三国演义英文版-第74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！


〃He　is　going　to　cut　off　Yuan　Shu；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。
〃Formerly；　when　he　was　Imperial　Protector　of　Yuzhou；　we　remended　that　he　should　be　put　to　death；　but　you　would　not　hear　of　it。　Now　you　have　given　him　an　army。　You　have　allowed　the　dragon　to　reach　the　sea；　the　tiger　to　return　to　the　mountains。　What　control　will　you　have　in　future？〃
So　spoke　Cheng　Yu；　and　Guo　Jia　followed　in　the　same　strain；　saying；　〃Even　if　you　would　not　put　him　to　death；　you　need　not　have　let　him　go。　As　the　proverb　says；　'Relax　opposition　for　one　day　and　age…long　harm　ensues。'　You　must　admit　the　truth　of　this。〃
Cao　Cao　recognized　that　these　were　prudent　counsels；　so　he　sent　Xu　Chu　with　five　hundred　horsemen　and　imperative　orders　to　bring　Liu　Bei　back　again。
Liu　Bei　was　marching　as　rapidly　as　possible　when　he　noticed　a　cloud　of　dust　in　the　rear　and　remarked　to　his　brothers；　〃Surely　they　are　pursuing　us。〃
He　halted　and　made　a　stockade；　and　ordered　his　brothers　to　be　in　readiness；　one　on　each　flank。　Presently　the　messenger　arrived　and　found　himself　in　the　midst　of　an　army　ready　for　battle。　Xu　Chu　dismounted　and　entered　the　camp　to　speak　with　Liu　Bei。
〃Sir；　on　what　business　have　you　e？〃　asked　Liu　Bei。
〃The　Prime　Minister　has　sent　me　to　request　you　to　return　as　he　has　further　matters　to　discuss　with　you。〃
〃When　a　general　has　once　taken　the　field；　even　the　royal　mand　is　of　no　effect。　I　bade　farewell　to　the　Emperor；　I　received　the　Prime　Minister's　mands；　and　there　can　be　nothing　further　to　talk　about。　You　may　return　forthwith　and　take　that　as　my　reply。〃
Xu　Chu　was　undecided　what　action　to　take。　He　thought；　〃The　Prime　Minister　cherishes　a　friendship　with　Liu　Bei；　and　I　have　no　orders　to　kill。　I　can　only　return　with　this　reply　and　ask　further　instructions。〃
So　Xu　Chu　left。　When　he　related　what　had　occurred；　Cao　Cao　still　hesitated　to　take　any　action。
〃This　refusal　to　return　means　enmity；〃　said　Cheng　Yu　and　Guo　Jia。
〃Still；　two　of　my　people　are　with　him；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃He　will　not　dare　do　anything　unfriendly；　I　think。　Beside；　I　sent　him　and　I　cannot　go　back　on　my　own　orders。〃
So　Liu　Bei　was　not　pursued。

He　took　his　arms；　he　fed　his　steed；
And　fared　forth　willingly；
Intent　to　acplish　his　King's　behest
Deep　graven　on　his　memory。
At　least　he　had　broken　out　of　his　cage；
He　heard　not　the　tiger's　roar；
He　had　shaken　the　shackles　from　his　feet；
As　a　dragon　on　high　could　soar。

As　soon　as　Ma　Teng　heard　that　Liu　Bei　had　set　forth；　he　reported　that　pressing　business　called　him　and　marched　back　to　his　own　region；　Xiliang。
When　Liu　Bei　reached　Xuzhou；　the　Deputy　Imperial　Protector；　Che　Zhou；　came　to　meet　him。　When　the　official　banquet　was　over；　Sun　Qian　and　Mi　Zhu　paid　their　visit　to　Che　Zhou。　Then　Liu　Bei　proceeded　to　his　residence　to　greet　his　family。
Scouts　were　sent　out　to　see　what　Yuan　Shu　was　doing。　They　came　back　with　the　intelligence：　〃Yuan　Shu's　arrogance　had　driven　away　his　generals；　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan；　who　had　returned　to　their　mountain　fastness　in　Mount　Song。　His　forces　thus　reduced；　he　wrote　resigning　the　imperial　style　he　had　assumed　in　favor　of　his　brother　Yuan　Shao；　who　at　once　manded　his　presence。　Thereupon　he　packed　up　the　Palace　fittings　he　had　made；　got　the　remnants　of　his　army　in　order；　and　marched　west。〃
When　Yuan　Shu　neared　Xuzhou；　Liu　Bei　led　out　his　force　of　fifty　thousand　soldiers　and　four　generals………Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　Zhu　Ling；　and　Lu　Zhao。　Yuan　Shu　sent　out　Ji　Ling　to　force　a　way　through。　But　Zhang　Fei　opposed　him　and　attacked　without　a　parley。　In　the　tenth　bout　Zhang　Fei　cut　down　Ji　Ling。　The　defeated　troops　fled　in　all　directions。
Then　Yuan　Shu　came　up　with　his　own　army。　Liu　Bei　placed　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao　in　mand　of　the　left　wing；　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei　the　right　wing；　and　himself　in　the　center；　and　so　met　Yuan　Shu。
As　soon　as　the　enemy　came　near；　Liu　Bei　began　to　abuse　him；　crying；　〃O　rebellious　one；　and　wicked；　I　have　a　mand　to　destroy　you！　Yield；　then；　with　good　grace　and　so　escape　your　punishment！〃
〃Base　weaver　of　mats　and　mean　maker　of　straw　sandals！　How　dare　you　make　light　of　me？〃　replied　Yuan　Shu；　and　he　gave　the　signal　for　an　attack。
Liu　Bei　retired；　and　his　generals　from　the　flanks　closed　in。　They　smote　the　army　of　Yuan　Shu　till　corpses　littered　the　plain　and　blood　flowed　in　streams。　At　the　same　time　Yuan　Shu's　former　generals；　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan　from　Mount　Song；　attacked　the　baggage　train　and　pleted　the　destruction。　Yuan　Shu　tried　to　retreat　to　Shouchun；　but　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan　barred　the　road。
Yuan　Shu　sought　refuge　in　Jiangling；　with　one　thousand　troops　left　of　all　his　army。　And　these　were　the　weakly　ones；　able　neither　to　fight　nor　flee。　It　was　then　the　height　of　summer；　and　their　food　was　nearly　exhausted。　The　whole　provision　consisted　of　thirty　carts　of　wheat。　This　was　made　over　to　the　soldiers；　and　the　members　of　his　household　went　hungry。　Many　died　of　actual　starvation。　Yuan　Shu　could　not　swallow　the　coarse　food　that　the　soldiers　lived　on。　One　day　he　bade　his　cook　bring　him　some　honeyed　water　to　quench　his　thirst。
〃There　is　no　water；　save　that　tainted　with　blood；〃　replied　the　cook。　〃Where　can　I　get　honeyed　water？〃
This　was　the　last　straw。　Yuan　Shu　sat　up　on　his　couch　and　rolled　out　on　the　floor　with　a　loud　cry。　Blood　gushed　from　his　mouth　and　thus　he　died。　It　was　the　sixth　month　of　the　fourth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　199）。

The　last　days　of　Han　approached　and　weapons　clashed　in　every　quarter；
The　misguided　Yuan　Shu；　lost　to　all　sense　of　honor；
Forgetful　of　his　forefathers；　who　had　filled　the　state's　highest　offices；
Madly　aspired　to　bee　himself　Emperor；
Resting　his　outrageous　claim　on　the　possession　of　the　Seal；
And　arrogantly　boasting　that　thus　he　fulfilled　the　design　of　Heaven。
Alas！　Sick　unto　death　he　vainly　begged　for　a　little　honeyed　water；
He　died；　alone。

Yuan　Shu　being　dead；　his　nephew；　Yuan　Yin；　taking　his　coffin　and　his　wife　and　children；　sought　shelter　in　Lujiang。　There　the　Magistrate；　Xu　Liu；　slew　all　the　survivors。　Among　the　possessions　Xu　Liu　found　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal；　which　he　at　once　took　to　the　capital　and　presented　to　Cao　Cao；　for　which　service　he　was　made　Governor　of　Gaoling。　Since　then　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal　belonged　to　Cao　Cao。
When　Liu　Bei　heard　that　Yuan　Shu　was　dead；　he　prepared　a　report　to　the　Throne；　and　sent　it　to　Cao　Cao。　He　sent　the　two　generals　deputed　by　Cao　Cao；　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao；　back　to　the　capital；　keeping　the　army　to　defend　Xuzhou。　He　also　personally　went　through　the　countryside　manding　the　people　to　resume　their　ordinary　avocations。
Cao　Cao　was　angry　when　his　two　officers　returned　without　their　man　and　was　going　to　put　them　to　death。　Xun　Yu　reasoned　with　him。
〃The　power　was　in　Liu　Bei's　hands；　and　so　these　two　had　no　alternative；〃　said　Xun　Yu。
So　they　were　pardoned。
〃You　should　instruct　Che　Zhou；　the　Deputy　Imperial　Protector；　to　try　to　destroy　him；〃　said　Xun　Yu。
Accordingly　he　sent　secret　orders　to　Che　Zhou；　who　took　Chen　Deng　into　his　confidence　and　asked　his　advice。
Chen　Deng　said；　〃That　is　easy。　Liu　Bei　is　outside　the　city；　and　an　ambush　in　the　city　gate　to　attack　him　on　his　return　from　the　country　will　be　final。　I　will　attack　the　escort　with　arrows　from　the　city　walls。〃
Che　Zhou　agreed　to　try　this。
Then　Chen　Deng　went　to　his　father　to　tell　him。　Chen　Gui　bade　him　go　and　warn　the　intended　victim。　Chen　Deng　at　once　rode　away　to　do　so。　Before　long　he　met　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei；　to　whom　he　told　his　story。
Now　Liu　Bei　was　following　some　distance　behind。　As　soon　as　Zhang　Fei　heard　of　the　plot；　he　wanted　to　attack　the　ambush；　but　Guan　Yu　proposed　another　plan。
Said　he；　〃Attacking　the　ambush　will　be　a　failure；　since　we　are　without　the　walls。　And　I　think　we　can　pass　the　death　of　Che　Zhou。　In　the　night　we　will　pretend　to　be　some　of　Cao　Cao's　soldiers　and　entice　him　out　to　meet　us。　We　will　slay　him。〃
Zhang　Fei　approved　of　the　plan。　Now　the　soldiers　still　had　some　of　Cao　Cao's　army　banners　and　wore　similar　armor。　About　the　third　watch　they　came　to　the　city　wall　and　hailed　the　gate。　Those　on　guard　asked　who　they　were。　The　men　replied　that　they　were　Zhang　Liao's　troops　sent　from　the　capital。　This　was　told　Che　Zhou　who　sent　hastily　for　Chen　Deng　to　ask　his　advice。
〃If　I　do　not　receive　them；　they　will　suspect　my　loyalty；〃　said　Che　Z