第一小说网

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第79部分（第1页）

ad　and　send　it　as　an　offering　to　Cao　Cao；　who　would　reward　you　well　for　the　service。〃

Sun　Qian　sat　unmoved　while　this　harangue　was　pronounced；　saying　at　the　end；　〃I　am　not　afraid　of　death。　Liu　Bei；　the　Princely　One；　is　true　and　loyal　to　the　state　and　so　out　of　sympathy　with　Lu　Bu；　or　Cao　Cao；　or　Yuan　Shao。　It　is　true　he　followed　these　three；　but　there　was　no　help　for　it。　Now　he　knows　your　chief　is　a　member　of　the　family；　so　that　both　are　of　the　same　ancestry；　and　that　is　why　he　has　e　far　to　join　him。　How　can　you　slander　a　good　man　like　that？〃

Liu　Biao　bade　Cai　Mao　be　silent　and　said；　〃I　have　decided；　and　you　need　say　no　more。〃

Whereat　Cai　Mao　sulkily　left　the　audience　chamber。

Then　Sun　Qian　was　told　to　return　with　the　news　that　Liu　Bei　would　be　wele；　and　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Biao　went　ten　miles　beyond　the　city　to　meet　his　guest。

When　Liu　Bei　arrived；　he　behaved　to　his　host　with　the　utmost　politeness　and　was　warmly　weled　in　return。　Then　Liu　Bei　introduced　his　two　sworn　brothers　and　friends　and　they　entered　Jingzhou　City　where　Liu　Bei　finally　was　lodged　in　the　Imperial　Protectors　own　residence。

As　soon　as　Cao　Cao　knew　whither　his　enemy　had　gone；　he　wished　to　attack　Liu　Biao；　but　Cheng　Yu　advised　against　any　attempt　so　long　as　Yuan　Shao；　the　dangerous　enemy；　was　left　with　power　to　inflict　damage。

He　said；　〃My　lord　should　return　to　the　capital　to　refresh　the　soldiers　so　that　they　may　be　ready　for　a　north　and　south　campaign　in　the　mild　spring　weather。〃

Cao　Cao　accepted　his　advice　and　set　out　for　the　capital。　In　the　first　month　of　the　eighth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　203）；　Cao　Cao　once　again　began　to　think　of　war；　and　sent　to　garrison　Runan　as　a　precaution　against　Liu　Biao。　Then；　after　arranging　for　the　safety　of　the　capital；　he　marched　a　large　army　to　Guandu；　the　camp　of　the　year　before；　and　aimed　at　Jizhou。

As　to　Yuan　Shao；　who　had　been　suffering　from　blood…spitting　but　was　now　in　better　health；　he　began　to　think　of　measures　against　Xuchang；　but　Shen　Pei　dissuaded　him；　saying；　〃You　are　not　yet　recovered　from　the　fatigues　of　last　year。　It　would　be　better　to　make　your　position　impregnable　and　set　to　improving　the　army。〃

When　the　news　of　Cao　Caos　approach　arrived；　Yuan　Shao　said；　〃If　we　allow　the　foe　to　get　close　to　the　city　before　we　march　to　the　river；　we　shall　have　missed　our　opportunity。　I　must　go　out　to　repel　this　army。〃

Here　his　son　Yuan　Shang　interposed；　〃Father；　you　are　not　sufficiently　recovered　for　a　campaign　and　should　not　go　so　far。　Let　me　lead　the　army　against　this　enemy。〃

Yuan　Shao　consented；　and　he　sent　to　Qingzhou　and　Youzhou　and　Bingzhou　to　call　upon　his　other　two　sons　and　his　nephew　to　attack　Cao　Cao　at　the　same　time　as　his　own　army。

Against　Runan　they　beat　the　drum；

And　from　Jizhou　the　armies　e。

To　whom　the　victory　will　be　seen　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　32　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　32

Chapter　32

Jizhou　Taken：　Yuan　Shang　Strives；

River　Zhang　Cut：　Xun　You　Schemes。

Yuan　Shang　was　puffed　up　with　pride　after　his　victory　over　Shi　Huan　and；　without　deigning　to　wait　the　arrival　of　his　brothers；　he　marched　out　with　thirty　thousand　troops　to　Liyang　to　meet　the　army　of　Cao　Cao。　Zhang　Liao　came　out　to　challenge　him；　and　Yuan　Shang；　accepting　the　challenge　rode　out　with　spear　set。　But　he　only　lasted　to　the　third　bout　when　he　had　to　give　way。　Zhang　Liao　smote　with　full　force　and　Yuan　Shang；　quite　broken；　fled　pell…mell　to　Jizhou。　His　defeat　was　a　heavy　shock　to　his　father　Yuan　Shao；　who　had　a　severe　fit　of　hemorrhage　at　the　news　and　swooned。

Lady　Liu；　his　wife；　got　him　to　bed　as　quickly　as　possible；　but　he　did　not　rally；　and　she　soon　saw　it　was　necessary　to　prepare　for　the　end。　So　she　sent　for　Shen　Pei　and　Peng　Ji　that　the　succession　might　be　settled。　They　came　and　stood　by　the　sick　mans　bed；　but　by　this　time　he　could　no　longer　speak。　He　only　made　motions　with　his　hands。

When　his　wife　put　the　formal　question；　〃Is　Yuan　Shang　to　succeed？〃

Yuan　Shao　nodded　his　head。　Shen　Pei　at　the　bedside　wrote　out　the　dying　mans　testament。　Presently　Yuan　Shao　uttered　a　loud　moan；　a　fresh　fit　of　bleeding　followed；　and　he　passed　away。

Born　of　a　line　of　nobles　famous　for　generations；

He　himself　in　his　youth　was　wayward　always　and　headstrong；

Vainly　he　called　to　his　side　generals　skilled　and　courageous；

Gathered　beneath　his　banner　countless　legions　of　soldiers；

For　he　was　timid　at　heart；　a　lamb　dressed　as　a　tiger；

Merely　a　cowardly　chicken；　phoenix…feathered　but　spurless。

Pitiful　was　the　fate　of　his　house；　for　when　he　departed

Brother　with　brother　strove　and　quarrels　arose　in　the　household。

Shen　Pei　and　some　others　set　about　the　mourning　ceremonies　for　the　dead　man。　His　wife；　Lady　Liu；　put　to　death　five　of　his　favorite　concubines；　and　such　was　the　bitterness　of　her　jealousy　that；　not　content　with　this；　she　shaved　off　the　hair　and　slashed　the　faces　of　their　poor　corpses　lest　their　spirits　should　meet　and　rejoin　her　late　husband　in　the　land　of　shades　beneath　the　Nine　Golden　Springs。　Her　son　followed　up　this　piece　of　cruelty　by　slaying　all　the　relatives　of　the　unhappy　concubines　lest　they　should　avenge　their　deaths。