Three Kingdoms

by Luo Guanzhong (Moss Roberts trans. )

  Stridently Hua Xin replied, "All the empire knows that Your Majesty, lacking the 'great blessing' by which Heaven mandates the ruler of men, must take responsibility for the chaotic state of the realm. If not for the king of Wei, Cao Cao, there would have been more than one who would have put Your Majesty to the sword. But still you refuse to acknowledge his past concern and repay his erstwhile kindness, and seem to want a general assault upon your imperial person." Appalled, the Emperor rose with a sweeping motion of his sleeves. Wang Lang eyed Hua Xin meaningfully. Hua Xin advanced boldly, laid hands on the sacred dragon robe and, his face contorted, said, "Agreed? Or not? Speak. Now."

  The trembling Emperor could not respond. Cao Hong and Cao Xiu drew their swords and called for the keeper of the regalia. The keeper, Zu Bi, responded, "Present." Cao Hong demanded the jade seal. Zu Bi protested, "The jade seal is the treasure of the Son of Heaven. How dare you demand it?" Cao Hong called for his guards who removed the keeper and cut off his head. Zu Bi continued to protest until the moment of his death. A poet of later times left these lines of tribute to Zu Bi:

  Treachery reigned; the Han passed from the scene:

  "Thus Yao yielded to Shun," they falsely cried.6

  A courtful of courtiers paid homage to the Wei;

  In defense of the seal a single vassal died.

  The Emperor shook violently. At the base of the stairs leading to his throne all he could see were hundreds of armed men of Wei. Tearfully, the Emperor addressed the assemblage: "We intend here solemnly to abdicate our rule, transferring all under Heaven to the king of Wei. Kindly spare what breath still remains to me, that I may live out my natural years." Jia Xu said, "The king would never dismay Your Majesty. Quickly issue the edict and give peace to the hearts of all." The Emperor had no choice. He ordered Chen Qun to draft the edict; next, he ordered Hua Xin to receive the document and the imperial seal and then to bring the whole court to the king's palace to make the ritual presentation.

  Cao Pi was delighted. He unsealed the edict and read it:

  My reign of thirty-two years has seen great trouble in the empire. Fortunately, the spirits of my forefathers have rescued me from peril. But today, searching the configurations of the heavens and examining the hearts of the people, I see that the cycle of the fire element has expired and that a new element corresponding to the Cao clan now prevails. Indeed, that change of period is attested by the late King Cao's martial success and the present King Cao's manifest and glorious virtue. The new succession thus fulfills the expectations of all.

  It is said, "When the way of the sages prevails, the empire belongs to all." For not favoring his own son, Yao earned an immortal name. I venture to emulate him. Today, abdicating to the prime minister and king of Wei, I follow in the footsteps recorded in the "Canon of Yao." Let Your Highness not decline.

  When the edict had been read, Cao Pi was anxious to accept the decree, but Sima Yi warned him, "That would be wrong. Even though the edict and seal were brought here, let Your Highness decline in due modesty so as to forestall criticism in the outside world." On this advice Cao Pi had Wang Lang prepare a memorial which declared his virtue too meagre to assume the throne and advised searching elsewhere for someone of true worth.7 The Emperor, perplexed by the memorial, said to his vassals, "The king is modest and self-effacing. What shall I do?" Hua Xin replied, "Previously, when his father, Cao Cao, was offered the kingship of Wei, he declined three times but finally accepted as the edict required. Let Your Majesty send down another edict. The king should accept it."8

  The Emperor had no recourse. He ordered Huan Jie to draft another edict, and sent Zhang Yin as envoy of the Ancestral Temple to deliver document and seal to the palace of the king of Wei. Cao Pi opened the memorial, which read:

  Let the king of Wei be advised with regard to his humble refusal of our throne: we have recognized the slow decline of the Han. How fortunate we were to have the help of King Wu, Cao Cao, whose virtue proved able to cope with all that destiny demanded, eliminating baneful violence, purging and securing our heartland.

  The present king, Cao Pi, continues in that great tradition. His splendid virtue shines brilliantly forth. His sagely teachings cover the realm. His humane influence spreads in every direction. In his person the divine succession rests.

  In ancient times after Shun had effected twelve accomplishments, Yao resigned the empire into his charge; and after Yu the Great distinguished himself in managing the floodwaters, Shun abdicated in his favor. The Han, in the tradition of Yao, is obliged to transfer its rule to a worthy sage, conforming to the spirits above and below, properly responding to Heaven's clear Mandate. Thus, we have empowered Imperial Censor Zhang Yin to proffer the imperial seal. Let His Majesty now receive it.

  Cao Pi accepted the edict with delight. Turning to Jia Xu, he said, "Despite this second edict, I still fear that the world as well as future generations will condemn the usurpation." "There is a simple solution," Jia Xu replied. "Command Zhang Yin to take the edict back once again with instructions for Hua Xin to have the Emperor build an Altar for Acceptance of the Abdication. Then, on a propitious day, convene the senior and junior officials at the foot of the altar and have the Emperor personally tender the seal as he abdicates. That should resolve all doubts and check all criticism."9

  Delighted with this advice, Cao Pi had Zhang Yin return the regalia and prepare another memorial announcing his humble refusal of the imperial place. When Zhang Yin presented the new memorial, the Emperor asked his courtiers, "What is the king of Wei's purpose in declining a second time?" Hua Xin said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, build an Altar for Acceptance of the Abdication, then gather the high officials and commoners around it so that the abdication will be plain and public. That way, the future generations of your line will enjoy the grace of the Wei." The Emperor complied. He sent an officer of the Department of Imperial Sacrifices to divine for a favorable site in Fanyang. There an altar of three levels was set up. They designated the predawn hours of gengwu, the seventh cyclical day in the tenth month, for the abdication ceremony to take place.10

  When the appointed time came, Emperor Xian invited Cao Pi, king of Wei, to ascend the altar. Around the base clustered a vast assemblage of four hundred officials, major and minor, as well as some thirty thousand warriors including the Royal Guard, the Imperial Guard, and the Palace Guard. The Emperor held the jade seal in both hands and transferred it respectfully to Cao Pi. Below, the assembly kneeled to hear the declaration of transmission:

  Be it known to you, O King of Wei, that anciently Yao solemnly relinquished the mandate to Shun, who in turn passed it to Yu. For the Mandate of Heaven does not abide but finds its home only where virtue is. The way of Han is failing; our generations have lost their proper sequence. When the succession reached my own person in the spreading gloom of great upheaval, a multitude of malefactors ran unchecked and havoc was all within our sphere.

  Thanks to the martial genius of King Wu, Cao Cao, who retrieved our empire from rebellions in all quarters, the integrity of our northern region was preserved, and our ancestral sanctum kept safe. Not I alone benefited; the capital and its nine subject domains stand in his debt. You, King, have honorably followed in his footsteps and added glory to his great virtue; you have magnified the great cause of the founders of the Zhou, kings Wen and Wu; and you have given new luster to the boundless fame of your late father.

  The spirits of former emperors send down auspicious signs; men and gods affirm the auguries: Cao Pi is the ideal successor to manage the dynasty's affairs. To all I confer my sovereign charge. All concur in enjoining you to model yourself after Shun, so that I may reverently abdicate to you in accordance with the "Canon of Yao." Oh, heed this! "The Heavenly calendar is invested in your person." May you conform to this great ritual with humility before the spirits and thus solemnly receive Heaven's Mandate to preside over the regions and districts of the realm.

  After the ceremonial reading, Cao Pi undertook the eight-round inauguration cer
emony and ascended the imperial throne. Below the altar Jia Xu led the body of officials in paying homage to the new sovereign. They then changed the reign period from Yan Kang, "Prolonged Prosperity," year 1, to Huang Chu, "Commencement of the Yellow,"11 year 1 of a new dynasty called Great Wei. Next, Cao Pi issued a general amnesty. He gave his father Cao Cao the posthumous title Great Ancestor and August Martial Emperor.

  Hua Xin memorialized the new Emperor: ' "Two suns do not shine in heaven; two sovereigns cannot rule. ' The Han Emperor should now retire to a remote feudatory kingdom. We petition for your sage instruction on the enfeoffment of the leader of the Liu clan." With these words, he helped Emperor Xian kneel below the altar to listen to the imperial word. Cao Pi directed that the Han Emperor be honored as lord of Shanyang and depart forthwith. Hua Xin placed his hand on his sword and, pointing at Emperor Xian, said harshly, "Putting one emperor in power and removing another was routine in the old days. The present sovereign is humane and merciful and wishes you no harm; he honors you as lord of Shanyang. You are to leave at once, never to enter the court again except on official summons."

  Holding back tears, Emperor Xian made the ritual gesture of appreciation, bowing low; then he mounted and set off under the grieving gaze of the commoners and soldiers around the altar. Cao Pi said to the assembly, "Now I can appreciate the succession of Shun and Yu." The courtiers shouted, "Long life to the sovereign!" In later times a poet, viewing the Altar for Acceptance of the Abdication, left these lines:

  The two Hans' governance made a heavy task;

  Then all at once they had no "hills and streams."

  The Wei in Yao and Shun had found their model;

  Too soon the Simas learned this lesson well.

  The assembly invited Cao Pi to offer Heaven and earth his thanks. But as the new emperor began descending to prostrate himself, a freak storm sprang up, driving sand and stones before it like a sudden downpour. All went dark; the altar lanterns blew out. Cao Pi collapsed in fright and had to be carried down, regaining consciousness only after a long while. Attendants took him into the palace, where he remained for several days, unable to hold court. Then, feeling stronger, he appeared in the main hall to accept the courtiers' congratulations on assuming the sovereignty. He honored Hua Xin as minister of the interior and Wang Lang as minister of works. Other officials were promoted and rewarded.

  Cao Pi did not completely recover, however, and he began to suspect that the capital buildings were haunted. He therefore moved from Xuchang to Luoyang and built a palace complex there.

  Word soon reached Chengdu that Cao Pi had taken the throne as august emperor of the Great Wei and was constructing a new palace in Luoyang. And there were rumors that the Han Emperor had already been killed. The king of Hanzhong grieved the whole day at the news and ordered his court into mourning. He also arranged sacrifices for the distant Han Emperor, honoring him posthumously as August Emperor Min the Filial.

  These events made Xuande too ill to administer government affairs, and he turned everything over to Kongming. Kongming consulted Imperial Guardian Xu Jing and Imperial Steward Qiao Zhou;12 the three decided to establish the king of Hanzhong as emperor on the grounds that the empire may not be without a sovereign even for a single day. Qiao Zhou said, "Recently we have had the good omen of auspicious winds and clouds. In the northwest corner of Chengdu a yellow haze several hundred spans high rose into the evening sky.13 The imperial star was seen in the area of Stomach, Mane, and Net,14 shining with an august fire and bright as the moon. These correspondent signs indicate that the king of Hanzhong should assume the imperial throne and continue the great line of Han. Their meaning is unmistakable."

  And so Kongming, together with Xu Jing, led a general assembly of officials to petition the king of Hanzhong to take the imperial throne. The king read over the memorial and said in astonishment, "Would you urge on me a course both disloyal and dishonorable?"15 Kongming addressed the king: "Not at all! Cao Pi has usurped the Han and taken power. As a kinsman of the Han, Your Majesty should by rights succeed in the line so as to maintain the ritual sacrifices." The king of Hanzhong, his countenance altered, said angrily, "Shall I emulate the conduct of renegade traitors?" Flicking his sleeves, he arose and retired to the rear of the palace; the assembly dispersed.

  Three days later Kongming returned to court with the body of officials and requested that the king come forth. The courtiers prostrated themselves when he appeared. Xu Jing addressed the king: "Cao Pi has murdered the Emperor of Han. Unless Your Majesty assumes the royal seat and takes the field to suppress the renegades, you will fail in your obligations of loyalty and honor. The whole world desires Your Majesty to reign and redeem the humiliation suffered by the August Emperor Min the Filial, Emperor Xian. You will fail the hopes of the people if you decline." The king replied, "Though a descendant of Emperor Jing, I lack sufficient virtue to extend to all the people. Were I suddenly to establish myself, how would it differ from the crime of usurpation?" Kongming's strenuous appeals could not move the king, so he conceived a plan that he shared with the officials. Then, claiming to be ill, he went home and remained unavailable.16

  When the king heard that Kongming's illness was serious, he went to Kongming's, quarters, walked straight to his bedside, and asked, "What ails you, Director General?" "A burning anguish," Kongming replied, "so sharp, I fear I have little time to live." "The cause?" the king asked. He repeated the question a number of times, but Kongming, intending to look too sick to reply, lowered his lids. The king pressed him until finally, with a long sigh, Kongming said, "Since the day I left my thatched hut to serve Your Majesty down to the present, I have stayed beside you. You have had implicit faith in me and heeded my every counsel. Good fortune has placed the whole of the Riverlands in Your Majesty's hands, exactly as I predicted long ago. Now that Cao Pi has usurped the throne, and terminated the ritual sacrifices of the Han, all our officers and officials, both civil and military, earnestly desire to serve Your Majesty as emperor and to share in the glory of eliminating the Cao clan and reviving the Liu. Your refusal was unthinkable; but now the whole court may soon disperse in dismay, leaving the Riverlands vulnerable if Wei and Wu were to attack. How could your devoted servant not despair?"

  The king replied, "I do not decline on pretext. I fear the adverse judgment of the world." Kongming said, "Confucius said that incorrect names make for illogical positions. Now Your Majesty would be entirely justified in taking such an action. There is nothing to criticize. But can you have forgotten the saying, 'What Heaven grants is refused only at peril'?" The king said, "When your illness improves, there will be time enough to act." At these words Kongming sprang up from his couch and knocked the screen aside. A host of civil and military officials strode in and flung themselves to the ground. "With Your Majesty's agreement, we shall select a day for the ceremony." From the crowd before him the king recognized Imperial Guardian Xu Jing; Mi Zhu, General Who Secures the Han; Xiang Ju, lord of Qingyi; Liu Bao, lord of Yangquan; Zhao Zuo, lieutenant governor; Yang Hong, provincial secretary; Du Qiong, a counselor; Zhang Shuang, an aide; Lai Gong, minister of protocol; Huang Quan, the palace director; He Zong, the libationer; Yin Mo, the scholar-official; Qiao Zhou, the imperial steward; Chief Commander Yin Chun; Auxiliary Commander Zhang Yi; Treasurer Wang Mou; Academician Who Sheds Light on Texts, Yi Ji; Assistant Aide Qin Mi; and many others.

  With trepidation the king said, "You are forcing me into a dishonorable position." "Since Your Majesty has already granted our request," Kongming said, "we may build the altar and select a propitious day for the reverent performance of the inauguration." He sent the king back to the palace and ordered Imperial Academician Xu Ci and Court Counselor Meng Guang to take charge of the ceremonies and have an altar built south of Mount Wudan.17

  When all arrangements had been made, the officials had the royal carriage escort the king to the altar, where he performed the sacrifice. Qiao Zhou was on the altar and read out the accompanying text in a loud, clear voice
:

  It being the day dingsi, fifty-fourth of the cycle, twelve days after the beginning of the fourth moon on bingwu,18 the twenty-sixth year of Jian An,19 I, Bei, the August Emperor, resolve to proclaim to the august shining Heaven and the fruitful earth that the Han hold the empire in unbroken succession. There was one instance of usurpation: Wang Mang seized the throne, but August Emperor Guang Wu made his fury felt, executed the traitor, and restored our sacred shrines.

  Now Cao Cao has committed atrocities and cruelly murdered the reigning sovereign, a hideous crime that assails the very skies. His son Pi gives free rein to nefarious treason, unlawfully seizing the sacred instruments of rule. The whole of our civil and military hold that, with the services of the Han lapsed and void, it is proper for me, Bei, to resume them and, as heir to our founders, personally carry out Heaven's retribution.

  Fearful lest my virtue prove unequal to the station, I have taken counsel among the common people and the chieftains around our borders. All agree that the Mandate of Heaven must be heeded, that the patrimony must not remain displaced, and that the realm must not be without its ruler. Throughout the land expectation rests on me, Bei.

  Yet do I tremble before that clear mandate. Yet do I fear that the estate of the two founders, Han Gao Zu and Emperor Guang Wu, may come to ruin. With deep reverence have we selected an auspicious day to ascend the platform and offer sacrifice, that our acceptance of the royal seal may bring solace throughout the realm. May the gods relish the dynastic offerings and bestow lasting harmony on our domain.