第一小说网

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第130部分（第2页）

〃Who　is　this？〃　asked　the　Dowager。

〃This　is　Zhao　Yun　of　Changshan。〃

〃Then　he　must　be　the　hero　of　Dangyang；　who　saved　the　little　Liu　Shan。〃

〃Yes；　this　is　he；〃　replied　Liu　Bei。

〃A　fine　general！〃　said　the　Dowager；　and　she　gave　him　wine。

Presently　Zhao　Yun　said　to　his　master；　〃I　have　seen　a　lot　of　armed　ruffians　hidden　away　in　the　purlieus　of　the　temple。　They　can　be　there　for　no　good；　and　you　should　ask　the　Dowager　to　get　them　sent　away。〃

Thereupon　Liu　Bei　knelt　at　the　feet　of　the　Dowager　and；　weeping；　said；　〃If　you　would　slay　me；　let　it　be　here。〃

〃Why　do　you　say　this？〃　asked　she。

〃Because　there　are　assassins　in　hiding　in　the　wings　of　the　temple。　What　are　they　there　for　if　not　to　kill　me？〃

The　Dowager　wrathfully　turned　on　Sun　Quan；　〃What　are　armed　men　doing　there　today；　when　Liu　Bei　is　to　bee　my　son…in…law　and　the　pair　are　my　son　and　daughter？〃

Sun　Quan　said　he　did　not　know　and　sent　Lu　Fan　to　inquire。　Lu　Fan　put　the　blame　on　Jia　Hua。　The　Dowager　summoned　him　and　upbraided　him　severely。　He　had　nothing　to　say；　and　she　told　them　to　put　him　to　death。

But　Liu　Bei　interceded；　saying；　〃The　generals　death　will　do　me　harm　and　make　it　hard　for　me　to　stay　at　your　side。〃

The　State　Patriarch　Qiao　also　interceded；　and　she　only　ordered　the　general　out　of　her　presence。　His　subordinates　also　scattered　and　ran　like　frightened　rats。

By　and　bye；　strolling　out　of　the　banquet　room　into　the　temple　grounds；　Liu　Bei　came　to　a　boulder。　Drawing　his　sword　he　looked　up　to　heaven　and　prayed；　saying；　〃If　I　am　to　return　to　Jingzhou　and　achieve　my　intent　to　bee　a　chief　ruler；　then　may　I　cleave　this　boulder　asunder　with　my　sword。　But　if　I　am　to　meet　my　doom　in　this　place；　then　may　the　sword　fail　to　cut　this　stone。〃

Raising　his　sword　he　smote　the　boulder。　Sparks　flew　in　all　directions；　and　the　boulder　lay　split　in　twain。

It　happened　that　Sun　Quan　had　seen　the　blow；　and　he　said；　〃Why　do　you　thus　hate　that　stone？〃

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃I　am　near　my　fifth　decade　and　have　so　far　failed　to　rid　the　state　of　evil。　I　greatly　regret　my　failure。　Now　I　have　been　accepted　by　the　Dowager　as　her　son…in…law；　and　this　is　a　critical　moment　in　my　life。　So　I　implored　of　Heaven　a　portent　that　I　might　destroy　Cao　Cao　as　I　would　that　boulder　and　restore　the　dynasty。　You　saw　what　happened。〃

〃That　is　only　to　deceive　me；〃　thought　Sun　Quan。　Drawing　his　own　sword；　he　said；　〃And　I　also　ask　of　Heaven　an　omen；　that　if　I　am　to　destroy　Cao　Cao；　I　may　also　cut　this　rock。〃

So　he　spoke。　But　in　his　secret　heart　he　prayed；　〃If　I　am　to　recover　Jingzhou　and　extend　my　borders；　may　the　stone　be　cut　in　twain。〃

He　smote　the　stone　and　it　split　in　twain。　And　to　this　day　there　are　cross　cuts　in　the　stone；　which　is　still　preserved。

One　who　saw　this　relic　wrote　a　poem：

The　shining　blades　fell　and　the　rock　was　shorn　through；

The　metal　rang　clear　and　the　sparks　widely　flew。

Thus　fate　then　declared　for　the　dynasties　two

And　the　tripartite　rule　there　began。

Both　put　up　their　swords　and　returned　hand　in　hand　to　the　banquet　hall。

After　some　more　courses；　Sun　Qian　gave　his　master　a　warning　look；　and　Liu　Bei　said；　〃I　pray　you　excuse　me　as　my　drinking　powers　are　very　small。〃

Wherefore　Sun　Quan　escorted　him　to　the　gate。

As　they　walked　down　looking　at　high　land　and　rolling　river　spreading　in　glorious　panorama　before　their　eyes；　Liu　Bei　exclaimed；　〃Really　this　is　the　finest　scene　in　the　whole　world！〃

These　words　are　recorded　on　a　tablet　in　the　Temple　of　the　Sweet　Dew；　and　one　who　read　them　wrote　a　poem：

From　the　riverside　hills　the　rain　clears　off；

And　the　black　clouds　roll　away；

And　this　is　the　place　of　joy　and　mirth

And　never　can　sorrow　stay。

And　here　two　heroes　of　ages　past

Decided　their　parts　to　play；

And　the　lofty　heights　flung　back　wind　and　wave

Then；　as　they　do　today。

Yes；　they　stood　both　entranced　by　the　beautiful　scene。　And　gradually　along　the　vast　river　the　wind　whipped　the　waves　into　snowy　foam　and　raised　them　high　toward　heaven。　And　in　the　midst　of　the　waves　appeared　a　tiny　leaf　of　a　boat　riding　over　the　waves　as　if　all　was　perfect　calm。

〃The　northern　people　are　riders　and　the　sou