第一小说网

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第70部分（第2页）

〃I　should　think　four　or　five　hundred。〃

〃Now；〃　said　Guan　Yu；　〃I　am　going　to　take　the　shortest　road　to　find　my　brother。　Can　you　go　to　summon　your　army　and　lead　them　along　the　high　road　to　assist　me？〃

With　instructions　to　bring　up　this　force；　Zhou　Cang　left；　while　Guan　Yu　and　Sun　Qian　and　their　small　escort　went　off　to　the　north。

When　they　drew　near　the　boundary；　Sun　Qian　said；　〃You　must　be　careful　how　you　go　over。　You　ought　to　stop　here　while　I　go　in；　see　Uncle　Liu　Bei；　and　take　the　necessary　steps。〃

Seeing　the　wisdom　of　this；　Guan　Yu　stopped　there　and　sent　his　panion　in　advance。　He　and　his　followers　going　up　to　a　nearby　farm　as　an　abiding　place。

When　they　got　to　the　farm；　out　came　a　venerable　man　leaning　on　a　staff。　After　exchanging　salutes；　Guan　Yu　told　the　old　man　all　about　himself。

〃My　family　name　is　also　Guan；　my　personal　name　being　Ding；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃I　know　your　reputation；　and　I　am　very　happy　to　meet　you。〃

Guan　Ding　sent　for　his　two　sons　to　e　and　make　their　bow。　He　put　up　Guan　Yu　in　his　house　and　provided　for　his　escort　in　the　farm　buildings。

In　the　meantime　Sun　Qian　had　made　his　way　to　Jizhou　City　and　told　Liu　Bei　the　whole　story。

Liu　Bei　said；　〃Jian　Yong　is　also　here。　We　will　send　for　him　secretly　to　talk　over　this　matter。〃

They　did　so；　and　when　the　usual　salutes　had　been　exchanged；　they　three　began　to　consider　the　means　of　getting　away。

〃My　lord；〃　said　Jian　Yong；　〃you　see　Yuan　Shao　personally　and　say　you　wish　to　go　to　Jingzhou　to　see　Liu　Biao　about　a　scheme　for　the　destruction　of　Cao　Cao。　That　will　give　an　excuse。〃

〃That　seems　best；〃　said　Liu　Bei；　〃but　will　you　go　with　me？〃

〃I　have　another　plan　to　extricate　myself；〃　said　Jian　Yong。

Having　settled　their　plans；　Liu　Bei　soon　went　in　to　see　his　protector　and　suggested；　〃Liu　Biao　is　strong　and　well　posted。　His　help　should　be　sought　against　our　enemy。〃

〃I　have　sent　messengers　repeatedly　to　ask　his　help；〃　said　Yuan　Shao；　〃but　he　is　unwilling。〃

〃As　he　and　I　are　of　the　same　family；　he　will　not　refuse　me　if　I　go　and　ask　him；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃Certainly　he　is　worth　much　more　than　Liu　Pi。　You　shall　go。〃

〃I　have　just　heard；〃　Yuan　Shao　continued；　〃that　Guan　Yu　has　left　Cao　Cao　and　wants　to　e　here。　If　he　does；　I　will　put　him　to　death　out　of　revenge　for　my　two　beloved　generals………Yan　Liang　and　Wen　Chou。〃

〃Illustrious　Sir；　you　wished　to　employ　him　and　so　I　sent　for　him。　Now　you　threaten　to　put　him　to　death。　The　two　men　he　slew　were　but　deer　pared　with　such　a　tiger　as　he　is。　When　you　exchange　a　couple　of　deer　for　a　tiger；　you　need　not　plain　of　the　bargain。〃

〃Really　I　like　him；〃　said　Yuan　Shao。　〃I　was　only　joking。　You　can　send　another　messenger　for　him　and　tell　him　to　e　soon。〃

〃May　I　send　Sun　Qian　for　him？〃

〃Certainly。〃

After　Liu　Bei　had　gone；　Jian　Yong　came　in　and　said　to　Yuan　Shao；　〃If　Liu　Bei　goes；　he　will　not　e　back。　I　had　better　go　to　speak　to　Liu　Biao。　And　I　can　keep　a　watch　on　Liu　Bei。〃

Yuan　Shao　agreed　and　issued　orders　for　both　to　go。

On　the　subject　of　the　mission；　Guo　Tu　came　in　to　his　chief　to　dissuade　him。

Said　Guo　Tu；　〃Liu　Bei　went　to　speak　to　Liu　Pi；　but　he　acplished　nothing。　Now　you　are　sending　Jian　Yong　with　him；　and　I　am　sure　neither　will　ever　return。〃

〃Do　not　be　too　suspicious；〃　said　Yuan　Shao。　〃Jian　Yong　is　clever　enough。〃

That　was　the　end　of　the　interview。　Forthwith　Liu　Bei　sent　Sun　Qian　back　to　Guan　Yu　and　then；　with　Jian　Yong；　took　leave　of　Yuan　Shao　and　rode　out　of　the　city；　As　soon　as　they　reached　the　border　line；　they　met　Sun　Qian　and　all　three　rode　off　to　Guan　Dings　farm　to　meet　Guan　Yu。　He　came　out　to　wele　them；　bowed　and　then　seized　his　brothers　hands　while　tears　streamed　down　his　face。

Presently　the　two　sons　of　their　host　came　to　bow　to　the　visitors。　Liu　Bei　asked　their　names。

〃These　are　of　the　same　name　as　myself；〃　said　Guan　Yu。　〃The　sons　are　Guan　Neng；　who　is　a　student；　and　Guan　Ping；　who　is　to　be　a　soldier。〃

〃I　have　been　thinking　of　sending　the　younger　in　your　train；　General；〃　said　old　Guan　Ding；　〃Would　you　take　him？〃

〃What　is　his　age？〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃He　is　eighteen。〃

Liu　Bei　said；　〃Since；　O　Senior；　you　are　so　kind；　I　venture　to　suggest　that　your　son　should　be　adopted　by　my　brother；　who　has　no　son　of　his　own。　What　think　you　of　that？〃

Guan　Ding　was　perfectly　willing；　so　he　called　Guan　Ping　and　bade　him　make　a　sons　obeisance　to　Guan　Yu　and　to　style　Liu　Bei　〃Uncle。〃

Then　it　was　time　to　get　on　their　way　lest　they　should　be　pursued；　and　with　Guan　Yu　went　Guan　Ping。　Guan　Ding　and　Guan　Ning　escorted　them　a　long　distance　and　then　returned。

The　party　took　the　road　to　Sleeping　Bull　Mountain。　Before　they　had　gone　very　far；　they　met　Zhou　Cang　with　a　small　party。　He　was　wounded。　He　was　introduced　to　Liu　Bei　who　asked　him　how　it　was。

He　replied；　〃Before　I　reached　the　hill；　a　certain　warrior　all　alone；　had　fought　with　my　friend　Pei　Yuanshao　and　killed　him。　Then　many　of　our　troops　surrendered　to　him；　and　he　occupied　our　old　camp。　When　I　reached　it；　I　tried　to　allure　the　soldiers　back　to　my　side　but　only　succeeded　with　a　f