第一小说网

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第130部分（第1页）

scort　our　lord　to　the　South　Land；　you　will　take　these　with　you　and　act　as　they　direct。〃

Zhao　Yun　hid　the　three　silken　bags　in　his　breast　so　that　they　should　be　at　hand　when　required。

Zhuge　Liang　next　sent　the　wedding　gifts；　and　when　these　had　been　received；　the　preliminaries　were　settled。

It　was　then　the　early　winter　of　the　fourteenth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　209）。　The　bridegroom　elect；　his　escort；　and　the　intermediary　left　the　city　of　Jingzhou　with　a　fleet　of　ten　fast　ships　to　sail　down　the　river　to　Nanxu。　Zhuge　Liang　remained　to　guard　and　rule　the　region。

But　Liu　Bei　was　far　from　feeling　fortable。　They　arrived　and　the　ships　were　made　fast。　This　done；　the　time　had　e　for　the　first　of　the　silken　bags　to　be　opened。　And　so　it　was。　Thereupon　Zhao　Yun　gave　each　of　his　five　hundred　guards　his　instructions；　and　they　went　their　several　ways。　Next　Zhao　Yun　told　Liu　Bei　what　he　was　to　do：　To　pay　his　visit　first　to　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao；　who　was　the　father…in…law　of　Sun　Ce　and　of　Zhou　Yu。

The　State　Patriarch　Qiao　resided　in　Nanxu　and　to　his　house；　leading　sheep　and　bearing　wine　jars；　went　the　bridegroom　elect。　Having　made　his　obeisance；　Liu　Bei　explained　that　as　Lu　Fan　had　arranged；　he　had　e　to　marry　a　wife。

In　the　meantime　the　five　hundred　guards；　all　in　gala　dress；　had　scattered　over　the　city　place　buying　all　sorts　of　things；　as　they　said；　for　the　wedding　of　Liu　Bei　with　the　daughter　of　the　Sun　House。　They　spread　the　news　far　and　wide　and　the　whole　town　talked　about　it。

When　Sun　Quan　heard　of　Liu　Beis　arrival；　he　bade　Lu　Fan　wait　upon　him　and　take　him　to　the　guest…house。　Meanwhile　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao　went　to　the　Dowager　Marchioness；　mother　of　Sun　Quan；　to　congratulate　her　on　the　happy　event。

〃What　happy　event？〃　ejaculated　the　old　lady。

〃The　betrothal　of　your　beloved　daughter　to　Liu　Bei。　And　he　has　arrived　too；　as　surely　you　know。〃

〃My　poor　old　self　does　not　know；〃　said　the　Dowager。　〃I　have　heard　nothing　of　all　this。〃

She　at　once　summoned　her　son　and　also　sent　her　servants　out　into　the　town　to　see　what　was　going　about。

They　quickly　returned　to　say：　〃The　whole　city　know　of　the　ing　wedding；　and　the　bridegroom　is　now　at　the　guest…house。　Moreover；　he　has　e　with　a　large　escort；　and　they　are　spending　freely；　buying　pork　and　mutton　and　fruits；　all　in　readiness　for　the　wedding　feasting。　Lu　Fan　and　Sun　Qian　are　the　intermediaries　on　each　side；　and　they　are　in　the　guest…house　too。〃

The　Dowager　Marchioness　was　terribly　taken　aback　and　upset　so　that；　when　Sun　Quan　arrived；　he　found　his　mother　beating　her　breast　and　weeping　bitterly。

〃What　has　disturbed　you；　Mother？〃　asked　he。

〃What　you　have　just　done；〃　said　she。　〃You　have　treated　me　as　a　nonentity。　When　my　elder　sister　lay　dying；　what　did　she　tell　you？〃

Sun　Quan　began　to　be　frightened；　but　he　said　boldly；　〃Please　speak　out　plainly；　Mother。　What　is　this　great　sorrow？〃

〃When　a　son　is　grown；　he　takes　a　wife；　and　when　a　girl　is　old　enough；　she　goes　to　her　husband。　And　that　is　right　and　proper。　But　I　am　the　mother；　and　you　ought　to　have　told　me　that　your　sister　was　to　bee　the　wife　of　Liu　Bei。　Why　did　you　keep　me　in　the　dark？　It　was　my　place　to　promise　her　in　marriage。〃

〃Whence　es　this　story？〃　said　the　Marquis；　really　much　frightened。

〃Do　you　pretend　ignorance？　There　is　not　a　soul　in　the　city　who　does　not　know！　But　you　have　succeeded　in　keeping　me　in　the　dark。〃

〃I　heard　it　several　days　ago；〃　said　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao。　〃And　I　came　just　now　to　offer　my　felicitations。〃

〃There　is　no　such　thing；〃　said　Sun　Quan。　〃It　is　just　one　of　the　ruses　of　Zhou　Yu　to　get　hold　of　Jingzhou。　He　has　used　this　means　to　inveigle　Liu　Bei　here　and　hold　him　captive　till　Jingzhou　is　restored　to　us。　And　if　they　will　not　give　it　back；　then　Liu　Bei　will　be　put　to　death。　That　is　the　plot。　There　is　no　real　marriage。〃

But　the　Dowager　was　in　a　rage　and　vented　her　wrath　in　abusing　Zhou　Yu。

She　said；　〃Zhou　Yu　is　a　pretty　sort　of　governor　over　the　six　territories　and　eighty…one　counties；　if　he　cannot　find　any　means　of　recovering　one　region　except　making　use　of　my　child　as　a　decoy。　Truly　this　is　a　fine　deed；　to　spoil　the　whole　of　my　childs　life　and　condemn　her　to　perpetual　widowhood；　because　he　wants　to　use　the　fair　damsel　ruse　to　slay　a　man！　Who　will　ever　e　to　talk　of　marriage　with　her　after　this？〃

Said　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao；　〃By　this　means　you　may　indeed　recover　Jingzhou；　but　you　will　be　a　shameful　laughing　stock　to　all　the　world。　What　can　be　done？〃

Sun　Quan　had　nothing　to　say。　He　could　only　hang　his　head；　while　the　Dowager　abused　his　general。

The　State　Patriarch　Qiao　tried　to　soothe　her；　saying；　〃After　all　Liu　Bei；　the　Imperial　Uncle；　is　a　scion　of　the　reigning　family。　You　can　do　nothing　better　now　than　to　wele　him　as　a　son…in…law　and　not　let　this　ugly　story　get　abroad。〃

〃I　am　afraid　their　ages　do　not　match；〃　interposed　Sun　Quan。

〃Liu　Bei　is　a　very　famous　man；〃　said　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao。　〃There　can　be　no　shame　in　having　such　a　son…in…law。〃

〃I　have　never　seen　him；〃　said　the　Dowager。　〃Arrange　that　I　may　get　a　look　at　him　tomorrow　at　the　Sweet　Dew　Temple。　If　he　displeases　me；　you　may　work　your　will　on　him。　But　if　I　am　satisfied　with　him；　then　I　shall　simply　let　the　girl　marry　him。〃

Now　Sun　Quan　was　above　all　things　filial　and　at　once　agreed　to　what　his　mother　said。　He　went　out；　called　in　Lu　Fan；　and　told　him　to　arrange　a　banquet　for　the　morrow　at　the　temple　so　that　the　Dowager　Marchioness　might　see　the　bridegroom。

〃Why　not　order　Jia　Hua　to　station　some　men　in　the　wings　of　the　temple？　Then　if　the　Dowager　be　not　pleased；　we　can　call　them　out　and　fall　upon　him；〃　said　Lu　Fan。

Accordingly　the　ambush　was　prepared　and　five　hundred　ruffians　posted　to　act　as　the　Dowagers　attitude　might　determine。

When　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao　took　his　leave　and　had　reached　his　house；　he　sent　to　tell　Liu　Bei；　saying；　〃Tomorrow　the　Marquis　and　the　Dowager　Marchioness　wished　to　see　you。　So　be　careful！〃

Liu　Bei　and　his　faithful　henchman　discussed　their　plans。

Zhao　Yun　said；　〃The　morrow　bodes　rather　ill　than　well。　However；　your　escort　shall　be　there。〃

Next　day　the　Dowager　Marchioness　and　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao　went　to　the　Temple　of　Sweet　Dew　as　had　been　arranged。　Sun　Quan　came　with　a　number　of　his　strategists；　and　when　all　were　assembled；　Lu　Fan　was　sent　to　the　guest…house　to　request　Liu　Bei　to　e。　He　obeyed　the　summons；　but　as　a　precaution　he　put　on　a　light　coat　of　mail　under　his　brocaded　robe。　His　followers　too　took　their　swords　upon　their　backs　and　followed　close。　He　mounted　his　steed；　and　the　cavalcade　set　out　for　the　temple。　At　the　door　of　the　temple　he　met　Sun　Quan　on　whom　the　visitors　brave　demeanor　was　not　lost。　After　they　had　exchanged　salutations；　Sun　Quan　led　Liu　Bei　into　the　presence　of　his　mother。

〃Just　the　son…in…law　for　me！〃　said　the　Dowager　delighted　with　the　appearance　of　Liu　Bei。

〃He　has　the　air　of　an　emperor　and　a　look　like　the　sun；〃　remarked　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao。　〃When　one　remembers　also　that　his　fair　fame　has　spread　over　the　whole　earth；　you　may　well　be　congratulated　on　getting　such　a　noble　son…in…law。〃

Liu　Bei　bowed；　in　acknowledgment　of　his　reception。　Soon　after　they　were　all　seated　at　the　banquet　in　the　temple；　Zhao　Yun　entered　and　took　his　place　beside　Liu　Bei。