chinese story - 1 4

understand nothing. You are bent upon winning some sort of glory at the expense of our
soldiers' lives. Death would be too good for you！”
　　“Why wrangle？” said Sima Yan. “Zhang Hua aGREes with me, and he knows my wishes.”
　　Just at this moment came a memorial from the leader Du Yu also recommending advance,
whereupon the Ruler of Jin decided that the army should go on.
　　the royal mandate duly reached the camp of Wang Jun, and the Jin navy went out to the
attack in GREat pomp. The soldiers of Wu made no defense, but surrendered at once.
　　When Sun Hao, the Ruler of Wu, heard his armies had surrendered thus, he turned pale,
and his courtiers said, “What is to be done？ Here the northern army comes nearer every day
and our troops just give in.”
　　“But why do they not fight？” said Sun Hao.
　　the courtiers replied, “The one evil of today is Eunuch Cen Hun. Slay him, and we
ourselves will go out and fight to the death！”
　　“How can a eunuch harm a state？” cried Sun Hao.
　　“Have we not seen what Huang Hao did in Shu？” shouted the courtiers in chorus.
　　Moved by sudden fury, the courtiers rushed into the Palace, found the wretched object of
their hate and slew him, and even feeding on his palpitating flesh.
　　then Tao Jun said, “All my ships are small, but give me large vessels and I will place
thereon twenty thousand marines and go forth to fight. I can defeat the enemy.”
　　His request was granted, and the royal guards were sent up the river to join battle,
while another naval force went down stream, led by Leader of the Van Zhang Xiang. But a
heavy gale came on. The flags were blown down and lay over in the ships, and the marines
would not embark. They scattered leaving their leader with only a few score men.
　　Wang Jun, the leader of Jin, set sail and went down the river.
　　After passing Three Mountains, the sailing master of his ship said, “The gale is too
strong for the fleet to go on. Let us anchor till the storm has moderated.”