Then leaped forth Zhang Fei, the valiant warrior of the north,
Gripped in his mighty hand the long octane-serpent halberd,
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 Yu stood out in front, his soul vexed within him,
His green-dragon saber shone white as 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 Liu Bei joined the battle, gripping his twin sword blades,
The heavens themselves trembled at the majesty of his wrath.
These three closely beset Lu 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 reechoed it,
The heat of battle ranged to the frozen pole star.
Worn out, feeling his strength fast ebbing, Lu 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 Tiger Trap Pass.
The three brothers maintained the pursuit to the Pass. Looking up they saw an immense umbrella of black gauze fluttering in the west wind.
“Certainly there is Dong Zhuo,” cried Zhang Fei. “What is the use of pursuing Lu Bu? Better far seize the chiefest rebel and so pluck up the evil by the roots.”
And he whipped up his steed toward the Pass.
To quell rebellion seize the leader if you can;
If you need a wondrous service then first find a wondrous man.
The following chapters will unfold the result of the battle.
CHAPTER 6. Burning The Capital, Dong Zhuo Commits An Atrocity; Hiding The Imperial Hereditary Seal, Sun Jian Breaks Faith
Zhang Fei rode hard up to the Pass, but the defenders sent down stones and arrows like rain so that he could not enter, and he returned. The eight lords all joined in felicitations to the three brothers for their services, and the story of victory was sent to Yuan Shao, who ordered Sun Jian to make an immediate advance.
Thereupon Sun Jian with two trusty generals, Cheng Pu and Huang Gai, went over to the camp of Yuan Shu. Tracing figures on the ground with his staff, Sun Jian said, “Dong Zhuo and I had no personal quarrel. Yet now I have thrown myself into the battle regardless of consequences, exposed my person to the risk of wounds and fought bloody battles to their bitter end. And why? That I might be the means of ridding my country of a rebel and — for the private advantage of your family. Yet you, heeding the slanderous tongue of certain counselor, formerly withheld the supplies absolutely necessary to me, and so I suffered defeat. How can you explain, General?”
Yuan Shu, confused and frightened, had no word to reply. He ordered the death of the slanderer to placate Sun Jian.
Then suddenly they told Sun Jian, “Some officer has come riding down from the Pass to see you, General; he is in the camp.”
Sun Jian therefore took his leave and returned to his own camp, where he found the visitor was Li Jue, one of the much trusted commanders of Dong Zhuo.
“Wherefore come you?” said Sun Jian.
Li Jue replied, “You are the one person for whom my master has respect and admiration, and he sends me to arrange a matrimonial alliance between the two families. He wishes that his daughter may become the wife of your son.”
“What! Dong Zhuo, that rebel and renegade, that subverter of the throne! I wish I could destroy his nine generations as a thank-offering to the empire! Think you I would be willing to have an alliance with such a family? I will not slay you as I ought, but go, and go quickly! Yield the Pass and I may spare your lives. If you delay, I will grind your bones to powder and make mincemeat of your flesh.”
Li Jue threw his arms over his head and ran out. He returned to his master and told him what a rude reception he had met with. Dong Zhuo asked his adviser Li Ru how to reply to this.
Li Ru said, “Lu Bu's late defeat had somewhat blunted the edge of our army's desire for battle. It would be well to return to the capital and remove the Emperor to Changan, as the street children had been lately singing:
“A Han on the west, a Han on the east.
The deer ((the Throne)) will be safe in Changan.”
Li Ru continued, “If you think out this couplet, it applies to the present juncture. Half the first line refers to the founder of the dynasty, Liu Bang the Supreme Ancestor, who became ruler in the western city of Changan, which was the capital during twelve reigns. The other half corresponds to Liu Xiu the Latter Han Founder who ruled from Luoyang, the eastern capital during twelve latter reigns. The revolution of the heavens brings us back to this starting moment. Thus if you remove to Changan, there will be no need for anxiety.”
Dong Zhuo was exceedingly pleased and said, “Had you not spoken thus, I should not have understood!”
Then taking Lu Bu with him, Dong Zhuo started at once for Capital Luoyang. Here he called all the officials to a great council in the palace and addressed them, “After two centuries of rule here the royal fortune has been exhausted, and I perceive that the aura of rule has migrated to Changan, whither I now desire to move the court. All you would better pack up for the journey.”
Yang Biao, Minister of the Interior, said, “I pray you reflect. Within that city all is destruction. There is no reason to renounce the ancestral temples and abandon the imperial tombs here. I fear the people will be alarmed. It is easy to alarm them but difficult to pacify them.”
“Do you oppose the state plans?” said Dong Zhuo angrily.
Another official, Grand Commander Huang Wan, supported his colleague, “In the era of Recommencement (AD 23–25), Fan Chong of the Red Eyebrows rebels burned Changan to the ground and reduced the place to broken tiles. The inhabitants scattered all but a few. It is wrong to abandon these palaces here for a wasteland.”
Dong Zhuo replied, “The East of the Pass is full of sedition, and all the empire is in rebellion. The city of Changan is protected by the Yaohan Mountains and the Hangu Pass. Moreover, it is near Longyou, whence can be easily brought timber, stone, brick, and building materials. In a month or so palaces can be erected. So an end to your wild words!”
Yet Minister of Works Xun Shuang raised another protest against disturbing the people, but Dong Zhuo overbore him also.
“How can I stop to consider a few common people when my scheme affects the empire?” said Dong Zhuo.
That day the three objectors — Yang Biao, Huang Wan, and Xun Shuang — were removed from their offices and reduced to the rank of commoners.
As Dong Zhuo went out to get into his coach, he met two other officers who made obeisance. They were the Secretary General, Zhou Bi, and the Commander of the City Gate, Wu Qiong. Dong Zhuo stopped and asked them what they wanted.