He had barely finished speaking when an officer in the army, Huan Jie, offered himself as messenger, saying, “I am an old friend of Liu Biao. I volunteer to take the mission.”
Sun Ce agreed. So Huan Jie went and peace was discussed. Liu Biao told Huan Jie, saying, “The body is already laid in a coffin and ready to be delivered as soon as Huang Zu returned. Let us both cease fighting and never again invade each other's territories.”
Huan Jie thanked him and took his leave. But as Huan Jie went down the steps, Kuai Liang suddenly broke in, saying, “No, no! Let me speak and I will see to it that not a single enemy can survive. I pray you first put this person to death and then to employ my means.”
The fate of the ambassador will be disclosed in a later chapter.
This is what Kuai Liang said, “Sun Jian is now gone and his sons are but youths. Seize this moment of weakness to break into Changsha, and it is yours in one beat of the drum. If you return the corpse and make peace, you give them time to grow powerful, and evil will ensue to Jingzhou.”
“How can I leave Huang Zu in their hands?” said Liu Biao.
“Why not sacrifice this blundering warrior for a region?”
“But he is my dear friend and to abandon him is wrong.”
So Huan Jie was allowed to return to his own side with the understanding that Sun Jian's dead body should be given in exchange. Sun Ce freed his prisoner, brought away his father's coffin, and the fighting ceased. Sun Jian was interred in the plains of Que. When the ceremonies were over, Sun Ce led his army home again.
In Changsha, the southern territory of the Great River ((Yangtze River)), Sun Ce set himself to the task of ruling well. Being humble and generous, he invited to his side humans of wisdom and valor and so bore himself that all the best and bravest of the country gathered about him.
Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo at Capital Changan, when he heard of the death of the turbulent Sun Jian, said, “An evil that pressed hard upon my heart has been removed!”
He asked what children Sun Jian had left, and when they told him the eldest was but seventeen, he dismissed all anxiety from his thoughts.
From this time forward his arrogance and domineering spirit waxed worse and worse. He styled himself “Imperial Rector,” a name full of honor, and in all his behavior aped imperial state. He created his younger brother, Dong Min, Lord of Huazhou and made him Commander of the Left Army. A nephew, Dong Huang, was made Court Counselor and placed in command of the Palace Guard, and everyone of his clan, young or old, was ennobled. Eighty miles from the capital Dong Zhuo laid out a city called Meiwo, an exact replica of Changan, with its palaces, granaries, treasuries, and magazines, and employed a quarter of a million people to build it. Here he accumulated supplies sufficient for twenty years. He selected eight hundred of the most beautiful maidens and sent them to dwell in his new city. The stores of wealth in every form were incalculable. All his family and retainers found quarters in this new city.
Dong Zhuo visited his city at intervals of a month or so, and every visit was like an imperial progress, with booths by the roadside to refresh the officials and courtiers who attended him to the northwest Royal Gate and saw him start.
On one occasion Dong Zhuo spread a great feast for all those assembled to witness his departure; and while it was in progress, there arrived a large number of rebels from the north who had voluntarily surrendered. The tyrant had them brought before him as he sat at table and meted out to them wanton cruelties. The hands of this one were lopped off, the feet of that; one had his eyes gouged out; another lost his tongue. Some were boiled to death. Shrieks of agony arose to the very heavens, and the courtiers were faint with terror. But the author of the misery ate and drank, chatted and smiled as if nothing was going on.
Another day Dong Zhuo was presiding at a great gathering of officers who were seated in two long rows. After the wine had gone up and down several times, Lu Bu entered and whispered a few words in his master's ear.
Dong Zhuo smiled and said, “He was always so. Take Minister Zhang Wen outside.”
The others all turned pale. In a little time a serving man brought the head of their fellow guest on a red dish and showed it to their host. They nearly died with fright.
“Do not fear,” said Dong Zhuo smiling. “Minister Zhang Wen was in league with Yuan Shu to assassinate me. A letter he wrote fell by mistake into the hands of my son so I have had him put to death. You gentlemen, who have no reason, need have no fear.”
