第一小说网

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第54部分（第2页）

He　had　shaken　the　shackles　from　his　feet；

As　a　dragon　on　high　could　soar。

As　soon　as　Ma　Teng　heard　that　Liu　Bei　had　set　forth；　he　reported　that　pressing　business　called　him　and　marched　back　to　his　own　region；　Xiliang。

When　Liu　Bei　reached　Xuzhou；　the　Deputy　Imperial　Protector；　Che　Zhou；　came　to　meet　him。　When　the　official　banquet　was　over；　Sun　Qian　and　Mi　Zhu　paid　their　visit　to　Che　Zhou。　Then　Liu　Bei　proceeded　to　his　residence　to　greet　his　family。

Scouts　were　sent　out　to　see　what　Yuan　Shu　was　doing。　They　came　back　with　the　intelligence：　〃Yuan　Shus　arrogance　had　driven　away　his　generals；　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan；　who　had　returned　to　their　mountain　fastness　in　Mount　Song。　His　forces　thus　reduced；　he　wrote　resigning　the　imperial　style　he　had　assumed　in　favor　of　his　brother　Yuan　Shao；　who　at　once　manded　his　presence。　Thereupon　he　packed　up　the　Palace　fittings　he　had　made；　got　the　remnants　of　his　army　in　order；　and　marched　west。〃

When　Yuan　Shu　neared　Xuzhou；　Liu　Bei　led　out　his　force　of　fifty　thousand　soldiers　and　four　generals………Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　Zhu　Ling；　and　Lu　Zhao。　Yuan　Shu　sent　out　Ji　Ling　to　force　a　way　through。　But　Zhang　Fei　opposed　him　and　attacked　without　a　parley。　In　the　tenth　bout　Zhang　Fei　cut　down　Ji　Ling。　The　defeated　troops　fled　in　all　directions。

Then　Yuan　Shu　came　up　with　his　own　army。　Liu　Bei　placed　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao　in　mand　of　the　left　wing；　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei　the　right　wing；　and　himself　in　the　center；　and　so　met　Yuan　Shu。

As　soon　as　the　enemy　came　near；　Liu　Bei　began　to　abuse　him；　crying；　〃O　rebellious　one；　and　wicked；　I　have　a　mand　to　destroy　you！　Yield；　then；　with　good　grace　and　so　escape　your　punishment！〃

〃Base　weaver　of　mats　and　mean　maker　of　straw　sandals！　How　dare　you　make　light　of　me？〃　replied　Yuan　Shu；　and　he　gave　the　signal　for　an　attack。

Liu　Bei　retired；　and　his　generals　from　the　flanks　closed　in。　They　smote　the　army　of　Yuan　Shu　till　corpses　littered　the　plain　and　blood　flowed　in　streams。　At　the　same　time　Yuan　Shus　former　generals；　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan　from　Mount　Song；　attacked　the　baggage　train　and　pleted　the　destruction。　Yuan　Shu　tried　to　retreat　to　Shouchun；　but　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan　barred　the　road。

Yuan　Shu　sought　refuge　in　Jiangling；　with　one　thousand　troops　left　of　all　his　army。　And　these　were　the　weakly　ones；　able　neither　to　fight　nor　flee。　It　was　then　the　height　of　summer；　and　their　food　was　nearly　exhausted。　The　whole　provision　consisted　of　thirty　carts　of　wheat。　This　was　made　over　to　the　soldiers；　and　the　members　of　his　household　went　hungry。　Many　died　of　actual　starvation。　Yuan　Shu　could　not　swallow　the　coarse　food　that　the　soldiers　lived　on。　One　day　he　bade　his　cook　bring　him　some　honeyed　water　to　quench　his　thirst。

〃There　is　no　water；　save　that　tainted　with　blood；〃　replied　the　cook。　〃Where　can　I　get　honeyed　water？〃

This　was　the　last　straw。　Yuan　Shu　sat　up　on　his　couch　and　rolled　out　on　the　floor　with　a　loud　cry。　Blood　gushed　from　his　mouth　and　thus　he　died。　It　was　the　sixth　month　of　the　fourth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　199）。

The　last　days　of　Han　approached　and　weapons　clashed　in　every　quarter；

The　misguided　Yuan　Shu；　lost　to　all　sense　of　honor；

Forgetful　of　his　forefathers；　who　had　filled　the　states　highest　offices；

Madly　aspired　to　bee　himself　Emperor；

Resting　his　outrageous　claim　on　the　possession　of　the　Seal；

And　arrogantly　boasting　that　thus　he　fulfilled　the　design　of　Heaven。

Alas！　Sick　unto　death　he　vainly　begged　for　a　little　honeyed　water；

He　died；　alone。

Yuan　Shu　being　dead；　his　nephew；　Yuan　Yin；　taking　his　coffin　and　his　wife　and　children；　sought　shelter　in　Lujiang。　There　the　Magistrate；　Xu　Liu；　slew　all　the　survivors。　Among　the　possessions　Xu　Liu　found　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal；　which　he　at　once　took　to　the　capital　and　presented　to　Cao　Cao；　for　which　service　he　was　made　Governor　of　Gaoling。　Since　then　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal　belonged　to　Cao　Cao。

When　Liu　Bei　heard　that　Yuan　Shu　was　dead；　he　prepared　a　report　to　the　Throne；　and　sent　it　to　Cao　Cao。　He　sent　the　two　generals　deputed　by　Cao　Cao；　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao；　back　to　the　capital；　keeping　the　army　to　defend　Xuzhou。　He　also　personally　went　through　the　countryside　manding　the　people　to　resume　their　ordinary　avocations。

Cao　Cao　was　angry　when　his　two　officers　returned　without　their　man　and　was　going　to　put　them　to　death。　Xun　Yu　reasoned　with　him。

〃The　power　was　in　Liu　Beis　hands；　and　so　these　two　had　no　alternative；〃　said　Xun　Yu。

So　they　were　pardoned。

〃You　should　instruct　Che　Zhou；　the　Deputy　Imperial　Protector；　to　try　to　destroy　him；〃　said　Xun　Yu。

Accordingly　he　sent　secret　orders　to　Che　Zhou；　who　took　Chen　Deng　into　his　confidence　and　asked　his　advice。