第一小说网

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第189部分（第1页）

〃I　want　to　send　my　armies　to　punish　Wu　and　appease　my　wrath；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃No；　you　may　not　do　that。　Wu　wishes　to　move　you　to　smite　Wei；　and　Wei　wishes　you　to　attack　Wu；　each　harboring　the　malevolent　design　of　taking　advantage　of　the　quarrel。　You　would　do　well；　my　lord；　to　keep　your　armies　at　home。　Put　on　mourning　for　Guan　Yu；　and　wait　till　Wei　and　Wu　are　at　war。　That　will　be　your　time。〃

The　other　officers　supported　Zhuge　Liang；　and　Liu　Bei　listened。　Presently　his　grief　spent　itself；　and　he　began　to　take　food　again。　An　edict　was　promulgated　enjoining　mourning　dress　upon　all　officials。　The　Prince　went　outside　the　south　gate　to　summon　the　spirit　home；　and　sacrificed　and　wailed　a　whole　day　for　the　dead　warrior；　his　brother。

In　Luoyang；　although　Cao　Cao　had　given　honorable　burial　to　the　remains　of　Guan　Yu；　yet　he　was　continually　haunted　by　the　dead　mans　spirit。　Every　night　when　he　closed　his　eyes；　he　saw　Guan　Yu　as　he　knew　the　warrior　so　well　in　the　flesh。　These　visions　made　him　nervous；　and　he　sought　the　advice　of　his　officers。　Some　suggested　the　building　of　new　rooms　for　his　own　use。

〃There　is　much　witchcraft　and　malign　influence　in　this　old　Palace　at　Luoyang。　Build　a　new　Palace　for　your　own　occupation；〃　said　they。

〃I　would；　and　it　should　be　called　The　New　Foundation；〃　said　he。　〃But　where　is　the　good　architect？〃

Jia　Xu　said；　〃There　is　one　Su　Yue；　a　very　cunning　artificer　in　Luoyang。〃

Su　Yue　was　called　and　set　to　work　on　the　plans　for　a　nine…hall　pavilion　for　Cao　Caos　own　use。　It　had　verandahs　and　upper　rooms　as　well。　His　plans　pleased　Cao　Cao　greatly。

〃You　have　planned　just　such　a　place　as　I　wished；　only　where　will　you　find　the　main　beam　for　such　a　building？〃

〃I　know　a　certain　tree　that　will　serve；〃　said　the　architect。　〃About　ten　miles　from　the　city　there　is　the　Pool　of　the　Leaping　Dragon。　Near　it　is　a　shrine；　and　beside　that　grows　a　fine　pear　tree。　It　is　over　a　hundred　spans　high；　and　that　will　serve　for　the　roof　tree。〃

Cao　Cao　at　once　sent　people　to　fell　the　tree。　But　after　one　whole　day　of　labor　they　came　back　to　say　they　could　make　no　impression　on　it　neither　with　saw　nor　ax。　Cao　Cao；　doubting　their　word；　went　to　see。　When　he　had　dismounted　and　stood　by　the　tree；　he　could　not　but　admire　its　size　and　proportions；　as　it　rose　above　him　tall；　straight　and　branched　till　the　wide…spreading　and　symmetrical　top　reached　into　the　clouds。　But　he　bade　the　men　attack　it　again。

Then　a　few　aged　people　of　the　village　came　and　said；　〃The　tree　has　stood　here　some　centuries　and　is　the　haunt　of　a　spirit。　We　think　it　should　not　be　cut　down。〃

Cao　Cao　grew　annoyed；　saying；　〃I　have　gone　to　and　fro　in　the　world　now　some　thirty　years；　and　there　is　no　one；　from　the　Emperor　to　the　moner；　who　does　not　fear　me。　What　spirit　is　there　who　dares　oppose　my　wish？〃

Drawing　the　sword　he　was　wearing；　Cao　Cao　went　up　to　the　tree　and　slashed　at　the　trunk。　The　tree　groaned　as　he　struck；　and　blood　stains　spattered　his　dress。　Terror…stricken；　he　threw　down　the　sword；　mounted　his　horse　and　galloped　off。

But　that　evening　when　he　retired　to　rest；　he　could　not　sleep。　He　rose；　went　into　the　outer　room；　and　sat　there　leaning　on　a　low　table。　Suddenly　a　man　appeared　with　his　hair　unbound；　dressed　in　black　and　carrying　a　naked　sword。

The　visitor　came　straight　toward　Cao　Cao；　stopped　in　front　of　him　and；　pointing；　cried　out；　〃Behold　the　Spirit　of　the　Pear　Tree！　You　may　desire　to　build　your　nine…hall　pavilion；　and　you　may　contemplate　rebellion。　But　when　you　began　to　attack　my　sacred　tree；　the　number　of　your　days　was　acplished。　I　am　e　now　to　slay　you。〃

〃Where　are　the　guards？〃　shouted　Cao　Cao　in　terror。

The　figure　struck　at　him　with　the　sword。　Cao　Cao　cried　out　and　then　awoke。　His　head　was　aching　unbearably。

They　sought　the　best　physicians　for　him；　but　they　failed　to　relieve　the　terrible　pain。　Sympathy　for　their　lord　was　universal　among　Cao　Caos　subordinates。

Hua　Xin　one　day　said　to　his　master；　〃My　lord；　have　you　heard　of　Hua　Tuo？〃

〃Do　you　mean　him　of　Qiao　who　cured　Zhou　Tai？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　he；〃　replied　Hua　Xin。

〃I　have　heard　something　of　his　fame；　but　I　know　nothing　of　his　capabilities　in　his　art。〃

〃He　is　very　clever；　there　are　few　so　skillful。　If　one　is　ill　and　calls　him　in；　he　knows　immediately　whether　to　use　drugs；　or　the　needle；　or　the　cutlery；　and　the　patient　finds　relief　at　once。　Let　one　suffer　from　an　internal　plaint　and　drugs　are　ineffectual；　with　a　dose　of　hashish　he　throws　the　patient　into　a　state　of　perfect　insensibility　and　then　opens　the　abdomen　and　washes　the　affected　organs　with　a　medicament。　The　patient　feels　no　pain。　When　the　cleansing　is　plete；　he　sews　up　the　wound　with　thread；　dresses　it；　and　in　a　month　or　less　the　patient　is　well。　This　shows　you　how　skillful　he　is。

〃One　day　Hua　Tuo　was　traveling；　when　he　heard　a　man　by　the　wayside　groaning　with　pain。　That　is　dyspepsia；　said　Hua　Tuo。　And　further　questions　confirmed　the　diagnosis。　He　prescribed　long　draughts　of　the　juice　of　garlic　as　an　emetic；　and　the　man　vomited　a　worm。　After　this　the　man　was　quite　well。

〃Chen　Deng；　the　Governor　of　Guangling；　suffered　from　a　heavy　feeling　at　the　heart。　His　face　was　red　and　congested；　and　he　had　no　appetite。　Hua　Tuo　gave　him　a　drug；　and　he　threw　up　many　internal　wriggling　parasites　with　red　heads。　The　Governor　asked　what　had　caused　the　trouble；　and　Hua　Tuo　told　him　that　he　ate　too　much　strong　smelling　fish。　He　could　cure　Chen　Deng　this　once；　but　in　three　years　the　disease　would　recur；　and　then　nothing　could　save　him。　Three　later　Chen　Deng　died。

〃Another　man　had　a　tumor　between　the　eyes；　and　it　itched　intolerably。　Hua　Tuo　examined　it　and　said　there　was　a　bird　in　it。　The　tumor　was　opened；　and；　surely　enough；　a　canary　flew　out。　The　patient　was　relieved。

＇e＇　Bian　Que　is　the　earliest　of　the　legendary　doctors　of　Chinese　medicine　after　the　time　of　the　Yellow　Emperor　and　his　advisors。　Credited　with　incredible　healing　knowledge；　stories　of　his　life　and　treatments　are　used　in　teaching　and　known　to　all　Chinese　medicine　practitioners　today。　。。。。。