第一小说网

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第289部分（第1页）

Yang　Hu　replied；　〃Sun　Hao　is　a　very　cruel　ruler　and　could　be　conquered　without　fighting。　If　he　were　to　die　and　a　wise　successor　sat　upon　his　throne；　Your　Majesty　would　never　be　able　to　gain　possession　of　Wu。〃

The　Ruler　of　Jin　realized　the　truth；　and　he　said；　〃Suppose　your　army　attacked　now。　What　then？〃

〃I　am　now　too　old　and　too　ill　for　the　task；〃　replied　Yang　Hu。　〃Some　other　bold　and　capable　leader　must　be　found。〃

Yang　Hu　left　the　court　and　retired　to　his　home。　Toward　the　end　of　the　year　he　was　nigh　unto　death；　and　the　Ruler　of　Jin　went　to　visit　him。　The　sight　of　his　master　at　his　bedside　brought　tears　to　the　eyes　of　the　faithful　old　leader。

〃If　I　died　a　myriad　times；　I　could　never　requite　Your　Majesty；〃　said　Yang　Hu。

Sima　Yan　also　wept；　saying；　〃My　great　grief　is　that　I　could　not　take　advantage　of　your　abilities　to　attack　Wu。　Who　now　is　there　to　carry　out　your　design？〃

Hesitatingly　the　sick　man　replied；　〃I　am　dying　and　must　be　wholly　sincere。　General　Du　Yu　is　equal　to　the　task；　and　is　the　one　man　to　attack　Wu。〃

Sima　Yan　said；　〃How　beautiful　it　is　to　bring　good　people　into　prominence！　But　why　did　you　write　a　memorial　remending　certain　people　and　then　burn　the　draft　so　that　no　one　knew？〃

The　dying　man　answered；　〃I　bowed　before　the　officials　in　open　court；　but　I　did　not　beseech　the　kindness　of　the　private　attendants。〃

So　Yang　Hu　died；　and　Sima　Yan　wailed　for　him　and　then　returned　to　his　palace。　He　conferred　on　the　dead　leader　the　posthumous　rank　of　Imperial　Guardian　and　Lord　of　Juping。　The　traders　closed　their　shops　out　of　respect　to　his　memory；　and　all　the　frontier　camps　were　filled　with　wailing。　The　people　of　Xiangyang；　recalling　that　he　loved　to　wander　on　the　Xian　Hills；　built　there　a　temple　to　him　and　set　up　a　stone　and　sacrificed　regularly　at　the　four　seasons。　The　passers…by　were　moved　to　tears　when　they　read　Yang　Hus　name　on　the　tablet；　so　that　it　came　to　be　called　〃The　Stone　of　Tears〃。

I　saw　the　fragments　of　a　shattered　stone

One　spring　time　on　the　hillside；　when；　alone；

I　walked　to　greet　the　sun。　The　pines　distilled

Big　drops　of　dew　unceasing；　sadness　filled

My　heart。　I　knew　this　was　the　Stone　of　Tears；

The　stone　of　memory　of　long…past　years。

On　the　strength　of　Yang　Hus　remendation；　Du　Yu　was　made　mander　of　Jingzhou；　and　the　title　of　General　Who　Guards　the　South　was　conferred　upon　him。　He　was　a　man　of　great　experience；　untiring　in　study　and　devoted　to　the　Zuo　Volume；　the　book　of　mentaries　posed　by　Zuo　Qiuming　upon　the　Spring　and　Autumn　Annals。　In　hours　of　leisure；　a　copy　of　Zuo　Volume　was　never　out　of　his　hand；　and　when　he　went　abroad；　an　attendant　rode　in　front　with　the　beloved　book。　He　was　said　to　be　〃Zuo　mad〃。

Du　Yu　went　to　Xiangyang　and　began　by　being　kind　to　the　people　and　caring　for　his　soldiers。　By　this　time　Wu　had　lost　by　death　both　Ding　Feng　and　Lu　Kang。

The　conduct　of　the　Ruler　of　Wu　waxed　worse　and　worse。　He　used　to　give　great　banquets　whereat　intoxication　was　universal。　He　appointed　Rectors　of　Feasts　to　observe　all　the　faults　mitted　by　guests；　and　after　these　banquets　all　offenders　were　punished；　some　by　flaying　the　face；　others　by　gouging　out　the　eyes。　Everyone　went　in　terror　of　these　Rectors。

Wang　Jun；　Imperial　Protector　of　Yizhou；　sent　in　a　memorial　advising　an　attack　upon　Wu。　He　said：

〃Sun　Hao　is　steeped　in　vice　and　should　be　attacked　at　once。　Should　he　die　and　be　succeeded　by　a　good　ruler；　we　might　meet　with　serious　opposition。　The　ships　I　built　seven　years　ago　lie　idle　and　rotting：　We　can　use　them。　I　am　seventy　years　of　age　and　must　soon　die。　If　any　one　of　these　three　events　happen………the　death　of　Sun　Hao；　the　destruction　of　these　ships；　or　my　death………then　success　will　be　difficult　to　ensure。　I　pray　Your　Majesty　not　to　miss　the　tide。〃

At　the　next　assembly　of　officers　Sima　Yan　said　to　them；　〃I　have　decided　to　act。　I　have　received　similar　advice　from　Yang　Hu　and　Wang　Jun。〃

At　this　arose　Minister　Wang　Hun　and　said；　〃I　hear　Sun　Hao　intends　to　march　north　to　the　Middle　Land　and　has　his　army　ready。　Report　says　it　is　formidable　and　would　be　hard　to　defeat。　I　counsel　to　await　another　year　till　that　army　has　lost　its　first　vigor。〃

A　mand　to　cease　warlike　preparations　was　the　result　of　this　counsel。　The　Ruler　of　Jin　betook　himself　to　his　private　chamber　where　he　engaged　in　a　game　of　chess　with　Secretary　Zhang　Hua　as　opponent。　While　at　the　game；　another　memorial　arrived。　It　was　from　Du　Yu。　It　read：

〃Formerly　Yang　Hu　explained　his　plans　confidentially　to　Your　Majesty；　but　did　not　lay　them　before　the　court。　The　result　has　been　much　debate　and　conflict　of　opinion。　In　every　project　there　are　pros　and　cons；　but　in　this　the　arguments　are　mostly　in　favor。　The　worst　that　can　happen　is　failure。　Since　last　autumn　the　proposed　attack　has　bee　generally　known；　and；　if　we　stop　now；　Sun　Hao　will　be　frightened　and　remove　the　capital　to　Wuchang；　repair　his　fortifications　in　the　South　Land；　and　move　his　threatened　people　out　of　danger。　Then　the　southern　capital　cannot　be　assaulted；　nor　is　there　anything　left　in　the　countryside　to　rob。　Hence　next　years　attack　will　also　fail。〃

Just　as　the　Ruler　of　Jin　finished　reading；　Zhang　Hua　pushed　aside　the　board；　rose　and　drew　his　hands　into　his　sleeves；　saying；　〃Your　Majestys　skill　in　war　is　almost　divine；　your　state　is　prosperous；　and　the　army　strong。　The　Ruler　of　Wu　is　a　tyrant；　his　people　are　miserable；　and　his　country　mean。　Now　you　can　easily　conquer　him；　and　I　pray　that　there　be　no　further　hesitation！〃

〃How　could　I　hesitate　after　your　discourse？〃　said　Sima　Yan。