Romance, Chapter 79

Chapter 79. An Elder Brother Presses the Younger, and Cao Zhi Composes a Poem; A Nephew Brings Down His Uncle, and Liu Feng Pays the Penalty

Meanwhile, when Cao Pi heard that Cao Zhang was coming at the head of an army, he asked his officials in alarm what to do. One man stepped forward and offered to go and bring him to submission. All looked at him: it was the Grand Counsellor Jia Kui. Cao Pi was delighted and at once ordered Jia Kui to go. Jia Kui took his orders, left the city and went to meet Cao Zhang. Cao Zhang asked, “Where are the late king’s seal and ribbon?” Jia Kui answered sternly, “A family has its eldest son, and a state has its heir.

卻說曹丕聞曹彰提兵而來，驚問衆官；一人挺身而出，願往折服之。衆視其人，乃諫議大夫賈逵也。曹丕大喜，即命賈逵前往。逵領命出城，迎見曹彰。彰問曰：“先王璽綬安在？”逵正色而言曰：“家有長子，國有儲君。

The late king’s seal and ribbon are not a thing for Your Lordship to ask about.” Cao Zhang fell silent and said nothing more, and went into the city with Jia Kui. When they reached the palace gate, Jia Kui asked, “Has Your Lordship come here to mourn, or to contend for the throne?” “I have come to mourn,” said Cao Zhang. “I have no other intention.” “If you have no other intention,” said Jia Kui, “why have you brought troops into the city?” Cao Zhang at once ordered the officers and men about him to withdraw, and went in alone to pay his respects to Cao Pi.

先王璽綬，非君侯之所宜問也。”彰默然無語，乃與賈逵同入城。至宮門前，逵問曰：“君侯此來，欲奔喪耶？欲爭位耶？”彰曰：“吾來奔喪，別無異心。”逵曰：“既無異心，何故帶兵入城？”彰即時叱退左右將士，隻身入內，拜見曹丕。

The two brothers embraced each other and wept aloud. Cao Zhang handed over all the troops and horses of his command to Cao Pi, and Cao Pi ordered him to return to Yanling and hold it himself. Cao Zhang took his leave with a bow and departed.

兄弟二人，相抱大哭。曹彰將本部軍馬盡交與曹丕。丕令彰回鄢陵自守，彰拜辭而去。

So Cao Pi settled securely on the throne of the kingdom, and changed the twenty-fifth year of Jian’an to the first year of Yankang. He made Jia Xu Grand Commandant, Hua Xin Chancellor of State and Wang Lang Imperial Censor-in-Chief, and officials great and small were all promoted and rewarded. He gave Cao Cao the posthumous title of King Wu and buried him at Gaoling in Yejun, and put Yu Jin in charge of the work on the tomb. When Yu Jin arrived there under orders, he saw on the whitewashed wall of the tomb hall a painting of how Guan Yunchang had drowned the seven armies and captured Yu Jin: Yunchang sat in state in the seat of honour, Pang De stood furious and unbending, and Yu Jin lay prostrate on the ground, pitifully begging for his life.

於是曹丕安居王位，改建安二十五年爲延康元年；封賈詡爲太尉，華歆爲相國，王朗爲御史大夫；大小官僚，盡皆升賞。諡曹操曰武王，葬於鄴郡高陵，令于禁董治陵事。禁奉命到彼，只見陵屋中白粉壁上，圖畫關雲長水淹七軍擒獲于禁之事：畫雲長儼然上坐，龐德憤怒不屈，于禁拜伏於地，哀求乞命之狀。

The truth was that Cao Pi despised Yu Jin in his heart, because after his defeat and capture he had failed to die for his honour, and had surrendered to the enemy and then come back. So he had first had the whitewashed walls of the tomb hall painted, and then deliberately sent Yu Jin to see it and be shamed. When Yu Jin saw the painting he was both mortified and enraged; his anger made him ill, and before long he died.

原來曹丕以于禁兵敗被擒，不能死節，既降敵而復歸，心鄙其爲人，故先令人圖畫陵屋粉壁，故意使之往見以愧之。當下于禁見此畫像，又羞又惱，氣憤成病，不久而死。

A later poet wrote this lament:
For thirty years he spoke of old friendship,
But alas, in the hour of danger he was not loyal to Cao.
Knowing a man, one never saw into his heart;
Now the tiger is painted down to the very bone.

後人有詩嘆曰：“三十年來說舊交，可憐臨難不忠曹。
知人未向心中識，畫虎今從骨裏描。
”

Meanwhile Hua Xin memorialised Cao Pi, saying, “The Marquis of Yanling has handed over his troops and gone to his own fief. But Zhi, Marquis of Linzi, and Xiong, Marquis of Xiaohuai, have not even come to mourn. By rights they should be called to account.” Cao Pi agreed and at once sent two envoys, one to each place, to call them to account. Before long the envoy to Xiaohuai came back and reported, “Cao Xiong, the Marquis of Xiaohuai, feared punishment and hanged himself.” Cao Pi had him given a rich burial and posthumously made him King of Xiaohuai.

卻說華歆奏曹丕曰：“鄢陵侯已交割軍馬，赴本國去了；臨淄侯植、蕭懷侯熊，二人竟不來奔喪，理當問罪。”丕從之，即分遣二使往二處問罪。不一日，蕭懷使者回報：“蕭懷侯曹熊懼罪，自縊身死。”丕令厚葬之，追贈蕭懷王。

A day later the envoy to Linzi came back and reported, “The Marquis of Linzi spends every day drinking deep with the two Ding brothers, and behaves with insolence and disrespect. When he heard that an envoy had come with a command, the Marquis of Linzi sat upright and did not stir. Ding Yi reviled me, saying, ‘Formerly the late king meant to make our master his heir, but slandering ministers stood in the way. Now, when the king’s funeral is barely over, you call his own flesh and blood to account. What does this mean?’ And his brother Ding Yi said, ‘Our master’s brilliance outshines the age; by rights he should have succeeded to the throne, yet now he has been passed over.

又過了一日，臨淄使者回報，說：“臨淄侯日與丁儀、丁廙兄弟二人酣飲，悖慢無禮，聞使命至，臨淄侯端坐不動；丁儀罵曰：昔者先王本欲立吾主爲世子，被讒臣所阻；今王喪未遠，便問罪於骨肉，何也？丁廙又曰：據吾主聰明冠世，自當承嗣大位，今反不得立。

How is it that you ministers of the court cannot recognise talent any better than this?’ Then the Marquis of Linzi flew into a rage and shouted to his guards to beat me with staves and drive me out.”

汝那廟堂之臣，何不識人才若此！臨淄侯因怒，叱武士將臣亂棒打出。”

When Cao Pi heard this he was furious. He at once ordered Xu Chu to take three thousand of the Tiger Guards, hurry to Linzi and bring back Cao Zhi and his whole crowd under arrest. Xu Chu took his orders and led his men to the city of Linzi. When the officer guarding it tried to bar the way, Xu Chu cut him down on the spot and went straight into the city; not one man dared stand against his onslaught. He went straight to the hall of the marquis’s residence, and there he found Cao Zhi, the Ding brothers and the rest all lying drunk. Xu Chu had them all bound and loaded onto carts, and seized every official of the household, high and low, and sent them all under escort to Yejun to await Cao Pi’s judgement.

丕聞之，大怒，即令許褚領虎衛軍三千，火速至臨淄擒曹植等一干人來。褚奉命，引軍至臨淄城。守將攔阻，褚立斬之，直入城中，無一人敢當鋒銳，徑到府堂。只見曹植與丁儀、丁廙等盡皆醉倒。褚皆縛之，載於車上，並將府下大小屬官，盡行拿解鄴郡，聽候曹丕發落。

Cao Pi gave orders, and first the Ding brothers and their fellows were all put to death. Ding Yi, styled Zhengli, and Ding Yi, styled Jingli, were men of Pei Commandery and noted scholars of their day, and when they were killed many people grieved for them.

丕下令，先將丁儀、丁廙等盡行誅戮。丁儀字正禮，丁廙字敬禮，沛郡人，乃一時文士；及其被殺，人多惜之。

Meanwhile Cao Pi’s mother, Lady Bian, had been deeply grieved to hear that Cao Xiong had hanged himself, and now, hearing suddenly that Cao Zhi had been arrested and that Ding Yi and the rest of his faction had already been killed, she was greatly alarmed. She hurried out of her palace and summoned Cao Pi to see her. When Cao Pi saw that his mother had come out, he hastened to pay his respects. Lady Bian said to him, weeping, “Your brother Zhi has always been fond of wine and wild in his ways, but that is because he trusts in the talent he carries in his breast, and so he lets himself run loose. Remember that you are sons of the same mother, and spare his life.

卻說曹丕之母卞氏，聽得曹熊縊死，心甚悲傷；忽又聞曹植被擒，其黨丁儀等已殺，大驚。急出殿，召曹丕相見。丕見母出殿，慌來拜謁。卞氏哭謂丕曰：“汝弟植平生嗜酒疏狂，蓋因自恃胸中之才，故爾放縱。汝可念同胞之情，存其性命。

Then I shall close my eyes in peace when I go to the Nine Springs.” “I too love his talent dearly,” said Cao Pi. “How could I be willing to harm him? I only mean to curb his temper now. Do not worry, mother.”

吾至九泉亦瞑目也。”丕曰：“兒亦深愛其才，安肯害他？今正欲戒其性耳。母親勿憂。”

Lady Bian went back inside in tears, and Cao Pi went out to a side hall and summoned Cao Zhi before him. Hua Xin asked, “Was it not the Queen Mother just now, urging Your Highness not to kill Zijian?” “It was,” said Cao Pi. “Zijian is full of talent and wisdom,” said Hua Xin. “In the end he is no creature to stay in a pond. If you do not get rid of him soon, he will surely cause trouble later.” “I cannot disobey my mother’s command,” said Cao Pi. “Everyone says that Zijian turns out finished compositions as soon as he opens his mouth,” said Hua Xin, “but I have never quite believed it. My lord, summon him in and test his talent.

卞氏灑淚而入，丕出偏殿，召曹植入見。華歆問曰：“適來莫非太后勸殿下勿殺子建乎？”丕曰：“然。”歆曰：“子建懷才抱智，終非池中物；若不早除，必爲後患。”丕曰：“母命不可違。”歆曰：“人皆言子建出口成章，臣未深信。主上可召入，以才試之。

If he cannot do it, put him to death at once; if he really can, then demote him, and so silence the scholars of the realm.” Cao Pi agreed. Presently Cao Zhi came in, bowed down in fear and trembling, and begged for pardon. Cao Pi said, “By affection you and I are brothers, but by duty we are sovereign and subject. How dare you rely on your talent and flout the proprieties? In the days when our late father was alive, you were always showing off your compositions to people, and I strongly suspect that you must have had others write them for you. Now I set you this limit: in the space of seven steps you are to compose a poem.

若不能，即殺之；若果能，則貶之，以絕天下文人之口。”丕從之。須臾，曹植入見，惶恐伏拜請罪。丕曰：“吾與汝情雖兄弟，義屬君臣，汝安敢恃才蔑禮？昔先君在日，汝常以文章誇示於人，吾深疑汝必用他人代筆。吾今限汝行七步吟詩一首。

If you really can, you will be spared death; if you cannot, you will be punished severely, and there will be no mercy!” “I beg you to set me a subject,” said Cao Zhi. At that moment there hung in the hall an ink painting showing two oxen fighting at the foot of an earthen wall, and one of them falling into a well and dying. Cao Pi pointed at the painting and said, “Take this painting for your subject. But in your poem you may not use the words ‘two oxen fighting beneath a wall’ or ‘one ox falling into a well and dying.’” Cao Zhi took seven steps, and his poem was already complete.

若果能，則免一死；若不能，則從重治罪，決不姑恕！”植曰：“願乞題目。”時殿上懸一水墨畫，畫着兩隻牛，鬥於土牆之下，一牛墜井而亡。丕指畫曰：“即以此畫爲題。詩中不許犯着二牛鬥牆下，一牛墜井死字樣。”植行七步，其詩已成。

The poem ran:
Two lumps of flesh were walking side by side,
Each bearing on its head a curving bone.
They met beneath a mound of earth
And suddenly rose and butted at each other.
Two foes cannot both prove the stronger:
One lump of flesh lies in an earthen pit.
It was not that its strength fell short,
But that its full spirit could not be spent.
Cao Pi and all his ministers were astonished.

詩曰：“兩肉齊道行，頭上帶凹骨。
相遇塊山下，欻起相搪突。
二敵不俱剛，一肉臥土窟。
非是力不如，盛氣不泄畢。
”曹丕及羣臣皆驚。

Cao Pi said again, “A composition in seven steps still seems slow to me. Can you make a poem the instant I speak?” “Set me a subject at once,” said Cao Zhi. “You and I are brothers,” said Cao Pi. “Take that as your subject. But again you may not use the word ‘brother.’” Cao Zhi, without stopping to think at all, at once recited a poem:
They boil the beans by burning the beanstalks,
And in the pot the beans weep.
We sprang from the selfsame root—
Why such haste to scorch each other?

丕又曰：“七步成章，吾猶以爲遲。汝能應聲而作詩一首否？”植曰：“願即命題。”丕曰：“吾與汝乃兄弟也。以此爲題。亦不許犯着‘兄弟’字樣。”植略不思索，即口占一首曰：“煮豆燃豆萁，豆在釜中泣，本是同根生，相煎何太急！”

When Cao Pi heard it, the tears streamed down his face. His mother, Lady Bian, came out from behind the hall and said, “Why must an elder brother press his younger brother so hard?” Cao Pi hurriedly rose from his seat and said, “It is only that the law of the state cannot be set aside.” And so he demoted Cao Zhi to Marquis of Anxiang. Cao Zhi took his leave with a bow, mounted his horse and went away.

曹丕聞之，潸然淚下。其母卞氏，從殿後出曰：“兄何逼弟之甚耶？”丕慌忙離坐告曰：“國法不可廢耳。”於是貶曹植爲安鄉侯。植拜辭上馬而去。

After Cao Pi succeeded to the throne he renewed all the laws and ordinances and overbore the Han emperor even more than his father had done. Spies soon brought the news to Chengdu. The King of Hanzhong was greatly alarmed when he heard it, and at once took counsel with his civil and military officers. “Cao Cao is dead,” he said, “and Cao Pi has succeeded him, and he overbears the Son of Heaven even more than Cao Cao did. Sun Quan of Eastern Wu has folded his hands and declared himself a vassal. I wish first to attack Eastern Wu to avenge Yunchang, and then to march on the Central Plain and rid it of the rebels.”

曹丕自繼位之後，法令一新，威逼漢帝，甚於其父。早有細作報入成都。漢中王聞之，大驚，即與文武商議曰：“曹操已死，曹丕繼位，威逼天子，更甚於操。東吳孫權，拱手稱臣。孤欲先伐東吳，以報雲長之仇；次討中原，以除亂賊。”

Before he had finished speaking, Liao Hua came forward from the ranks, threw himself weeping on the ground and said, “The death of Guan Yu and his son was truly the fault of Liu Feng and Meng Da. I beg you to put these two traitors to death.” Xuande was ready to send men to arrest them at once, but Kongming remonstrated, “No. This must be handled slowly; haste will only provoke trouble. Promote the two of them to be prefects of commanderies and post them away from each other, and after that they can be arrested.” Xuande agreed, and sent an envoy to promote Liu Feng and send him to hold Mianzhu.

言未畢，廖化出班，哭拜於地曰：“關公父子遇害，實劉封、孟達之罪。乞誅此二賊。”玄德便欲遣人擒之。孔明諫曰：“不可。且宜緩圖之，急則生變矣。可升此二人爲郡守，分調開去，然後可擒。”玄德從之，遂遣使升劉封去守綿竹。

Now Peng Yang was on very close terms with Meng Da. When he heard of this, he hurried home and wrote a letter, and sent a trusted man to ride with the news to Meng Da. But the messenger had only just gone out through the south gate when he was caught by Ma Chao’s patrol and brought before Ma Chao. Ma Chao questioned him and learned what was afoot, and at once went to see Peng Yang. Peng Yang welcomed him in and set out wine for him. When the wine had gone round several times, Ma Chao sounded him out, saying, “In the old days the King of Hanzhong treated you very generously. Why has he grown cooler towards you of late?”

原來彭羕與孟達甚厚，聽知此事，急回家作書，遣心腹人馳報孟達。使者方出南門外，被馬超巡視軍捉獲，解見馬超。超審知此事，即往見彭羕。羕接入，置酒相待。酒至數巡，超以言挑之曰：“昔漢中王待公甚厚，今何漸薄也？”

Peng Yang, being drunk, cursed him bitterly: “The old soldier is muddle-headed and perverse, and I will pay him back for it!” Ma Chao probed further: “I too have long harboured a grudge.” “If you raise the troops of your own command and join with Meng Da to strike from outside,” said Peng Yang, “and I lead the troops of Sichuan to rise from within, the great enterprise can be accomplished.” “What you say is very sound, sir,” said Ma Chao. “Let us talk it over again tomorrow.”

羕因酒醉，恨罵曰：“老革荒悖，吾必有以報之！”超又探曰：“某亦懷怨心久矣。”羕曰：“公起本部軍，結連孟達爲外合，某領川兵爲內應，大事可圖也。”超曰：“先生之言甚當。來日再議。”

Ma Chao took leave of Peng Yang, and at once brought the man and the letter before the King of Hanzhong and told him the whole affair in detail. Xuande was furious and at once had Peng Yang arrested, thrown into prison and questioned under torture. In prison Peng Yang repented, but it was too late. Xuande asked Kongming, “Peng Yang meant to rebel. How should he be dealt with?” “Peng Yang is a wild scholar, it is true,” said Kongming, “but if he is kept long, he is sure to breed trouble.” So Xuande had Peng Yang put to death in prison.

超辭了彭羕，即將人與書解見漢中王，細言其事。玄德大怒，即令擒彭羕下獄，拷問其情。羕在獄中，悔之無及。玄德問孔明曰：“彭羕有謀反之意，當何以治之？”孔明曰：“羕雖狂士，然留之久必生禍。”於是玄德賜彭羕死於獄。

When Peng Yang was dead, someone told Meng Da. Meng Da was greatly alarmed and did not know what to do. Then suddenly an envoy arrived with orders transferring Liu Feng back to hold Mianzhu, and Liu Feng had already gone. Meng Da hastily invited the brothers Shen Dan and Shen Yi, Commandants of Shangyong and Fangling, to take counsel. “Fa Xiaozhi and I both rendered services to the King of Hanzhong,” he said. “But now Xiaozhi is dead, and the King of Hanzhong has forgotten my past services and means to do away with me. What am I to do?”

羕既死，有人報知孟達。達大驚，舉止失措。忽使命至，調劉封回守綿竹去訖。孟達慌請上庸、房陵都尉申耽、申儀弟兄二人商議曰：“我與法孝直同有功於漢中王；今孝直已死，而漢中王忘我前功，乃欲見害，爲之奈何？

“I have a plan,” said Shen Dan, “that will make it impossible for the King of Hanzhong to harm you.” Meng Da was delighted and eagerly asked what it was. “We brothers have long wanted to go over to Wei,” said Shen Dan. “You should write a memorial taking leave of the King of Hanzhong and go over to Cao Pi, the King of Wei. Cao Pi is sure to give you an important post, and the two of us will follow you and surrender too.” Meng Da suddenly saw the light. He at once wrote a memorial and handed it to the envoy who had come, and that very evening he rode off to Wei with fifty or so horsemen.

“耽曰：“某有一計，使漢中王不能加害於公。”達大喜，急問何計。耽曰：“吾弟兄欲投魏久矣，公可作一表，辭了漢中王，投魏王曹丕，丕必重用。吾二人亦隨後來降也。”達猛然省悟，即寫表一通，付與來使；當晚引五十餘騎投魏去了。

The envoy took the memorial back to Chengdu and presented it to the King of Hanzhong, telling him how Meng Da had gone over to Wei. The First Ruler was furious. He read the memorial, which said: “Your servant Da humbly reflects that Your Highness means to build a work like that of Yi Yin and Lü Shang and to follow the achievements of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin. When you first set about your great enterprise, you borrowed strength from Wu and Chu, and so men of ability, hearing of your fame, came to join you. Since I pledged myself to your service, my faults and offences have piled up like a mountain. If I know this myself, how much more must my lord! Now talented and able men gather at your court as thick as fish scales, while I have within me no capacity to be a counsellor, and without no gift for command. To be ranked among your meritorious servants truly fills me with shame.

使命持表回成都，奏漢中王，言孟達投魏之事。先主大怒。覽其表曰：“臣達伏惟殿下將建伊、呂之業，追桓、文之功，大事草創，假勢吳、楚，是以有爲之士，望風歸順。臣委質以來，愆戾山積；臣猶自知，況於君乎？今王朝英俊鱗集，臣內無輔佐之器，外無將領之才，列次功臣，誠足自愧！

I have heard that Fan Li, perceiving the first signs, floated away on the Five Lakes, and that Jiu Fan, begging pardon for his faults, lingered on the bank of the River. Why did they, at the very moment when lord and servant had come together, ask leave to withdraw? Because they wished to keep clean the line between staying and going. How much more should I, a lowly and mean man with no great merit or distinguished service, who have merely attached myself to the times, secretly admire the worthies of old and think early of keeping far from disgrace. Of old, Shensheng was perfectly filial, yet was suspected by his father; Zixu was perfectly loyal, yet was put to death by his lord; Meng Tian extended the frontiers, yet suffered the extreme penalty; and Yue Yi broke the power of Qi, yet fell victim to slanderers.

臣聞范蠡識微，浮於五湖；舅犯謝罪，逡巡河上。夫際會之間，請命乞身，何哉？欲潔去就之分也。況臣卑鄙，無元功巨勳，自繫於時，竊慕前賢，早思遠恥。昔申生至孝，見疑於親；子胥至忠，見誅於君；蒙恬拓境而被大刑，樂毅破齊而遭讒佞。

Every time I read of them I have never failed to be moved to tears; and now that I face such a thing myself, my grief is all the greater. Of late Jingzhou has fallen, your great ministers have lost their honour, and not one in a hundred has come back. I alone, pursuing my duties, made my own way to Fangling and Shangyong, and now I again beg leave to withdraw and banish myself abroad. I humbly imagine that Your Highness, in your sacred grace, will understand, pity my heart and grieve for what I do. I am truly a small man and cannot see things through from beginning to end. I do this knowingly; how dare I say it is no crime?

臣每讀其書，未嘗不感慨流涕；而親當其事，益用傷悼！邇者，荊州覆敗，大臣失節，百無一還；惟臣尋事，自致房陵、上庸，而復乞身，自放於外。伏想殿下聖恩感悟，愍臣之心，悼臣之舉。臣誠小人，不能始終。知而爲之，敢謂非罪？

I have always heard that when a friendship ends no harsh words are spoken, and that a departing servant utters no complaints. I have undeservedly received instruction from the superior man; may my king exert himself. I am overwhelmed with awe and fear!” When Xuande had finished reading he cried in a rage, “This lout betrays me, and then dares to mock me with fine phrases!” He was about to raise an army to seize him, but Kongming said, “Send Liu Feng to advance against him directly, and set the two tigers at each other. Whether Liu Feng succeeds or is defeated, he is sure to come back to Chengdu, and then you can get rid of him too. That will cut off both evils.”

臣每聞交絕無惡聲，去臣無怨辭，臣過奉教於君子，願君王勉之，臣不勝惶恐之至！”玄德看畢，大怒曰：“匹夫叛吾，安敢以文辭相戲耶！”即欲起兵擒之。孔明曰：“可就遣劉封進兵，令二虎相併；劉封或有功，或敗績，必歸成都，就而除之，可絕兩害。”

Xuande agreed, and sent an envoy to Mianzhu to convey his orders to Liu Feng. Liu Feng received the command and led his troops to seize Meng Da. Meanwhile Cao Pi was holding a council with his civil and military officers when one of his attendants suddenly announced, “Meng Da, a general of Shu, has come to surrender.” Cao Pi summoned him in and asked, “Your coming here—is it not a false surrender?” “Because I failed to rescue Guan Yu in his danger,” said Meng Da, “the King of Hanzhong means to put me to death. So I have come to surrender for fear of punishment, and I have no other purpose.”

玄德從之，遂遣使到綿竹，傳諭劉封。封受命，率兵來擒孟達。卻說曹丕正聚文武議事，忽近臣奏曰：“蜀將孟達來降。”丕召入問曰：“汝此來，莫非詐降乎？”達曰：“臣爲不救關公之危，漢中王欲殺臣，因此懼罪來降，別無他意。”

Cao Pi was not yet convinced when news suddenly came that Liu Feng was coming with fifty thousand troops to take Xiangyang, challenging Meng Da alone to fight. Cao Pi said, “If you are sincere, go to Xiangyang and bring me Liu Feng’s head. Then I will believe you.” “I will persuade him by setting out where his interest lies,” said Meng Da. “There will be no need to use troops; I will make Liu Feng come and surrender too.” Cao Pi was delighted. He made Meng Da Regular Mounted Attendant, General Who Establishes Martial Might and Marquis of Pingyang Village, with the post of Prefect of Xincheng, and sent him to hold Xiangyang and Fancheng.

！曹丕尚未準信，忽報劉封引五萬兵來取襄陽，單搦孟達廝殺。丕曰：“汝既是真心，便可去襄陽取劉封首級來，孤方準信。”達曰：“臣以利害說之，不必動兵，令劉封亦來降也。”丕大喜，遂加孟達爲散騎常侍、建武將軍、平陽亭侯，領新城太守，去守襄陽、樊城。

As it happened, Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang were already in Xiangyang, just about to take over the districts of Shangyong. When Meng Da reached Xiangyang and had exchanged courtesies with the two generals, he learned that Liu Feng had camped fifty li from the city. Meng Da at once wrote a letter and sent a man to take it to the Shu camp, inviting Liu Feng to surrender. Liu Feng read it and cried in fury, “This traitor has wrecked the bond between my uncle and me, and set himself between my father and me as well, and made me a man neither loyal nor filial!” He tore the letter to shreds and beheaded the messenger, and the next day led his army forward to offer battle.

原來夏侯尚、徐晃已先在襄陽，正將收取上庸諸部。孟達到了襄陽，與二將禮畢，探得劉封離城五十里下寨。達即修書一封，使人齎赴蜀寨招降劉封。劉封覽書大怒曰：“此賊誤吾叔侄之義，又間吾父子之親，使吾爲不忠不孝之人也！”遂扯碎來書，斬其使，次日，引軍前來搦戰。

When Meng Da learned that Liu Feng had torn up his letter and beheaded his messenger, he flew into a rage and also led out his troops to meet him. When the two armies were drawn up face to face, Liu Feng reined in his horse beneath his standard, pointed his sword and cursed, “Traitor who betrayed your country, how dare you talk such nonsense!” “Your death is already hanging over your head,” said Meng Da, “and still you are too blind to see it!” In a fury Liu Feng whipped up his horse and, whirling his sword, rode straight at Meng Da. Before they had fought three bouts Meng Da was beaten and fled, and Liu Feng pressed his advantage and pursued him for more than twenty li. Then a great shout went up and the ambushers all sprang out: from the left came Xiahou Shang to the attack, and from the right Xu Huang, and Meng Da turned round and fought again.

孟達知劉封扯書斬使，勃然大怒，亦領兵出迎。兩陣對圓，封立馬於門旗下。以刀指罵曰：“背國反賊，安敢亂言！”孟達曰：“汝死已臨頭上，還自執迷不省！”封大怒，拍馬輪刀，直奔孟達。戰不三合，達敗走，封乘虛追殺二十餘里，一聲喊起，伏兵盡出，左邊夏侯尚殺來，右邊徐晃殺來，孟達回身復戰。

Attacked by three armies at once, Liu Feng was badly beaten and fled. He hurried back through the night to Shangyong with the Wei troops chasing behind him. When he reached the city wall and shouted for the gate to be opened, a storm of arrows was loosed on him from the wall. Shen Dan called down from the tower, “I have already gone over to Wei!” Liu Feng was furious and wanted to attack the city, but his pursuers were close behind and he could not make a stand, so he had no choice but to flee toward Fangling. There he saw that Wei flags had already been planted all along the walls.

三軍夾攻，劉封大敗而走，連夜奔回上庸，背後魏兵趕來。劉封到城下叫門，城上亂箭射下。申耽在敵樓上叫曰：“吾已降了魏也！”封大怒，欲要攻城，背後追軍將至，封立腳不住，只得望房陵而奔，見城上已盡插魏旗。

Shen Yi waved a flag once from the tower, and a body of troops came out from behind the city, with “General of the Right Xu Huang” written large on its banner. Liu Feng could not hold them off and fled in haste toward Xichuan, with Xu Huang taking advantage of the moment to pursue him and cut down his men. Liu Feng had only some hundred horsemen left. He reached Chengdu, went before the King of Hanzhong, threw himself weeping to the ground and told him in detail all that had happened. Xuande said angrily, “You disgrace of a son! How do you have the face to come and see me again?”

申儀在敵樓上將旗一颭，城後一彪軍出，旗上大書“右將軍徐晃”。封抵敵不住，急望西川而走。晃乘勢追殺。劉封部下只剩得百餘騎。到了成都，入見漢中王，哭拜於地，細奏前事。玄德怒曰：“辱子有何面目復來見吾！”

“It was not that I would not rescue my uncle in his trouble,” said Liu Feng. “It was because Meng Da talked me out of it.” Xuande grew angrier still. “You eat men’s food and wear men’s clothes—you are no clay or wooden puppet! How could you let a slandering traitor hold you back?” He ordered his attendants to take him out and behead him. Only after the King of Hanzhong had put Liu Feng to death did he hear how Meng Da had invited him to surrender and how Liu Feng had destroyed the letter and beheaded the messenger, and he deeply regretted it. On top of that, his grief for Guan Yu made him fall ill, and so he kept his armies where they were and made no move.

封曰：“叔父之難，非兒不救，因孟達諫阻故耳。”玄德轉怒曰：“汝須食人食、穿人衣，非土木偶人！安可聽讒賊所阻！”命左右推出斬之。漢中王既斬劉封，後聞孟達招之，毀書斬使之事，心中頗悔；又哀痛關公，以致染病。因此按兵不動。

Meanwhile Cao Pi, the King of Wei, had promoted and rewarded all his civil and military officials since taking the throne of the kingdom. Then, at the head of three hundred thousand armoured troops, he made a tour south to Qiao County in Pei, and held a grand sacrifice at his ancestors’ tombs. The elders of the district, raising dust as they thronged the road, offered him cups of wine, following the example of Emperor Gaozu of Han’s return to Pei. Then word came that Grand General Xiahou Dun was gravely ill, and Cao Pi at once returned to Yejun. By then Xiahou Dun had already died. Cao Pi put on mourning for him and gave him a burial with lavish rites.

且說魏王曹丕，自即王位，將文武官僚，盡皆升賞；遂統甲兵三十萬，南巡沛國譙縣，大饗先塋。鄉中父老，揚塵遮道，奉觴進酒，效漢高祖還沛之事。人報大將軍夏侯惇病危，丕即還鄴郡。時惇已卒，丕爲掛孝，以厚禮殯葬。

In the eighth month of that year it was reported that a phoenix had come dancing at Shiyi County, that a qilin had appeared at the city of Linzi, and that a yellow dragon had been seen in Yejun. Thereupon Li Fu, General of the Household, and Xu Zhi, Deputy Grand Astrologer, conferred together: all these auspicious omens, they said, were signs that Wei should replace Han, and they should arrange the ceremony of abdication so that the Han emperor would yield the empire to the King of Wei. So, together with Hua Xin, Wang Lang, Xin Pi, Jia Xu, Liu Yi, Liu Ye, Chen Jiao, Chen Qun, Huan Jie and others—a whole company of more than forty civil and military officials—they went straight into the inner palace to address Emperor Xian of Han, asking him to abdicate in favour of Cao Pi, the King of Wei.

是歲八月間，報稱石邑縣鳳凰來儀，臨淄城麒麟出現，黃龍現於鄴郡。於是中郎將李伏、太史丞許芝商議：種種瑞徵，乃魏當代漢之兆，可安排受禪之禮，令漢帝將天下讓於魏王。遂同華歆、王朗、辛毗、賈詡、劉廙、劉曄、陳矯、陳羣、桓階等一班文武官僚，四十餘人，直入內殿，來奏漢獻帝，請禪位於魏王曹丕。

Indeed:
The altars of the House of Wei were about to be raised;
The realm of Han had suddenly passed away.
How did Emperor Xian reply? What happened next will be told in the next chapter.

正是：魏家社稷今將建，漢代江山忽已移。
未知獻帝如何回答，且看下文分解。