Free The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation by Luo Guanzhong Page B

the heir, but without the Emperor’s edict, how can we proceed with the investiture?”
    “The prince died away from home,” said Chen Jiao, Minister of War. “If his favorite son, Zhi, should presume to set himself up as heir, dangerous disputes will ensue.”
    So saying he slashed off part of the sleeve of his robe with his sword and shouted fiercely, “I request the heir to assume the rank of Prince of Wei here and now. Any one of you who does not agree, let him fall like the cut sleeve.”
    Fear gripped the whole assembly. Suddenly it was announced that Hua Qin had come post haste from the capital. All were surprised at his sudden arrival. Soon he entered the hall and said, “The Prince of Wei is dead and the country is in a commotion—why not set up his successor as soon as possible?”
    They replied, “As the Emperor’s edict cannot be obtained at the moment, we have been considering using the princess-consort’s order to set up the heir as the new prince.”
    “I have procured the imperial edict here,” he cried, pulling it out from his breast.
    They all began to congratulate him. And he read the edict.
    Now Hua Qin had always been a servile stooge of Wei, and so he drafted this edict and forced the Emperor to agree to confer honorable titles to Cao Pi. Therefore Cao Pi was created “Prince of Wei, Prime Minister of the State, and Governor of Jizhou.”
    Cao Pi assumed his new role as prince and received the congratulations of all the officials of the court. This was followed by a banquet.
    However, the succession was not to pass too smoothly. While the banquet was in progress news came that Cao Zhang, with an army of 100,000 men, was approaching.
    Startled, the new prince turned to his courtiers and said, “What is to be done? This younger brother of mine has always been strong-minded. He is also skilled in the art of war. His coming here with a large army can only mean he wants to contest with me for the inheritance.”
    “Let me go and see the marquis—I can make him desist,” said one of the courtiers.
    The others cried, “Yes, you are the only one, sir, that can avert this danger!”
    Quarrel ’tween two sons of Cao Cao
Just as in the House of Yuan Shao.
    Who the mediator was will be told in the next chapter.
Footnotes
    *    Famous physician in the Warring States Period.
    †    Famous physician in West Han.
    *    Leader of the House of Zhou at the end of the Shang Dynasty (sixteenth to eleventh century B.C. ), who conquered several neighboring kingdoms and expanded his territory. His son, King Wu of Zhou, later destroyed the Shang dynasty and founded the Zhou Dynasty, which lasted for over eight hundred years until it was overthrown by Qin in 256 B.C.
    †    An allusion to the Dynasty of Jin of the House of Sima, whose name also contains “ma” (horse).

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

    Cao Pi Presses His Brother Zhi to Improvise Poems
    Liu Feng Is Executed for Failing to Rescue His Uncle

    T he last chapter closed when Cao Pi was alarmed to hear of the arrival of his younger brother, Cao Zhang, with a large army. At that moment one of the officials stood up and volunteered to go and persuade him to submit. All eyes turned toward the speaker, Jia Kui, and he was at once commanded to undertake the mission. So he went out of the city to see Cao Zhang, who came quickly to the point.
    “Where is the late prince’s seal of office?” he asked.
    Jia Kui replied sternly, “In every household there is the eldest son and in every state there is the heir-apparent. Such a question from you, sir, is inappropriate.”
    Cao Zhang fell silent, unable to come up with an answer. Presently he went into the city with the envoy. Before entering the palace Jia Kui asked him whether he had come as a mourner of his father or as a rival claimant of his elder brother.
    “I have come to mourn my father’s death. There is no other motive.”
    “If so, why do you bring your soldiers?”
    At this reproach Cao