第一小说网

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第233部分（第2页）

＇e＇　Beginning　in　the　sixty…first　year　of　King　Yaos　reign；　the　prosperity　of　the　nation　was　temporarily　disturbed　by　a　thirteen…year　flood。　It　was　a　terrible　disaster；　and　King　Yao　was　greatly　grieved　by　the　sufferings　of　his　people。　With　some　hesitation；　the　great　task　of　reducing　the　waters　was　assigned　to　Gun；　who　failed；　and　for　this　failure　and　other　crimes；　was　put　to　death　by　Shun；　King　Yaos　son…in…law　and　co…ruler。　Strange　as　it　may　seem；　Yu；　son　of　Gun；　was　remended　to　the　throne　by　Shun。　Later　on；　Yao　would　yield　the　throne　to　Shun；　and　Shun　to　Yu。

Ma　Su　wept　bitterly；　saying；　〃Pity　me；　O　Prime　Minister！　You　have　looked　upon　me　as　a　son；　I　have　looked　up　to　you　as　a　father。　I　know　my　fault　is　worthy　of　death；　but　I　pray　you　remember　how　King　Shun　employed　Yu；　after　executing　Yus　father*。　Though　I　die；　I　will　harbor　no　resentment　down　in　the　depths　of　the　Nine　Golden　Springs。〃

Zhuge　Liang　brushed　aside　his　tears　and　said；　〃We　have　been　as　brothers；　and　your　children　shall　be　as　my　own。　I　know　what　to　do。〃

They　led　the　doomed　man　away。　Without　the　main　gate；　just　as　they　were　going　to　deal　the　fatal　blow；　High　Counselor　Jiang　Wan；　who　had　just　arrived　from　Capital　Chengdu；　was　passing　in。　He　bade　the　executioners　wait　a　while；　and　he　went　in　and　interceded　for　Ma　Su。

＇e＇　Cheng　Dechen　was　a　general　of　Chu　during　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period。　Cheng　Dechen　fought　against　Duke　Wen　of　Jin　and　lost　（BC　632）。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Duke　Wen　of　Jin　（reigned　636…628　BC）　was　ruler　of　the　western　state　of　Jin　during　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period。　He　and　his　successors　made　Jin　a　dominant　state　for　nearly　200　years。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Sun　Zi　（aka　Sun　Wu；　Sunzi；　Suntzu；　Sun…tzu；　Sun　tzu）　the　author　of　the　famed　treatise　The　Art　of　War。　A　general　of　Wu　in　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period；　Sun　Zi　made　her　the　mightiest　state　during　his　lifetime　by　defeating　Chu　and　conquering　Yue。　His　treatise　the　Art　of　War　is　still　avidly　read　today　by　many。　。。。。。

〃Formerly　the　King　of　Chu　put　Minister　Cheng　Dechen*　to　death　due　to　a　defeat；　and　his　rival　Duke　Wen　of　Jin*　rejoiced。　There　is　great　confusion　in　the　land；　and　yet　you　would　slay　a　man　of　admitted　ability。　Can　you　not　spare　him？〃

Zhuge　Liangs　tears　fell；　but　he　said；　〃Sun　Zi*　maintains　that　the　one　way　to　obtain　success　is　to　make　the　law　supreme。　Now　confusion　and　actual　war　are　in　every　quarter。　If　the　law　be　not　observed；　how　may　rebels　be　made　away　with？　He　must　die。〃

Soon　after　they　bore　in　the　head　of　Ma　Su　as　proof；　and　Zhuge　Liang　wailed　bitterly。

〃Why　do　you　weep　for　him　now　that　he　has　met　the　just　penalty　for　his　fault？〃　said　Jiang　Wan。

〃I　was　not　weeping　then　because　of　Ma　Su；　but　because　I　remembered　the　words　of　the　First　Ruler。　At　his　last　moment　in　Baidicheng；　he　said：　Ma　Sus　words　exceed　his　deeds。　Do　not　make　much　use　of　him。　It　has　e　true；　and　I　greatly　regret　my　want　of　insight。　That　is　why　I　weep。〃

Every　officer　wept。　Ma　Su　was　but　thirty…nine；　and　he　met　his　end　in　the　fifth　month　of　the　sixth　year　of　Beginning　Prosperity　（AS　228）。

A　poet　wrote　about　him　thus：

That　was　pitiful　that　he　who　talked　so　glib

Of　war；　should　lose　a　city；　fault　most　grave；

With　death　as　expiation。　At　the　gate

He　paid　stern　laws　extremest　penalty。

Deep　grieved；　his　chief　recalled　the　late　Princes　words。

The　head　of　Ma　Su　was　paraded　round　the　camps。　Then　it　was　sewn　again　to　the　body　and　buried　with　it。　Zhuge　Liang　conducted　the　sacrifices　for　the　dead　and　read　the　oration。　A　monthly　allowance　was　made　for　the　family；　and　they　were　consoled　as　much　as　possible。

Next　Zhuge　Liang　made　his　memorial　to　the　Throne　and　bade　Jiang　Wan　bear　it　to　the　Latter　Ruler。　Therein　Zhuge　Liang　proposed　his　own　degradation　from　his　high　office。

〃Naturally　a　man　of　mediocre　abilities；　I　have　enjoyed　your　confidence　undeservedly。　Having　led　out　an　expedition；　I　have　proved　my　inability　to　perform　the　high　office　of　leader。　Over　solicitude　was　my　undoing。　Hence　happened　disobedience　at　Jieting　and　the　failure　to　guard　the　Gu　Valley。　The　fault　is　mine　in　that　I　erred　in　the　use　of　officers。　In　my　anxiety　I　was　too　secretive。　The　Spring　and　Autumn　philosophy　has　pronounced　the　mander　such　as　I　am　is　blameworthy；　and　whither　may　I　flee　from　my　fault？　I　pray　that　I　may　be　degraded　three　degrees　as　punishment。　I　cannot　express　my　mortification。　I　humbly　await　your　mand。〃

〃Why　does　the　Prime　Minister　speak　thus？〃　said　the　Latter　Ruler　after　reading　the　memorial。　〃It　is　but　the　ordinary　fortune　of　war。〃

Court　Counselor　Fei　Yi　said；　〃The　ruler　must　enhance　the　majesty　of　the　law；　for　without　law　how　can　people　support　him？　It　is　right　that　the　Prime　Minister　should　be　degraded　in　rank。〃

Thereupon　an　edict　was　issued　reducing　Zhuge　Liang　to　the　rank　of　General　of　the　Right　Army；　but　retaining　him　in　the　same　position　in　the　direction　of　state　affairs　and　mand　of　the　military　forces。　Fei　Yi　was　directed　to　municate　the　decision。

Fei　Yi　bore　the　edict　into　Hanzhong　and　gave　it　to　Zhuge　Liang；　who　bowed　to　the　decree。　The　envoy　thought　Zhuge　Liang　might　be　mortified；　so　he　ventured　to　felicitate　him　in　other　matters。

〃It　was　a　great　joy　to　the　people　of　Shu　when　you；　O　Prime　Minister；　captured　the　four　northwest　counties；〃　said　he。

〃What　sort　of　language　is　this？〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　annoyed。　〃Success　followed　by　failure　is　no　success。　It　shames　me　indeed　to　hear　such　a　pliment。〃

〃His　Majesty　will　be　very　pleased　to　hear　of　the　acquisition　of　Jiang　Wei。〃

This　remark　also　angered　Zhuge　Liang；　who　replied；　〃It　is　my　fault　that　a　defeated