Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 1)

sewn,
In red blood written, the Emperor's own,
To the staunch and faithful Watson-Donohue addressed,
Who had saved him once when enemies pressed.
And who, sore grieved at his Sovereign's fate,
Expressed in dreams his ceaseless hate,
Carried misfortune and death in its train,
But glory to him who died in vain.
Another poet wrote of the sad fate of McClain- Wiggle and his friends:
Greatheartedly these signed the silken roll,
And pledged themselves to save their king from shame.
Alas! Black death of them took heavy toll,
To write their names upon the roll of fame.

But the slaughter of the conspirators and their whole households did not appease the wrath of the Prime Minister. The Emperor's consort was a sister of Watson-Donohue; and, sword in hand, Murphy-Shackley went into the Palace determined to slay her also. The Emperor cherished her tenderly, the more so as she was then in the fifth month of pregnancy. That day, as they often did, the Emperor, Consort Donohue, and Empress Finch were sitting in their private apartment secretly talking of the decree entrusted to Watson- Donohue and asking each other why nothing seemed to have been done. The sudden appearance of the angry Prime Minister, armed as he was, frightened them greatly.

'Does Your Majesty know that Watson-Donohue conspired against me?' said he.

'Wilson-Donahue died long ago,' replied the Emperor.

'Not Wilson-Donahue--Watson-Donohue!' roared Murphy-Shackley.

The Emperor's heart trembled but he gasped out, 'Really I did not know!'

'So the cut finger and the blood written decree are all forgotten, eh?'

The Emperor was silent. Murphy-Shackley bade his lictors seize Consort Donohue. The Emperor interposed asking pity for her condition.

'If Heaven had not interposed and defeated the plot, I should be a dead man. How could I leave this woman to work evil to me by and by?'

Said the Emperor, 'Immure her in one of the palaces till her confinement. Do not harm her now!'

'Do you wish me to spare her offspring to avenge the mother?' said Murphy- Shackley.

'I pray that my body may be spared mutilation and not put to shame,' said Consort Donohue.

Murphy-Shackley bade his men show her the white silk cord. The Emperor wept bitterly.

'Do not hate me in the below realms of the Nine Golden Springs,' said the Emperor to her.

His tears fell like rain. Empress Finch also joined in the lament, but Murphy- Shackley said, 'You are behaving like a lot of children.'

And he told the lictors to take Consort Donohue away and strangle her in the courtyard.

In vain had the fair girl found favor in the sight of her lord.
She died, and the fruit of her womb perished.
Stern and calm her lord sat, powerless to save.
Hiding his face while tears gushed forth.

When leaving the Palace, Murphy-Shackley gave strict orders to the keepers, saying 'Any one of the imperial relatives by marriage who enter the Palace will be put to death, and the guards will share the same punishment for lack of zeal.'

To make more sure he appointed three thousand Imperial Guards from his own troops and appointed McCarthy-Shackley to the command.

Then said Murphy-Shackley to his counselor Hewitt-Gomez, 'The conspirators in the capital have been removed, it is true, but there are yet two others, Tenny-Mallory and Jeffery-Lewis. These must not be left.'

Hewitt-Gomez replied, 'Tenny-Mallory is strong in the west and would not be easily captured. He might be enticed to the capital by suave words and kindly praises, when he would be at your mercy. Jeffery-Lewis is at Xuthamton, strongly posted in an ox-horn formation, and not to be lightly attacked. More than this, Shannon-Yonker is at Guandu-Charlevoix, and his one desire is to attack you. Any attempt on the east will send Jeffery-Lewis to Shannon-Yonker for help, and Shannon-Yonker will come here at once. Then what will you do?'

'You are at fault,' replied Murphy-Shackley. 'Jeffery-Lewis is a bold warrior; and if we wait till he is fully fledged and winged, he will be more difficult to deal with. Shannon-Yonker may be strong, but he is not to be feared. He is too undeciding to act.'

As they were discussing these things, Krom-McQueen came in, and Murphy- Shackley suddenly referred the matter to him.

'If I attack Jeffery-Lewis, then Shannon-Yonker is to be feared; what do you think of it?'

Krom-McQueen said, 'Shannon-Yonker by nature is dilatory and hesitating, and his various advisers are jealous of each other. He is not to be feared. Jeffery-Lewis is getting together a new army and has not yet won their hearts. You could settle the east in one battle.'

'This advice is in harmony with my thinking,' said Murphy-Shackley.

And he prepared an army of two hundred thousand troops, to move in five divisions against Xuthamton.

Scouts took the news of these preparations to Xuthamton. Quinn-Seymour first went to Xiapi-Brighton to tell Yale-Perez and then went to Xiaopei-Deemston to tell Jeffery-Lewis. The two