三国演义英文版-第182章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


She　abused　the　four　men　to　their　faces　so　that　they　looked　from　one　to　another　in　shame。　And　each　in　his　heart　thought；　〃Say　what　one　will；　after　all　they　two　are　brother　and　sister　and　the　Dowager　Marchioness　is　the　controlling　power。　Sun　Quan　is　most　obedient　and　would　never　dare　oppose　his　mother's　decision。　When　the　reaction　es；　then　indeed　we　shall　certainly　be　found　in　the　wrong。　We　had　better　be　kind。〃
Another　thing　was　that　one　of　the　two　they　sought；　Liu　Bei；　was　not　there　and　Zhao　Yun　looked　angry　and　dangerous。　Finally；　muttering　to　themselves；　they　gave　way　and　with　one　accord　retired　and　left　the　road　open。　Lady　Sun　passed　through。
〃We　four　will　go　to　see　the　mander…in…Chief　and　report；〃　said　Xu　Sheng。
But　that　did　not　please　them　all；　and　they　stood　irresolute。　Presently　they　saw　a　column　of　troops　sweeping　down　on　them　like　a　hurricane。　These　were　Jiang　Qin　and　Zhou　Tai　with　their　pany。
〃Have　you　fellows　seen　Liu　Bei？〃　they　cried　as　they　rushed　up。
〃He　has　just　passed　along。〃
〃Why　did　you　not　arrest　him？〃
〃Because　of　what　Lady　Sun　said。〃
〃That　is　just　as　the　Marquis　feared；　and　so　he　gave　us　this　sword　and　told　us　first　to　slay　his　sister　and　then　Liu　Bei。　And　if　we　disobey；　he　will　put　us　to　death。〃
〃What　can　be　done？　They　are　far　away　by　now。〃
Jiang　Qin　said；　〃After　all　they　are　but　a　few　and　on　foot。　They　cannot　travel　very　fast。　Let　Xu　Sheng　and　Ding　Feng　go　to　Zhou　Yu　to　tell　him；　and　he　can　send　fast　boats　to　pursue　them　on　the　river　while　we　follow　up　on　the　bank。　We　must　get　them　either　on　water　or　land；　and　we　must　not　listen　to　what　they　say。〃
Whereupon　two　went　back　to　report　and　four　to　the　river　bank。　Meanwhile　Liu　Bei　had　got　a　long　way　from　Chaisang　and　reached　Loving　Shore。　He　now　felt　calmer。　He　went　along　the　bank　of　the　river　seeking　a　boat；　but　there　was　no　craft　on　the　broad　bosom　of　the　stream。　He　bowed　his　head　in　deep　sorrow。
Zhao　Yun　bade　him　be　of　good　courage；　saying；　〃My　lord；　you　have　just　escaped　from　the　tiger's　jaws　and　had　not　far　to　go。　Moreover；　I　suspect　Zhuge　Liang　has　something　prepared　for　us。〃
But　his　master　was　despondent。　His　thoughts　were　back　to　the　pleasures　he　had　enjoyed　but　a　few　hours　since　in　the　house　of　his　wife；　and　the　tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks。　A　poem　has　been　written　on　this　episode：

By　the　bank　of　the　deep　flowing　Great　River
Once　was　a　wedding；
And　the　ruling　houses　of　two　states　yet　to　be
Were　allied　by　marriage。
See　the　beautiful　maiden　stepping　slowly
To　the　golden　bridal　chamber！
Yet　was　the　marriage　but　a　ruse。
Its　author　vainly　imagined　that　a　hero；
Sinking　in　amorous　toils；
Would　forget　his　high　intent。

Liu　Bei　bade　Zhao　Yun　go　along　the　bank　to　seek　some　boats。　Then　the　soldiers　told　him　there　was　a　huge　cloud　of　dust　on　the　road。　Ascending　one　of　the　hills；　he　looked　back　whence　they　had　e　and　saw　the　whole　earth　as　it　were　covered　with　an　advancing　host。
He　sighed　and　said；　〃We　have　fled　before　them　now　for　days；　worn　out　our　soldiers　and　jaded　our　horses；　and　all　to　die　in　a　strange　place。〃
He　watched　the　enemy　ing　nearer　and　nearer。　Then　as　things　began　to　look　most　desperate；　he　saw　a　line　of　some　twenty　boats　all　in　the　act　of　setting　their　sails。
〃By　good　luck　here　are　some　ships；〃　said　Zhao　Yun。　〃Let　us　get　on　board；　row　to　the　further　bank；　and　see　what　can　be　done。〃
Liu　Bei　and　his　bride　hastened　down　the　bank　and　went　into　a　ship。　The　soldiers　were　embarked。　Then　they　saw　in　the　hold　of　the　ship　someone　in　Taoist　dress。
That　person　came　up　with　a　smile；　saying；　〃My　lord；　again　you　see　Zhuge　Liang。　He　has　waited　a　long　time。〃
All　the　soldiers　on　board　were　from　Jingzhou；　and　Liu　Bei　rejoiced　at　the　sudden　happy　turn　of　affairs。
Before　long　the　four　pursuing　leaders　reached　the　bank。
Zhuge　Liang　pointed　to　them　and　laughed；　saying；　〃I　foresaw　this　a　long　time　ago。　You　may　return　and　tell　Zhou　Yu　not　to　use　the　'Fair　Damsel　Trick'　again。〃
Those　on　the　bank　sent　a　flight　of　arrows　at　the　ships；　but　they　were　already　too　far　away。　The　four　generals　on　the　bank　looked　very　foolish。
As　the　boats　were　sailing　along；　a　great　noise　was　heard　on　the　river　behind　them；　and　there　appeared　a　huge　fleet　of　war　ships；　sailing　under　the　flag　of　Zhou　Yu。　He　also　was　there　in　mand　of　the　fleet；　and　he　was　supported　by　Huang　Gai　and　Han　Dang。　They　seemed　like　a　drove　of　horses　and　came　along　swift　as　a　falling　star。　They　gained　on　the　fugitives　rapidly。
Zhuge　Liang　ordered　the　boats　to　row　over　to　the　north　bank；　and　the　party　landed。　They　had　started　off　away　from　the　shore　before　Zhou　Yu　could　land。　Zhou　Yu's　marines；　except　the　leaders；　were　all　afoot；　but　they　kept　up　the　pursuit；　following　as　quickly　as　they　could。　Zhou　Yu　led　the　pursuit；　closely　followed　by　Huang　Gai；　Han　Dang；　Xu　Sheng；　and　Ding　Feng。
When　Zhou　Yu's　force　reached　the　borders　of　Huangzhou；　Liu　Bei　and　his　party　were　not　far　away；　and　so　they　pressed　the　pursuit。　But　there　were　only　horses　for　a　few　leaders　in　front；　and　suddenly　the　rolling　of　drums　struck　Zhou　Yu's　ears；　and　from　out　a　gully　dashed　a　troop　of　swordsmen　led　by　Guan　Yu。　Zhou　Yu　was　too　surprised　and　unprepared　to　do　anything　but　flee。
Zhou　Yu　fled　for　his　life　and　Guan　Yu　pursued。　At　different　points　Liu　Bei's　generals；　Huang　Zhong　and　Wei　Yan；　came　out　and　attacked；　so　that　the　troops　of　the　South　Land　suffered　a　great　defeat；　and　Zhou　Yu　barely　escaped。　As　he　came　to　the　river　and　was　going　down　into　his　ship；　the　soldiers　of　Liu　Bei　on　the　bank　jeered　at　him　on　account　of　the　miscarriage　of　his　scheme；　shouting；　〃General　Zhou　Yu　has　given　Uncle　Liu　Bei　a　wife　and　has　lost　his　soldiers！〃
Zhou　Yu　was　so　annoyed　that　he　would　have　gone　up　the　bank　to　fight　again；　but　his　generals　restrained　him。
He　uttered；　〃My　schemes　are　a　failure　and　a　defeat；　and　how　can　I　face　my　master　again？〃
All　at　once　he　cried　aloud　and　fell　back　in　a　swoon。　His　wound　had　reopened。　The　generals　came　to　his　help；　but　it　was　long　before　he　recovered　consciousness。

Twice　had　he　played　his　trick
And　twice　had　he　lost　the　game；
His　heart　was　full　of　resentment；
He　was　overwhelmed　with　shame。

The　fate　of　Zhou　Yu　will　appear　in　the　next　chapter。
　Main　Next　to　Chapter　56　》》

　　　Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　56
　Chapter　56
Cao　Cao　Feasts　In　The　Bronze　Bird　Tower；
Zhuge　Liang　Provokes　Zhou　Yu　A　Third　Time。
The　ambuscade　into　which　Zhou　Yu　had　fallen　had　been　prepared　by　the　orders　of　Zhuge　Liang　and　was　triple。　However；　Huang　Gai　and　Han　Dang　contrived　to　get　clear　and　found　refuge　in　the　ships；　though　with　the　loss　of　many　troops。　When　Zhou　Yu　was　in　safety　and　looked　about　him；　he　saw　Liu　Bei　and　Lady　Sun　safely　resting　on　a　hilltop。　How　could　such　a　sight　fail　to　put　him　in　a　rage？　And　with　the　access　of　rage；　his　wound；　not　yet　healed；　burst　open　once　again。　He　swooned　and　fell。　They　raised　him　and　his　ship　set　sail。　Zhuge　Liang　ordered　no　pursuit；　the　southern　fleet　departed　undisturbed；　and　Liu　Bei　proceeded　to　Jingzhou　City；　where　were　great　rejoicings　in　honor　of　his　recent　marriage。
Meanwhile　Zhou　Yu　had　gone　to　Chaisang　while　Jiang　Qin　and　those　with　him　bore　to　Nanxu　the　sad　tidings　to　Sun　Quan。　He　was　angry　beyond　words；　and　his　first　thought　was　to　send　an　army　under　Cheng　Pu　to　take　Jingzhou。　Zhou　Yu　also　wrote　from　his　sick　bed　urging　his　lord　to　take　vengeance。　But　Zhang　Zhao　knew　better　and　said　it　could　not　be　done。
Said　he；　〃Cao　Cao　has　never　forgotten　his　defeat　at　the　Red　Cliffs；　but　he　dares　not　attempt　to　avenge　himself　while　the　Sun　family　are　friendly　with　Liu　Bei。　If　in　any　moment　of　anger　you　two　fall　upon　each　other；　Cao　Cao　will　certainly　seize　the　opportunity　and　your　position　will　be　dangerous。〃
Gu　Yong　supported　Zhang　Zhao；　saying；　〃Beyond　all　doubt　Cao　Cao　has　his　spies　here。　As　soon　as　he　hears　of　any　rift　in　the　friendship　between　the　Sun　and　Liu　families；　he　will　desire　to　e　to　an　understanding　with　the　latter；　and　Liu　Bei；　who　fears　your　power；　will　accept　his　offer　and　take　his　side。　Such　an　alliance　will　be　a　continual　menace　to　the　land　south　of　the　river。　No；　the　plan　for　the　occasion　is　to　secure　the　friendship　of　Liu　Bei　by　memorializing　that　he　be　made　Imperial　Protector　of　Jingzhou。　This　will　make　Cao　Cao　afraid　to　send　any