第一小说网

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第106部分（第2页）

Host　and　guest　retired　to　the　inner　room　where　wine　was　served。

After　it　had　gone　round　several　times；　Sun　Quan　said；　〃The　enemies　of　Cao　Cao　were　Lu　Bu；　Liu　Biao；　Yuan　Shao；　Yuan　Shu；　Liu　Bei；　and　my　poor　self。　Now　most　of　these　are　gone；　and　only　Liu　Bei　and　I　remain。　I　will　never　allow　the　land　of　Wu　to　be　dictated　to　by　another。　The　only　one　who　could　have　withstood　Cao　Cao　was　Liu　Bei；　but　he　has　been　defeated　lately　and　what　can　he　do　now　against　such　force？〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃Although　defeated；　Liu　Bei　still　has　Guan　Yu　with　ten　thousand　veterans。　And　Liu　Qi　still　leads　the　troops　of　Jiangxia；　another　ten　thousand。　Cao　Caos　army　is　far　from　home；　and　the　soldiers　are　worn　out。　They　made　a　frantic　effort　to　e　up　with　my　master；　and　the　light　horse　marched　one　hundred　miles　in　a　day　and　a　night。　This　was　the　final　kick　of　the　crossbow　spring；　and　the　bolt　was　not　swift　enough　to　penetrate　even　the　thin　silken　vesture　of　Lu。　The　army　can　do　no　more。　They　are　northern　people；　unskilled　in　water　warfare；　and　the　people　of　Jingzhou　are　unwilling　supporters。　They　have　no　desire　to　help　Cao　Cao。　Now　if　you；　General；　will　assist　Liu　Bei；　Cao　Cao　will　certainly　be　broken；　and　he　must　retire　northwards。　Then　your　country　and　Jingzhou　will　be　strong；　and　the　tripod　will　be　firmly　established。　But　the　scheme　must　be　carried　out　without　delay；　and　only　you　can　decide。〃

Sun　Quan　joyfully　replied；　〃Your　words；　Master；　open　up　the　road　clearly。　I　have　decided　and　shall　have　no　further　doubts。〃

So　the　orders　were　issued　forthwith　to　prepare　for　a　joint　attack　on　Cao　Cao。　And　Sun　Quan　bade　Lu　Su　bear　the　news　of　his　decision　to　all　his　officers。　He　himself　escorted　Zhuge　Liang　to　the　guest…quarters　and　saw　to　his　fort。

When　Zhang　Zhao　heard　of　the　decision　he　met　his　colleagues　and　said　to　them；　〃Our　master　has　fallen　into　the　trap　set　by　this　Zhuge　Liang。〃

They　went　in　a　body　to　their　lord　and　said；　〃We　hear　you　are　going　to　attack　Cao　Cao。　But　how　do　you　stand　when　pared　with　Yuan　Shao？　In　those　days　Cao　Cao　was　paratively　weak；　and　yet　he　overcame。　What　is　he　like　today　with　his　countless　legions？　He　is　not　to　be　lightly　attacked；　and　to　listen　to　Zhuge　Liangs　advice　to　engage　in　a　conflict　is　like　carrying　fuel　to　a　fire。〃

Sun　Quan　made　no　reply；　and　Gu　Yong　took　up　the　argument。

Gu　Yong　said；　〃Liu　Bei　has　been　defeated；　and　he　wants　to　borrow　our　help　to　beat　his　enemy。　Why　must　our　lord　lend　himself　to　his　schemes？　Pray　listen　to　our　leaders　words。〃

Doubts　again　surged　up　in　the　mind　of　Sun　Quan。

When　the　troop　of　advisers　had　retired；　Lu　Su　came　in；　saying；　〃They　came　to　exhort　you　not　to　fight；　but　to　pel　you　to　surrender。　All　this　is　simply　because　they　wish　to　secure　the　safety　of　their　families。　They　distort　their　sense　of　duty　to　serve　their　own　ends；　and　I　hope　you　will　not　take　their　advice。〃

Sun　Quan　being　sunk　in　thought　and　saying　nothing；　Lu　Su　went　on；　〃If　you　hesitate；　you　will　certainly　be　led　astray　by　the　majority　and…〃

〃Retire　for　a　time；〃　said　his　master。　〃I　must　think　it　over　carefully。〃

So　Lu　Su　left　the　chamber。　Among　the　soldiers　some　wished　for　war；　but　of　the　civil　officers；　all　were　in　favor　of　surrender；　and　so　there　were　many　discussions　and　much　conflict　of　opinion。　Sun　Quan　went　to　his　private　apartments　greatly　perplexed。　There　his　worry　was　easily　discernible；　and　he　neither　ate　nor　slept。　He　was　quite　unable　to　decide　finally　upon　a　course　of　action。

Then　Lady　Wu；　the　sister　of　his　late　mother；　whom　he　also　regarded　as　his　own　mother；　asked　him　what　so　troubled　him；　and　he　told　her　of　the　threatened　danger　of　Cao　Cao　and　the　different　opinions　his　advisers　held　one　and　another　and　all　his　doubts　and　fears。

〃If　I　fight；　I　might　fail。　But　if　I　offer　to　surrender；　perhaps　Cao　Cao　will　not　tolerate　me；〃　said　he。

Then　she　replied；　〃Have　you　forgotten　the　last　words　of　my　sister？〃

As　to　one　recovering　from　a　fit　of　drunkenness；　or　waking　out　of　a　dream；　so　came　to　him　the　dying　words　of　the　mother　who　bore　him。

His　mothers　advice　he　called　to　mind；

〃In　Zhou　Yus　counsels　you　safety　find。〃

What　happened　will　be　told　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　44　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　44

Chapter　44

Zhuge　Liang　Stirs　Zhou　Yu　To　Actions；

Sun　Quan　Decides　To　Attack　Cao　Cao。

The　dying　message　which　Lady　Wu　recalled　to　Sun　Quans　memory　was；　〃For　internal　matters　consult　Zhang　Zhao；　for　external　policy　Zhou　Yu。〃

Wherefore　Zhou　Yu　was　summoned。

But　Zhou　Yu　was　already　on　the　way。　He　had　been　training　his　naval　forces　on　Poyang　Lake　when　he　heard　of　the　approach　of　Cao　Caos　hosts　and　had　started　for　Chaisang　without　loss　of　time。　So；　before　the　messenger　ordered　to　call　him　could　start；　he　had　already　arrived。　As　he　and　Lu　Su　were　close　friends；　the　latter　went　to　wele　him　and　told　him　of　all　that　had　happened。

〃Have　no　anxiety；〃　said　Zhou　Yu。　〃I　shall　be　able　to　decide　this。　But　go　quickly　and　beg　Zhuge　Liang　to　e　to　see　me。〃

So　Lu　Su　went　to　seek　out　Zhuge　Liang。

Zhou　Yu　had　many　other　visitors。　First　came　Zhang　Zhao；　Zhang　Hong；　Gu　Yong；　and　Bu　Zhi　to　represent　their　faction　to　find　out　what　might　be　afoot。

They　were　received；　and　after　the　exchange　of　the　usual　monplaces；　Zhang　Zhao　said；　〃Have　you　heard　of　our　terrible　danger？〃

〃I　have　heard　nothing；〃　said　Zhou　Yu。

〃Cao　Cao　and　his　hordes　are　encamped　up　the　Han　River。　He　has　just　sent　letters　asking　our　lord　to　hunt　with　him　in　Jiangxia。　He　may　have　a　desire　to　absorb　this　country　but；　if　so；　the　details　of　his　designs　are　still　secret。　We　prayed　our　master　to　give　in　his　submission　and　so　avoid　the　horrors　of　war；　but　now　Lu　Su　has　returned　bringing　with　him　the　Directing　Instructor　of　Liu　Beis　army；　Zhuge　Lian