San kuo; or, Romance of the three kingdoms (volume 1 of 2)Luo, Guanzhong
History
San kuo; or, Romance of the three kingdoms (volume 1 of 2)
Luo, Guanzhong
China -- History -- Three kingdoms, 220-265 -- Fiction
Chʻê Chou, a General of Cavalry, was given command of Hsüchou for the
moment. After the army had arrived at the capital rewards were granted
to all the officers who had been in the expedition. Liu Yüan-tê was
retained in the capital, lodging in an annexe to the Minister’s palace.
Soon after a Court was held and Tsʻao Tsʻao represented the services of
Yüan-tê who was presented to the Emperor Hsien. Dressed in Court robes
he bowed at the lower end of the audience arena. The Emperor called him
to the Hall and asked his ancestry.
Liu Pei replied, “Thy servant is the son of Liu Hung, grandson of Liu
Hsiung, who was a direct descendant of Prince Ching of Chungshan, who
was the great-great-grandson of His Majesty the Emperor Ching (about
150 B.C.)”
The Emperor bade them bring forth the Books of the Genealogies and
therefrom a secretary read: “The filial Emperor Ching begat fourteen
sons of whom the seventh was Liu Shêng, Prince Ching of Chungshan.
Shêng begat Chên, Marquis (Tʻing-hou) of Luchʻêng; Chên begat Ang,
Marquis Pʻei; Ang begat Lu, Marquis Chang; Lu begat Lien, Marquis of
Ishui; Lien begat Ying, Marquis of Chʻinyang; Ying begat Chien, Marquis
Ankuo; Chien begat Ai, Marquis Kuanglu; Ai begat Hsien, Marquis of
Chiaoshui; Hsien begat Hsü, Marquis of Tsuyi; Hsü begat I, Marquis of
Chʻiyang; I begat Pi, Marquis of Yüantsê; Pi begat Ta, Marquis of
Yingchʻuan; Ta begat Pu-i, Marquis of Fêngling; Pu-i begat Hui, Marquis
of Chichʻuan; Hui begat Hsiung, Governor of the Eastern Districts;
Hsiung begat Hung, who held no office or rank and Liu Pei is his son.”
The Emperor compared this with the registers of the Imperial House and
found by them that Liu Pei was his uncle by descent. He seemed greatly
pleased and requested Liu Pei to go into one of the side chambers where
he might perform the ceremonial obeisance prescribed for a nephew to
his uncle. In his heart he rejoiced to have this heroic warrior-uncle
as a powerful supporter against Tsʻao Tsʻao who really held all the
power in his own hands. The Emperor knew himself to be a mere puppet.
He conferred upon his uncle, the rank of General and the title of
Marquis of Ichʻêng.
When the banquet was concluded Yüan-tê thanked the Emperor and went out
of the palace. And from this time he was very generally styled Liu,
“Uncle of the Emperor.”
When Tsʻao Tsʻao returned to his palace Hsün Yü and his fellow advisers
went in to see him. Hsün Yü said, “It is no advantage to you,
Illustrious Sir, that the Emperor recognises Liu as an uncle.”
“He may be recognised as uncle, but he is under my orders since I
control the decrees of the throne. He will be all the more ready to
obey. Beside I will keep him here under the pretence of having him near
his sovereign and he will be entirely in my hands. I have nothing to
fear. The man I fear is Yang Piao, who is a relative of the two Yüans.
Should Yang conspire with them he is an enemy within and might do much
harm. He will have to be removed.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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