問：「丞相出來否？」人指雲：「出在書院中坐久。」操徑入，見卓坐於床上，側首布侍立。卓問曰：「孟德來何晚？」操曰：「馬羸，行遲。」 卓曰：「吾有西涼州進到良馬，吾兒呂布，可親去選一騎賜與孟德。」

The following morning, Cao Cao strolled right into the Chancellor's office, asking, "Has the Prime Minister gone out already yet?"

Someone indicated to him, "He's been sitting in the study for some time now."

Cao Cao went in and found his host seated on a couch, with Lü Bu standing in attendance to the side. “Why so late, Mengde?” Dong Zhuo asked him.

“My horse is out of condition and slow,” replied Cao Cao.

“I've got some fine steeds here sent in from Xiliangzhou," said Dong Zhuo. "Lü Bu my boy, why don't you go personally pick one as a present for Mengde?"

布趨步出，操思曰：「董卓合死！」意欲拔刀，懼卓有力，不敢下手。卓胖大，不耐久坐，遂倒身而臥，轉身背卻。操又思曰：「此賊當休！」急掣寶刀在手。卓仰面看衣鏡中，見操挾刀靶，急回身，問曰：「孟德何為？」呂布已牽馬在閣外，操刀已出鞘，就倒轉刀靶，跪下，曰：「操有寶刀一口，獻上恩相。」卓接視之，果寶刀也，遞與呂布收了。操解鞘與之。

As Lü Bu walked out, Cao Cao thought, “Dong Zhuo is doomed!” He considered pulling out the blade, but fearing Dong Zhuo’s great strength, he did not dare to risk making it a fair fight. However, since Dong Zhuo was so fat that he could not remain sitting upright for too long, he soon turned over and lied down on the couch facing inwards. “Now this traitor is done for,” thought Cao Cao, and he swiftly pulled out the precious blade.

Yet just then, Dong Zhuo happened to lift his head and in the reflection from a surface on his clothing he noticed Cao Cao grasping the handle of a blade. At once he flipped around to ask him, "Mengde, what's that?" At the same time, Lü Bu was already leading a horse up to the entrance of the building.

Since Cao Cao had already drawn the blade, he turned it around and knelt down, saying, "I was offering you this treasure blade to show my gratitude, Prime Minister." Dong Zhuo took it and looked it over, finding it to be just as Cao Cao claimed. He handed the weapon to Lü Bu, while Cao Cao took off the sheath and gave that to Lü Bu as well.

卓引操看馬。操遂拜謝曰：「願試一騎。」卓就教與鞍轡。操牽馬出相府，加鞭望東門而去。布對卓曰：「恰才曹操有刺父之狀，及被喝破，故推獻刀。」卓曰：「吾亦甚疑。」

Dong Zhuo then brought Cao Cao out to look at the horse. Cao Cao offered his thanks and said, “Let me give it a test ride.” Dong Zhuo thus bade the attendants to bring out a saddle and bridle. Cao Cao led the horse out of the office, then laid on the whip vigorously as he galloped away towards the east gate.

Lü Bu remarked to Dong Zhuo, “Just now, Father, it seemed to me as if Cao Cao was going to stab you but was caught off guard by your shout, thus he switched to presenting the blade instead.”

"I found it awfully suspicious as well," replied Dong Zhuo.

兩個正未決，忽李儒至，卓以其事告之。儒曰：「操無老小，必有下處，差人急喚。如操無疑而便來，則是獻刀；如遲疑推托而不來，此必行刺，便可擒而問之。」卓然其說，差獄卒四五人往喚多時，回覆雲：「操不曾到下處，乘著黃馬，飛出東門。門吏問之，操雲：『丞相差他有緊急公事。』縱馬而出。」李儒曰：「操賊心虛，逃竄而去。」卓大怒曰：「我如此重用，反欲害吾！」令遍行文書，描其摸樣，畫影圖形，星夜捉拿此賊：拿住者千金賞，封萬戶侯。儒曰：「必有同設謀者，拿住曹操可知矣。」文書曉夜行。

Before the pair could make up their minds, Li Ru suddenly arrived, and Dong Zhuo told him about what had happened.

“Regardless of Cao Cao's age, he must have lodgings somewhere,” Li Ru advised them. “Send for him. If he thinks nothing of the summons and comes here at once then the sword really was meant as a gift, but if he makes any delay or offers any excuses to not come then he was surely trying to assassinate you, and you can promptly arrest and question him.”

Dong Zhuo agreed with this reasoning, and he sent four or five prison warders to look for Cao Cao. After some time, they came back and reported, “Cao Cao never returned to his lodgings, but rode in hot haste for the east gate on a yellow horse. And when the gate-warden questioned him, he would only say that he was on ‘urgent public business for the Prime Minister’ while riding off at full speed.”

"That traitor Cao Cao had an empty heart," said Li Ru. "He's made a break for it by fleeing."

“I employed him so well and yet he sought to do me in!” said Dong Zhuo in a rage.

He commanded letters and documents sketching Cao Cao's likeness to be distributed, with orders to hunt down the fugitive day and night; whoever caught him would receive a reward of a thousand gold and be granted a fief of ten thousand households. And Li Ru added, "He must have had fellow conspirators; we'll know all about them once we catch Cao Cao." The documents traveled day and night.

曹操日行夜住，奔譙郡來。路經中牟縣過，把關者見之，曰：「朝廷捕獲曹操，此必是也！」當住問曰：「汝何姓？那裏來？」操曰：「我覆姓皇甫，從泗州來。」把關者曰：「朝廷捕獲曹操，你的服色、摸樣正對。」拖見縣令。操賴道：「我是客人。」縣令曰：「我在洛陽求官，認得曹操，捉來便知。」奪了馬，擁至庭下。縣令喝曰：「我認得你，如何隱諱？且把來監下，來日起解。萬戶侯我做，千金賞分與眾人。」把關人賞了皆散。

Traveling by day while resting at night, Cao Cao fled towards Qiao commandery. Yet as he was passing through Zhongmou county, the guards at the pass there observed him and said, "He must be that fellow Cao Cao, the one the court is hunting for!" And they stopped him and asked, "What is your surname, and where have you come from?"

Cao Cao claimed, “I am a merchant surnamed Huangfu, and I've come from Sizhou.”

But the guards said, "The court is hunting for Cao Cao, and your attire and appearance match his exactly." And they took him to see the Prefect of the county.

Cao Cao once more claimed, "I am only a traveler."

But the Prefect replied, "When I was at the capital seeking a post, Cao Cao, I learned your face; one look was all it took to recognize you." And he confiscated Cao Cao's horse and detained him within his office.

The Prefect loudly said, "I know who you are; why try to hide it? Anyway, I'll hand you over to the guards for now and let you out again tomorrow; the marquisate of ten thousand households will be mine, but I'll share the thousand gold reward with them." And he distributed rewards among all the guards.

至晚，縣令引親隨人取出曹操，於後院問之：「我聞丞相待你甚厚，何故自取其禍？」 操曰：「燕雀安知鴻鵠之誌哉！汝既拿住，便當解去請賞，何必多問！」縣令曰：「汝休小覷我。我亦有沖天之誌，奈何未遇其主耳。」操曰：「吾乃相國曹參之後，祖宗四百年食漢祿矣，不思報本，與禽獸何異？吾屈身而事董賊者，實欲與國家除害耳。今事不成，此乃天意也！」縣令曰：「孟德此行，將欲何往？」操曰：「吾歸鄉中，發嬌詔於四海，使天下諸侯共興兵誅董卓，吾之願也。奈何天不從之！」縣令聞之，乃親釋其縛，扶之上座，酌酒再拜曰：「公乃天下忠義之士也，吾棄官而從之。」操問姓名，縣令曰：「某姓陳，名宮，字公臺。老母妻子皆在東郡。宮願從公，更衣易馬，共謀大事。」是夜，收拾盤費，陳宮與曹操各背劍乘馬，投故鄉來。

When evening came, the Prefect sent a trusted servant to take Cao Cao and bring him into his rear chamber. “I heard the Prime Minister treated you quite generously," the Prefect probed him. "Then why did you seek to destroy him?”

But Cao Cao only scoffed, "How can swallows and sparrows understand the ambitions of a crane? You’ve caught me, and now you’re going to hand me over to claim your reward; what's the point in so many questions?"

The Prefect replied, “Do not despise me. My own ambitions are just as vaulting; I simply haven’t yet found the right master to serve yet.”

Cao Cao declared, “I am a descendant of Cao Shen, who served as Chancellor of State in ancient days, and for more than four centuries my family has been sustained by the salary of Han; if I did not seek to make good on that legacy, how would I be any different from a mere beast? I only bent the knee to the traitor Dong that I might find some opportunity to remove this evil to the state. If I have failed for now, it was only due to the will of Heaven!"

“In that case, Mengde, where are you headed?” asked the Prefect.

“Home to my village,” Cao Cao told him. “Then I will send out a forged edict to all corners of the land, calling on the lords across the realm to raise troops and band together to execute Dong Zhuo. Such is my desire; how could the realm fail to respond?”

Upon hearing this, the Prefect personally loosened the bonds of the prisoner, led him to the upper seat, and poured out wine for him before bowing twice, saying, “You truly are a loyal and righteous gentleman of the realm. I shall give up my position in order to accompany you.” Cao Cao asked his name, and the Prefect replied, “I am Chen Gong, styled Gongtai. My aged mother and my wife and children are all in Dong commandery. I am willing to go with you; let's change our clothes and swap out our horses, then plan the grand affair together."

During the night, after gathering together some traveling funds, Chen Gong and Cao Cao each strapped on a sword and got on a horse, then hurried off towards Cao Cao's home village.

三日至成臯，天色向晚，曹以鞭指林深處而言曰：「此間有一人，姓呂，名伯奢，是吾父親拜義弟兄。就往問家中信息，覓一宿，若何？」宮曰：「最好。」二人到莊門下馬，入見伯奢，下拜。奢曰：「我聞朝廷遍行文書，捉你太緊，你父避陳留去了。賢侄如何到此？」操告以前事：「今番不是陳縣令，已粉骨碎身矣。」 伯奢拜陳宮曰：「小侄若非使君，曹氏滅門矣。」言罷，與操曰：「賢侄相陪使君，寬懷安坐。老夫家無好酒，容往西村沽一樽以待使君。」言迄，上驢去了。

Three days later, they had just reached Chenggao as the sky was turning dark. Cao Cao pointed with his whip towards a place deep in the woods and said, “There is a man named Lü Boshe who lives there, a sworn-brother of my father. Suppose we go and ask news of my family and seek shelter for the night?”

“Excellent!” said Chen Gong, and they rode over, dismounted at the farm gate and entered to see Lü Boshe, paying their respects to him.

Their host said, “I hear the government has sent stringent orders on all sides to arrest you. Your father has already left Chenliu to go into hiding as well. Worthy nephew, how did things come to this?”

Cao Cao told him what had happened, adding, “Had it not been for Prefect Chen, I should have been already hacked to pieces.”

Lü Boshe bowed low to Chen Gong, saying, “Commissioner, if it had not been you whom my young nephew encountered, the Cao clan would have been extinguished." Then he said to Cao Cao, "Worthy nephew, you and the Commissioner should both take it easy here for a while. I may not have any good wine with my family, but let me go out to the western village to buy a jug to treat the Commissioner." Having said this, he mounted a donkey and left.

操坐久，聞莊後磨刀之聲。操與宮曰：「呂伯奢非吾至親，此去可疑，當竊聽之。」二人潛步入草堂後，但聞人語曰：「縛而殺之。」操曰：「不先下手，吾死矣！」與宮拔劍直入，不問男女，皆殺之，殺死八口。搜至廚下，見縛一豬欲殺。陳宮曰：「孟德多心，誤殺好人！」操曰：「可急上馬！」

Cao Cao sat a while, until he began hearing the sound of knives being sharpened behind the house. He said to Chen Gong, “Lü Boshe is not my real uncle, and it's a bit suspicious that he left. We had better go listen closer.”

So they silently stepped out into a straw hut at the back, where they heard someone remark, “Bind before killing, eh?”

“Unless I strike first, I'll be dead!” exclaimed Cao Cao. And he and Chen Gong drew their swords and dashed in, killing everyone they saw regardless of gender, eight people in all. Yet upon looking in the kitchen, they found a pig, trussed up and ready to be killed.

“You were too paranoid, Mengde,” said Chen Gong, “and we have slain honest folk!”

"Let's ride away at once!" said Cao Cao.

二人行不到二裏，見呂伯奢驢鞍前鞽懸酒二瓶，手抱果木而來。伯奢叫曰：「賢侄何故便去？」操曰：「被獲之人，不敢久住。」 伯奢曰：「吾已分付宰一豬相款使君，何憎一宿？」操不顧，策馬便行。又不到數步，操拔劍復回，叫伯奢曰：「此來者何人？」 伯奢回頭看時，操將伯奢砍於驢下。宮曰：「恰才誤耳，今何故也？」操曰：「伯奢到家，見殺死親子，安肯罷休？吾等必遭禍矣。」宮曰：「非也。知而故殺，大不義也！」操曰：「寧使我負天下人，休教天下人負我！」陳宮默然。曹操說出這兩句言語，教萬代人罵。

Yet they had not even traveled two li before they met Lü Boshe whipping his donkey forward, dangling two vessels of wine from the saddle and holding fruit and vegetables in his hand. “Why are you leaving already, Worthy nephew?” he called out to them.

“A fugitive dares not linger,” said Cao Cao.

“But I have already bidden them butcher a pig as thanks for the Commissioner! Can’t you spare just one night?"

Yet Cao Cao only rode on unmoved. When he was just a few paces away from Lü Boshe, he suddenly drew his sword and turned his head. “Who is that coming along?” he called towards Lü Boshe. And as Lü Boshe turned to look, at the same instant Cao Cao swung his sword and cut him down from the donkey.

“At least before you were only mixed up,” Chen Gong exclaimed. “Now what have you done?”

“When Lü Boshe got home and saw so much of his family had been killed, think you he would bear it patiently? It would have meant our ruin.”

“You are wrong. To kill in cold blood is most unjust!” said Chen Gong.

“Better for me to wrong the world than to teach the world to wrong me!”

Chen Gong made no reply. For in uttering these two phrases, Cao Cao was teaching those of future generations to curse him.

當夜，陳宮行數裏，月明中敲開店門覓宿，先餵了馬匹。操先睡，陳宮尋思：「我將謂曹操是好人，棄官跟將他來，原是狼心狗行之徒。今日留之，必為後患。」拔劍來殺曹操，未知性命如何？

They rode on some distance by moonlight and presently knocked at an inn for shelter. Having first fed their horses, Cao Cao was soon asleep while his companion lay thinking.

“I took Cao Cao for a true man and abandoned my position to follow him, yet he’s just some lout with a wolfish heart! If I spare him today, he will do more harm,” thought Chen Gong. And he thought to draw his sword and come kill his companion.

What would Cao Cao's fate prove to be?

[Taishi Ci 2.0]

曹操起兵伐董卓

Chapter 9: Cao Cao Raises Troops To Campaign Against Dong Zhuo

陳宮臨欲下手，思曰：「我為國家，跟他到此，殺之不義，不若棄之。」宮插劍入鞘上馬，未及天明，自投東郡去了。操覺來，不見陳宮，尋思：「此人見我說了這兩句，疑我不仁，棄之而去。吾當急往，不可久留。」

Chen Gong was just about to slay Cao Cao. Yet he mused, “It was for the sake of the state that I came with him; to kill him would be unjust. Better to leave him here and go my own way.” He put away his sword and saddled his horse, then rode away before dawn, heading back to his home in Dong commandery.

When Cao Cao woke up and saw no sign of Chen Gong, he thought to himself, “The man thinks me brutal because of a couple of egoistic phrases I used, so he’s left me behind. I ought to push on too and not linger here.”

操連夜到陳留，尋見父親說上項事，欲散家資，招募義兵。父言：「資少，恐不成事。此間有衛弘，舉孝廉，疏財仗義。其家巨富，若得相助，事可圖矣。」操置酒張筵，拜請衛弘到家，告曰：「今漢室無主，董卓專權，篡國害民，天下切齒。操欲立扶社稷，恨力不足耳。公乃忠義丈夫，故哀告耳。」 弘曰：「吾有是心久矣，恨無效力之人。既孟德有大誌，願將家資相助。」操大喜；先發矯詔，馳報各道，然後招集義兵，豎起招兵白旗一面，上書「忠義」二字。

Cao Cao reached his home at Chenliu commandery that night. When he saw his father, he related all that had happened and said he wanted to distribute the family wealth in order to attract and recruit soldiers for an uprising.

“I fear our possessions are but small,” said his father, “and not enough to achieve your aims. Yet one of our neighbors here, Wei Hong, was once nominated for office by the local authorities; he is willing to share his wealth to support a righteous cause, and his family is very rich. With his help, we might hope for success.”

Cao Cao set out wine and prepared a feast, then invited Wei Hong to their home. Cao Cao said to him, “The house of Han no longer has any true leader, while Dong Zhuo is monopolizing power: he has usurped the state and is cruel to the people, and all the realm gnash their teeth with rage. I should like to exert myself to bracing up the altars of the state, yet regret that I lack the power to do so. As you are a loyal and righteous gentleman, Sir, I thought to share my sorrows with you."

Wei Hong replied, “I have long had the same desire; I only regretted that I had not yet found some hero fit to undertake the task. Since you have such a grand ambition, Mengde, I willingly devote all my property to the cause.”

Cao Cao was overjoyed by this news. He first drafted a false edict and had it spread around to every corner, then began bringing in soldiers for the cause, assembling his new troops under a white banner with “Loyalty and Righteousness” printed upon it.

是日清早，應募之士，如雨駢集。有一人從眾中出曰：「某與明公願為吏，討董卓。」操問之。其人乃陽平衛國人也，姓樂，名進，字文謙。身材短小，膽量過人。操留為帳前吏。是日兄弟二人，各引壯士三千余人，來投曹操：一人覆姓夏侯，名惇，字元讓，沛國譙人也，乃夏侯嬰之後。自小習槍棒。年十四，從師學槍法。有人辱罵其法，惇提刀殺之，逃命於外方。聞知曹操起兵，與同族弟夏侯淵來協助。淵字妙才。此二人皆操之弟兄。操之父曹嵩原是夏侯氏之子，過房與曹家，因此是親。不數日，曹操兄弟曹仁並曹洪，引千余兵，來助曹操。曹仁，字子孝；曹洪，字子廉。此二人弓馬熟閑，武藝精通。曹操大喜，於村中調練人馬。一人持槍而來，於曹操面前大呼曰：「願從將軍，以誅國賊！」操問之。其人姓李，名典，字曼成，山陽巨鹿人也。於操前施逞槍法，問答如流。操喜。衛弘盡出家財，置辦衣甲旗旛。四方送糧食者，不計其數。曹兵壯士五千，屯於陳留。

That very day by first light, so many gentlemen were answering his call that they flowed in like sheets of rain.

One man stepped out from the throng to declare, "My lord, make me an official and I will campaign against Dong Zhuo." Cao Cao questioned the man and learned he was a native of Weiguo in Yangping commandery; his name was Yue Jin, styled Wenqian, and though small and short in stature his courage surpassed others. Cao Cao retained him as an official at his personal tent.

That same day, two brothers arrived in search of Cao Cao, each bringing in more than three thousand people. One was named Xiahou Dun, styled Yuanrang, a native of Qiao county in the Pei princedom; he was a descendant of Xiahou Ying from the first years of Han. This Xiahou Dun had trained in the spear and the club since his youth. At the age of thirteen he had taken up learning spear techniques under a certain master-in-arms, and when someone had spoken disrespectfully of his master, Xiahou Dun had drawn his blade and killed them, then had gone into hiding elsewhere. But hearing that Cao Cao was raising troops, he now came to offer his assistance, accompanied by his cousin Xiahou Yuan, styled Miaocai.

In fact these Xiahou brothers were as cousins to Cao Cao, for his father Cao Song had originally been part of the Xiahou clan as well, only having been adopted into the Cao clan later, making them all of the same blood.

A few days later came two more cousins, Cao Ren styled Zixiao and Cao Hong styled Zilian, each of whom brought more than a thousand additional soldiers. These two were accomplished horsemen and trained in the use of arms, and Cao Cao was delighted to obtain their services and set them to drilling and training the soldiers in the village.

One man arrived wielding a spear, calling out to Cao Cao's face, "General, I'm ready to follow you and campaign against the traitor to the state!" Cao Cao questioned him and learned he was Li Dian, styled Mancheng, a native of Juye county in Shanyang commandery. He gave Li Dian leave to show off his spear techniques before him, and Li Dian responded to each of Cao Cao's requests as swiftly as flowing water; Cao Cao was pleased with him.

Wei Hong spent his family treasure freely in procuring clothing, armor, flags and banners, while from all sides poured in countless gifts of grain. In all Cao Cao gathered five thousand strong soldiers, camping them at Chenliu.

時袁紹得操嬌詔，乃聚麾下將士，商議起兵。有田豐、沮授、許攸、審配、郭圖、顏良、文醜文臣武將，整整齊齊，各懷報國之心，盡有匡君之誌。引兵三萬，離渤海來與曹操會盟。操作檄文以達諸郡。

Among those who obtained a copy of Cao Cao’s forged edict was Yuan Shao, who assembled his officers and subordinates to discuss raising his troops as well; these included Tian Feng, Ju Shou, Xu You, Feng Ji, Guo Tu, Yan Liang, and Wen Chou, an impressive array of civil officials and martial generals each of whom nursed a will to repay their debt to the state and all of whom had ambitions of aiding their sovereign. Yuan Shao led an army of thirty thousand to depart Bohai to join Cao Cao’s coalition. Cao Cao then drew up his own declaration to distribute to the local commanderies.

檄文曰：操等謹以大義布告天下：董卓欺天罔地，滅國弒君；穢亂宮禁，殘害生靈；狠戾不仁，罪惡充積。今奉天子密詔，大集義兵，誓欲掃清華夏，剿戮群兇。望興仁義之師，來赴忠烈之會，扶持王室，拯救黎民。檄文到日，速可奉行。

Cao Cao wrote:

"In the spirit of great righteousness, we signatories, Cao Cao and the rest, hereby make the following declaration to the realm.

"Dong Zhuo has cheated Heaven and deceived Earth by wrecking the state and murdering the sovereign, and he is bringing filth and disorder to the inner palace and injury and oppression to both the living and the dead. He is vicious and cruel without benevolence, and his crimes and offenses are heaped up! In accordance with a secret edict from the Son of Heaven, we have made a great muster for a righteous cause and have pledged to cleanse the heartland and destroy the evil-doers. May each of you raise righteous troops as well and hurry to join our loyal and zealous assembly, in order to support the royal family and rescue the people from misery. On the day you receive this declaration, may you act at once!"

操發檄文去後，各鎮諸侯皆起兵：

　　第一鎮，交遊豪俊，結納英雄，後將軍、南陽太守袁術〈字公路〉 。

　　第二鎮，貫通諸子，博覽九經，冀州刺史韓馥〈字文節〉 。

　　第三鎮，闊論高談，知今博古，豫州刺史孔伷〈字公緒〉 。

　　第四鎮，孝悌仁慈，屈己待士，兗州刺史劉岱〈字公山〉 。

　　第五鎮，仗義疏財，揮金似土，河內郡太守王匡〈字公節〉 。

　　第六鎮，賑窮救急，誌大心高，陳留太守張邈〈字孟卓〉 。

　　第七鎮，恩惠及人，聰敏有學，東郡太守喬瑁〈字元偉〉 。

　　第八鎮，忠直元亮，秀氣文華，山陽太守袁遺〈字伯業〉 。

　　第九鎮，有謀多智，善武能文，濟北相鮑信〈字允誠〉 。

　　第十鎮，聖人宗派，好客禮賢，北海太守孔融〈字文舉〉 。

　　第十一鎮，武藝超群，威儀出眾，廣陵太守張超〈字孟高〉 。

　　第十二鎮，仁人君子，德厚溫良，徐州刺史陶謙〈字恭祖〉 。

　　第十三鎮，名鎮羌、胡，聲聞夷夏，西涼太守馬騰〈字壽成〉 。

　　第十四鎮，聲如巨鐘，豐姿英偉，北平太守公孫瓚〈字伯珪〉 。

　　第十五鎮，隨機應變，臨事勇為，上黨太守張楊〈字稚生〉 。

　　第十六鎮，英雄冠世，剛勇絕倫，烏程侯、長沙太守孫堅〈字文臺〉 。

　　第十七鎮，四世三公，門多故吏，祁鄉侯、渤海太守袁紹〈字本初〉 。

　　諸路軍馬，多少不等，有三萬者，有一二萬者，各領文官武將，投洛陽來。

Once Cao Cao’s declaration had gone out, many of the regional garrison commanders and lords raised their troops to support the cause as well:

First: Coordinator of heroes and braves and organizer of stalwarts and talents, the General of the Rear and Administrator of Nanyang, Yuan Shu.
Second: Student of the ancient philosophers and adept of the nine classics, the Inspector of Jizhou, Han Fu.
Third: Rhetorician par excellence who knows the current and grasps the ancient, the Inspector of Yuzhou, Kong Zhou.
Fourth: Filially fraternal and benevolently kind, self-effacing and courteous to others, the Inspector of Yanzhou, Liu Dai.
Fifth: Spendthrift towards rightous causes with piles of gold, the Administrator of Henei, Wang Kuang.
Sixth: Committed donor towards dire circumstances, with grand ambition and lofty heart, the Administrator of Chenliu, Zhang Miao.
Seventh: Model of kindness and grace, nimbleminded and erudite, the Administrator of Dong, Qiao Mao.
Eighth: Loyal and true, foremost and bright, full of spirit and refined in conduct, the Administrator of Shanyang, Yuan Yi.
Ninth: Crafty and cunning, skilled in war and capable in government, the Chancellor of Jibei, Bao Xin.
Tenth: Descendant of the Sage (Confucius/Kongzi) who craves guests and hosts worthies, the Administrator of Beihai, Kong Rong.
Eleven: Champion of martial skill and exemplar of righteous aura, the Administrator of Guangling, Zhang Chao.
Twelfth: Benevolent soul and gentleman, rich in virtue and generous in warmth, the Inspector of Xuzhou, Tao Qian.
Thirteenth: Renowned among the Qiang and Hu and well-known to both the civilized and the barbarians, the Administrator of Liangzhou, Ma Teng.
Fourteenth: Fertile talent and stalwart mettle with a sound like a massive bell, the Administrator of Beiping, Gongsun Zan.
Fifteenth: Responder to circumstances and bold in the face of adversity, the Administrator of Shangdang, Zhang Yang.
Sixteenth: Hero who surpasses the age and valiant without rival, the Marquis of Wucheng and Administrator of Changsha, Sun Jian.
And seventeenth: Scion of statesmen and patron of the realm, the Marquis of Qixiang and Administrator of Bohai, Yuan Shao.

These armies were not equal in size; some had thirty thousand soldiers while others were only ten or twenty thousand. Yet all of them had civil officials and martial generals, and they made their way towards Luoyang.

且說一路軍馬，乃北平太守，統領幽州，官拜奮武將軍、薊侯，覆姓公孫，單名瓚，遼西令支人也。統領精兵一萬五千人起發，路經德州平原縣過。軍馬正行之間，遙見桑樹叢中，一面黃旗，數騎來迎，遠遠看見公孫瓚下馬。瓚視之，乃劉玄德也。瓚亦下馬問曰：「賢弟何故在此？」玄德曰：「兄長失忘？舊日蒙兄保委備為平原縣令，因此出城閑行，偶遇尊兄到此，乃大幸也。就請兄長入城歇馬。」雲雲。瓚指關、張而問曰：「此何人也？」玄德曰：「此是關某、張飛，備結義兄弟也。」瓚曰：「乃同破黃巾者乎？」玄德曰：「皆此二人之力也。」瓚曰：「有何爵祿？」玄德答曰：「關某為馬弓手，張飛為步弓手。」瓚曰：「呀，空埋了大丈夫耳！今董卓作亂，天下諸侯共往誅之。賢弟可棄其為官，一同討賊，力扶漢室，若何？」玄德曰：「願往。」張飛曰：「當日若容我殺了此賊，免有今日之事。」關某曰：「事已至此，收拾前行。」玄德、關、張引數騎跟公孫瓚來。

Let us focus further on the leader of one of these armies, the Administrator of Beiping and acting commander of Youzhou who had also been appointed as General Who Rouses Might and Marquis of Ji; this was Gongsun Zan, who was a native of Lingqi county in Liaoxi commandery. After setting out with the fifteen thousand veteran troops under his command, he passed through Pingyuan county in Dezhou, where along the road he spied amid the mulberry trees several riders traveling beneath a yellow banner; seeing Gongsun Zan approaching from afar, they dismounted, and Gongsun Zan recognized their leader as Liu Xuande. Gongsun Zan thus dismounted as well and asked, “Good brother, what are you doing here?”

Xuande replied, “Elder brother, have you forgotten? It was thanks to your reassurances in former days that I was appointed as Prefect of Pingyuan county. I've just come out of the city for a moment of idleness; encountering you here is quite the blessing. Elder brother, I pray you enter the city to water your horses.” And they exchanged similar such pleasantries.

Then Gongsun Zan pointed to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei and asked, “Who might these two be?”

“These are Sir Guan and Zhang Fei, my sworn brothers,” Xuande told him.

“Did they crush the Yellow Turbans with you?”

“All my successes were due to their efforts,” said Xuande.

“And what titles and salaries have they?”

“Sir Guan is a mounted archer; Zhang Fei is a foot archer.”

“Thus are able men buried!” sighed Gongsun Zan. “Dong Zhuo is causing trouble now, and the feudal lords of the realm are all going to execute him. My brother, why not abandon this office and join us in fighting this rebel and supporting the House of Han?”

“Gladly,” said Xuande.

“If you had let me kill the traitor that other time, we would not have this trouble today,” groused Zhang Fei.

“The past is in the past,” said Sir Guan. “Let’s get our things together and head out.” Thus the three brothers, along with a few horsemen, joined Gongsun Zan and marched with him to join the great army.

且說那十八路諸侯，那一路先到？此人身長八尺，英雄雙全，橫跨三江，威服六郡，富春人也。姓孫，名堅，字文臺。後人有詩贊文臺曰：誰道江南少將才？明星夜夜照文臺。欲誅董卓安天下，為首長沙太守來。

And of those eighteen lords, who was the first to arrive? It was a man eight chi in height and fully possessed of heroism and boldness, who stood astride the Three Rivers and whose might held sway over six commanderies. It was that native of Fuchun county, Sun Jian, styled Wentai. In later ages a certain poet would eulogize him:

What southern man compares with him?
For he the stars themselves could dim
They fought for king and country all
Yet Wentai first to heed the call

曹操接著孫堅。眾諸侯陸續皆到，各自安營下寨，連接二百余裏。操乃宰牛殺馬，大會諸侯，商議進兵之策。太守王匡曰：「今奉大義，必立盟主,眾聽約束，然後進兵。」遞互相讓。操曰：「袁本初四世三公，門多故吏，漢朝名將之裔，可為盟主。」紹再三推辭。眾皆曰：「非本初不可為也。」紹方應允。

Caco Cao welcomed Sun Jian, and one after another the other feudal lords arrived as well, each setting up their own camps which extended over two hundred li in all. Once everyone had arrived, Cao Cao made offerings of sacrificial bullocks and horses and called all the lords to a great assembly to decide upon their plan of attack.

“Since we have all come here to support a great cause, we must first appoint a leader for our coalition,” observed Wang Kuang. “Only once the army has its commander can we consider advancing.”

One by one the lords declined the role, until Cao Cao proposed, “Let it be Yuan Benchu. For four generations, the highest offices of state have been filled by members of his Yuan family, and their clients and supporters are everywhere. As a descendant of a famed general of the Han court, he is a suitable man to be our leader.” Yuan Shao again and again declined this honor. But the others all said, “No one but Benchu will do,” and in the end he agreed.

次日，築臺三層，遍列五方旗幟，上建白旄黃鉞，兵符將印，請紹登壇。紹整衣佩劍，慨然而上，焚香再拜。其盟曰：漢室不幸，皇綱失統。賊臣董卓，乘釁縱害，禍加至尊，虐流百姓，大懼淪喪社稷，剪覆四海。紹等糾合義兵，並赴國難。凡我同盟，齊心戮力，以致臣節。隕首喪元，必無二誌。有渝此盟，俾墜其命，無克遺育。皇天後土，祖宗明靈，實皆鑒之！讀畢，歃血。眾等因其辭氣慷慨，遂皆涕泣橫流。聞其言者，雖卒伍廝養，莫不切齒踴躍，共思誅討逆賊董卓。及歃血已罷，下壇。眾皆扶紹升帳，侍坐。各施禮罷，兩行依爵位年齒，分列而坐。

The next day, a three-storied altar was built and they planted about it the five banners of the divisions of space. And they set up white yaks’ tails and golden axes and emblems of military authority and the seals of leadership round about. All being ready, Yuan Shao was invited to ascend the altar. Clad in ceremonial robes and girt with a sword, Yuan Shao reverently ascended. There he burned incense, twice made obeisance and recited this oath:

“The House of Han has fallen upon evil days, the bands of imperial authority are loosened. The rebel minister Dong Zhuo takes advantage of the discord to work evil, and calamity falls even upon the most exalted while cruelty overwhelms simple folk; what is most to be feared is that the altars of the state will be destroyed and the land within the Four Seas be rent asunder. We, Yuan Shao and his confederates, have assembled military forces to rush to the needs of the state. We now pledge ourselves to exert our whole strength and to act in concord to the utmost limit of our powers in order to fulfill our duties as subjects of the state. The cause and our will shall stand or fall together; there must be no disconcerted or selfish action. Should any depart from this pledge, may he lose his life and leave no posterity. Almighty Heaven and Universal Mother Earth, enlightened spirits of our forefathers, be ye our witnesses!”

The reading finished, he smeared the blood of the sacrifice upon his lips and upon the lips of those who shared the pledge. All were deeply affected by the gravity of his words and spirit, and many shed tears; even among the rank and file soldiers and the grooms and porters, none failed to grind their teeth or stamp their feet, for all were resolved to march against and execute the traitor Dong Zhuo.

With the smearing of blood concluded, Yuan Shao was supported down from the high place and led to his tent, where he took the seat of honor. The other lords were then one by one officially received in turn before each took his seat on either side of the tent according to his rank and seniority.

操行酒數巡，言曰：「今日既立盟主，各聽調遣，同扶天下，勿以強弱計較。」紹曰：「吾無壓眾之心，汝等推戴我為盟主，有功者必賞，有罪者必罰。國有常刑，軍有紀律，各宜遵守，毋得違犯。」眾皆曰：「惟命是聽。」紹曰：「吾弟袁術總督糧草，應付諸營，無使有缺。誰肯為前部先鋒，直抵沂水關下，誘賊相持？余皆各據險要，以為接應。」長沙太守孫堅出曰：「堅雖不才，願為前部。」紹曰：「文臺勇烈，可稱此職。」隨即捧杯作賀。連忙引本部人馬，大刀闊斧，奔沂水關來。

After having passed the wine around a few times, Cao Cao remarked, "Now that we have acclaimed our leader, each of us must be willing to listen to whatever he commands for the sake of working together to support the realm. There must be no jostling for position based on the strength of our own forces.”

And Yuan Shao declared, “Though I am unworthy to fulfill the hopes of the people, since you all have put me forward as leader of the coalition, I shall ensure that all merits will be rewarded and all crimes will be punished. As the state has its constant punishments, so too does the army have its law and order; each of you should honor and preserve it, allowing no breach or violation."

“We hear and obey!” cried all.

“My younger brother Yuan Shu shall serve as Chief of the Commissariat, ensuring that the whole camp is well supplied and no one goes without," continued Yuan Shao. "Yet who is prepared to serve as leader of the vanguard, to march straight for Sishui Gate to draw the traitors into battle? All others shall each occupy suitable terrain in order to support this thrust."

Sun Jian spoke up: “I'm hardly talented, yet I am willing to lead the van.”

“Wentai is valiant and fierce, equal to this service,” agreed Yuan Shao, and the lords raised a toast to offer their congratulations. Sun Jian quickly set his troops, armed with large blades and wide axes, in order to hurry towards Sishui Gate.

有守關將差流星馬往洛陽丞相府告急。董卓自專大權之後，每日飲宴，更深方散。李儒接得告急文字，徑來稟覆丞相。董卓大驚，急聚眾將商議。卓曰：「今袁紹、曹操聚各路太守軍馬直抵關前，眾將有何妙計？」 溫侯呂布挺身出曰：「父親勿慮。吾覷關外眾多諸侯如草芥，親提虎狼之師，盡斬其首，懸於都門，呂布之願也。」卓大喜曰：「吾有奉先，高枕無優矣！」言未絕，呂布背後一人高聲而出曰：「殺雞焉用牛刀？不必溫侯有勞虎威。吾觀斬眾諸侯首級，如探囊取物。」卓視之，其人身長九尺，面如噀血，虎體狼腰，豹頭猿臂。關西人也，姓華，名雄，卓帳前第一員驍將。卓聽其言大喜，加為驍騎校尉，撥馬步軍五萬，一同李肅、胡軫、趙岑連夜便起，飛奔沂水關來。

The general defending Sishui Gate sent a swift rider back to the Prime Minister’s office at Luoyang to report the emergency.

Ever since Dong Zhuo had secured so much power, he had given himself up to daily feasting and in giving even greater indulgence to his desires. When the letter of distress reached Li Ru, he at once came to inform the Prime Minister, who much alarmed hastily called a council of war. "Now Yuan Shao and Cao Cao have mustered the armies of various Administrators and are marching straight for the capital passes. My generals, how do you propose to get us out of this?"

The Marquis of Wen, Lü Bu, stood forth and said, “Father, you need not be concerned; I look upon all these lords beyond the passes as so many blades of grass. Let me bring our army of tigers and wolves to take all their heads and hang them up at the gates of the capital.”

“So long as I have Fengxian, I can sleep secure!” said Dong Zhuo joyfully.

Yet before he had finished speaking, someone behind Lü Bu exclaimed, “Who needs a butcher's knife just to kill a chicken? The Marquis need not exhaust his tiger ferocity; I myself will claim their heads as easily as plucking something from a bag.”

Dong Zhuo looked over and saw a man nine chi in height with a face crimson as a spurt of blood; he had the chest of a tiger and the waist of a wolf, the head of a leopard and the arms of an ape. He was a native of the lands west of the Passes, named Hua Xiong, and he was the greatest of the fierce generals that served directly under Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo rejoiced at his bold words, appointing him as Colonel of Agile Cavalry and assigning him fifty thousand horse and foot. Hua Xiong quickly marched out toward Sishui Gate, along with Li Su, Hu Zhen, and Zhao Cen.

卻說眾諸侯內，有濟北相鮑信，尋思：「孫堅為其前部，若幹了大功，都不顯我等。」暗撥其弟鮑忠，先將馬步軍三千，徑抄小路，直到關下搦戰。華雄引鐵騎五百，飛下關來，大喝：「賊將休走！」鮑忠急待退，被華雄手起刀落，斬鮑忠於馬下，生擒將校極多。華雄飛馬，親提鮑忠首級，直來相府獻功。卓賜雄重賞，又與鐵甲馬軍一千。雄辭董卓，上馬，部領出城，投沂水關紮住大寨。卓使人加雄為都督，且傳曰：「慎勿下關輕敵！」

Among the forces of the feudal lords was Bao Xin, who thought to himself, "With Sun Jian acting as the vanguard, if he gains a great achievement, there'll be no glory for the rest of us." Thus he secretly dispatched his younger brother Bao Zhong with three thousand horse and foot to reach Sishui Gate first by way of a shortcut and then offer battle. Hua Xiong at the head of five hundred mail-clad horsemen swept down from the Gate, calling out, “Halt, rebel general!” Bao Zhong swiftly attempted to retreat, yet Hua Xiong lifted his blade and hacked down, and Bao Zhong’s head fell from his horse; practically all of Bao Zhong's generals and officers were captured as well. Hua Xiong came rushing back to the capital, taking Bao Zhong's head with him, to report his achievement at the Prime Minister's office. Dong Zhuo heavily rewarded him, and further assigned him a thousand iron-armored cavalry. Hua Xiong took his leave of Dong Zhuo, mounted his horse, and led this force out of the city to hurry back to the camp at Sishui Gate. Dong Zhuo sent an agent after him to appoint him as Commander, as well as to convey the message, "Be careful, and don't underestimate the enemy by rashly marching out from the Gate!"

卻說孫堅引四將直至關前。那四將？第一個，右北平土垠〈音銀〉 人，姓程，名普，字德謀，使一條鐵脊蛇矛，東吳第一員上將。第二個，姓黃，名蓋，字公覆，零陵人也，使鐵鞭。第三個，姓韓，名當，字義公，遼西令支人也，使口大刀。第四個，姓祖，名茂，字大榮，吳郡富春人也，使雙刀。孫堅披爛銀鎧，裹赤幘，騎花鬃馬，橫古錠刀，指關上而罵曰：「助惡匹夫，何不早降！」華雄副將胡軫曰：「某下關必斬孫堅首！」雄與兵三千，排列出關。堅見胡軫出馬，卻欲自出。程普飛馬挺矛，直取胡軫。鬥不數合，程普刺中胡軫咽喉，死於馬下。一陣直殺上關，關上矢如雨下。孫堅引兵回至梁東屯住。

Now we turn to Sun Jian, leading his four generals up to approach Sishui Gate himself. And who were these generals? The first was Cheng Pu, styled Demou, a native of Tuyin county in Youbeiping commandery; he fought with an iron-spined serpent lance and was the greatest general of the Eastern Wu region. The second was Huang Gai, styled Gongfu, a native of Lingling commandery who wielded an iron whip. The third was Han Dang, styled Yigong, a broad-swordsman from Lingzhi county in Liaoxi commandery. And the fourth was Zu Mao, styled Darong, a fellow native of Fuchun county in Wu commandery who fought with a pair of swords. Sun Jian himself wore a helmet of fine silver wrapped round with a crimson turban, and he carried across his body his sword of ancient ingot iron and rode a dappled horse with flowing mane.

Pointing up at those atop the Gate, Sun Jian scolded them, saying, “You thugs helping a villain, why don’t you surrender already?”

Hua Xiong's vice-general Hu Zhen declared, "I'll go down from the Gate and take Sun Jian's head for sure!" Hua Xiong thus gave him three thousand soldiers, and Hu Zhen marched out from the Gate in battle array. When Sun Jian saw Hu Zhen ride out in front of his formation, he wanted to go and challenge Hu Zhen himself. Yet it was Cheng Pu who galloped out with his lance set, making straight for Hu Zhen, and in just a few bouts he put his lance through Hu Zhen’s throat and left him dead on the ground. Then Sun Jian signaled the rest of his troops to advance. But from atop the Gate they rained down showers of arrows, thus Sun Jian had his soldiers pull back to camp at Liangdong.

堅使人於袁紹處報捷，就於袁術處催糧。或譖：「孫堅乃江東之猛虎，若打破洛陽，殺了董卓，正是除狼而得虎也。今不可與糧，彼軍必散。」術聽之，不發糧草。堅軍缺食，軍中自亂。細作報上關來。李肅與華雄商議：「我引一軍從小路下關，襲孫堅寨後。汝可半夜到堅寨，必然擒矣。」雄喜，連晚教軍飽餐一頓，披掛了下關。

Sun Jian sent a messenger to first inform Yuan Shao of his initial success and then to visit Yuan Shu's camp to request supplies. Yet someone slandered Sun Jian to Yuan Shu, saying, “This Sun Jian is a fierce tiger from the Southland; if he took the capital at Luoyang and killed Dong Zhuo, we would only be exchanging a wolf for a tiger. But if you don’t send him any grain, his army is sure to scatter.” And Yuan Shu heeded this detractor and sent no grain.

When Sun Jian's army ran short of food, his soldiers began to get rowdy, and enemy spies brought this news to the defenders of the Gate. Li Su then advised Hua Xiong, “Tonight I’ll take some troops out along a back road to launch a surprise attack against the rear of Sun Jian’s camp. If you reach Sun Jian's camp at midnight, General, we'll definitely capture him.” Hua Xiong was pleased, and that night he ordered his soldiers to eat a full dinner and to head out from the Gate decked in armor.

是夜月白風清。比及到堅寨，時已是半夜，鼓噪直進。堅披掛，慌忙上馬，正遇華雄。兩馬相交，鬥不到數合，寨後李肅軍到，竟天放火。孫堅軍人無糧食，四下裏亂攛。堅撥回馬走，四下裏喊聲不絕。程普、黃蓋、韓當各不相顧，止有祖茂跟定孫堅，與數十騎突圍而出。背後華雄追堅，堅勒回馬又戰十余合。堅敗，雄趕來。堅連放兩箭，皆被華雄躲過；盡力氣放第三箭，力大拽折了鵲畫弓，棄弓縱馬穿林而走。祖茂曰：「主公頭上赤幘射目，雄望之，心不舍。可脫幘與茂戴之。」

The moon was bright and the wind was still that night, and by the time they reached Sun Jian’s camp it was already midnight. Then they beat the drums and charged into the camp. Sun Jian donned his fighting gear and hastily rode out. He ran straight into Hua Xiong and the two warriors engaged, yet before they had exchanged many passes, Li Su brought up his men from the rear of the camp and began ordering his soldiers to set fires all around.

Since they had had no food to eat, Sun Jian's soldiers panicked and scurried off in all directions; Sun Jian turned his horse to flee as an unceasing clamor surrounded him on all sides. There was no sign of Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, or Han Dang; only Zu Mao managed to link up with Sun Jian, and at the head of a few dozen riders they burst through the enemy encirclement and fled. When Hua Xiong rode after them from behind, Sun Jian turned back and fought about a dozen clashes with him before being compelled to admit defeat. As Hua Xiong kept coming after him, Sun Jian shot two arrows back at him, yet Hua Xiong was able to dodge both of them, and when Sun Jian pulled back his bowstring with all his strength to loose a third arrow, the magpie-painted bow snapped in his hands. Sun Jian cast the bow to the earth and set off at full gallop, plunging into the woods.

Zu Mao told him, “My lord, the crimson turban on your head draws the eye; when Hua Xiong sees it in the distance, he is sure to follow it. Take it off and let me wear it."

堅就馬上換了祖茂盔，分兩路而走。華雄見赤幘者投東，引軍投東追趕。孫堅從小路得脫。祖茂被華雄追趕至急，將赤幘掛於人家燒不盡庭柱上，卻於樹後潛躲。華雄軍遙見赤幘，四面圍定，不敢向前；用箭射之，方知是計。遂向前取了赤幘時，華雄縱馬尋祖茂。茂於林後，揮雙刀欲劈雄。雄大喝一聲，將祖茂一刀砍於馬下。雄引兵上關。

Thus from atop his horse Sun Jian took Zu Mao's helmet, and the two men parted, riding different ways. When Hua Xiong saw the man wearing the crimson turban fleeing towards the east, he led his troops to hurry east in pursuit, while Sun Jian slipped away along a byroad.

Zu Mao, hotly pursued, tore off the crimson headdress and hung it on the post of a half-burned house as he passed, then concealed himself behind a tree. Hua Xiong’s men spotted the crimson turban and surrounded it but did not dare to approach. Only after shooting some arrows at it did they discover the trick, and they went up to claim the helmet while Hua Xiong galloped about in search of Zu Mao. Zu Mao then slashed out of the woods with his twin swords, hoping to strike Hua Xiong, yet with a loud yell Hua Xiong swung at Zu Mao and cut him down. Hua Xiong thus led his men back to the Gate.

程普、黃蓋、韓當都來尋見孫堅，再收拾軍馬屯紮。堅為折了鄉人祖茂，傷感不已。

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang soon reunited with Sun Jian, and they gathered up their soldiers again to form a camp. Sun Jian was much grieved at the loss of his neighbor Zu Mao.

卻說大寨袁紹升帳，忽流星馬報孫堅大折了一陣，祖茂歿於軍中。紹大驚曰：「誰想孫文臺折於華雄之手！他孤軍在外難紮寨，有恐有劫寨兵來。」令人取回大寨計議。雲雲。請眾諸侯商議，都皆到了，只公孫瓚後至，紹請入帳上列坐。紹曰：「前日，鮑將軍弟不遵調遣，擅自進兵，殺身喪命，折了許多軍士。今者，孫文臺又敗於華雄，挫動銳氣。」 諸侯並皆不語。紹舉目遍視，見公孫瓚背後立著三人，容貌異常，都背後冷笑。紹問曰：「公孫太守背後何人也？」瓚呼玄德出，曰：「此乃自幼同舍兄弟，平原令劉備是也。」曹操曰：「莫非破黃巾劉玄德否？」瓚曰：「然。」令劉玄德見。紹曰：「破黃巾有功來？」 瓚將玄德功細說一遍。紹曰：「既是漢室宗派，取座來。」命坐。備曰：「小縣令安有坐禮。」紹曰：「吾非敬汝名爵，吾敬汝是帝室之胄，於國多曾有功。」玄德拜謝，於階下末座，關、張叉手侍立於後。

At Yuan Shao's command tent at the main camp, a messenger suddenly arrived to report the great mauling that Sun Jian's army had received, with Zu Mao having died in the fighting. Greatly astonished, Yuan Shao exclaimed, “To think that Sun Wentai would be defeated at the hands of Hua Xiong! With his isolated army at a hard-pressed camp, there is a threat that the enemy will send troops to menace our position as well.” And he sent out agents to summon the various other lords to report to the main camp for a council of war. Gongsun Zan was late to arrive, with the others having already begun their discussion by then, but Yuan Shao invited him into the tent to take his seat as well.

Yuan Shao said, “A few days ago, disregarding our pledge to agree on any movement, the brother of General Bao presumed to advance to attack the enemy; he was slain and with him many of our soldiers. Now Sun Wentai has been defeated by Hua Xiong as well. Thus our fighting spirit has suffered."

None of the lords said anything. Yet as Yuan Shao raised his eyes to look around the tent, he noticed that standing behind Gongsun Zan were three men of striking appearance, all hanging back and smiling cynically. “Administrator Gongsun, who are those men behind you?” he asked.

Gongsun Zan told Xuande to come forward as he introduced him: “This is the fellow student of my youth, the Prefect of Pingyuan, Liu Bei.”

“Might he be the Liu Xuande who thrashed the Yellow Scarves?” remarked Cao Cao.

“The very same,” said Gongsun Zan, and he ordered Xuande to present himself.

"What were the circumstances of your achievements against the Yellow Scarves?" asked Yuan Shao, and Gongsun Zan had Xuande relate the whole story. “Then, as a man of the Han imperial lineage, you ought to have your own seat,” said Yuan Shao, commanding that he take a place among them.

"Does the Prefect of a small county really deserve the honor of being seated in such company?" asked Liu Bei.

“I respect you not for your rank or reputation," replied Yuan Shao, "but as a descendant of the imperial clan and as a man who has done much for the state." Thus Liu Bei performed obeisance in thanks and then took his seat in the lowest place beneath the dais, while his two brothers with folded arms continued to stand behind him.

正商議，探子來報：「華雄引鐵騎下關，以長竿挑著孫太守赤幘，直來寨前大罵搦戰。」紹曰：「誰敢去戰此賊？」袁術背後轉出驍將俞涉，曰：「小將願往。」紹喜，便著俞涉出馬。即時報來，俞涉與華雄戰，不到三合，被華雄斬了。眾諸侯大驚，太守韓馥曰：「吾有上將潘鳳，可斬華雄。」紹急令喚至，應聲而出，手提大斧上馬。去不多時，飛馬來報潘鳳又被華雄斬了。眾諸侯皆失色。袁紹拍股嘆曰：「可惜吾上將顏良、文醜催軍未回！得一人在此，豈放華雄施威哉！汝眾諸侯許多將士，只無一人可追華雄？」眾官默然。

Suddenly a scout came in to report, “Hua Xiong has led his iron cavalry down from the Gate, waving about Administrator Sun’s crimson turban atop a long pole, and they are assembled in front of the camp to taunt us and call for battle.”

“Who dares go out to battle these traitors?” said Yuan Shao.

A bold general, Yu She, stepped out from behind Yuan Shu and said, “I am willing to go.” Yuan Shao was pleased and ordered him to ride out. Yet someone soon came back to report that Yu She had not even lasted three bouts against Hua Xiong before Hua Xiong had beheaded him. Fear began to lay its cold hand on the assembly.

Then Han Fu said, “I have a certain brave general; Pan Feng is his name, and he could slay this Hua Xiong.” Yuan Shao at once ordered Pan Feng to go, and with his great battle-ax in his hand Pan Feng at once mounted and rode forth. But soon came another report: “Pan Feng has likewise been beheaded by Hua Xiong.” Everyone turned pale.

Yuan Shao rubbed his thighs and lamented, “What a pity my two able leaders Yan Liang and Wen Chou have not yet returned! If even one of them were here, they'd never let Hua Xiong inspire such fear! My lords, among all your generals and officers is there not a single man who can go after Hua Xiong?" Yet the officials all remained silent.

階下一人大呼出曰：「小將願往，斬華雄頭獻於帳下！」 眾視之，見其人身長九尺五寸，髯長一尺八寸，丹鳳眼，臥蠶眉，面如重棗，聲似巨鐘，立於帳前。紹問何人，公孫瓚曰：「此劉玄德之弟關某也。」紹問見居何職，瓚曰：「跟隨玄德充馬弓手。」帳上袁術大喝曰：「汝欺吾眾諸侯無大將耶？量一弓手，安敢亂言，與我亂棒打出！」 曹操急止之，曰：「公路息怒，此人既出大言，必有廣學。試教出馬，如其不勝，誅亦未遲。」袁紹曰：「不然。使一弓手出戰，必被華雄恥笑。吾等如何見人？」曹操曰：「據此人儀表非俗，華雄安知他是弓手？」關某曰：「如不勝，請斬我頭。」 操教釃熱酒一杯，與關某飲了上馬。關某曰：「酒且斟下，某去便來。」出帳提刀，飛身上馬。眾諸侯聽得寨外鼓聲大振，喊聲大舉，如天摧地塌，嶽撼山崩。眾皆失驚，正欲探聽，鸞鈴響處，馬到中軍，雲長提華雄之頭，擲於地上。其酒尚溫。

Then from beneath the dais a voice boomed out, “I am willing to go take Hua Xiong’s head and lay it before your tent!” All turned to look and saw that the speaker standing at the front of the tent was a man nine chi and five cun in height, with a beard a chi and eight cun long; his eyes gleamed like a phoenix and his eyebrows bristled like perching caterpillars, his face was a swarthy red, and his voice was deep as the sound of a great bell.

When Yuan Shao asked who the man was, Gongsun Zan told them, “This is Liu Xuande’s younger brother, Sir Guan.” And when Yuan Shao further asked what his position was, Gongsun Zan replied, “He is in the train of Liu Xuande as a mounted archer.”

“Do you mock us lords as though we lacked for great generals?" roared out Yuan Shu from his place. “A mere archer, and you dare to utter such bold words! Help me drive him out of here!”

But Cao Cao quickly intervened. “Calm yourself, Gonglu! If he is willing to talk so big, he must be a man of broad learning. We can at least have him try; it won’t be too late to punish him if he fails.”

“Not so; Hua Xiong will laugh at us if we send a common archer to fight him,” observed Yuan Shao. "Then how we will be able to show ourselves?"

“With such an outstanding bearing and appearance, how can Hua Xiong know he is but a bowman?” said Cao Cao.

And Sir Guan pledged, “If I fail, I ask you to cut off my head.”

Cao Cao instructed someone to heat a cup of wine, that Sir Guan might drink it as he rode out. “Just set the cup aside for me,” said Sir Guan. “I’ll be back soon enough.” He left the tent blade in hand and vaulted into the saddle. The lords in the tent heard the fierce roll of the drums from beyond the gates of the camp, and then arose a great clamor as if skies were falling and earth rising, hills trembling and mountains tearing asunder. Their fear forgotten, the lords were just about to go find out what was happening when they heard the gentle tinkle of saddle bells as a horse entered the camp: it was Yunchang, holding the head of Hua Xiong, which he tossed to the ground. His wine was still warm.

史官有詩曰：威鎮乾坤第一功，轅門畫鼓響鼕鼕。雲長停盞施英勇，酒尚溫時斬華雄。

History records a poem regarding this event:

The power of the man stands first in all the world,
At the gate of the camp was heard the rolling of the battle drums:
Then Yunchang set aside the wine cup until he should have displayed his valor
And the wine was still warm when the enemy had been slain.

雲長出馬，只一合斬了華雄，提頭入獻，眾皆大喜。玄德背後轉出張飛，高聲大叫：「俺哥哥斬了華雄，不就這裏殺入關去，活拿董卓，更待何時！」掉丈八蛇矛，來搶關隘。如何？

After riding out, Sir Guan had beheaded Hua Xiong in a single bout and then had brought the head back in to present it, causing elation among all the lords. Zhang Fei even dashed out from behind Xuande and exulted, “Now that my elder brother has taken Hua Xiong’s head, what are we waiting for? Let’s break through the Gate right now and take Dong Zhuo alive!” And grasping his lengthy serpent spear, he was hellbent on making for the Gate.

What came next?

[Taishi Ci 2.0]

虎牢關三戰呂布

Chapter 10: At Hulao Gate, The Three Battle Lü Bu

張飛便要上馬，乘勢搶關。袁術大怒，喝道：「俺大臣尚自謙讓，量一潑縣令手下小卒，安敢在此耀武揚威！都與我趕出帳去！」曹操曰：「既是得功者賞，何計貴賤乎？」袁術曰：「既然汝等待用一縣令，我回避便了。」操曰：「豈可因一言而誤大事耶？」命公孫瓚且帶玄德、關、張回寨。眾官皆散。曹操暗使人賫牛酒來慰三人。

Zhang Fei was just about to mount his horse to press the recent victory and rush gung-ho towards Sishui Pass. Yet Yuan Shu fumed, “Even a great minister like me knows his place! Why do we suffer this petty magistrate and his pet brutes to flaunt their strength and vent their spleen? We ought to banish them all from the tent!”

Cao Cao said, “A job well done deserves its reward. What does a man’s status have to do with it?”

“If you all think this county magistrate is so invaluable,” Yuan Shu seethed, “perhaps it is I who should take my leave.”

Cao Cao sighed to himself, “Can a single stray remark really frustrate so great an endeavor?” But he indeed commanded Gongsun Zan to take Xuande, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei back to his own camp, although once the other chiefs had each dispersed as well, Cao Cao secretly sent presents of beef and wine to console and reassure the three brothers.

卻說華雄手下敗軍，報上關來。李肅慌忙寫告急文字，申聞董卓。卓急聚李儒、呂布等相議。儒曰：「今折了上將軍華雄，賊勢浩大。皆是袁紹為盟主，以聚眾惡。紹叔袁隗見為太傅，倘或裏應外合，深為不便，可先除之。請丞相親賫大軍，分撥剿捕。」 卓然其說，喚李催、郭汜領兵五百，圍住太傅袁隗，不分老幼，盡皆誅絕。先將袁隗頭去關前號令。董卓遂起兵二十萬，分為兩路而來：一路先令李傕、郭汜引兵五萬，把住沂水關，不要廝殺。卓自將十五萬，同李儒、呂布、張濟、樊稠取虎牢關。這關離洛陽五十裏，若進兵，卻好截諸侯路。軍馬到關上了，卓令呂布引三萬軍，去關前扎住大寨。卓自在關上屯住。

Meanwhile, the survivors of Hua Xiong’s troops had returned to Sishui Gate and recounted their defeat; much alarmed, Li Su had written off an urgent report and sent word back to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo thus hastily summoned Li Ru, Lü Bu, and his other trusted advisers to a council.

Li Ru argued, “We have lost a great leader in Hua Xiong while the rebel power has swelled immensely. This is all because Yuan Shao has become the leader of their coalition and has gathered a host of villains. His uncle Yuan Wei is still serving as the Grand Tutor; since Yuan Wei may yet support his nephew as well, such that we are attacked from without and within, that leaves us in a deeply unfavorable position. We had better get rid of Yuan Wei first. Prime Minister, I ask that you take the lead of our forces yourself and direct them to root out these villains.”

Dong Zhuo agreed. He summoned Li Jue and Guo Si and sent them with five hundred soldiers to surround the home of Yuan Wei, where they executed everyone regardless of age; Yuan Wei’s head was hung up out in front of the gates as a warning.

In the meantime, Dong Zhuo had raised an army of two hundred thousand, and he sent it marching out in two divisions: Li Jue and Guo Si led one army of fifty thousand out to hold Sishui Gate, with orders not to fight any rash battle, while Dong Zhuo himself took Li Ru, Lü Bu, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji with the remaining hundred and fifty thousand soldiers to defend Hulao Gate. This gate was fifty li out from Luoyang, in a prime position to check any advance by the armies of the lords.

Upon arriving at Hulao Gate, Dong Zhuo ordered Lü Bu to take thirty thousand soldiers and make a strong stockade in front of of the gate, while the main body with Dong Zhuo occupied the gate itself.

流星馬探聽得，報將袁紹大寨裏來。紹聚眾商議。操曰：「董卓屯兵在虎牢關，截俺諸侯中路，分其形勢，可勒兵一半迎敵。」 紹乃分王匡、喬瑁、鮑信、袁遺、孔融、張楊、陶謙、公孫瓚八路軍馬，往虎牢關迎敵。操引軍往來救應。使八路諸侯得令，各自起兵。

Scout riders brought news of these movements to Yuan Shao's main camp, and Yuan Shao summoned a new council of the lords. Cao Cao argued, “By garrisoning troops at Hulao Gate in order to check our advance, Dong Zhuo has divided his power. Let’s send half of our own troops to confront him.”

Yuan Shao thus ordered eight of the lords to march to Hulao Gate to deal with this new threat: Wang Kuang, Qiao Mao, Bao Xin, Yuan Yi, Kong Rong, Zhang Yang, Tao Qian, and Gongsun Zan. Cao Cao led his own troops to follow behind them to act as a reserve. Once all of these eight lords had received their orders, they each set out with their troops.

先說河內太守王匡，引兵先到。呂布在寨中聽得有軍來到，欣然上馬，帶鐵騎三千，飛奔來迎。王匡將軍馬列成陣勢，勒馬門旗下時，見呂布出陣，頭戴三叉束發紫金冠，體掛西川紅錦百花袍，身披獸面吞頭連環鎧，腰系勒甲玲瓏獅蠻帶，弓箭隨身可體，手持畫桿方天戟，坐下嘶風赤兔馬，果然是「人中呂布，馬中赤兔」！人馬之中，漢末兩絕。那馬左右盤旋，往來馳騁。王匡見了，心中惶惶，回頭問曰：「誰出陣戰？」 後面一將，縱馬挺槍而出。匡視之，乃是河內名將方悅。兩馬相交，無五合，被呂布一戟刺於馬下。王匡便勒馬入陣。呂布挺戟，直沖過來。匡軍大潰，四散奔走。布沖陣，如入無人之境。鐵甲背後擁來，喬瑁、袁遺兩軍皆至，來救王匡，呂布方退。三處各折了人馬，退三十裏下寨。

Wang Kuang’s troops were the first to reach Hulao Gate. When Lü Bu learned of the arrival of this enemy army, he joyfully mounted his horse and led three thousand iron cavalry out of the stockade to dash forward to face them.

Once Wang Kuang had placed his army, horse and foot, in battle array he paused his horse under the banner of his gate, where he saw Lü Bu emerge from out of his own lines. On Lü Bu's head was a triple-curved headdress of ruddy gold. For an inner garment he wore a robe of crimson Xichuan silk embroidered with flowers, while over that his breast and back were covered by mail adorned with a gaping animal’s head, joined by rings at the sides and girt to his waist with a belt fastened by a beautiful lion-head clasp. A bow and arrows were slung over his shoulder, while in his hand he wielded his Sky Piercer halberd. And he was seated atop the snorting steed Red Hare. It was just as they say: "Among men, Lü Bu; among steeds, Red Hare!" For in those final days of Han, whether among men or among horses these two had no peer.

By now the horse was prancing back and forth, galloping where it pleased; when Wang Kuang saw, his heart trembled. He turned his head to ask, “Who dares go out to fight the enemy?” A general rode out from behind, with galloping horse and steady spear; Wang Kuang recognized him as a famous officer from Henei, Fang Yue. The two champions clashed, yet before the fifth bout Fang Yue fell under a thrust of the halberd. And though Wang Kuang at once directed his cavalry to charge, Lü Bu only leveled his halberd and charged straight against them; Wang Kuang’s army collapsed in confusion and his soldiers began scattering in all directions, while Lü Bu rode through their formation with such ease it was as if he had the field all to himself. However, a host of men dressed in iron came up from behind; it was the armies of Qiao Mao and Yuan Yi coming up, and they advanced to relieve Wang Kuang, thus Lü Bu at last fell back. The three lords having each lost many men, they withdrew thirty li and made a stockade.

諸侯八路軍馬，都至一處商議，言呂布英雄，無人可敵。正慮間，小校報來：「呂布搦戰。」八路諸侯各自上馬歸本寨，軍分八隊，布列於高岡山前。遙望呂布一簇軍馬，繡旗招飐，先來沖陣。張楊軍馬陣中手下將穆順，出馬挺槍去迎。呂布手起一戟，刺穆順於馬下。八路諸侯，心喪膽裂。北海太守孔融部下一將出曰：「吾受文舉恩已十年，何不以死報之？」融視之，乃門下勇士武安國也，使鐵錘，重五十斤。安國提長柄鐵錘，飛馬而出。呂布揮戟迫馬而來，與安國戰。戰到十余合，一戟砍斷安國手腕，棄錘於地而走。八路諸侯一齊殺來，救了武安國。呂布退回去了。

Soon the remaining five lords arrived as well, and they came together in council. “A bold hero, this Lü Bu,” they said to one another. “No one is a match for him.” Even as they worried about the man, a scout came in to report, “Lü Bu is offering battle.” Thus they each mounted their horses, returned to their own camps, and arrayed their eight armies atop the hills and before the mountains. In the distance they saw Lü Bu’s troops as well, their embroidered banners waving in the breeze, as Lü Bu rode out in front of their lines.

One of Zhang Yang’s generals, Mu Shun, rode out with his lance at the ready, but Lü Bu lifted his halberd and slew him with a single thrust; the eight lords felt as though their hearts had burst and their galls had been ripped apart. Then one of Kong Rong’s generals came forth as well, saying, "Having received Wenju's grace for ten years, how can I not repay him with my life?" Kong Rong saw that the man was one of his bold warriors, Wu Anguo, who wielded an iron mace fifty catties in weight. Hefting the long handle of the iron mace, Wu Anguo went dashing out, while Lü Bu whirling his halberd and urging on his steed came to meet him. The two fought, well-matched for a dozen bouts, when a blow from the halberd broke Wu Anguo’s wrist, causing him to drop the mace to the ground and flee. But the soldiers of the eight lords came charging up, and they saved Wu Anguo as Lü Bu once again fell back.

卻說八路諸侯連輸數陣，申報袁紹、曹操曰：「呂布英雄，天下無敵。可會十八路諸侯一齊商議，共擒呂布。若誅了呂布，董卓易哉。」正議之間，有人來報呂布搦戰。紹令八路諸侯攻呂布。布徑沖公孫瓚。瓚自揮鐵槊，直迎呂布。布睜目大叫，揮戟來戰。戰兩合，瓚撥回馬，速慌而走。呂布縱赤兔馬趕來。那馬行千裏，飛走如風。看看趕上公孫瓚，布舉畫戟望後心便刺。旁邊一將，圓睜環眼，倒豎虎須，挺丈八矛，飛馬大叫：「三姓家奴休走！燕人張飛在此！」呂布見了，棄了公孫瓚，便戰張飛。飛抖搜神威，酣戰呂布。八路諸侯見張飛漸漸槍法散亂，呂布越添精神。張飛性起，大喊一聲。雲長把馬一拍，舞八十二斤青龍偃月刀，來夾攻呂布。三匹馬丁字兒廝殺。又戰到三十合，兩員將戰不倒呂布。劉玄德看了，心中暗想：「我不下手，更待何時！」掣雙股劍，驟黃驃馬，刺斜裏去砍。這三個圍住呂布，轉燈兒般廝殺。八路人馬都看呆了。呂布架隔遮攔不定，看玄德面上刺一戟。玄德急閃。呂布蕩開陣角，倒拖畫戟，飛馬便走。三個那裏肯舍，拍馬趕來。八路軍兵喊聲大震，一齊掩殺。呂布軍望關上奔走。玄德、關、張隨後跟定呂布。

The lords clustered their troops together and sent a report to Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, stating, “Lü Bu is a bold hero without peer in all the realm. Let's form a council of all eighteen lords to discuss how to capture Lü Bu together. If only Lü Bu could be put to death, Dong Zhuo could easily be killed.” Yet while the council was still discussing the matter, someone came to report that Lü Bu had brought out his troops to offer battle. Yuan Shao thus ordered the eight lords to attack him.

This time Lü Bu led his troops against Gongsun Zan's army. Wielding his iron spear, Gongsun Zan rode out to confront Lü Bu, who with bulging eyes and a great shout twirled his halberd to accept the challenge. Yet after only two bouts, Gongsun Zan reined in his horse and fearfully turned to flee, while Lü Bu let Red Hare gallop as fast as it liked in pursuit; here was the speed of the horse that could travel a thousand li in one day and moved swift as the wind. As the coalition soldiers watched Red Hare close in upon Gongsun Zan, Lü Bu lifted his Sky Piercer, ready to skewer Gongsun Zan's back right through the heart. But suddenly a third rider rode up, with eyes practically bursting from their sockets, bristling whiskers like a tiger, and wielding a spear a zhang and eight chi in length. “Stop right there, you double bastard!” the man roared. “Zhang Fei of Yan is here!”

Seeing this opponent, Lü Bu let Gongsun Zan be to fight Zhang Fei instead. Roused by his vigor and spirit, Zhang Fei proved a worthy foe for Lü Bu. Yet as they looked on, the eight lords noticed as Zhang Fei's spear arts gradually began to get sloppier even as Lü Bu's uncanny prowess rose ever higher. His blood up, Zhang Fei gave a great shout, and now Yunchang gave his horse a slap, rode out with his huge and weighty Green Dragon Saber, and attacked Lü Bu from the other flank. Yet even while having to battle a foe to either side, another thirty bouts passed and Lü Bu still stood firm. As Liu Xuande watched this, in his heart he thought, "When am I to join the fray if not now?" And he too rode out on a yellow-maned horse, his twin swords raised ready to strike, thrusting forward and slashing behind; the trio circled around Lü Bu, and the flashing of weapon against weapon was like the flickers of spinning lanterns. The soldiers of the eight lords all stood transfixed at the sight.

Lü Bu could tell that his reflexes were slipping. Thus he looked meaningfully at Xuande’s face and feinted with a thrust of his halberd: Xuande flinched to evade the expected blow, and Lü Bu exploited the opening to escape from the encirclement and then galloped away, hanging his halberd behind him. But was it likely they would allow him to escape? They whipped their steeds and followed hard. The men of the eight armies cracked their throats with thunderous cheers and all dashed forward, pressing after Lü Bu as he made for the shelter of the Gate. And first among his pursuers were the three heroic brothers.

古人曾有篇言語，單道著玄德、關、張虎牢關三戰呂布：漢朝天數當桓、靈，炎炎紅日將西傾。奸臣董卓廢少帝，劉協懦弱魂夢驚。曹操傳檄告天下，諸侯奮怒皆興兵。議立袁紹作盟主，誓扶王室定太平。溫侯呂布世無比，雄才四海誇英偉。護軀銀鎧砌龍鱗，束發金冠簪雉尾。參差寶帶獸平吞，錯落錦袍飛鳳起。龍駒跳踏起天風，畫戟熒煌射秋水。出關搦戰誰敢當？諸侯膽裂心惶惶。踴出燕人張冀德，手提蛇矛丈八槍。虎須倒豎翻金線，環眼圓睜起電光。酣戰未能分勝敗，陣前惱起關雲長。青龍寶刀燦霜雪，鸚鵡戰袍飛蛺蝶。馬蹄到處神鬼嚎，目前一怒應流血。梟雄玄德掣霜鋒，抖擻天威施勇烈。三人圍繞戰多時，遮攔架隔無休歇。喊聲震動天地翻，殺氣迷漫牛鬥寒。呂布力窮尋走路，遙望家山迫馬還。倒拖畫桿方天戟，亂散銷金五彩幡。頓斷絨絳走赤兔，翻身飛上虎牢關。

An ancient poet has told of this famous fight in these lines:

The fateful day of Han came in the reigns of Huan and Ling,
Their glory declined just as the red sun sinks into the west.
Dong Zhuo, infamous minister, pulled the Young Emperor from throne;
Liu Xie was a weakling, too timid for his times.
Then Cao Cao proclaimed abroad these wicked deeds,
And the great lords, moved with anger, assembled their forces.
In council met they and chose as their oath-chief Yuan Shao,
Pledged themselves to maintain the ruling house and tranquility.
Of the warriors of that time peerless Lü Bu was the boldest.
His valor and prowess are sung by all within the four seas.
He clothed his body in silver armor like the scales of a dragon,
On his head was a golden headdress, fastened with pheasant tails,
About his waist a belt, the clasp, two wild beasts’ heads with gripping jaws,
His flowing, broidered robe fluttered about his form,
His swift courser bounded over the plain, a mighty wind following,
His terrible halberd flashed in the sunlight, bright as a placid lake.
Who dared face him as he rode forth to challenge?
The bowels of the lords were torn with fear and hearts trembled within.
Then leaped forth Zhang Yide, the valiant warrior of the north,
Gripped in his mighty hand the long snakelike spear,
His mustache bristled with anger, standing stiff like wire.
His round eyes glared, lightning flashes darted from them.
Neither quailed in the fight, but the issue was undecided.
Guan Yunchang stood out in front, his soul vexed within him,
Green Dragon his sword shone white as hoar frost in the sunlight,
His bright colored fighting robe fluttered like butterfly wings,
Demons and angels shrieked at the thunder of his horse hoofs,
In his eyes was fierce anger, a fire to be quenched only in blood.
Next brave Xuande joined the battle, gripping his twin sword blades,
The heavens themselves trembled at the majesty of his wrath.
These three closely beset Lü Bu and long drawn out was the battle,
Always he warded their blows, never faltering a moment.
The noise of their shouting rose to the sky, and the earth echoed it,
The heat of battle ranged to the frozen pole star.
Worn out, feeling his strength fast ebbing, Lü Bu thought to flee,
He glanced at the hills around and thither would fly for shelter,
Then, reversing his halberd and lowering its lofty point,
Hastily he fled, loosing himself from the battle;
With head low bent, he gave the rein to his courser,
Turned his face away and fled to Hulao Gate.

玄德、關、張直趕呂布到關下。張飛看見關上西風飄動青羅傘蓋，飛大叫：「關上必是董卓！追趕呂布，有甚強處？不如先拿董賊，便是斬草除根！」拍馬上關，來擒董卓。畢竟如何，且聽下回分解。

The three brothers maintained the pursuit to the Gate. Looking up, Zhang Fei saw an immense canopy of black gauze atop the Gate, fluttering in the west wind. “Dong Zhuo must be atop the Gate!” he exclaimed. “What are we chasing Lü Bu so hard for? Let’s get that bandit Dong Zhuo first and cut the whole thing out by the roots!” And he whipped up his steed toward Hulao Gate to capture Dong Zhuo.

How did things transpire? Next time will reveal all.