第一小说网

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第53部分（第2页）

〃What！　Are　you　afraid　of　thunder？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃The　Sage　One　paled　at　a　sudden　peal　of　thunder　or　fierce　gust　of　wind。　Why　should　one　not　fear？〃

Thus　he　glossed　over　the　real　fact；　that　it　was　the　words　he　had　heard　that　had　so　startled　him。

Constrained　to　lodge　in　a　tigers　lair；

He　played　a　waiting　part；

But　when　Cao　Cao　talked　of　breaking　humans；

Then　terror　gripped　his　heart。

But　he　cleverly　used　the　thunder　peal

As　excuse　for　turning　pale；

O　quick　to　seize　occasions　thus！

He　surely　must　prevail。

The　shower　had　passed；　and　there　appeared　two　men　rushing　through　the　garden；　both　armed。　In　spite　of　the　attendants；　they　forced　their　way　to　the　pavilion　where　sat　the　two　friends。　They　were　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei。

The　two　brothers　had　been　outside　the　city　at　archery　practice　when　Cao　Caos　invitation　had　e　so　peremptorily。　On　their　return　they　heard　that　two　officers　had　arrived　and　led　away　Liu　Bei　to　the　Prime　Minister。　They　hastened　to　his　palace　and　were　told　their　brother　was　with　his　host　in　the　grounds；　and　they　feared　something　had　happened。　So　they　rushed　in。

Now　when　they　saw　their　brother　quietly　talking　with　Cao　Cao　and　enjoying　a　cup　of　wine；　they　took　up　their　usual　places　and　meekly　stood　waiting。

〃Why　did　you　e？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

〃We　heard　that　you；　Sir；　had　invited　our　brother　to　a　wine　party；　and　we　came　to　amuse　you　with　a　little　sword　play；〃　said　they。

＇e＇　At　that　time　Liu　Bang；　Governor　of　Pei；　and　Xiang　Yu；　King　of　West　Chu；　were　fighting　Qin　under　the　Chu　banner。　Liu　Bang　was　the　first　mander　who　entered　Qins　capital；　Xianyang。　The　loss　of　this　honor　enraged　Xiang　Yu；　and　he　was　set　to　attack　Liu　Bangs　force。　But　his　uncle　Xiang　Ba　wanted　to　mediate　the　situation；　and　Xiang　Ba　invited　Liu　Bang　to　visit　Xiang　Yus　camp　in　Hongmen。　During　a　banquet　at　Hongmen；　Xiang　Yus　adviser　Fan　Zeng　ordered　Xiang　Chang　to　perform　a　sword…dance　and　take　the　chance　to　kill　Liu　Bang。　However；　as　Xiang　Chang　closed　in　Liu　Bang；　Xiang　Ba　rose　to　perform　another　sword…dance　and　fend　off　the　attack。　Just　then　Liu　Bangs　general　Fan　Kuai　bursted　in；　armed　and　angry…looking。　Fan　Kuai　proclaimed　his　lords　achievements　and　denounced　the　murder　plot。　In　the　confusion；　Liu　Bang　slipped　away　and　rushed　back　to　his　camp。　。。。。。

〃This　is　not　a　Hongmen　Banquet；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。　〃What　use　have　we　for　Xiang　Chang　and　Xiang　Ba　of　old？*〃

Liu　Bei　smiled。　The　host　ordered　wine　to　be　served　to　the　two　〃Fan　Kuais〃　to　allay　their　anxiety　and；　soon　after；　the　three　took　their　leave　and　returned　homeward。

〃We　were　nearly　frightened　to　death；〃　said　Guan　Yu。

The　story　of　the　dropped　chopsticks　was　told。　The　two　asked　what　their　brother　intended　by　his　actions。

〃My　learning　gardening　was　to　convince　Cao　Cao　of　my　perfect　simplicity　and　the　absence　of　any　ambition。　But　when　he　suddenly　pointed　to　me　as　one　of　the　heroes；　I　was　startled；　for　I　thought　he　had　some　suspicions。　Happily　the　thunder　at　that　moment　supplied　the　excuse　I　wanted。〃

〃Really　you　are　very　clever；〃　said　they。

Next　day　Cao　Cao　again　invited　Liu　Bei　and　while　the　two　were　drinking；　Man　Chong；　who　had　been　dispatched　to　find　out　what　Yuan　Shao　was　doing；　came　to　present　his　report。

Man　Chong　said；　〃Gongsun　Zan　has　been　pletely　defeated　by　Yuan　Shao。〃

〃Do　you　know　the　details？　I　should　like　to　know　how；〃　interrupted　Liu　Bei。

〃They　were　at　war；　and　Gongsun　Zan　got　the　worst　of　it；　so　he　acted　on　the　defensive；　building　a　high　wall　about　his　army　and　on　that　erecting　a　high　tower；　which　he　called　the　Yijing　Tower。　Therein　he　placed　all　his　grain；　one　hundred　thousand　carts　total；　and　took　up　his　own　quarters。　His　fighting　troops　passed　in　and　out　without　ceasing；　some　going　out　to　give　battle；　others　returning　to　rest。　One　of　them　was　surrounded　and　sent　to　ask　Gongsun　Zan　to　rescue　him。　Gongsun　Zan　said；　If　I　rescue　him；　hereafter　everyone　will　want　to　be　helped　and　will　not　exert　himself。　So　Gongsun　Zan　did　not　go。　This　disgusted　his　soldiers；　and　many　deserted　to　the　enemy　so　that　his　army　diminished。　He　sent　letters　to　the　capital　to　crave　help；　but　the　messenger　was　captured。　He　sent　to　Zhang　Yan　to　arrange　with　him　for　a　two…pronged　joint　attack；　and　those　letters　with　the　plans　also　fell　into　Yuan　Shaos　hands。　The　plans　were　adopted　by　Yuan　Shao；　who　gave　the　signals　agreed　upon。　Thus　Gongsun　Zan　fell　into　an　ambush；　lost　heavily；　and　retreated　into　the　city。　There　he　was　besieged；　and　a　subterranean　passage　was　pierced　into　the　tower　where　he　lodged。　The　tower　was　set　on　fire；　and　Gongsun　Zan　could　not　escape。　So　he　slew　his　wife　and　little　ones　and　hanged　himself。　The　flames　destroyed　the　bodies　of　the　whole　family。

〃Yuan　Shao　has　added　the　remnants　of　the　vanquished　army　to　his　own　and　so　bee　yet　stronger。　His　brother　Yuan　Shu　in　the　South　of　River　Huai；　however；　has　bee　so　arrogant　and　cruel　that　the　people　have　turned　against　him。　Then　Yuan　Shu　had　sent　to　say　he　would　yield　the　title　of　Emperor；　which　he　had　assumed；　in　favor　of　Yuan　Shao。　Yuan　Shao　demanded　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal　also；　and　Yuan　Shu　promised　to　bring　it　in　person。　Now　Yuan　Shu　has　abandoned　River　Huai　and　is　about　to　move　to　the　North　of　Yellow　River。　If　he　succeeded；　the　two　brothers　will　control　adjoining　regions　and　be　dangerous。〃

It　was　a　sad　story；　and　Liu　Bei　remembered　with　sorrow　that；　in　the　days　of　success　and　prosperity；　the　dead　chieftain；　Gongsun　Zan；　had　pushed　his　interest　and　shown　him　much　kindness。　Moreover　he　was　anxious　to　know　the　fate　of　Zhao　Yun。

In　his　heart　he　thought；　〃What　better　chance　am　I　likely　to　get　of　setting　myself　free？〃

So　Liu　Bei　rose　and　said　to　Cao　Cao；　〃If　Yuan　Shu　goes　over　to　join　his　brother；　he　will　surely　pass　through　Xuzhou。　I　beg　you　to　give　me　an　army　with　which　to　smite　him　on　the　way。　That　will　finish　Yuan　Shu。〃

〃Memorialize　the　Emperor　tomorrow；　and　I　will　give　you　an　army；〃　said　Cao　Cao。

So　next　day　Liu　Bei　went　to　an　audience；　and　Cao　Cao　gave　him　mand　of　fifty　thousand　horse　and　foot；　and　sent　Generals　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao　with　him。

At　parting　with　Liu　Bei；　the　Emperor　shed　tears。

As　soon　as　Liu　Bei　reached　his　lodging；　he　set　about　preparat