三国演义英文版-第263章

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〃Will　you　suggest　a　theme？〃　asked　Cao　Zhi。
Now　there　was　hanging　in　the　hall　a　black　and　white　sketch　of　two　bulls　that　had　been　fighting　at　the　foot　of　a　wall；　and　one　of　them　had　just　fallen　dead　into　a　well。　Cao　Pi　pointed　to　the　sketch　and　said；　〃Take　that　as　the　subject。　But　you　are　forbidden　to　use　the　words　'two　bulls；　one　bull；　fighting；　wall's　foot；　falling；　well；　and　dead'。〃
Cao　Zhi　took　seven　paces　and　then　recited　this　poem：

〃Two　butcher's　victims　lowing　walked　along；
Each　head　bore　curving　bones；　a　sturdy　pair；
They　met　just　by　a　hillock；　both　were　strong；
Each　would　avoid　a　pit　newly　dug　there。
They　fought　unequal　battle；　for　at　length
One　lay　below　a　gory　mass；　inert。
It　was　not　that　they　were　of　unequal　strength
Though　wrathful　both；　one　did　not　strength　exert。〃

This　exhibition　of　skill　amazed　the　Prince　and　the　whole　court。　Cao　Pi　thought　he　would　use　another　test；　so　he　bade　his　brother　improvise　on　the　theme　of　their　fraternal　relationship；　the　words　〃brotherhood〃　or　〃brother〃　being　barred。　Without　seeming　to　reflect；　Cao　Zhi　rattled　off　this　rhyme：

〃They　were　boiling　beans　on　a　beanstalk　fire；
Came　a　plaintive　voice　from　the　pot；
'O　why；　since　we　sprang　from　the　selfsame　root；
Should　you　kill　me　with　anger　hot？'〃

The　allusion　in　these　verses　to　the　cruel　treatment　of　one　member　of　a　family　by　another　was　not　lost　upon　Cao　Pi；　and　he　dropped　a　few　silent　tears。
The　mother　of　both　men　came　out　at　this　moment　from　her　abiding　place　and　said；　〃Should　the　elder　brother　thus　oppress　the　younger？〃
The　Prince　jumped　from　his　seat；　saying；　〃My　mother；　the　laws　of　the　state　cannot　be　nullified。〃
Cao　Zhi　was　degraded　to　the　rank　of　Lord　of　Anxiang。　He　accepted　the　decision　without　a　murmur　and　at　once　left　his　brother's　court　by　horse。
Cao　Pi's　accession　was　the　signal　for　a　set　of　new　laws　and　new　mands。　His　behavior　toward　Emperor　Xian　was　more　intemperate　than　his　father's　had　ever　been。
The　stories　of　his　harshness　reached　Chengdu　and　almost　frightened　Liu　Bei；　who　summoned　his　counselors　to　discuss　what　he　should　do。
Said　he；　〃Since　the　death　of　Cao　Cao　and　the　accession　of　his　son；　the　position　of　the　Emperor　has　changed　for　the　worse。　Sun　Quan　acknowledges　the　lordship　of　Wei；　and　its　influence　is　being　too　great。　I　am　disposed　to　destroy　Sun　Quan　in　revenge　for　the　death　of　my　brother。　That　done。　I　will　proceed　to　the　Capital　District　and　purge　the　whole　land　of　rebellion。　What　think　you？〃
Then　Liao　Hua　stood　out　from　the　ranks　of　officers　and　threw　himself　upon　the　earth；　saying　with　tears；　〃Liu　Feng　and　Meng　Da　were　the　true　cause　of　the　death　of　your　brother　and　his　adopted　son。　Both　these　renegades　deserve　death。〃
Liu　Bei　was　of　the　same　opinion　and　was　going　to　send　and　arrest　them　forthwith；　but　here　Zhuge　Liang　intervened　and　gave　wiser　advice。
〃That　is　not　the　way。　Go　slowly　or　you　may　stir　up　strife。　Promote　these　two　and　separate　them。　After　that　you　may　arrest。〃
The　Prince　of　Hanzhong　saw　the　prudence　of　this　procedure　and　stayed　his　hand。　He　raised　Liu　Feng　to　the　Governorship　of　Mianzhu；　and　so　separated　the　two　delinquents。
Now　Peng　Yang　and　Meng　Da　were　old　friends。　Hearing　what　was　afoot；　the　former　hastened　home　and　wrote　warning　his　friend。　The　letter　was　confided　to　a　trusty　messenger　to　bear　to　Meng　Da。　The　messenger　was　caught　as　he　went　out　of　the　city　and　carried　before　Ma　Chao；　who　thus　got　wind　of　the　business。　He　then　went　to　Peng　Yang's　house；　where；　nothing　being　suspected；　he　was　received　kindly　and　wine　was　brought　in。　The　two　drank　for　some　time。
When　Ma　Chao　thought　his　host　sufficiently　off　his　guard；　he　said；　〃The　Prince　of　Hanzhong　used　to　look　on　you　with　great　favor。　Why　does　he　do　so　no　longer？〃
The　host　began　to　rave　against　his　master。
〃The　obstinate　old　leather…belly！　But　I　will　find　some　way　to　pay　him　out。〃
In　order　to　see　to　what　lengths　he　would　go；　Ma　Chao　led　him　on；　saying；　〃Truth　to　tell；　I　have　long　hated　the　man　too。〃
〃Then　you　join　Meng　Da　and　attack；　while　I　will　win　over　the　people　of　East　and　West　River　Lands。　That　will　make　it　easy　enough；〃　said　Peng　Yang。
〃What　you　propose　is　very　feasible；　but　we　will　talk　it　over　again　tomorrow；〃　said　Ma　Chao；　and　took　leave。
Taking　with　him　the　captured　man　and　the　letter　he　carried；　Ma　Chao　then　proceeded　to　see　the　Prince；　to　whom　he　related　the　whole　story。　Liu　Bei　was　very　angry　and　at　once　had　the　intended　traitor　arrested　and　put　in　prison；　where　he　was　examined　under　torture　to　get　at　full　details。
While　Peng　Yang　lay　in　prison；　bitterly　but　vainly　repentant；　Liu　Bei　consulted　his　adviser。
〃That　fellow　Peng　Yang　meant　to　turn　traitor。　What　shall　I　do　with　him？〃
〃The　fellow　is　something　of　a　scholar；　but　irresponsible；〃　replied　Zhuge　Liang。　〃He　is　too　dangerous　to　be　left　alive。〃
Thereupon　orders　were　given　that　he　should　be　allowed　to　mit　suicide　in　gaol。　The　news　that　Peng　Yang　had　been　made　away　frightened　his　sympathizer　and　friend；　Meng　Da；　and　put　him　in　a　quandary。　Further；　Liu　Feng's　promotion　and　transfer　to　Mianzhu　arrived；　and　it　frightened　him　still　more。　So　he　sought　advice　from　two　friends　and　manders；　the　brothers　Shen　Dan　and　Shen　Yi；　who　lived　in　Shangyong。
〃My　friend　Peng　Yang　and　I　did　much　for　the　Prince　of　Hanzhong。　But　now　Peng　Yang　is　dead；　and　I　am　forgotten。　More　than　that；　the　Prince　wishes　to　put　me　to　death。　What　can　I　do？〃　said　Meng　Da。
Shen　Dan　replied；　〃I　think　I　can　find　a　plan　that　will　secure　your　safety。〃
〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Meng　Da；　feeling　happier。
〃Desertion。　My　brother　Shen　Yi　and　I　have　long　desired　to　go　over　to　Wei。　You　just　write　the　Prince　of　Hanzhong　a　memorial　resigning　your　service　and　betake　yourself　to　the　Prince　of　Wei；　who　will　certainly　employ　you　in　some　honorable　way。　Then　we　two　will　follow。〃
Meng　Da　saw　that　this　was　his　best　course；　so　he　wrote　a　memorandum；　which　he　gave　to　the　messenger　who　had　brought　the　recent　dispatches　to　take　back　with　him。　That　night　Meng　Da　left　his　post　and　went　to　Wei。
The　messenger　returned　to　Chengdu；　handed　in　Meng　Da's　memorial；　and　told　the　story　of　his　desertion。　The　Prince　was　angry。　He　tore　open　the　letter　and　read：

＇e＇　Yi　Yin　was　was　helper　and　prime　minister　of　King　Tang；　the　founder　of　Shang　Dynasty。　After　King　Tang's　death；　Yi　Yin　served　his　sons　and　grandson。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Lu　Wang　was　a　master　strategist；　founding　minister　of　Zhou　Dynasty；　counselor　to　King　Wen。　Before　joining　King　Wen；　Lu　Wang　had　been　a　fisher；　who　mediated　on　the　river　bank　on　political　events。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Duke　Wen　of　Jin　（reigned　636…628　BC）　was　ruler　of　the　western　state　of　Jin　during　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period。　He　and　his　successors　made　Jin　a　dominant　state　for　nearly　200　years。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Duke　Huan　of　Qi　（reigned　BC　685…643）；　in　the　name　of　serving　the　Zhou　emperor；　became　the　leader　of　a　league　of　small　states　in　northeast　China　during　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period。　His　prime　minister　was　the　famed　Guan　Zhong。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Wu　was　the　South　Land；　while　Chu　was　the　area　of　Jingzhou。
＇e＇　Fan　Li　was　adviser　of　Gou　Jian；　the　king　of　Yue。　Fan　Li　helped　Gou　Jian　plot　the　〃Beauty　Ruse〃　in　order　to　destroy　Fu　Zha；　the　king　of　Wu。　After　Yue　triumphed　over　Wu；　Fan　Li　resigned　from　politics。　His　collegue　Wen　Zhong　stayed　to　serve　Gou　Jian；　but　Wen　Zhong　got　executed　due　to　slanders。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Zi　Fan　was　uncle　to　Duke　Wen　of　Jin。　In　his　early　days；　Duke　Wen　spent　nineteen　years　in　exile；　and　Zi　Fan　acpanied　him。　When　Duke　Wen　set　to　return　to　Jin；　Zi　Fan　took　leave；　believing　that　Duke　Wen　would　remember　only　Zi　Fan's　faults。
＇e＇　Shen　Sheng　was　the　eldest　son　of　Duke　Xiao　of　Jin　in　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period。　But　Duke　Xiao　wanted　the　son　of　his　favorite　concubine；　Li　Ji；　to　succeed　him　as　the　ruler　of　Jin。　So　Duke　Xiao　falsely　accused　Shen　Sheng　of　trying　to　murder　him。　Shen　Sheng　mitted　suidcide　rather　than　flee。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Wu　Zixu　was　a　native　of　Chu　but　sought　refuge　in　Wu；　and　achieved　great　acplishments　for　Wu。　However；　the　younger　king　of　Wu　later　believed　rumors　spread　by　some　people；　and　ordered　Wu　Zixu　to　be　put　to　death。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Meng　Tian　a　mander　of　the　First　Emperor；　engineer　of　the　Great　Wall；　inventor　of　the　brush。　He　was　executed；　together　with　the　First　Emperor's　eldest　son；　by　Zhao　Gao；