第一小说网

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第179部分（第1页）

〃Wu　and　Wei　have　no　fundamental　quarrel；　and　their　dissension　has　been　brought　about　by　Liu　Bei。　My　master　sends　me　to　covenant　with　you　for　an　attack　on　Jingzhou；　while　he　goes　against　Hanzhong。　This　double　attack　being　successful；　the　conquered　regions　can　be　divided　between　us　two；　and　we　can　both　swear　to　respect　each　others　territory。〃

Having　read　the　letter；　Sun　Quan　prepared　a　banquet　in　honor　of　Man　Chong　and　then　sent　him　to　the　guest…house　to　rest　while　he　discussed　the　matter　with　his　council　of　advisers。

Said　Gu　Yong；　〃Although　the　messengers　speech　was　all　special　pleading；　it　was　correct　in　form。　I　propose　that　the　messenger　be　allowed　to　return　and　that　a　covenant　be　made　with　Cao　Cao　for　joint　attack。　In　addition；　let　spies　be　sent　over　the　Great　River　to　find　out　Guan　Yus　movements；　and　then　we　may　act。〃

Zhuge　Jin　said；　〃I　hear　that　since　Guan　Yu　has　been　in　Jingzhou；　Liu　Bei　has　found　him　a　wife；　who　has　borne　him　a　son　and　a　daughter。　The　daughter　is　too　young　to　have　been　betrothed；　wherefore　let　me　go　to　ask　her　in　marriage　with　your　heir。　If　Guan　Yu　agrees；　then　we　can　arrange　with　him　to　attack　Cao　Cao。　If　Guan　Yu　refuses；　then　let　us　aid　Cao　Cao　in　an　attack　on　Jingzhou。〃

Sun　Quan　took　this　advice。　So　he　sent　Man　Chong　away　and　sent　Zhuge　Jin　to　Jingzhou　to　try　to　arrange　the　betrothal。　Zhuge　Jin　was　received。

When　the　time　came　to　state　the　reason　for　his　ing；　Guan　Yu　asked　him；　〃What　have　you　e　for；　Zhuge　Jin？〃

〃I　have　e　seeking　to　ally　the　two　houses。　My　master；　the　Marquis　of　Wu；　has　a　son　who　is　quite　clever。　Hearing　that　you　have　a　daughter；　General；　I　ask　her　in　marriage；　hereby　the　two　houses　may　join　in　an　attack　on　Cao　Cao。　This　would　be　an　admirable　result；　and　I　pray　you　consider　the　proposal。〃

But　the　warrior　flared　up。

〃How　can　a　tigers　daughter　marry　with　a　dogs　whelp？　Were　it　not　for　your　brother；　I　would　take　your　head。　Say　no　more！〃

Guan　Yu　called　his　servants　to　hustle　forth　the　hapless　messenger；　who　ran　away　with　his　hands　over　his　head；　too　astonished　to　look　anyone　in　the　face。　And　reaching　his　own　place；　he　dared　not　hide　the　manner　of　his　reception；　but　told　the　whole　truth。

〃What　ruffianism！〃　exclaimed　the　Marquis。

Thereupon　Sun　Quan　ordered　the　council　again　to　consider　an　attack　on　Jingzhou。

Bu　Zhi　rose　and　said；　〃It　has　been　long　manifest　that　Cao　Cao　wishes　to　usurp　the　Throne；　but　he　is　afraid　of　Liu　Bei。　Now　we　are　to　attack　Shu　with　an　army；　and　so　Cao　Cao　wants　to　shift　the　misfortune　to　us　indeed。〃

〃But　I　also　want　the　place；〃　said　Sun　Quan。

Said　Bu　Zhi；　〃Cao　Ren　is　already　camped　at　Fancheng　and　Xiangyang　and　in　no　danger　from　the　river。　If　Cao　Cao　can　take　Jingzhou　by　land；　why　does　he　not　take　it？　However；　he　wants　you；　my　lord；　to　send　your　army；　and　you　can　judge　his　real　intention　from　this。　Send　to　Cao　Cao　and　tell　him　to　make　Cao　Ren　attack　by　land。　Then　Guan　Yu　must　take　the　army　from　Jingzhou　to　Fancheng。　When　Guan　Yu　has　left　Jingzhou；　you　can　send　an　army　to　seize　it。〃

Sun　Quan　thought　the　scheme　good　and　sent　letters　with　these　proposals　to　Cao　Cao。　Cao　Cao　adopted　the　plan；　and　having　sent　the　messenger　back　to　the　South　Land；　he　next　sent　Man　Chong　to　help　Cao　Ren　at　Fancheng　as　Adviser　in　the　matter　of　attack。　He　also　sent　dispatches　to　the　South　Land　to　ask　for　the　assistance　of　Sun　Quans　marine　force。

Having　laid　on　Wei　Yan　the　task　of　holding　the　East　River　Land；　the　Prince　of　Hanzhong；　with　his　officers；　returned　to　Chengdu　and　began　to　set　his　new　house　in　order。　A　Palace　was　begun　and　public　guest…houses　were　built；　and　between　Chengdu　and　Baishui；　at　selected　places；　they　built　four　hundred　rest…houses　and　post　stations。　The　Prince　of　Hanzhong　also　set　himself　to　accumulate　great　stores　of　grain　and　forage　and　to　till　his　arsenals　with　weapons　with　the　design　of　mastering　the　capital　in　the　north　and　the　whole　empire。

Then　his　spies　told　him　of　the　treaty　between　Cao　Cao　and　Sun　Quan；　with　designs　upon　Jingzhou；　and　he　hastily　called　in　Zhuge　Liang　to　ask　what　should　be　done。

〃I　felt　that　Cao　Cao　would　try　to　do　this；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　〃and　most　of　the　advisers　in　the　South　Land　will　persuade　Cao　Cao　to　order　Cao　Ren　to　begin　the　campaign。〃

〃But　what　am　I　to　do？〃　asked　the　Prince。

〃First　send　a　special　messenger　to　Guan　Yu　with　his　new　title；　telling　him　to　capture　Fancheng；　which　will　so　damp　the　ardor　of　the　enemy　that　they　will　break　off　themselves。〃

Therefore　Liu　Bei　sent　Fei　Shi；　a　minister　from　his　Board　of　War；　to　take　the　patent　of　the　new　title　to　Guan　Yu；　who　received　the　delegate　with　great　deference　and　conducted　him　into　the　city。　After　they　had　arrived　at　the　official　residence；　Guan　Yu　inquired　what　new　title　had　been　conferred　upon　him。

〃The　first　of　the　Five　Tiger　Generals；〃　replied　Fei　Shi。

〃And　who　are　the　five？〃

〃Their　names　are　Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　Zhao　Yun；　Ma　Chao；　and　Huang　Zhong。〃

〃The　second　is　my　brother；〃　said　Guan　Yu；　〃Ma　Chao　es　of　a　famous　family；　and　Zhao　Yun　has　been　with　my　elder　brother　so　long　that　he　is　as　a　brother。　It　is　right　for　them　to　be　put　on　a　level　with　me。　But　what　sort　of　a　man　is　this　Huang　Zhong　that　he　is　ranked　with　us？　The　really　great　man　does　not　stand　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　any　soldier　that　es　along。〃

And　Guan　Yu　refused　both　title　and　seal。