English Original
Towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), Prime Minister Dong Zhuo's manipulation of state affairs sparked widespread public anger, yet no one dared to voice it openly. Upright ministers wished to remove him but could devise no plan.
One night, Minister Wang Yun sighed alone in his garden, his tearful eyes gazing at the moon. Suddenly, he heard a sigh from a nearby pavilion. Investigating, he found Diao Chan, a sixteen-year-old and exceptionally beautiful singsong girl in his household. When questioned, she knelt and said, "Your Excellency has treated me so kindly since my arrival. How can I repay you? I have noticed your furrowed brow, surely burdened by great worries I dare not ask about. I sighed because I wish I could help you in some way."
Wang Yun realized the fate of the Han Dynasty might rest in this girl's hands. He helped her up, then prostrated himself and kowtowed to her. "Why do you bow to me?" the puzzled girl asked, reiterating her offer to help.
Convinced of her resolve, Wang Yun explained straightforwardly: "Both Dong Zhuo and his foster son, Lü Bu, are fond of women. I will adopt you as my daughter, first betrothing you to Lü Bu, then presenting you as a gift to Dong Zhuo. You must find opportunities to sow discord between them and incite Lü Bu to kill Dong Zhuo. This is how we can save the Han Dynasty."
"If I fail in this task," Diao Chan vowed, "may I die a violent death." Thus was laid the interlocking stratagem of Wang Yun and Diao Chan.
中文翻译
东汉末年，丞相董卓把持朝政，激起民愤，却无人敢言。忠直的大臣们想除掉他，却无计可施。
一日深夜，大臣王允独自在花园中对月叹息，泪眼朦胧。忽然，他听到附近亭子里传来一声叹息。走过去一看，是他府中十六岁、容貌绝美的歌女貂蝉。询问之下，貂蝉跪下说道：“大人自我入府以来待我恩重如山，我该如何报答？我见大人眉头紧锁，必有重大烦忧，我不敢询问。我叹息，是希望能为您分忧。”
王允心想，谁能相信汉朝的命运竟系于此女之手。他扶起貂蝉，随即自己却向她跪拜叩头。貂蝉疑惑地问：“大人为何向我下拜？”并再次表示愿意尽力相助。
王允见她态度坚决，便直言道：“董卓与其义子吕布皆好美色。我将认你为义女，先将你许配给吕布，再将你献给董卓。你要伺机离间他们父子，促使吕布杀死董卓。如此，方能保全汉室。”
“若不能完成使命，”貂蝉立誓道，“我愿死于非命。”这便是王允与貂蝉设下的连环计。