Meanwhile the deposed ruler, his mother, and his consort were immured in the Palace of Forever Calm and found their daily supplies gradually diminishing. The deposed Emperor wept incessantly. One day a pair of swallows gliding to and fro moved him to verse：

　　[hip, hip, hip]“Spring and the green of the tender grass, Flushes with joy as the swallows pass；The wayfarers pause by the rippling stream, And their eyes will new born gladness gleam；With lingering gaze the roofs I see of the Palace that one time sheltered me. But those whom I sheltered in all righteousness, Let's not stay in silence when the days pass useless？”[yip, yip, yip]

　　the messenger, sent by Dong Zhuo from time to time to the palace for news of the prisoners, got hold of this poem and showed it to his master.

　　“So he shows his resentment by writing poems, eh！ A fair excuse to put them all out of the way,” said Dong Zhuo.

　　Li Ru was sent with ten men into the palace to consummate the deed. The three were in one of the upper rooms when Li Ru arrived. The Emperor shuddered when the maid announced the visitor's name.

　　Presently Li Ru entered and offered a cup of poisoned wine to the Emperor. The Emperor asked what this meant.

　　“Spring is the season of blending and harmonious interchange, and the Prime Minister sends a wine cup of longevity,” said Li Ru.

　　“If it be the wine of longevity, you may share it too,” said Empress He.

　　then Li Ru became brutally frank.

　　“You will not drink？” asked he.

　　He called the men with daggers and cords and bade the Emperor look at them.

　　“the cup, or these？” said he.

　　then said Lady Tang, “Let the handmaid drink in place of her lord. Spare the mother and her son, I pray！”

　　“And who may you be to die for a prince？” said Li Ru.

then he presented the cup to the Empress once more and bade her drink.

Incessantly 不停地

Swallow 燕子

Verse 作诗

Consummate 完成

Brutally 残忍地

Cord 伸缩

却说少帝与何太后、唐妃困于永安宫中，衣服饮食，渐渐少缺；少帝泪不曾干。一日，偶见双燕飞于庭中，遂吟诗一首。诗曰：“嫩草绿凝烟，袅袅双飞燕。洛水一条青，陌上人称羡。远望碧云深，是吾旧宫殿。何人仗忠义，泄我心中怨！”董卓时常使人探听。是日获得此诗，来呈董卓。卓曰：“怨望作诗，杀之有名矣。”遂命李儒带武士十人，入宫弑帝。帝与后、妃正在楼上，宫女报李儒至，帝大惊。儒以鸩酒奉帝，帝问何故。儒曰：“春日融和，董相国特上寿酒。”太后曰：“既云寿酒，汝可先饮。”儒怒曰：“汝不饮耶？”呼左右持短刀白练于前曰：“寿酒不饮，可领此二物！”唐妃跪告曰：“妾身代帝饮酒，愿公存母子性命。”儒叱曰：“汝何人，可代王死？”