第288部分(第1/7 頁)

vice　and　chose　Eunuch　Cen　Hun　as　his　confidant　and　favorite。　When　Prime　Minister　Puyang　Xing　and　General　Zhang　Bu　ventured　upon　remonstrance；　both；　with　all　their　family；　were　put　to　death。　Thereafter　none　dared　to　speak；　the　mouth　of　every　courtier　was　shut　tight。

Another　year…style；　Treasured　Paramount；　was　adopted　the　next　year　（266）；　and　the　responsibility　of　the　Prime　Minister's　office　was　shared　by　two　officers；　Lu　Kuai　the　Left　and　Wan　Yu　the　Right。

At　this　time　the　imperial　residence　was　in　Wuchang。　The　people　of　Yangzhou　shouldered　heavy　tribute　and　suffered　exceedingly。　There　was　no　limit　to　the　Ruler's　extravagance。　The　treasury　was　swept　clean；　and　the　ine　of　the　royal　domain　exhausted。

At　length　Lu　Kuai；　Left　Prime　Minister；　ventured　a　memorial；　saying：

〃No　natural　calamity　has　fallen　upon　the　people；　yet　they　starve；　no　public　work　is　in　progress；　yet　the　treasury　is　empty。　I　am　distressed。　The　country　under　the　Hans　has　fallen　apart　and　three　states　have　arisen　therefrom。　Those　ruled　by　the　Caos　and　the　Lius；　as　the　result　of　their　own　folly；　have　been　lost　in　Jin。　Foolish　I　may　be；　but　I　would　protect　the　state　for　Your　Majesty　against　the　evils　we　have　seen　in　the　other　divisions。　This　city　of　Wuchang　is　not　safe　as　a　royal　residence。　There　is　a　rhyme　concerning　it；　the　gist　of　which　is　that　it　is　better　to　drink　the　water　of　Jianye　than　eat　the　fish　of　Wuchang；　better　to　die　in　Jianye　than　to　live　in　Wuchang。　This　shows　the　regard　of　the　people　as　well　as　the　will　of　Heaven。　Now　the　public　storehouses　are　nearly　empty；　they　contain　insufficient　for　a　year's　use。　The　officers　of　all　grades　vex　and　distress　the　people　and　none　pity　them。

〃In　former　times　the　Palace　women　numbered　less　than　a　hundred；　for　years　past