t　the　new　year　audience　Cao　Cao　was　odiously　arrogant　and　overweening；　and　the　chief　conspirator's　disgust　was　so　intense　that　he　fell　ill。

Hearing　of　the　State　Uncle's　indisposition；　the　Emperor　sent　the　Court　Physician　to　see　him。　The　Court　Physician　at　this　time　was　a　native　of　Luoyang；　named　Ji　Ping。　A　very　famous　physician；　Ji　Ping　devoted　himself　wholly　to　the　treatment　of　his　court　patient。　Living　in　Dong　Cheng's　palace　and　seeing　Dong　Cheng　at　all　times；　Ji　Ping　soon　found　that　some　secret　grief　was　sorely　troubling　him。　But　Ji　Ping　dared　not　ask　questions。

One　evening　of　the　full　moon　festival；　when　the　physician　was　just　taking　his　leave；　Dong　Cheng　kept　him；　and　the　two　men　had　supper　together。　They　eat　talking　for　some　time；　and　Dong　Cheng　by　and　by　dropped　off　to　sleep　dressed　as　he　was。

Presently　Wang　Zifu　and　the　others　were　announced。　As　they　were　ing　in；　Wang　Zifu　cried；　〃Our　business　is　settled！〃

〃I　should　be　glad　to　hear　how；〃　said　Dong　Cheng。

〃Liu　Biao　has　joined　Yuan　Shao；　and　five　hundred　thousand　troops　in　fifty　legions　are　on　their　way　here　by　different　routes。　More　than　this；　Ma　Teng　and　Han　Sui　are　ing　from　the　northwest　with　seven　hundred　thousand　Xiliang　troops。　Cao　Cao　has　moved　every　soldier　outside　Xuchang　to　meet　the　bined　armies。　There　is　a　great　banquet　in　his　palace　tonight。　If　we　get　together　our　young　men　and　servants；　we　can　muster　more　than　a　thousand；　and　we　can　surround　the　palace；　while　Cao　Cao　is　at　the　banquet；　and　finish　him　off。　We　must　not　miss　this。〃

Dong　Cheng　was　more　than　delighted。　He　called　his　servants　and　armed　them；　put　on　his　own　armor　and　mounted　his　horse。　The　conspirators　met；　as　they　had　arranged；　just　at　the　inner　gate　of　the　Prime　Minister's　palace。　It　was　the　first