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In skill he was found wanting, not in loyalty;
But the Lord's word had gone forth,

That the King of Shu was to be cut off.

Vain were the efforts of Chuko's noble descendants,

Though they died at the call of duty.

In commiseration of their loyalty, Têng Ai had both father and son buried fittingly.

Then he seemed as if he relaxed the closeness of the siege, and the defenders made a sortie. However, the numbers being small it availed nothing, and the leaders were slain. This was the end of the defence, and Têng Ai then entered as conqueror. Having rewarded his men, he set out for Ch'êngtu.

The closing days of the Latter Ruler were full of pain and sorrow,
As had been those of Liu Chang.

The next chapter will tell of the defence of Ch'êngtu.

CHAPTER CXVIII.

A FILIAL PRINCE DIES;

JEALOUSY BETWEEN LEADERS.

The news of the fall of Mienchou and the death in battle of

the two Chukos, father and son, brought home to King Ch'an that danger was very near, and he summoned a council. Then he heard that panic had seized upon the people, and they were leaving the city in crowds. Sorely he felt his helplessness. Soon they reported the enemy actually in the city, and many courtiers advised flight.

"Leave the city and flee south to Nanchung," said they. "The country is difficult and easily defended. We can get the Mans to come and help us."

But Ch'iao Chou opposed. "No, no; that will not do. The Mans are old rebels, ungentle; to go to them would be a calamity."

Then some proposed seeking refuge in Wu. "The men of Wu are our sworn allies, and this is a moment of extreme danger; let us go thither."

"In the whole course of

But Ch'iao Chou also opposed this. past ages no Emperor has ever gone to another state. So far as I can see, Wei will presently absorb Wu, and certainly Wu will never overcome Wei. Imagine the disgrace of becoming a minister of Wu and then having to style yourself minister of Wei. It would double the mortification. Do neither. Wei will give Your Majesty a strip of land where the ancestral temple can be preserved, and the people will be saved from suffering. I desire Your Majesty to reflect well upon this."

The distracted ruler retired from the council without having come to any decision. Next day confusion had become still worse. Ch'iao Chou saw that matters were very urgent and presented a written memorial. The king accepted it and decided to yield.

But from behind a screen stepped out one of the king's sons, Liu Shên, Prince of Peiti, who shouted at Ch'iao, "You corrupt pedant, unfit to live among men! How dare you offer such mad advice in a matter concerning the existence of a dynasty? Has any Emperor eve yielded the enemy?"

The Latter Ruler had seven sons in all, but the ablest, and the only one above the common level of men, was this Liu Shên.

The king turned feebly to his son and said, "The ministers have decided otherwise; they advise surrender. You are the only one who thinks that boldness may avail, and would you drench the city in blood?"

The prince said, "While the late Emperor lived, this Ch'iao had no voice in state affairs. Now he gives this wild advice and talks the most subversive language. There is no reason at all in what he says, for we have in the city many legions of soldiers, and Chiang Wei is undefeated. He will come to our rescue as soon as he knows our straits, and we can help him to fight. We shall surely succeed. Why listen to the words of this dryasdust? Why abandon thus lightly the work of our great forerunner?"

The king became angry at this harangue and turned to his son, saying, "Be silent! You are too young to understand."

The prince beat his head upon the ground and implored his father to make an effort. "If we have done our best and defeat yet comes; if father and son, prince and minister have set their backs to the wall and died in one final effort to preserve the dynasty, then in the shades we shall be able to look the Former Ruler in the face, unashamed. But what if we surrender?"

The appeal left the king unmoved. The prince cried, "Is it not shameful in one day to throw down all that our ancestors built up with so great labour? I would rather die."

The king, now very angry, bade the courtiers thrust the young man out of the palace. Then he ordered Ch'iao Chou to prepare the formal Act of Surrender. When it was written, two officers, with Ch'iao Chou, were sent with it and the hereditary seal to the camp of Têng Ai to offer submission.

Every day Têng's horsemen rode to the city to see what was afoot. It was a glad day when they returned reporting the hoisting of the flag of surrender. The general had not long to wait. The three messengers soon arrived and presented the letter announcing surrender and the seal therewith. Têng read the letter with great exultation, and took possession of the seal. He treated the envoys courteously and by their hands sent back a letter to allay any anxiety among the people. In due time they re-entered the city and bore this missive to the king, who read it with much satisfaction. Then he sent Chang Hsien to order Chiang Wei to surrender.

The President Li Hu carried to the victorious general a statistical statement of the resources of the kingdom: 280,000 households, 914,000 souls, 102,000 armed men of all ranks and 40,000 civil employés. Besides, there were granaries with much grain, gold and silver, silks of many qualities and many unenumerated but precious things in the various storehouses. The same officer arranged that the ceremony of surrender should take place on the first day of the twelfth month.

The wrath of Prince Peiti swelled high as heaven when he heard that his father had actually arranged the date of his abdication. Girding on his sword, he was setting out for the palace when his Consort, the Lady Ts'u, stopped him, saying, "My Prince, why does your face bear this look of terrible anger?"

He replied, "The army of Wei is at the gates, and my father has made his Act of Surrender. To-morrow he and all his ministers are going out of the city to submit formally, and the dynasty will end. But rather than bow the knee to another I will die and go into the presence of the late Emperor in the realms below."

"How worthy; how worthy!" replied she. "And if my lord must die, I, thy handmaid, prays that she may die first. Then may my Prince depart."

"But why should you die?"

"The Prince dies for his father and the handmaid for her husband. One eternal principle guides us all. When the husband dies the wife follows without question."

Thereupon she dashed herself against a pillar, and so she died. Then the prince slew his three sons and cut off the head of his Consort that he might sever all ties to life lest he be tempted to live. Bearing the head of the princess in his hand, he went to the Temple of the Former Ruler, where he bowed. his head, saying, "Thy servant is ashamed at seeing the kingdom pass to another. Therefore has he slain his Consort and his sons that nothing should induce him to live and forego death."

This announcement recited, he made yet another to his ancestors. "My ancestors, if you have spiritual intelligence yon know the feelings of your descendant."

Then he wept sore till his eyes ran blood, and he committed suicide. The men of Shu grieved deeply for him, and a poet has praised his noble deed.

Both king and courtiers, willing, bowed the knee,
One son alone was grieved and would not live.
The western kingdom fell to rise no more,
A noble prince stood forth, for aye renowned
As one who died to save his forbears' shame.
With grievous mien and falling tears he bowed
His head, declaring his intent to die.

While such a memory lingers none may say
That Han has perished.

When the king knew of the death of his son, he sent men to bury him.

Soon the main body of the Wei army came. The king and all his courtiers to the number of three score went out at the north gate to bow their heads in submission, the king with his

face covered as far as the grave, taking a coffin with him. But Têng Ai with his own hands raised Liu Ch'an from the ground and took off the napkin from his face. The coffin was burned. Then the victorious leader and the vanquished king returned into the city side by side.

Wei's legions entered Shu,

And the ruler thereof saved his life

At the price of his honour and his throne.

Huang Hao's vicious counsels had brought disaster
Against which Chiang Wei's efforts were vain.

How bright shone the loyalty of the faithful one!

How noble was the fortitude of the prince, grandson of the

First Ruler!

Alas! it led him into the way of sorrow.

And the plans of the Former Ruler,

Excellent and far-reaching,

Whereby he laid the foundations of a mighty state,
Were brought to nought in one day.

The common people rejoiced at the magnanimity of the victor and met the returning cavalcade with burning incense and flowers. The title of General of Cavalry was given to the late king and other ranks were given to the ministers who had surrendered.

Têng Ai requested the king to issue one more proclamation from the palace to reassure the people, and then the conquerors took formal possession of the state and its granaries and storehouses. Two officers were sent into the provinces to explain the new situation and pacify malcontents, and another was sent to exhort Chiang Wei to yield peaceably. A report of the success was sent to Loyang.

Huang Hao, the eunuch whose evil counsels had wrought such ruin to his master, was looked upon as a danger, and Têng decided to put him to death. However, he was rich and by means of bribes he escaped the death penalty.

Thus perished the House of Han. Reflecting on its end a poet recalled the exploits of Chuko Liang, Marquis of War, and he wrote a poem.

The denizens of tree-tops, apes and birds,
Most lawless of created things, yet knew

And feared his mordant pen. The clouds and winds

Conspired to aid him to defend his lord.

But nought awaited the leader's precepts, wise

To save; with base content the erstwhile king

Too soon surrendered, yielding all but life.

In gifts Chuko was peer with Kuan and Yo,

His hapless death compared with Kuan and Chang's;

Sad sight, his temple on the river's brink!

It wrings the heart more than the tearful verse
Of Liang Fu-yin, the poet he most loved.

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