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第60部分（第3页）

Unto　his　latest　breath。

Seeing　his　victim　had　passed　beyond　the　realm　of　punishment；　Cao　Cao　had　Quin　Quington　led　in。

〃Do　you　know　this　man；　Uncle？〃

〃Yes；〃　cried　Dong　Cheng。　〃So　the　runaway　servant　is　here。　He　ought　to　be　put　to　death！〃

〃He　just　told　me　of　your　treachery。　He　is　my　witness；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃Who　would　dare　kill　him？〃

〃How　can　you；　the　First　Minister　of　State；　heed　the　unsupported　tale　of　an　absconding　servant？〃

〃But　I　have　Wang　Zifu　and　the　others　in　prison；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃And　how　can　you　rebut　their　evidence？〃

He　then　called　in　the　remainder　of　his　followers　and　ordered　them　to　search　Dong　Chengs　bedroom。　They　did　so　and　found　the　decree　that　had　been　given　him　in　the　girdle　and　the　pledge　signed　by　the　conspirators。

〃You　mean　rat！〃　cried　Cao　Cao。　〃You　dared　do　this？〃

He　gave　orders　to　arrest　the　whole　household　without　exception。　Then　he　returned　to　his　palace　with　the　incriminating　documents　and　called　all　his　advisers　together　to　discuss　the　dethronement　of　the　Emperor　and　the　setting　up　of　a　successor。

Many　decrees；　blood　written；　have　issued；　acplishing　nothing；

One　inscribed　pledge　was　fraught　with　mountains　of　sorrow。

The　reader　who　wishes　to　how　the　fate　of　the　Emperor　must　read　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　24　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　24

Chapter　24

Cao　Cao　Murdered　The　Consort　Dong；

Liu　Bei　Flees　To　Yuan　Shao。

The　last　chapter　closed　with　the　discovery　of　the　〃girdle〃　decree　and　the　assembly　of　Cao　Caos　advisers　to　consider　the　deposition　of　Emperor　Xian。

Cheng　Yu　spoke　strongly　against　this；　saying；　〃Illustrious　Sir；　the　means　by　which　you　impress　the　world　and　direct　the　government　is　the　mand　of　the　House　of　Han。　In　these　times　of　turmoil　and　rivalry　among　the　nobles；　such　a　step　as　the　deposition　of　the　ruler　will　certainly　bring　about　civil　war　and　is　much　to　be　deprecated。〃

After　reflection　Cao　Cao　abandoned　the　project。　But　Dong　Chengs　plot　was　not　to　go　unpunished。　All　five　of　the　conspirators　with　every　member　of　their　households；　seven　hundred　at　least；　were　taken　and　put　to　death　at　one　or　another　of　the　gates　of　the　city。　The　people　wept　at　such　merciless　and　wholesale　slaughter。

A　secret　decree　in　a　girdle　sewn；

In　red　blood　written；　the　Emperors　own；

To　the　staunch　and　faithful　Dong　Cheng　addressed；

Who　had　saved　him　once　when　enemies　pressed。

And　who；　sore　grieved　at　his　Sovereigns　fate；

Expressed　in　dreams　his　ceaseless　hate；

Carried　misfortune　and　death　in　its　train；

But　glory　to　him　who　died　in　vain。

Another　poet　wrote　of　the　sad　fate　of　Wang　Zifu　and　his　friends：

Greatheartedly　these　signed　the　silken　roll；

And　pledged　themsel