三国演义英文版-第134章

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and　Li　Dian；　the　fourth。　The　fifth　body　was　led　by　Cao　Cao　himself。　The　van　was　manded　by　Xu　Chu。　The　〃horse〃　day　of　the　seventh　moon　of　the　thirteenth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　was　fixed　for　the　march　（AD　208）。
The　High　Minister；　Kong　Rong；　offered　a　remonstrance。
He　said；　〃Liu　Bei　and　Liu　Biao　are　both　of　the　Imperial　House　and　should　not　be　attacked　without　grave　reasons。　Sun　Quan　in　the　six　territories　of　the　South　Land　is　terrible　as　a　crouching　tiger　and；　with　the　Great　River　as　his　defense；　he　is　very　secure。　If；　Sir　Prime　Minister；　you　undertake　this　unjustifiable　expedition；　you　will　forfeit　the　respect　of　the　world；　I　fear。〃
〃All　three　of　them　are　disobedient　ministers　and　rebels；　and　how　can　I　fail　to　punish　them？〃　replied　Cao　Cao。
Cao　Cao　was　angry；　and　bade　the　adviser　go　from　his　presence。　Presently　Cao　Cao　gave　formal　orders　that　he　would　put　to　death　anyone　who　remonstrated　on　the　subject　of　his　expedition。
Kong　Rong　went　forth　from　the　Palace　sadly。
Casting　his　eyes　up　to　heaven；　he　cried；　〃Where　is　the　chance　of　success　when　the　perfectly　inhumane　attacks　the　perfectly　humane？　He　must　be　defeated！〃
One　of　the　clients　of　the　Imperial　Inspector　Chi　Lu；　whom　Kong　Rong　had　always　treated　contemptuously　and　disdainfully；　happened　to　hear　this　apostrophe　and　told　his　patron　who　carried　the　tale　to　Cao　Cao。
Chi　Lu　also　added　to　it；　saying；　〃Kong　Rong　habitually　speaks　disrespectfully　of　the　Chief　Minister　and　has　been　very　friendly　with　Mi　Heng。　In　fact　the　insults　that　Mi　Heng　had　hurled　at　you　had　been　deliberately　arranged　and　intrigued　by　Kong　Rong。　Kong　Rong　and　Mi　Heng　seemed　to　admire　each　other　hugely；　and　Mi　Heng　used　to　say；　'Confucius　is　not　dead；　because　Kong　Rong　is　he；'　and　the　other　used　to　reply；　'And　his　treasured　disciple；　Yan　Hui；　has　risen　again；　because　Mi　Heng　is　he。'〃
Chi　Lu's　tale　angered　Cao　Cao；　who　ordered　the　arrest　execution　of　the　high　minister。
Now　Kong　Rong　had　two　sons；　both　young；　who　were　sitting　at　home　playing　chess；　when　one　of　their　servants　ran　in　and　said；　〃Your　father　has　just　been　carried　off　for　execution。　Why　do　you　not　run　away？〃
The　youths　replied；　〃When　the　nest　is　pulled　down；　are　the　eggs　left　unbroken？〃
Even　at　that　moment　the　same　executors　came　and　carried　off　the　whole　household。　The　two　youths　were　beheaded。　The　father's　corpse　was　exposed　in　the　streets。
Minister　Zhi　Xi　wept　over　the　corpse。　This　public　exhibition　of　sympathy　rekindled　Cao　Cao's　anger；　and　he　was　going　to　punish　it　with　death。
However；　this　additional　punishment　was　prevented　by　Adviser　Xun　Yu；　who　said；　〃You　should　not　slay　a　righteous　man　who　came　to　mourn　over　his　friend's　corpse。　Zhi　Xi　had　often　warned　Kong　Rong　against　the　danger　his　severe　rectitude　might　lead　him　into。〃
Zhi　Xi　took　up　the　remains　of　father　and　sons　and　buried　them。

Kong　Rong；　who　dwelt　on　the　north　sea　shore；
A　noble　reputation　bore；
With　him　all　guests　warm　wele　found；
And　ceaselessly　the　wine　went　round。
For　skill　in　letters　he　was　famed；
In　speech；　he　dukes　and　princes　shamed；
Historians　his　merits　tell；
Recorders　say　that　he　did　well。

After　wreaking　his　wrath　on　Kong　Rong；　Cao　Cao　issued　the　order　to　march。　Xun　Yu　was　left　in　mand　of　the　capital。
About　this　time　the　Imperial　Protector　of　Jingzhou　became　seriously　ill；　and　he　summoned　Liu　Bei　to　his　chamber。　Liu　Bei　went　acpanied　by　his　two　brothers；　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei；　and　Directing　Instructor　Zhuge　Liang。
Liu　Biao　said；　〃The　disease　has　attacked　my　very　vitals；　and　my　time　is　short。　I　confide　my　orphans　to　your　guardianship。　My　sons　is　unfit　to　succeed　to　my　place；　and　I　pray　you；　my　brother；　administer　the　region　after　my　death。〃
Liu　Bei　wept；　saying；　〃I　will　do　my　utmost　to　help　my　nephews。　What　else　could　I　do；　indeed？〃
Even　at　this　moment　came　the　news　of　the　march　of　Cao　Cao's　armies；　and　Liu　Bei；　taking　hasty　leave　of　his　kinsman；　was　forced　to　hurry　to　his　station。　The　evil　tidings　aggravated　the　sick　man's　condition；　and　he　began　to　make　his　last　arrangements。　In　his　testament　he　appointed　Liu　Bei　the　guardian　of　his　son　Liu　Qi；　who　was　to　succeed　in　the　lordship。
This　arrangement　greatly　angered　his　wife；　Lady　Cai。　She　closed　the　inner　doors　against　all　and　confided　to　her　own　partisans；　of　whom　Cai　Mao　and　Zhang　Yun　were　her　confidants；　the　keeping　of　the　outer　gates。
The　heir　was　at　Jiangxia；　and　he　came　to　make　filial　inquiries　as　soon　as　his　father's　condition　became　serious。
But　Cai　Mao　refused　him　admittance　and　said；　〃Your　father　sent　you　to　guard　Jiangxia。　Such　a　very　responsible　post　should　by　no　means　have　been　quitted　without　orders。　Suppose　it　was　attacked；　what　might　not　happen？　If　your　father　sees　you；　he　will　be　very　angry；　and　it　will　make　him　worse。　That　would　be　most　undutiful；　and　you　should　return　to　your　mand　at　once。〃
Liu　Qi　stood　out　for　some　time；　but　admittance　was　denied　him　in　spite　of　his　tears。　So　he　returned　to　his　post。　Meanwhile　Liu　Biao　rapidly　grew　worse。　He　anxiously　looked　for　his　son；　but　Liu　Qi　came　not。　Suddenly　Liu　Biao　uttered　piercing　shrieks　and　then　passed　away。

When　the　Yuans　were　lords　of　the　north；
And　Liu　Biao　held　the　bank　of　the　river；
It　seemed；　so　strong　were　they　both；
That　they　would　endure　forever。
But　the　family　affairs　troubled　their　states；
And；　meddling；　confusion　made；
It　was　mournful　indeed　to　see
How　quickly　the　houses　decayed。

So　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Biao　died。　Then　the　widow　and　her　partisans　took　counsel　together　and　forged　a　testament　conferring　the　lordship　of　Jingzhou　on　the　second　son　Liu　Zong　before　they　published　the　news　of　the　death。
The　wrongful　heir　was　then　fourteen　years　of　age。　But　he　was　a　cunning　boy；　so　he　assembled　the　officials　and　said；　〃My　father　has　passed　away；　and　my　elder　brother　is　at　Jiangxia。　More　than　that；　our　uncle　is　at　Xinye。　You　have　made　me　lord；　but　if　my　brother　and　uncle　e　here　with　an　army　to　punish　me　for　usurping　the　lordship；　what　explanation　can　I　offer？〃
At　first　no　one　replied。
Then　Adviser　Li　Gui　rose　and　said；　〃You　speak　well。　Now　hasten　to　send　letters　of　mourning　to　your　brother　and　ask　him　to　e　and　take　his　inheritance。　Also　call　upon　Liu　Bei　to　e　and　assist　in　the　administration。　Then　shall　we　be　safe　against　our　enemies………Cao　Cao　on　the　north　and　Sun　Quan　on　the　south。　I　consider　this　the　most　excellent　plan。〃
But　Cai　Mao　replied　harshly；　〃Who　are　you　to　speak　thus　wildly　and　oppose　the　testament　of　our　late　lord？〃
Li　Gui　began　to　abuse　him；　saying；　〃You　and　your　party　have　fabricated　this　testament；　setting　aside　the　rightful　heir。　Now　the　whole　region　is　in　the　hands　of　the　Cai　family。　If　our　dead　lord　knew　your　doings；　he　would　slay　you！〃
Cai　Mao　ordered　the　lictors　to　take　Li　Gui　away　to　execution。　He　was　hurried　out；　but　his　tongue　ceased　not。
So　the　younger　son　was　placed　in　his　father's　seat；　and　the　Cai　clan　shared　among　them　the　whole　military　authority　of　the　region。　The　defense　of　Jingzhou　was　confided　to　Liu　Xin　and　Deng　Yi；　while　Lady　Cai　and　her　son　took　up　their　residence　in　Xiangyang　so　as　to　be　out　of　the　reach　of　the　rightful　heir　and　his　uncle。　They　interred　the　remains　of　the　late　Imperial　Protector　on　the　east　of　Xiangyang；　near　the　bank　of　the　Han　River。　No　notice　of　the　death　was　sent　to　Liu　Qi；　the　son；　or　to　Liu　Bei；　his　uncle。
Liu　Zong　arrived　at　Xiangyang；　but；　before　he　had　had　time　to　recover　from　the　fatigue　of　the　journey；　the　startling　news　of　the　approach　of　Cao　Cao's　great　army　came　in。　He　summoned　Kuai　Yue　and　Cai　Mao　and　others　to　ask　counsel。
One　of　the　secretaries；　Fu　Xuan；　offered　his　advice；　saying；　〃Not　only　are　we　threatened　by　a　great　army　from　the　north；　but　the　elder　son；　who　is　the　real　heir；　at　Jiangxia；　and　his　uncle　at　Xinye；　are　to　be　reckoned　with。　These　two　have　not　been　notified　of　the　death；　and　they　will　resent　that。　We　shall　be　in　sad　case　if　they　also　march　against　us。　But　if　you　will　adopt　my　suggestion；　then　our　people　will　be　as　steady　as　Taishan　Mountains　and　our　young　lord's　position　and　rank　will　be　assured。〃
〃What　is　your　plan？〃　asked　the　young　lord。
〃To　offer　the　whole　region　to　Cao　Cao；　who　will　treat　our　young　master　most　liberally。〃
〃What　advice！〃　said　Liu　Zong　angrily。　〃Am　I　to　yield　my　heritage　to　another　before　I