Authors: Luo Guanzhong
Before he’d finished speaking, from behind him someone shouted savagely, “I dare to kill you!” At the same moment the man brought down his sword and Wei Yan fell dead beneath his horse. All were stunned at this sudden turn of events. It was Ma Dai who had cut down Wei Yan!
Now before Zhuge Liang died, he had entrusted Ma Dai with a secret plan: he was to slay Wei Yan abruptly when he heard the latter shout these very words. Yang Yi knew what was going to happen after reading the note in the silk bag. So he followed the instructions and Wei Yan was killed.
A poem says:
Zhuge Liang foresaw the treason in Wei,
He’d turn traitor to Shu in latter days.
The plan in the bag no one could foresee.
But its success was shown before the steed.
So before Dong Yun had reached Nanzheng, Ma Dai had already slain Wei Yan and joined forces with Jiang Wei. Then Yang Yi dispatched a message to the Second Ruler to report what had happened. Consequently the Second Ruler issued an edict that as Wei Yan had paid the penalty for his crime he was to be properly buried in consideration of his former services.
Yang Yi and the others continued their journey and in due time arrived at the capital with the coffin of the late prime minister. The Second Ruler led out the whole court, all in mourning white, to meet them twenty
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ahead of the capital. He lifted up his voice and cried for his deceased minister, and with him cried all the officials. Wailing, too, were the common folks from the hills and woods, of all ages and both sexes. The sound of their lament shook the earth.
By royal command the coffin was borne into the city to the prime minister’s residence. His son, Zhuge Zhan, was in charge of the funeral.
When the Second Ruler returned to court, Yang Yi appeared before him in bonds and blamed himself for his faults. The Second Ruler ordered the courtiers to loosen his bonds and said, “Were it not for you carrying out the orders of the late prime minister, when would his coffin have reached home? And how could Wei Yan be destroyed? Thanks to you, everything important was secure.”
Yang Yi was promoted to be Chief Advisor of the Center Army, and Ma Dai was rewarded with the rank that Wei Yan had forfeited.
Yang Yi presented Zhuge Liang’s testament, which the Second Ruler read with bitter tears. Then he ordered that a suitable site be selected by diviners as the burying ground for the great minister of the state.
At this Fei Yi said to the Second Ruler, “When nearing his end the prime minister commanded that he should be buried on Dingjun Hills, and there should be no brick walls around his tomb, nor any sacrifices offered to him.”
This wish was respected, and they chose a propitious day in the tenth month for the interment. The Second Ruler himself led the funeral procession to the grave on Dingjun Hills. The posthumous title conferred upon Zhuge Liang was Lord of Zhong-wu (Loyal and Martial), and a temple was built in Mianyang, where sacrifices were offered at the four seasons.
The great poet Du Fu, who visited the shrine many centuries later, wrote the following poem:
Oh, where can I find the prime minister’s shrine?
Outside the town, where cypress trees grow tall.
Beneath sunlit steps the green grass wears the verdure of spring;
Hid amongst leaves orioles sing in vain their beautiful songs.
Thrice his lord sought him for a plan to rule the land;
Two reigns he set his heart to build and defend.
But ‘ere was completed all his plans conceived
He died; and heroes since for him have e’er grieved.
On his return to the capital, the Second Ruler was told that the kingdom of Wu had deployed a large army at the boundary of Baqiu and its intention was unknown.
Startled, the Second Ruler said, “The prime minister has just died yet Wu is already breaking its oath and pressing our borders. What can we do?”
Jiang Wan replied, “I suggest we send Wang Ping and Zhang Ni to camp at Yongan as a precautionary measure, and at the same time dispatch an envoy to Wu to announce the death of the prime minister and find out their true intentions.”
“The envoy must be good at persuasion,” said the Second Ruler.
At this an official stepped from the ranks of courtiers and offered himself. He was Zong Yu, a native of Nanyang, holding two posts in the army. Much delighted, the Second Ruler appointed him envoy to Wu and told him to probe the real situation.
Zong Yu set out for the Wu capital, where he was taken before its ruler, Sun Quan. When he had made his obeisance the envoy noticed that all the attendants were dressed in mourning.
Assuming an angry countenance Sun Quan spoke sternly: “Our two states are now one house; why has your master increased the guard at Yongan?”
Zong Yu replied, “It seems to me circumstances have made it necessary for the west to increase the garrison at Yongan as much as for the east to have a force at Baqiu. Neither is worth questioning.”
“As an envoy you seem no inferior to Deng Zhi,” said the ruler of Wu, smiling. “When I heard that your Prime Minister Zhuge had gone to Heaven I wept daily and ordered all my officials to wear mourning. I feared that Wei might take advantage of the occasion to attack your country, so I increased the garrison at Baqiu, intending to help you in case of need.”
The envoy bowed and thanked him.
“I would not go back upon the pledge between us,” promised Sun Quan.
The envoy said, “My master has sent me to inform Your Majesty of the recent death of our prime minister.”
To reassure the envoy, Sun Quan picked up a silver barbed arrow. Snapping it in two, he vowed, “If I betray my oath may my posterity perish!”
Then he also appointed an envoy to Shu, taking with him incense, silk, and other things to be offered as sacrifices at the tomb of the deceased minister. The two envoys took leave of the ruler of Wu and journeyed to the Shu capital, where they went to see the Second Ruler.
Zong Yu said, “The Emperor of Wu is grieved over the death of our prime minister and put his court into mourning. The increased garrison at Baqiu is intended to safeguard us from Wei, lest they exploit the occasion of a public sorrow to attack. And he has broke an arrow in two to pledge never to betray the alliance.”
Delighted, the Second Ruler rewarded Zong Yu and treated the envoy of Wu generously. Presently the envoy left for home.
In accordance with Zhuge Liang’s advice, Jiang Wan was promoted to the office of prime minister besides being given other important posts, while Fei Yi was appointed associate in the prime minister’s office. Wu Yi was promoted to a higher rank, with the authority to govern in Hanzhong, and Jiang Wei was created a general with an honorable title and a marquis, commanding forces of various regions. He was sent to post his men in Hanzhong to join Wu Yi in guarding against attacks from Wei. The other officers retained their former positions.
But Yang Yi was forgotten. Discontented that he should be placed beneath Jiang Wan, who had not been in service as long, and thinking that his services had not been adequately rewarded, he spoke resentfully to Fei Yi: “At the time of the minister’s death, if I had gone over to Wei with the whole army, I would not have been so desolate as this.”
Fei Yi secretly reported this complaint to the Second Ruler, who was enraged and threw Yang Yi into prison. He intended to put him to death, but Jiang Wan reminded him of Yang Yi’s many contributions while serving under the late prime minister and hence should not be executed, in spite of his fault. He proposed reducing Yang Yi to a commoner. The Second Ruler approved. So Yang Yi was stripped of his official posts and exiled to a remote area, where he committed suicide through shame.
The thirteenth year of Jian Xing of Shu (or the third year of Blue Dragon of Wei, or the fourth year of Jia He of Wu) witnessed no military campaigns among the three kingdoms.
Now in the kingdom of Wei, Sima Yi was given command of all the military forces and the responsibility to see to the security of border regions. He thanked his emperor and departed for Luoyang.
In the capital, Cao Rui began large-scale construction work to build himself new palaces. In Luoyang, too, he decided to erect three grand halls, each of a lofty height, and a group of buildings including a hall, a tower, a pavilion, and a pool. Over the construction of all these works he placed Ma Jun, an official of education and learning, as superintendent.
Nothing was spared that would contribute to the beauty of these buildings. There were carved beams, painted rafters, golden bricks, and green tiles, all glittering in the sunlight. Thirty thousand highly-skilled artisans in the country were sought, and more than 300,000 workmen were mobilized to labor day and night on these architectural works for the Emperor’s glory and pleasure. The energy of the people was spent in this toil, and the cries of their complaint never ceased.
But the Emperor paid no attention. He issued another edict to build the Garden of Fragrant Forest, and all his officials were required to carry earth and transport trees into the garden.
Dong Xun, a minister, ventured to remonstrate with him. “Since the period of Jian An, wars have destroyed whole families and households. Those who survived are elderly and weak. Now if the palaces had been too small and enlargement desired, it would still be more fitting to choose a suitable time for the work so that it would not interfere with farming, let alone the construction of such unnecessary things. Your Majesty has honored your officials by allowing them to wear fine headdresses, dress in embroidered robes, and ride in decorated chariots, to distinguish them from the common people. Now these same officials are being made to carry timber and bear earth, to sweat and soil their feet. To destroy the glory of the state in order to raise a useless edifice is indescribable folly. Confucius said, ‘The Emperor treats his ministers with propriety, and the ministers reward him with loyalty.’ Without loyalty, without propriety, can a state endure?
“I recognize that these words of mine mean death, but I am of no value, a mere bullock’s hair, and my life is of no importance, as my passing would be no loss. I write with tears, bidding the world farewell. I have eight sons, who will be a burden to Your Majesty after my death. I cannot say with what trepidation I await my fate.”
Cao Rui was greatly angered after reading the text. “Has the man no fear of death?”
His close courtiers advised the Emperor to put the bold speaker to death, but Cao Rui said, “He has always been loyal. I will reduce him to a commoner this time. But whoever dares to utter such nonsense again will be slain!”
And indeed there was another bold speaker whose name was Zhang Mao, in the service of the Heir Apparent. He also ventured to remonstrate but was executed at the order of the Emperor.
Cao Rui summoned Ma Jun and said, “I want to build high terraces and lofty towers with the intention of holding intercourse with the gods, so that I may obtain from them the elixir of life.”
Ma Jun replied, “Of the four and twenty emperors of the line of Han, only Emperor Wu enjoyed the longest reign and life. That was because he drank the essence of the sun and the splendor of the moon. He had built in his palace at Chang’an the Terrace of Cypress Beams, upon which stands the bronze figure of a man holding a Dew Collecting Bowl to get the vapor from the Big Dipper during the third watch of the night. The liquid thus obtained is called ‘Celestial Elixir, or ‘Sweet Dew.’ Drinking the liquid after it is mixed with powdered jade restores youth to the aged.”
Cao Rui, extremely pleased to hear this, ordered Ma Jun to leave for Chang’an immediately and bring back the bronze figure to set up in the new garden.
So Ma Jun took a multitude of men to Chang’an, where they built a scaffold to ascend the Cypress Beam Terrace. In no time, 5,000 men with ropes got up on the terrace, which rose two hundred feet high, and the bronze pedestal was ten cubits in circumference. Ma Jun told his men to detach the bronze statue first. Many laborers joined hands and brought it down. To their astonishment they saw tears rolling down the eyes of the statue.
Then suddenly a whirlwind sprang up beside the terrace and all at once dust and pebbles swirled thick as a shower of rain. Then with a tempestuous roar as of an earthquake, down collapsed the pedestal, and the terrace crumbled, crushing a huge number of men to death.
However, the bronze figure and the golden bowl were conveyed to Luoyang and presented to the Emperor.
“Where is the pedestal?” asked the Emperor.
“It weighs a million catties and is too heavy to transport,” replied Ma Jun.
Therefore the Emperor ordered it to be broken up and the metal brought to Luoyang. From this were cast two bronze figures, called Weng Zhong (named after a giant of a warrior in the Qin dynasty), which were placed outside the Sima Gate. A pair of dragons and phoenixes were also cast, the dragons forty feet (twelve meters) high and the birds thirty feet (nine meters). These were placed in front of the Hall of Audience. Moreover, the Emperor ordered his men to plant in the royal gardens wonderful flowers and rare trees and breed exotic birds and animals.
Yang Fu, another official, remonstrated with the Emperor on these extravagances.
“I have heard that the ancient king, Yao, lived in a humble thatched cottage, and a myriad nations enjoyed harmony; later King Yu contented himself with a simple abode, and all the empire rejoiced. In the days of Yin and Zhou dynasties, the hall of the ruler stood three feet above the ground and its area was nine mats. The sage emperors and wise kings of old had never despoiled the wealth and strength of the people to build beautiful palaces for themselves.