“Ssŭ-ma Ch‘ien was spared and employed on the annals, with the result that many slanderous stories have been handed down to us. This is a trying period of great perplexity and we dare not let a specious fellow like this wield his pencil in criticism of those about the court of a youthful prince and abuse us as he will.”
Remonstrance and appeal being vain Ma retired. But he said to his colleagues, “Is Wang Yün then careless of the future? Worthy men are the mainstay of the State: laws are the canons of action. To destroy the mainstay and nullify the laws is to hasten destruction.”
As was just said Wang Yün was obdurate. The man whose offence was an expression of gratitude was thrown into prison and there strangled. The people of that day wept for him, for they refused to see any offence in what he had done and death was a harsh punishment.
Tung, the harsh dictator,
Tyrannised the State,
Fell and his sole mourner
Shared his direful fate.
Chuko in seclusion
Was content to dream,
Felt his worth and never
Helped a traitor’s scheme.
Those of his adherents whom Tung Cho had left to guard his city fled when their master was slain and went into Shênsi. Thence they sent in a memorial entreating amnesty. But Wang Yün would not hear of it. Four of them were the chief instruments of Cho’s aggressions. Now though a general amnesty were proclaimed these men should be excluded from its benefit.
The messenger returned and told the four there was no hope of pardon and they could only flee.
Adviser Chia Hsü said, “If we throw away our arms and flee singly then we shall fall easy victims to any village beadle who may seize us. Rather let us cajole the Shênsi people to throw in their lot with us and make a sudden onslaught on the capital and so avenge our master. If we succeed, we control the court and the country. It will be time enough to run away if we fail.”
The plan was adopted and they spread abroad the story that Wang Yün intended to harry the district. Having thus thrown the people into a state of terror they went a step farther and said, “There is no advantage in dying for nothing. Revolt and join us.” So they cajoled the people into joining them and gathered a host equal to ten legions. This horde was divided into four parts and they all set out to raid the capital. On the way they fell in with a son-in-law of their late chief, with a number of soldiers. He had set out to avenge his father-in-law and he became the van-leader of the horde.
