Ding Feng Makes A Plan To Slay Sun Chen;
Jiang Wei Arrays A Battle To Defeat Deng Ai.

Fearing lest reinforcements would strengthen his enemy beyond his own power of resistance, Jiang Wei decided to retreat while he could. He sent all his stores and baggage away first with the footmen, and kept the cavalry to cover the retirement.

The spies reported his movements to Deng Ai, who said, "He has gone because he knew that the main army would soon be upon him. Let him go, and do not follow. If we pursue, he will play us some evil trick."

Scouts were sent to keep in touch with the retreating army, and when they returned they reported that preparations of dry woods and straws had been made in the Luo Valley to check any pursuit with fire.

The officers praised the prescience of Deng Ai, "General, your calculation is superhuman!"

When Deng Ai reported these matters to the capital, Sima Zhao was very pleased and confer more rewards.

The Prime Minister of Wu, Sun Chen, was greatly angered by the desertion of so many of his soldiers and officers to Wei, and revenged himself by putting their families to death. The Ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, disapproved of these acts of cruelty, but he was powerless.

The young Emperor was of an ingenious turn of mind. One day he went to the West Park to eat of the newly ripened plums. He bade one of the eunuchs bring some honey. It was brought, but there were mouse droppings in it. The Ruler of Wu called the storekeeper and blamed him for carelessness.

The storekeeper said, "We are very careful to keep the stores in good order, and the honey cannot not possibly have been fouled in the storehouse."

"Has anyone asked you for honey lately?" asked the Ruler of Wu.

"One of the eunuchs asked for some a few days ago. I refused him."

The Ruler of Wu called the named eunuch and said, "You defiled the honey out of spite."

The man denied it.

"It is very easy to tell," said the Ruler of Wu. "If the dirt has been lying in the honey for some time it will be wet all through."

Then the Ruler of Wu ordered them to cut one of the lumps, and it was quite dry inside. The eunuch then confessed.

This shows the Ruler of Wu was quick-witted. But clever as he was, he could not control his Prime Minister, whose relatives were in command of all the garrisons and armies, so that he was unassailable. His four brothers all had high offices: Sun Ju was General Who Terrifies Distant Regions and Commander of Imperial Guards; Sun En, General Who Shows Prowess; Sun Gan, Imperial Commander; and Sun Kan, Commander of Changshui.

One day the Ruler of Wu, musing over his sorrows and feeling very miserable, began to weep. The officer in charge of the eunuchs, who was an Imperial Brother-in-Law, stood by.

"Sun Chen holds all real power and does as he wishes, while I am despised," said the Ruler of Wu. "Something must be done."

Quan Ji said, "I would think no sacrifice too great if Your Majesty would make use of me."

"If you could muster the Palace guards and help General Liu Cheng to keep the gates, I would go and murder that ruffian. But you must not let anyone know; for if you tell your noble mother, who is a sister of Sun Chen, she will tell her brother, and that would be very serious for me."

"Will Your Majesty give me a command that I may have authority to act when the time comes?" said Quan Ji. "At the critical moment I could show the edict and hold back Sun Chen's supporters."

The command was given, and Quan Ji went home. But he could not keep his secret, and confided the plan to his father, Quan Shang.

His father told his wife, "Sun Chen will be got rid of in three days."

"Oh, he deserves that," said she.

Although she seemed to approve with her tongue, she sent a secret messenger with a letter to the proposed victim.

That same night Sun Chen called in his four leader brothers, and the Palace was surrounded. The conspirators were seized, with Liu Cheng and Quan Shang and all their families.

About dawn the Ruler of Wu was disturbed by a commotion at the gates, and a servant told him, "Sun Chen with his army has surrounded the Inner Palace!"

Sun Liang knew that he had been betrayed. He turned on Empress Quan, who was of the Quan house, and reproached her.

"Your father and brother have upset all my plans!"

Drawing his sword, he was dashing out when his Consort and her people clung to his clothing and held him back.

After putting to death Liu Cheng's and Quan Shang's parties, Sun Chen assembled the officers in the court and addressed them thus: "The Emperor is vicious and weak, depraved and foolish and unfit for his high office. Wherefore he must be deposed. Any of you who oppose will be punished as for conspiracy."

"We shall obey your command, O General!" said the court officiers out of fear.

Only one of those present dared to say a word of protest.

It was Chair of the Secretariat Huan Yi, who said, "How dare you utter such words? Our Emperor is very intelligent, and I will not support you. I would rather die!"

Sun Chen wrathfully drew his sword and slew Huan Yi.

Then Sun Chen went into the Palace and said to Sun Liang, "O unrighteous and unenlightened Highness, your death would be the only fitting reparation to make to the empire, but out of consideration for your ancestors you are only deposed and degraded to princely rank as Prince of Kuaiji. I will select a worthy successor."

Secretary Li Zong was ordered to bring in the royal seal, which was delivered to Deng Cheng. The deposed ruler retired weeping.

 [hip, hip, hip]
The sage example of the wise Yi Yin*
Perverted now to traitor's use we see;
And Huo Guang's faithful services* are made
A cloak to cover vilest treachery.
Even able princes are but toys of fate,
And need our pity, fallen from high estate.
[yip, yip, yip]
 

[e] Yi Yin was was helper and prime minister of King Tang, the founder of Shang Dynasty. After King Tang's death, Yi Yin served his sons and grandson. Soon after Tai Jia, King Tang's grandson, ascended the throne, he committed many faults, and Yi Yin, acting as regent, exiled Tai Jia to Tong Palace---the burial place of King Tang. After three years Yi Yin returned him the throne. Tai Jia eventually became an enlightened emperor. Shang Dynasty lasted for 650 years (BC 1700-1050). It was this act of Yi Yin rather than his services in building up an empire that has made him immortal. Whether he did right in temporarily dethroning the king was open to question, until a final verdict was rendered by Mencius who thought that his ends amply justified his means. This historical event attests the extent of the power exercised by a prime minister in those days. .....
[e] Huo Guang (BC ?-68) a general and regent of Han. After Emperor Wu died, Huo Guang became regent to three successive emperors, and the second one had been the Prince of Changyi, who was on the throne for only twenty-seven days. Huo Guang had the Prince of Changyi declared unfit to rule and deposed him. Even though Huo Guang contributed much to the empire's stabilization, after he died, he was distanced by the emperor and most of his family were executed for conspiracy charges. .....
 

Sun Chen then sent two ministers of the court, Royal Clan Recorder Sun Kai and Secretary Dong Cao, went as envoys to Hulin to request Sun Xiu, Prince of Langye, the sixth son of Sun Quan, to ascend the throne.

The Emperor-elect had had some premonition of the high honor to which he was now called, for in a dream he saw he ascended into the skies seated on a dragon. Only the dragon seemed to have no tail. He woke up in a fright, and the next day brought the Imperial Envoys, Sun Kai and Dong Cao.

Sun Xiu set out. At Que his carriage was stopped by a venerable old man who claimed to be Gan Xiu and offered felicitations.

"Your Majesty should move faster, for things may change swiftly," said the aged one.

Sun Xiu thanked the old man.

At Busai Pavilion awaited Sun En with a chariot, but Sun Xiu's modesty would not allow him to mount it. He remained in his own simple carriage and therein traveled to the Palace. Officials lined the road to salute him, and he dismounted to return their salutations. Then Sun Chen stood forth and bade them take the newly-elected Emperor by the arm and lead him into the Great Hall, where, after thrice refusing the honor, he at last took his seat in the Dragon Throne and received the jade seal passed from one ruler to another.

When all the officers had made obeisance, there were the usual amnesties, promotions, and honors, and Eternal Tranquillity, the first year (AD 258), was the name of the new reign. Sun Chen was confirmed as Prime Minister, with the Imperial Protectorship of Jingzhou. Moreover, Sun Hao, the son of his elder brother, was created Lord of Wucheng.

Sun Chen, with five persons in his family holding lordships and the whole army under their command, was immensely powerful, able to set up and pull down at will. The new Ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, secretly feared him; and although outwardly he showed Sun Chen great favor, yet he kept careful watch over Sun Chen, whose arrogance knew no bounds.

In the winter Sun Chen sent into the Palace presents of oxen and wine as birthday gifts. The Ruler of Wu declined them. Sun Chen was very annoyed and took the presents to Zhang Bu's residence, where they two dined together. Zhang Bu was the General of the Left Army.

When warmed with wine, Sun Chen said, "When I deposed the present Prince of Kuaiji, many people urged me to take the throne myself. But I acted magnanimously and set up this present Emperor. Now I suffer the mortification of seeing my presents rejected. You will see what will come of this slight."

Zhang Bu showed sympathy, but the next day he secretly told the Ruler of Wu, and Sun Xiu's fears increased so that he could not rest. Shortly after this, Sun Chen sent a large body of troops under the command of Minister Meng Zong into camp at Wuchang, and Sun Chen armed them from the state arsenals.

Whereupon General Wei Miao and Imperial Guard Shi Shuo secretly memorialized the Ruler of Wu: "Sun Chen has moved the troops outside and provided them with state arms. This action points to rebellion."

Sun Xiu was shocked, and called in Zhang Bu to consult, and he said, "The Veteran General Ding Feng is an able and trustworthy officer. He should be consulted."

So Ding Feng was called and taken into the Emperor's confidence.

"Have no anxiety," said Ding Feng. "I will find some way of ridding the state of this evil."

"What do you propose?"

"When the winter court is held, and all the officers are assembled, spread a great banquet and invite Sun Chen. I shall be ready to act."

Wei Miao and Shi Shuo were taken into the plot and were to do what was possible outside the Palace, and Zhang Bu saw to arrangements within.

One night a heavy storm came on to blow, which tore up great trees by the roots. However, by daylight it had abated, and that morning an Emperor's messenger arrived bearing an invitation to a banquet in the Palace. Sun Chen rose from his couch, and, as he did so, fell flat on the ground as though he had been pushed from behind. This accident troubled him, and he felt apprehensive, so he called half a score of his trusty guards to act as his escort to the Palace.

As he was leaving home, his family besought him not to go out, saying, "The storm last night and the fall this morning are fearful omens. You should not go to that banquet."

However, he made light of their fears and said, "My brothers are holding the army. Who will dare come near me? But if there is anything amiss, you just give a fire signal from the Prime Minister's residence."

So Sun Chen took his seat, and the carriage set out. When he reached the court, the Ruler of Wu rose from his place to welcome him, and at table Sun Chen sat in the seat of honor. The banquet proceeded.

"There is a fire outside: What does that mean?" said a guest presently.

Sun Chen rose to go out, but the Ruler of Wu said, "There is no danger, and there are plenty of soldiers outside to take care of that."

Just at that moment Zhang Bu entered at the head of thirty armed guards. He rushed up the banquet chamber, shouting, "I hold a command to slay the rebel Sun Chen!"

[e] Jiaozhou was a deep-south region, which is now northern Vietnam.

Instantly the Prime Minister was seized. He fell prostrate before the Ruler of Wu, knocking his head on the ground and crying, "Spare my life! Exile me to Jiaozhou*, where I will do plow work."

"Did you exile any of your victims---Teng Yin, Lu Ju, Wang Chun, and others?" said the Ruler of Wu, angrily.

The order went forth to carry out the execution, and Sun Chen was hustled out and put to death. No si............