Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

When Yang Fu saw her, he wept before her, saying, “Behold an unfortunate man! The city I had to defend is lost; my master is dead; and I have survived him. I am ashamed to look you in the face. Now this Ma Chao ravages the countryside, and everyone hates him. Yet my cousin sits still and does nothing against Ma Chao. Is this fitting conduct for a state servant?”

Yang Fu wept bitterly. The old lady was moved by his grief, called in her son and said to him reproachfully, “You are the cause of the evil that has come upon the noble Wei Kang.”

Then turning once more toward Yang Fu, she said, “But what can now be done? You have surrendered and, more than that, you have accepted service under your late enemy.”

“It is true,” replied Yang Fu. “I have surrendered and I have accepted service, but it is with the desire to preserve my miserable life till I can avenge my master.”

“A bold man is Ma Chao, and difficult to destroy,” said Jiang Xu. “Not very difficult,” replied Yang Fu, “for though he is bold, yet he is unskillful. Already I have two friends Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu by his side, and they would help against him if you, my brother, would only supply a force.”

“What is to be gained by delay?” then said the old lady. “Is there any who will not have to die? To perish in the way of loyalty and righteousness is to die in the right path. Do not think of me, for if you do, and heed not the call of your cousin, then will I die at once so that you may be free to make up your mind.”

There was now no excuse for delay, and Jiang Xu had to act. He summoned two of his officers, Zhao Ang and Yin Feng, and took counsel with them.

Now Zhao Ang had a son, Zhao Yue, who was an officer in the army of Ma Chao. When Zhao Ang had to consent to take part against his son's chief, he became very unhappy and went home to talk over it with his wife, Lady Wang.

He said, “I have today been led into a scheme to destroy Ma Chao and avenge Wei Kang. But there is our son there in Ma Chao's service, and Ma Chao will certainly put our son to death as soon as he hears that we are arming against him. What is to be done?”

But his wife replied angrily, “Should anyone grudge even his life to avenge his liege lord or his father? How much less a son? My lord, if you let the thought of your son stay your hand, then will I die forthwith.”

This decided the matter, and without further parley Zhao Ang decided to share the expedition and set about preparations. The army was soon on the way. Jiang Xu and Yang Fu camped at the city of Licheng; Zhao Ang and Yin Feng camped at Qishan. The wife of Zhao Ang sold her ornaments and went in person to her husband's camp to feast his soldiers.

The fears of Zhao Ang concerning the fate of his son were only too soon justified. At the first news of the march of an army against him, Ma Chao beheaded the young Zhao Yue. Then Ma Chao marched his force, together with Pang De and Ma Dai, to Licheng, and the troops under Jiang Xu and Yang Fu went out to oppose it. The two leaders on the avenging side went to battle dressed in mourning white. They railed at Ma Chao, crying, “Wicked traitor! Rebel!”

Ma Chao angrily dashed across toward them, and the fight began. From the very first it was seen that the defenders of the city could not hope to beat off the attack, and they turned to flee. Ma Chao pursued them. But soon he heard the shouting of soldiers behind him and found the other army led by Zhao Ang and Yin Feng was attacking his rear. Wherefore he was between two armies and had a double battle to fight. As he turned toward that in his rear, Jiang Xu and Yang Fu returned again to the attack. And while engaged with these two, there suddenly appeared a third force under Xiahou Yuan, who had just received orders from Cao Cao to come against Ma Chao.

Three attacks at once were too much for Ma Chao, and he fled, his force in utter confusion. He retreated all that night and at dawn reached his own city of Jicheng. He hailed the gate, but a flight of arrows was the response. Soon after, Liang Kuan and Zhao Qu appeared and reviled him from the ramparts above. More than this, they dragged his wife, Lady Yang, up upon the wall, hacked her before his face, and threw the bloody body at his feet. They followed up this by the murder in like manner of his three sons and other members of his family to the number of ten and more. And all their dead bodies were flung from the wall.