三国演义英文版-第143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！


illity　to　the　people　of　the　South　Land　and　safety　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　six　territories。〃
Sun　Quan　still　remained　silent。　His　head　bent　in　deep　thought。　Presently　he　arose　and　paced　slowly　out　at　the　door；　and　Lu　Su　followed　him。
Outside　he　took　Lu　Su　by　the　hand；　saying；　〃What　do　you　desire？〃
〃What　they　have　all　been　saying　is　very　derogatory　to　you。　A　mon　person　might　submit。　You　cannot。〃
〃Why？　How　do　you　explain　that？〃
〃If　people　like　us　servants　submitted；　we　would　just　return　to　our　village　or　continue　holding　our　offices；　and　everything　would　go　on　as　before。　If　you　submit；　whither　will　you　go？　You　will　be　created　a　lord　of　some　humble　fief；　perhaps。　You　will　have　one　carriage；　no　more；　one　saddle　horse；　that　is　all。　Your　retinue　will　be　some　ten。　Will　you　be　able　to　sit　facing　the　south　and　call　yourself　by　the　kingly　title　of　'The　Solitary'？　Each　one　in　that　crowd　of　hangers…on　is　thinking　for　himself；　is　purely　selfish；　and　you　should　not　listen　to　them；　but　take　a　line　of　your　own　and　that　quickly。　Determine　to　play　a　bold　game！〃
Sun　Quan　sighed；　〃They　all　talk　and　talk：　They　miss　my　point　of　view。　Now　you　have　just　spoken　of　a　bold　game；　and　your　view　is　the　same　as　mine。　Surely　God　has　expressly　sent　you　to　me。　Still　Cao　Cao　is　now　the　stronger　by　all　Yuan　Shao's　and　Liu　Biao's　armies；　and　he　has　possession　of　Jingzhou。　I　fear　he　is　almost　too　powerful　to　contend　with。〃
〃I　have　brought　back　with　me　Zhuge　Liang；　the　younger　brother　of　our　Zhuge　Jin。　If　you　questioned　him；　he　would　explain　clearly。〃
〃Is　Master　Sleeping　Dragon　really　here？〃
〃Really　here；　in　the　guest…house。〃
〃It　is　too　late　to　see　him　today。　But　tomorrow　I　will　assemble　my　officials；　and　you　will　introduce　him　to　all　my　best。　After　that　we　will　debate　the　matter。〃
With　these　instructions　Lu　Su　retired。
Next　day　he　went　to　the　guest…house　and　conveyed　Sun　Quan's　mands　to　the　guest；　particularly　saying；　〃When　you　see　my　master；　say　nothing　of　the　magnitude　of　Cao　Cao's　army。〃
Zhuge　Liang　smiled；　saying；　〃I　shall　act　as　circumstances　dictate。　You　may　be　sure　I　shall　make　no　mistakes。〃
Zhuge　Liang　was　then　conducted　to　where　the　high　officers；　civil　and　military　to　the　number　of　forty　and　more；　were　assembled。　They　formed　a　dignified　conclave　as　they　sat　in　stately　ranks　with　their　tall　headdresses　and　broad　girdles。
Zhang　Zhao　sat　at　the　head；　and　Zhuge　Liang　first　saluted　him。　Then；　one　by　one；　he　exchange　the　formal　courtesies　with　them　all。　This　done　he　took　his　seat　in　the　guest's　chair。
They；　on　their　part；　noted　with　interest　Zhuge　Liang's　refined　and　elegant　manner　and　his　manding　figure；　thinking　within　themselves；　〃Here　is　a　persuader　fitted　for　discourse。〃
Zhang　Zhao　led　the　way　in　trying　to　bait　the　visitor。　He　said；　〃You　will　pardon　the　most　insignificant　of　our　official　circle；　myself；　if　I　mention　that　people　say　you　pare　yourself　with　those　two　famous　men　of　talent；　Guan　Zhong　and　Yue　Yi。　Is　there　any　truth　in　this？〃
〃To　a　trifling　extent　I　have　pared　myself　with　them；〃　replied　Zhuge　Liang。
〃I　have　heard　that　Liu　Bei　made　three　journeys　to　visit　you　when　you　lived　in　retirement　in　your　simple　dwelling　in　the　Sleeping　Dragon　Ridge；　and　that　when　you　consented　to　serve　him；　he　said　he　was　as　lucky　as　a　fish　in　getting　home　to　the　ocean。　Then　he　desired　to　possess　the　region　about　Jingzhou。　Yet　today　all　that　country　belongs　to　Cao　Cao。　I　should　like　to　hear　your　account　of　all　that。〃
Zhuge　Liang　thought；　〃This　Zhang　Zhao　is　Sun　Quan's　first　adviser。　Unless　I　can　nonplus　him；　I　shall　never　have　a　chance　with　his　master。〃
So　he　replied；　〃In　my　opinion　the　taking　of　the　region　around　the　Han　River　was　as　simple　as　turning　over　one's　hand。　But　my　master　Liu　Bei　is　both　righteous　and　humane　and　would　not　stoop　to　filching　the　possession　of　a　member　of　his　own　house。　So　he　refused　the　offer　of　succession。　But　Liu　Zong；　a　stupid　lad；　misled　by　specious　words；　submitted　to　Cao　Cao　and　fell　victim　to　his　ferocity。　My　master　is　in　camp　at　Jiangxia；　but　what　his　future　plans　may　be　cannot　be　divulged　at　present。〃
Zhang　Zhao　said；　〃Be　it　so；　but　your　words　and　your　deeds　are　something　discordant。　You　say　you　are　the　equal　of　the　two　famous　ones。　Well；　Guan　Zhong；　as　minister　of　Prince　Huan；　put　his　master　at　the　very　head　of　the　feudal　nobles；　making　his　master's　will　supreme　in　all　the　land。　Under　the　able　statesmanship　of　Yue　Yi；　the　feeble　state　of　Yan　conquered　Qi；　reducing　nearly　seventy　of　its　cities。　These　two　were　men　of　most　manding　and　conspicuous　talent。
〃When　you　lived　in　retirement；　you　smiled　scornfully　at　ordinary　people；　passed　your　days　in　idleness；　nursing　your　knees　and　posing　in　a　superior　manner；　implying　that　if　you　had　control　of　affairs；　Liu　Bei　would　be　more　than　human；　he　should　bring　good　to　everybody　and　remove　all　evil；　rebellion　and　robbery　would　be　no　more。　Poor　Liu　Bei；　before　he　obtained　your　help；　was　an　outcast　and　a　vagabond；　stealing　a　city　here　and　there　where　he　could。　With　you　to　help　him；　he　was　to　bee　the　cynosure　of　every　eye；　and　every　lisping　school　child　was　to　say　that　he　was　a　tiger　who　had　grown　wings；　the　Hans　were　to　be　restored　and　Cao　Cao　and　his　faction　exterminated；　the　good　old　days　would　be　restored；　and　all　the　people　who　had　been　driven　into　retirement　by　the　corruption　of　political　life　would　wake　up；　rub　the　sleep　out　of　their　eyes；　and　be　in　readiness　to　lift　the　cloud　of　darkness　that　covered　the　sky　and　gaze　up　at　the　glorious　brilliancy　of　the　sun　and　moon；　to　pull　the　people　out　of　fire　and　water　and　put　all　the　world　to　rest　on　a　couch　of　fort。　That　was　all　supposed　to　happen　forthwith。
〃Why　then；　when　you　went　to　Xinye；　did　not　Cao　Cao's　army　throw　aside　their　arms　and　armors　and　flee　like　rats？　Why　could　you　not　have　told　Liu　Biao　how　to　give　tranquillity　to　his　people？　Why　could　you　not　aid　his　orphan　son　to　protect　his　frontiers？　Instead　you　abandoned　Xinye　and　fled　to　Fancheng；　you　were　defeated　at　Dangyang　and　fled　to　Xiakou　with　no　place　to　rest　in。　Thus；　after　you　had　joined　Liu　Bei；　he　was　worse　off　than　before。　Was　it　thus　with　Guan　Zhong　and　Yue　Yi？　I　trust　you　do　not　mind　my　blunt　speech。〃
Zhuge　Liang　waited　till　Zhang　Zhao　had　closed　his　oration；　then　laughed　and　said；　〃How　can　the　mon　birds　understand　the　long　flight　of　the　cranes？　Let　me　use　an　illustration。　A　man　has　fallen　into　a　terrible　malady。　First　the　physician　must　administer　hashish；　then　soothing　drugs　until　his　viscera　shall　be　calmed　into　harmonious　action。　When　the　sick　man's　body　shall　have　been　reduced　to　quietude；　then　may　he　be　given　strong　meats　to　strengthen　him　and　powerful　drugs　to　correct　the　disorder。　Thus　the　disease　will　be　quite　expelled；　and　the　man　restored　to　health。　If　the　physician　does　not　wait　till　the　humors　and　pulse　are　in　harmony；　but　throws　in　his　strong　drugs　too　early；　it　will　be　difficult　to　restore　the　patient。
〃My　master　suffered　defeat　at　Runan　and　went　to　Liu　Biao。　He　had　then　less　than　one　thousand　soldiers　and　only　three　generals………Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　and　Zhao　Yun。　That　was　indeed　a　time　of　extreme　weakness。　Xinye　was　a　secluded；　rustic　town　with　few　inhabitants　and　scanty　supplies；　and　my　master　only　retired　there　as　a　temporary　refuge。　How　could　he　even　think　of　occupying　and　holding　it？　Yet；　with　insufficient　force；　in　a　weak　city；　with　untrained　men　and　inadequate　supplies；　we　burned　Xiahou　Dun　at　Bowang　Slope；　drowned　Cao　Ren　and　Cao　Hong　and　their　army　in　the　White　River；　and　set　them　in　terror　as　they　fled。　I　doubt　whether　the　two　ancient　heroes　would　have　done　any　better。　As　to　the　surrender　of　Liu　Zong；　Liu　Bei　knew　nothing　of　it。　And　he　was　too　noble　and　too　righteous　to　take　advantage　of　a　kinsman's　straits　to　seize　his　inheritance。　As　for　the　defeat　at　Dangyang；　it　must　be　remembered　that　Liu　Bei　was　hampered　with　a　huge　voluntary　following　of　mon　people；　with　their　aged　relatives　and　their　children；　whom　he　was　too　humane　to　abandon。　He　never　thought　of　taking　Jiangling；　but　willingly　suffered　with　his　people。　This　is　a　striking　instance　of　his　magnanimity。

＇e＇　Han　Xin　was　a　general　of　Liu　Bang。　Before　serving　Han；　Han　Xin　had　been　an　officer　under　Xiang　Yu。　Disappointed　because　his　plans　were　rejected；　Han　Xin　left　Xiang　Yu　and　joined　Li