by Luo Guanzhong
14Let us now turn to Zhang Fei, who had been drowning his sorrows with multiple cups of wine. As he was riding his horse past the inn, he spotted fifty or sixty old people, all standing in front of the gate weeping and sobbing. When Fei asked the reason, all of the old people responded, saying, "The county inspector is forcing the county clerk to cause harm to Lord Liu; we have all come to lodge our strongest protests, but have not been allowed inside. Moreover, we were beaten back by the gate guards!" Zhang Fei flew into a rage, his eyes grew wide as saucers, and his teeth clenched up like a steel vice. He scrambled off of his horse, and walked straight into the inn. Who among the gate guards would have even been able to block his way? He strode into the rear chamber, and saw that the county inspector was in the midst of holding court. The county clerk was tied up and lying prone on the floor. Fei screamed out, "You rotten scoundrel. You are causing harm to the people! Do you know who I am?" The county inspector had no time to respond before Zhang Fei grabbed him by his hair, and dragged him out of the inn. He took him to the front of the county seat, and bound him to the hitching post for horses. He then broke off a willow branch, and began to flog the inspector about the legs with great force. He broke more than ten willow branches in a row.
15
While Xuande was sulking, he heard a loud noise from the county seat, and asked his attendants what was happening. They said, "General Zhang has bound someone at the county seat, and is now viciously beating him." Xuande hurried over to see what was happening, and then he saw that it was the county inspector who had been bound. Startled, Xuande asked for the reason. Fei responded, "People like this here scoundrel, who injure the people, need to be beaten to death, or what have we come to!" The county inspector cried out, " Xuande, save my life!" After all, Xuande was a kind person, so he urgently yelled at Zhang Fei to stop. Lord Guan came over from the side, and said, "Brother, you have done so many great things, but have only been granted the position of county magistrate. Now, you have been insulted by the county inspector. I think that a thorn bush is no place for a phoenix to roost; It would be better to kill the county inspector, resign from your post, and return home. Don't make such grandiose plans." Xuande then took his official seal, and hung it around the county inspector's neck. He then scolded him, saying, "Since you have harmed the people, I should kill you and be done with it. However, I am going to spare your life. I am returning my official seal, and am now leaving." The county inspector reported the matter to the governor of Dingzhou, who then submitted a written request to the provincial level government for an arrest warrant. Xuande, Guan and Zhang all headed for Daizhou to seek out Liu Hui. When Liu Hui discovered that Xuande was a member of the house of Han, he hid him away at his residence and kept silent.
Continued next week. Tomorrow's installment from Lays of Ancient Rome by Macaulay.
This is one of four great novels from China, published when it was the most highly civilization in the world. Map shows China at the time of this story.
Chapter Summary: Zhang Yide gets angry and whips the County Inspector; Royal uncle He plots the murder of the wretched eunuchs.
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This translation from Wikipedia. See license CC-BY-SA.
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