第一小说网

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第105部分（第2页）

＇e＇　It　was　the　day　in　the　South　of　River　Huai；　when　Yuan　Shu　spread　a　banquet　for　the　child　prodigies　of　the　region。　Lu　Ji　was　among　the　invited。　During　the　party；　Lu　Ji　stole　an　orange　for　his　mother。　Due　to　this　act；　his　name　was　written　in　the　〃List　of　Filial　Children〃。

Zhuge　Liang　laughed　and　replied；　〃Are　you　not　that　Lu　Ji　who　pocketed　the　orange　when　you　were　sitting　among　Yuan　Shus　guests*？　Listen　to　me：　I　have　a　word　to　say　to　you。　Inasmuch　as　Cao　Cao　is　a　descendant　of　a　minister　of　state；　he　is　by　heredity　a　servant　of　the　Hans。　But　now　he　has　monopolized　all　state　authority　and　knows　only　his　own　arbitrary　will；　heaping　every　indignity　upon　his　lord。　Not　only　does　he　forget　his　prince；　but　he　ignores　his　ancestors；　not　only　is　he　a　rebellious　servant　of　Han；　but　the　renegade　of　his　family。　Liu　Bei　of　Yuzhou　is　a　noble　scion　of　the　imperial　family　upon　whom　the　Emperor　has　conferred　rank；　as　is　recorded　in　the　annals。　How　then　can　you　say　there　is　no　evidence　of　his　imperial　origin？　Beside；　the　very　founder　of　the　dynasty　was　himself　of　lowly　origin；　and　yet　he　became　emperor。　Where　is　the　shame　in　weaving　mats　and　selling　shoes？　Your　mean；　immature　views　are　unfit　to　be　mentioned　in　the　presence　of　scholars　of　standing。〃

This　put　a　stop　to　Lu　Jis　flow　of　eloquence。

But　another　of　those　present　said；　〃Zhuge　Liangs　words　are　overbearing；　and　he　distorts　reason。　It　is　not　proper　argument；　and　he　had　better　say　no　more。　But　I　would　ask　him　what　classical　canon　he　studied。〃

＇e＇　Yi　Yin　was　the　founding　minister　of　Shang　Dynasty；　Lu　Wang；　of　Zhou　Dynasty；　Zhang　Liang　and　Chen　Ping；　of　Han　Dynasty。

Zhuge　Liang　looked　at　his　interlocutor；　who　was　Yan　Jun；　and　said；　〃The　dryasdusts　of　every　age　select　passages　and　choose　phrases。　What　else　are　they　good　for？　Do　they　ever　initiate　a　policy　or　manage　an　affair？　Yi　Yin；　who　was　a　farmer　in　the　state　of　Shen；　and　Lu　Wang；　the　fisherman　of　the　River　Wei；　Zhang　Liang　and　Chen　Ping；　Zheng　Yu　and　Geng　Yan*………all　were　men　of　transcendent　ability；　but　I　have　never　inquired　what　classical　canon　they　followed　or　on　whose　essays　they　formed　their　style。　Would　you　liken　them　to　your　rusty　students　of　books；　whose　journeyings　are　prised　between　their　brush　and　their　inkstone；　who　spend　their　days　in　literary　futilities；　wasting　both　time　and　ink？〃

No　reply　was　forthing。　Yan　Jun　hung　his　head　with　shame。

But　another　disputant；　Cheng　Deshu　by　name；　suddenly　shouted；　〃You　are　mightily　fond　of　big　words；　Sir；　but　they　do　not　give　any　proof　of　your　scholarship　after　all。　I　am　inclined　to　think　that　a　real　scholar　would　just　laugh　at　you。〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃There　is　the　noble　scholar；　loyal　and　patriotic；　of　perfect　rectitude　and　a　hater　of　any　crookedness。　The　concern　of　such　a　scholar　is　to　act　in　full　sympathy　with　his　day　and　leave　to　future　ages　a　fine　reputation。　There　is　the　scholar　of　the　mean　type；　a　pedant　and　nothing　more。　He　labors　constantly　with　his　pen；　in　his　callow　youth　posing　odes　and　in　hoary　age　still　striving　to　understand　the　classical　books　pletely。　Thousands　of　words　flow　from　his　pen；　but　there　is　not　a　solid　idea　in　his　breast。　He　may；　as　did　Yang　Xiong；　glorify　the　age　with　his　writings　and　yet　stoop　to　serve　a　tyrant　such　as　Wang　Mang。　No　wonder　Yang　Xiong　threw　himself　out　of　a　window；　he　had　to。　That　is　the　way　of　the　scholar　of　mean　type。　Though　he　poses　odes　by　the　hundred；　what　is　the　use　of　him？〃

Cheng　Deshu　could　make　no　reply。　The　other　officers　now　began　to　hold　this　man　of　torrential　speech　in　wholesome　fear。

Only　two　of　them；　Zhang　Wen　and　Luo　Tong；　had　failed　to　challenge　him；　but　when　they　would　have　tried　to　pose　Zhuge　Liang；　suddenly　someone　appeared　from　without　and　angrily　shouted；　〃This　is　not　paying　fit　respect　to　a　guest。　You　have　among　you　the　most　wonderful　man　of　the　day；　and　you　all　sit　there　trying　to　entangle　him　in　speech　while　our　archenemy　Cao　Cao　is　nearing　our　borders。　Instead　of　discussing　how　to　oppose　Cao　Cao；　you　are　all　wrangling　and　disputing。〃

All　eyes　turned　toward　the　speaker。　It　was　Huang　Gai　of　Lingling；　who　was　the　Chief　of　the　missariat　of　the　South　Land。

He　turned　to　address　Zhuge　Liang；　saying；　〃There　is　a　saying　that　though　something　may　be　gained　by　talk；　there　is　more　to　be　got　by　silence。　Why　not　give　my　lord　the　advantage　of　your　valuable　advice　instead　of　wasting　time　in　discussion　with　this　crowd？〃

〃They　did　not　understand；〃　replied　Zhuge　Liang；　〃and　it　was　necessary　to　enlighten　them；　so　I　had　to　speak。〃

As　Huang　Gai　and　Lu　Su　led　the　guest　toward　their　masters　apartments；　they　met　his　brother　Zhuge　Jin。　Zhuge　Liang　saluted　him　with　the　deference　due　to　an　elder　brother。

Zhuge　Jin　said；　〃Why　have　you　not　been　to　see　me；　brother？〃

〃I　am　now　in　the　service　of　Liu　Bei　of　Yuzhou；　and　it　is　right　that　public　affairs　precede　private　obligations。　I　cannot　attend　to　any　private　matters　till　my　work　is　done。　You　must　pardon　me；　brother。〃

〃After　you　have　seen　Marquis　Sun　Quan；　you　will　e　and　tell　me　your　news；〃　said　he　as　he　left。

As　they　went　along　to　the　audience　chamber；　Lu　Su　again　cautioned　Zhuge　Liang　against　any　rash　speech；　saying；　〃Do　not　tell　the　magnitude　of　Cao　Caos　forces。　Please　remember。〃

The　latter　nodded　but　made　no　other　reply。　When　they　reached　the　hall；　Sun　Quan　came　down　the　steps　to　wele　his　guests　and　was　extraordinarily　gracious。　After　the　mutual　salutations；　the　guest　was　given　a　chair　while　the　Marquis　officials　were　drawn　up　in　two　lines；　on　one　side　the　civil；　on　the　other　the　military。　Lu　Su　stood　beside　Zhuge　Liang　and　listened　to　his　introductory　speech。

As　Zhuge　Liang　spoke　of　Liu　Beis　intentions；　he　glanced　up　at　his　host。　He　noted　the　green　eyes　and　purple　beard　and　the　dignified　manding　air　of　the　man　and　thought　within　himself；　〃Certainly　in　appearance　this　is　no　mon　man。　He　is