三国演义英文版-第397章

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Yang　Hu　replied；　〃Sun　Hao　is　a　very　cruel　ruler　and　could　be　conquered　without　fighting。　If　he　were　to　die　and　a　wise　successor　sat　upon　his　throne；　Your　Majesty　would　never　be　able　to　gain　possession　of　Wu。〃
The　Ruler　of　Jin　realized　the　truth；　and　he　said；　〃Suppose　your　army　attacked　now。　What　then？〃
〃I　am　now　too　old　and　too　ill　for　the　task；〃　replied　Yang　Hu。　〃Some　other　bold　and　capable　leader　must　be　found。〃
Yang　Hu　left　the　court　and　retired　to　his　home。　Toward　the　end　of　the　year　he　was　nigh　unto　death；　and　the　Ruler　of　Jin　went　to　visit　him。　The　sight　of　his　master　at　his　bedside　brought　tears　to　the　eyes　of　the　faithful　old　leader。
〃If　I　died　a　myriad　times；　I　could　never　requite　Your　Majesty；〃　said　Yang　Hu。
Sima　Yan　also　wept；　saying；　〃My　great　grief　is　that　I　could　not　take　advantage　of　your　abilities　to　attack　Wu。　Who　now　is　there　to　carry　out　your　design？〃
Hesitatingly　the　sick　man　replied；　〃I　am　dying　and　must　be　wholly　sincere。　General　Du　Yu　is　equal　to　the　task；　and　is　the　one　man　to　attack　Wu。〃
Sima　Yan　said；　〃How　beautiful　it　is　to　bring　good　people　into　prominence！　But　why　did　you　write　a　memorial　remending　certain　people　and　then　burn　the　draft　so　that　no　one　knew？〃
The　dying　man　answered；　〃I　bowed　before　the　officials　in　open　court；　but　I　did　not　beseech　the　kindness　of　the　private　attendants。〃
So　Yang　Hu　died；　and　Sima　Yan　wailed　for　him　and　then　returned　to　his　palace。　He　conferred　on　the　dead　leader　the　posthumous　rank　of　Imperial　Guardian　and　Lord　of　Juping。　The　traders　closed　their　shops　out　of　respect　to　his　memory；　and　all　the　frontier　camps　were　filled　with　wailing。　The　people　of　Xiangyang；　recalling　that　he　loved　to　wander　on　the　Xian　Hills；　built　there　a　temple　to　him　and　set　up　a　stone　and　sacrificed　regularly　at　the　four　seasons。　The　passers…by　were　moved　to　tears　when　they　read　Yang　Hu's　name　on　the　tablet；　so　that　it　came　to　be　called　〃The　Stone　of　Tears〃。

I　saw　the　fragments　of　a　shattered　stone
One　spring　time　on　the　hillside；　when；　alone；
I　walked　to　greet　the　sun。　The　pines　distilled
Big　drops　of　dew　unceasing；　sadness　filled
My　heart。　I　knew　this　was　the　Stone　of　Tears；
The　stone　of　memory　of　long…past　years。

On　the　strength　of　Yang　Hu's　remendation；　Du　Yu　was　made　mander　of　Jingzhou；　and　the　title　of　General　Who　Guards　the　South　was　conferred　upon　him。　He　was　a　man　of　great　experience；　untiring　in　study　and　devoted　to　the　Zuo　Volume；　the　book　of　mentaries　posed　by　Zuo　Qiuming　upon　the　Spring　and　Autumn　Annals。　In　hours　of　leisure；　a　copy　of　Zuo　Volume　was　never　out　of　his　hand；　and　when　he　went　abroad；　an　attendant　rode　in　front　with　the　beloved　book。　He　was　said　to　be　〃Zuo　mad〃。
Du　Yu　went　to　Xiangyang　and　began　by　being　kind　to　the　people　and　caring　for　his　soldiers。　By　this　time　Wu　had　lost　by　death　both　Ding　Feng　and　Lu　Kang。
The　conduct　of　the　Ruler　of　Wu　waxed　worse　and　worse。　He　used　to　give　great　banquets　whereat　intoxication　was　universal。　He　appointed　Rectors　of　Feasts　to　observe　all　the　faults　mitted　by　guests；　and　after　these　banquets　all　offenders　were　punished；　some　by　flaying　the　face；　others　by　gouging　out　the　eyes。　Everyone　went　in　terror　of　these　Rectors。
Wang　Jun；　Imperial　Protector　of　Yizhou；　sent　in　a　memorial　advising　an　attack　upon　Wu。　He　said：
〃Sun　Hao　is　steeped　in　vice　and　should　be　attacked　at　once。　Should　he　die　and　be　succeeded　by　a　good　ruler；　we　might　meet　with　serious　opposition。　The　ships　I　built　seven　years　ago　lie　idle　and　rotting：　We　can　use　them。　I　am　seventy　years　of　age　and　must　soon　die。　If　any　one　of　these　three　events　happen………the　death　of　Sun　Hao；　the　destruction　of　these　ships；　or　my　death………then　success　will　be　difficult　to　ensure。　I　pray　Your　Majesty　not　to　miss　the　tide。〃
At　the　next　assembly　of　officers　Sima　Yan　said　to　them；　〃I　have　decided　to　act。　I　have　received　similar　advice　from　Yang　Hu　and　Wang　Jun。〃
At　this　arose　Minister　Wang　Hun　and　said；　〃I　hear　Sun　Hao　intends　to　march　north　to　the　Middle　Land　and　has　his　army　ready。　Report　says　it　is　formidable　and　would　be　hard　to　defeat。　I　counsel　to　await　another　year　till　that　army　has　lost　its　first　vigor。〃
A　mand　to　cease　warlike　preparations　was　the　result　of　this　counsel。　The　Ruler　of　Jin　betook　himself　to　his　private　chamber　where　he　engaged　in　a　game　of　chess　with　Secretary　Zhang　Hua　as　opponent。　While　at　the　game；　another　memorial　arrived。　It　was　from　Du　Yu。　It　read：
〃Formerly　Yang　Hu　explained　his　plans　confidentially　to　Your　Majesty；　but　did　not　lay　them　before　the　court。　The　result　has　been　much　debate　and　conflict　of　opinion。　In　every　project　there　are　pros　and　cons；　but　in　this　the　arguments　are　mostly　in　favor。　The　worst　that　can　happen　is　failure。　Since　last　autumn　the　proposed　attack　has　bee　generally　known；　and；　if　we　stop　now；　Sun　Hao　will　be　frightened　and　remove　the　capital　to　Wuchang；　repair　his　fortifications　in　the　South　Land；　and　move　his　threatened　people　out　of　danger。　Then　the　southern　capital　cannot　be　assaulted；　nor　is　there　anything　left　in　the　countryside　to　rob。　Hence　next　year's　attack　will　also　fail。〃
Just　as　the　Ruler　of　Jin　finished　reading；　Zhang　Hua　pushed　aside　the　board；　rose　and　drew　his　hands　into　his　sleeves；　saying；　〃Your　Majesty's　skill　in　war　is　almost　divine；　your　state　is　prosperous；　and　the　army　strong。　The　Ruler　of　Wu　is　a　tyrant；　his　people　are　miserable；　and　his　country　mean。　Now　you　can　easily　conquer　him；　and　I　pray　that　there　be　no　further　hesitation！〃
〃How　could　I　hesitate　after　your　discourse？〃　said　Sima　Yan。
Thereupon　he　returned　to　the　council　chamber　and　issued　his　mands。　Du　Yu　was　made　mander…in…Chief　and；　with　one　hundred　thousand　troops；　was　to　attack　Jiangling；　Sima　Zhou；　Prince　of　Langye　and　General　Who　Guards　the　East；　was　to　attack　Tuzhong；　Wang　Hun；　General　Who　Conquers　the　East；　to　go　up　against　Hengjiang；　Wang　Rong；　General　Who　Exhibits　Prowess；　to　move　against　Wuchang；　Hu　Fen；　General　Who　Pacifies　the　South；　to　attack　Xiakou。　And　all　divisions；　fifty　thousand　troops　each；　were　under　the　orders　of　Du　Yu。　In　addition　to　the　land　forces；　two　large　fleets　were　to　operate　on　the　river　under　Wang　Jun；　General　Who　Shows　Dragon　Courage；　and　Tang　Bin；　General　Who　Possesses　Martial　Bravery。　Marines　and　lands　troops　amounted　to　more　than　two　hundred　thousand。　A　separate　force　under　Yang　Ji；　General　Who　Holds　the　South；　was　sent　away　to　Xiangyang　to　coordinate　all　forces。
The　Ruler　of　Wu　was　greatly　alarmed　at　the　news　of　such　armies　and　fleets；　and　he　called　to　him　quickly　his　Prime　Minister　Zhang　Ti；　Minister　of　the　Interior　He　Zhi；　and　Minister　of　Works　Teng　Xun；　to　consult　how　to　defend　his　land。
Zhang　Ti　proposed：　〃Send　mander　of　the　Flying　Chariots　Wu　Yan　to　meet　the　enemy　at　Jiangling；　mander　of　the　Flying　Cavalry　Sun　Xin　to　Xiakou；　I　volunteer　to　take　mand　of　a　camp　at　Niuzhu；　together　with　the　General　of　the　Left　Army　Shen　Zong　and　General　of　the　Right　Army　Zhuge　Xing；　ready　to　lend　help　at　any　point。〃
The　Ruler　of　Wu　approved　his　dispositions　and　felt　satisfied　that　he　was　safe　by　land。　But　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　apartment　he　felt　miserable；　for　he　realized　that　no　preparations　had　been　made　against　an　attack　by　water　under　the　Wei　leader　Wang　Jun。
Then　the　favorite　eunuch　Cen　Hun　asked　the　Emperor　why　he　bore　a　sad　countenance；　and　Sun　Hao　told　him　of　his　dread　of　the　enemy　navy。
〃The　armies　of　Jin　are　ing；　and　I　have　deployed　troops　for　general　defense。　Only　the　water　front；　by　which　Wang　Jun　and　his　several　thousand　battleships　sail　east　along　the　tide；　makes　me　feel　so　worried。〃
〃But　I　have　a　scheme　that　will　smash　all　Wang　Jun's　ships！〃　cried　Cen　Hun。
〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　pleased　to　hear　this。
〃Iron　is　plentiful。　Make　great　chains　with　heavy　links　and　stretch　them　across　the　river　at　various　points。　Also　forge　many　massive　hammers　and　arrange　them　in　the　stream；　so　that　when　the　enemy's　ships　sail　down　before　the　wind；　they　will　collide　with　the　hammers　and　be　wrecked。　Then　they　will　sail　no　more。〃
Blacksmiths　were　soon　at　work　on　the　river　bank　welding　the　links　and　forging　the　hammers。　Work　went　on　day　and　night；　and　soon　all　the　chains　were　placed　in　different　points。
As　has　been　said　Du　Yu　was　to　attack　Jiangling；　and　he　sent　General　Zhou　Zhi　with　eight　hundred