；　〃Centuries　ago；　Emperor　Wu*　spared　Sima　Qian*　and　employed　him　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　pen　in　criticism　of　those　about　the　court　of　a　youthful　prince　and　abuse　us　as　he　will。〃

Remonstrance　and　appeal　being　vain；　Ma　Midi　retired。　But　he　said　to　his　colleagues；　〃Is　Wang　Yun　then　careless　of　the　future？　Worthy　people　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　Yun　was　obdurate。　Cai　Yong　whose　offense　was　an　expression　of　gratitude　was　thrown　into　prison　and　there　strangled。　The　people　of　that　day　wept　for　Cai　Yong；　for　they　refused　to　see　any　offense　in　what　he　had　done；　and　death　was　a　harsh　punishment。

Dong　Zhuo；　the　dictator；

Tyrannized　the　state；

Fell　and　his　sole　mourner

Shared　his　direful　fate。

Zhuge　Liang　in　seclusion

Was　content　to　dream；

Felt　his　worth　and　never

Helped　a　traitor's　scheme。

Those　generals………Li　Jue；　Guo　Si；　Fan　Chou；　and　Zhang　Ji………whom　Dong　Zhuo　had　left　to　guard　Meiwo　fled　when　their　master　was　slain　and　went　into　the　county　of　Shanxi　in　Liangzhou　Region。　Thence　they　sent　in　a　memorial　entreating　amnesty。　But　Wang　Yun　would　not　hear　of　it。

〃Four　of　them　were　the　chief　instruments　of　Dong　Zhuo's　aggressions。　Now　though　a　general　amnesty　were　proclaimed；　these　men　should　be　excluded　from　its　benefit；〃　said　Wang　Yun。

The　messenger　returned　and　told　the　four　there　was　no　hope　of　pardon　and　they　could　only　flee。

Then　their　adviser；　Jia　Xu；　said；　〃If　we　throw　away　our　arms　and　flee