三国演义英文版-第230章

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osy　looking。
The　gaolers　reported　these　things　to　Cao　Cao；　who　had　the　prisoner　brought　in。
〃I　do　not　mind　going　without　food　for　years；〃　said　the　victim；　when　Cao　Cao　questioned　him；　〃yet　I　could　eat　a　thousand　sheep　in　a　day。〃
Cao　Cao　was　at　the　end　of　his　resources。　He　could　prevail　nothing　against　such　a　man。
That　day　there　was　to　be　a　great　banquet　at　the　new　Palace；　and　guests　came　in　crowds。　When　the　banquet　was　in　progress　and　the　wine　cup　passing　freely；　suddenly　the　same　Taoist　appeared。　He　had　wooden　clogs　on　his　feet。　All　faces　turned　in　his　direction　and　not　a　few　were　afraid；　others　wondered。
Standing　there　in　front　of　the　great　assembly；　the　Taoist　said；　〃O　Powerful　Prince；　here　today　you　have　every　delicacy　on　the　table　and　a　glorious　pany　of　guests。　You　have　rare　and　beautiful　objects　from　all　parts　of　the　world。　Is　there　anything　lacking？　If　there　be　anything　you　would　like；　name　it　and　I　will　get　it　for　you。〃
Cao　Cao　replied；　〃Then　I　want　a　dragon's　liver　to　make　soup：　Can　you　get　that？〃
〃Where's　the　difficulty？〃　replied　Zuo　Ci。
With　a　pencil　the　Taoist　immediately　sketched　a　dragon　on　the　whitewashed　wall　of　the　banquet　hall。　Then　he　flicked　his　sleeve　over　it；　the　dragon's　belly　opened　of　itself；　and　therefrom　Zuo　Ci　took　the　liver　all　fresh　and　bloody。
〃You　had　the　liver　hidden　in　your　sleeve；〃　said　Cao　Cao；　incredulous。
〃Then　there　shall　be　another　test；〃　said　the　Taoist。　〃It　is　winter　and　every　plant　outside　is　dead。　What　flower　would　you　like；　O　Prince。　Name　any　one　you　will。〃
〃I　want　a　peony；〃　said　Cao　Cao。
〃Easy；〃　said　the　Taoist。
At　this　request　they　brought　out　a　flower…pot；　which　was　placed　in　full　view　of　the　guests。　Then　he　spurted　some　water　over　it；　and　in　a　very　short　time　up　came　a　peony　with　two　fully　expanded　flowers。
The　guests　were　astonished；　and　they　asked　the　Taoist　to　be　seated　and　gave　him　wine　and　food。　The　cook　sent　in　some　minced　fish。
〃The　best　mince　is　made　from　the　perch　of　River　Song；〃　said　the　Taoist。
〃How　can　you　get　fish　five　hundred　miles　away？〃　said　Cao　Cao。
〃Not　at　all　difficult。　Tell　someone　to　get　a　rod　and　hook；　and　fish　in　the　pond　just　below　this　banquet　hall。〃
They　did　so；　and　very　soon　several　beautiful　perches　lay　on　the　steps。
〃I　have　always　kept　some　of　these　in　my　ponds；　of　course；〃　said　Cao　Cao。
〃O　Prince；　do　you　think　to　deceive　me？　All　perches　have　two　gills　except　the　River　Song　perch；　which　has　two　pairs。　That　is　the　distinguishing　feature。〃
The　guests　crowded　round　to　look；　and；　surely　enough；　the　fish　had　four　gills。
〃To　cook　this　perch　one　needs　purple　sprout　ginger　though；〃　said　the　Taoist。
〃Can　you　also　produce　that？〃　asked　Cao　Cao。
〃Easily。〃
Zuo　Ci　told　them　to　bring　in　a　silver　bowl；　which　the　magician　filled　with　water。　Very　soon　the　ginger　filled　the　bowl；　and　he　presented　it　to　the　host。　Cao　Cao　put　out　his　hand　to　pick　some；　when　suddenly　a　book　appeared　in　the　bowl　and　the　title　was　Cao　Cao's　New　Treatise　on　the　Art　of　War　。　He　took　it　out　and　read　it　over。　Not　a　word　of　his　treatise　was　missing。
Cao　Cao　became　more　mystified。　Zuo　Ci　took　up　a　jade　cup　that　stood　on　the　table；　filled　it　with　fine　wine；　and　presented　it　to　Cao　Cao。
〃Drink　this；　O　Prince；　and　you　will　live　a　thousand　years。〃
〃Drink　of　it　first　yourself；〃　said　Cao　Cao。
The　Taoist　took　the　jade　pin　from　his　headdress　and　drew　it　across　the　cup　as　if　dividing　the　wine　into　two　portions。
Then　he　drank　one　half　and　handed　the　cup　with　the　other　half　to　Cao　Cao。　But　Cao　Cao　angrily　refused　it。　The　Taoist　then　threw　the　cup　into　the　air；　where　it　was　transformed　into　a　white　dove　which　circled　round　the　banquet　hall　and　then　flew　away。
All　faces　were　turned　upward　following　the　flight　of　the　dove；　and　so　no　one　had　noticed　the　going　of　the　Taoist。　But　he　was　gone；　and　soon　the　gate　warden　reported　that　he　had　left　the　Palace。
Said　Cao　Cao；　〃A　magician　like　this　ought　to　be　put　to　death；　or　he　will　do　some　mischief。〃
The　redoubtable　Xu　Chu　and　a　pany　of　three　hundred　armed　men　were　sent　to　arrest　the　Taoist。　They　saw　the　Taoist；　still　wearing　his　wooden　clogs；　not　far　ahead　but　striding　along　quickly。　Xu　Chu　rode　after　Zuo　Ci；　but　in　spite　of　all　his　horse　could　do；　he　could　not　e　up　with　Zuo　Ci。　Xu　Chu　kept　up　the　chase　right　to　the　hills；　when　he　met　a　shepherd　lad　with　a　flock　of　sheep。　And　there　walked　the　Taoist　among　the　sheep。　The　Taoist　disappeared。　The　angry　warrior　slew　the　whole　flock　of　sheep；　while　the　shepherd　lad　looked　on　weeping。
Suddenly　the　boy　heard　a　voice　from　one　of　the　severed　heads；　telling　him　to　replace　the　heads　on　the　bodies　of　his　sheep。　Instead　of　doing　so；　he　fled　in　terror；　covering　his　face。
Then　he　heard　a　voice　calling　to　him；　〃Do　not　run　away。　You　shall　have　your　sheep　again。〃
He　turned；　and　lo！　the　sheep　were　all　alive　again；　and　Zuo　Ci　was　driving　them　along。　The　boy　began　to　question　him；　but　the　Taoist　made　no　reply。　With　a　flick　of　his　sleeves；　he　was　gone。
The　shepherd　lad　went　home　and　told　all　these　marvels　to　his　master；　who　could　not　conceal　such　a　story；　and　it　reached　Cao　Cao。　Then　sketches　of　the　Taoist　were　sent　everywhere　with　orders　to　arrest　him。　Within　three　days　were　arrested　in　the　city　and　outside　three　or　four　hundred　persons　all　blind　of　one　eye；　lame　of　one　leg；　and　wearing　a　rattan　headdress；　a　black　loose　robe　and　wooden　clogs。　They　were　all　alike　and　all　answered　to　the　description　of　the　missing　Taoist。
There　was　a　great　hubbub　in　the　street。　Cao　Cao　ordered　his　officer　to　sprinkle　the　crowd　of　Taoists　with　the　blood　of　pigs　and　goats　in　order　to　exorcise　the　witchcraft　and　take　them　away　to　the　drill　ground　on　the　south　of　the　city。　Thither　he　followed　them　with　his　guards；　who　surrounded　the　crowd　of　arrested　persons　and　slew　everyone。　But　from　the　neck　of　each　one；　after　the　head　was　severed；　there　floated　up　into　the　air　a　wreath　of　black　vapor；　and　all　these　wreaths　drifted　toward　a　center　where　they　joined　up　into　the　image　of　another　Zuo　Ci；　who　presently　beckoned　to　him　a　white　crane　out　of　the　sky；　mounted　it　and　sat　as　on　a　horse。
Clapping　his　hands；　the　Taoist　cried　merrily；　〃The　rats　of　the　earth　follow　the　golden　tiger；　and　one　morning　the　doer　of　evil　shall　be　no　more。〃
The　soldiers　shot　arrows　at　both　bird　and　man。　At　this　a　tremendous　storm　burst　over　the　city。　Stones　were　driven　along；　sand　was　whirled　about；　and　all　the　corpses　arose　from　the　ground；　each　holding　his　own　head　in　his　hands。　They　rushed　toward　Cao　Cao　as　if　to　strike　him。　The　officials　covered　their　eyes；　and　none　dared　to　look　another　in　the　face。

The　power　of　a　bold　man　will　overturn　a　state；
The　art　of　a　necromancer　also　produces　wonders。

Read　the　next　chapter　and　you　will　know　the　fate　of　Cao　Cao。
　Main　Next　to　Chapter　69　》》

　　　Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　69
　Chapter　69
Guan　Lu　Sees　Things　In　The　Book　Of　Changes；
Five　Loyal　Subjects　Die　For　Their　State。
The　sight　of　the　corpses　of　his　victims　rising　to　their　feet　in　the　storm　and　running　toward　him　was　too　much　for　Cao　Cao；　and　he　swooned。　However；　the　wind　quickly　fell　and　the　corpses　disappeared。　His　followers　assisted　Cao　Cao　to　his　palace；　but　he　was　very　ill。
A　poet　celebrated　the　episode　of　the　murdered　Taoist：

He　studied　his　magical　books；
He　was　learned　in　mystical　lore；
And　with　magical　fleetness　of　foot
He　could　travel　the　wide　world　over。
The　magical　arts　that　he　knew；
He　employed　in　an　earnest　essay
To　reform　the　bad　heart　of　Cao　Cao。
But　in　vain；　Cao　Cao　held　on　his　way。

Cao　Cao's　illness　seemed　beyond　the　art　of　the　physicians；　and　drugs　seemed　of　no　avail。　It　happened　that　Minister　Xu　Zhi　came　from　the　capital　to　visit　the　prince；　who　bade　the　latter　take　a　cast　from　the　〃Book　of　Changes〃。
〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　Guan　Lu？　He　is　more　than　human　in　his　skill　at　divination；〃　said　Xu　Zhi。
〃I　have　heard　a　lot　about　him；　but　I　do　not　know　how　clever　he　is。　You　tell　me　about　him；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。
〃He　is　from　Pingyuan。　His　face　is　ugly　and　coarse；　he　drinks　to　excess　and　is　rather　dissipated。　His　father　was　an　elder　of　Langye。　Since　a　lad　Guan　Lu　loved　to　study　the　stars；　staying　up　all　night　to　watch　them；　in　spite　of　the　prohibition　of　his　father　and　mother。　He　used　to　say　that　if　domes