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
Sun Tsʻê could not withstand such a mandate from his mother so,
mustering all his strength, he managed to get into a sedan chair and
went to the monastery, where the Taoists received him respectfully and
begged him to light the incense. He did so, but he returned no thanks.
To the surprise of all, the smoke from the brazier, instead of floating
upwards and dissipating, collected in a mass that gradually shaped
itself into an umbrella and there on the top sat Yü Chi.
Sun Tsʻê simply spat abuse and went out of the temple. As he passed the
gates, lo! Yü Chi stood there gazing at him with angry eyes.
“Do you see that wizard fellow?” said he to those about him.
They said they saw nothing. More angry than ever he flung his sword at
the figure by the gate. The sword struck one of his escort who fell.
When they turned him over they saw it was the executioner who had
actually slain the Taoist. The sword had penetrated his brain and his
life drained out through the seven channels of perception. Sun Tsʻê
told them to bury the man. But as he went out of the courtyard he saw
Yü Chi walking in.
“This temple is nothing more than a lurking place for sorcerers and
wizards and such people,” said he.
Whereupon he took a seat in front of the building and sent for half a
company of soldiers to pull the place down. When they went up on the
roof to strip off the tiles he saw Yü Chi standing on the main beam
flicking tiles to the ground. More angry than ever he told them to
drive out the priests belonging to the place and burn it. They did so
and when the flames rose their highest he saw the dead Taoist Yü Chi
standing in the midst of the fire.
Sun Tsʻê returned home still in a bad humour, which increased when he
saw the form of Yü Chi standing at his gate. He would not enter but
mustered his army and went into camp outside the city walls. And there
he summoned his officers to meet him and talk over joining Yüan in an
attack on Tsʻao.
They assembled, but they remonstrated with him and begged him to
consider his precious health. That night he slept in the camp and again
saw Yü Chi, this time with his hair hanging loose. He raged at the
vision without cessation.
Next day his mother called him into the city and he went. She was
shocked at the change in his appearance; he looked so utterly
miserable. Her tears fell.
“My son,” said she, “how wasted you are!”
He had a mirror brought and looked at himself; he was indeed so gaunt
and thin that he was almost frightened and exclaimed, “How do I come to
look so haggard?”
While he spoke, Yü Chi appeared in the mirror. He struck it and
shrieked. Then the half healed wounds re-opened and he fainted.
He was raised and borne within. When he recovered consciousness he
said, “This is the end; I shall die.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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