第一小说网

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第97部分（第3页）

〃As　a　soldier　from　your　youth；　you　should　have　remembered　that　fire　was　a　likely　weapon　in　narrow　roads。〃

〃Li　Dian　and　Yu　Jin　reminded　me。　I　am　sorry　enough　now。〃

Cao　Cao　rewarded　Li　Dian　and　Yu　Jin　who　had　warned　their　leader。

〃Liu　Bei　as　strong　as　he　is　now　certainly　is　a　menace　to　our　existence；　and　he　must　be　quickly　destroyed；〃　said　Xiahou　Dun。

〃He　is　one　of　my　anxieties；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。　〃Sun　Quan　is　the　other。　The　rest　do　not　count。　We　must　take　this　chance　to　sweep　the　south　clean。〃

Then　orders　were　issued　to　prepare　an　army　of　five　hundred　thousand　troops；　in　five　divisions　of　ten　legions　each。　Each　division　had　two　leaders：　Cao　Ren　and　Cao　Hong　were　in　mand　of　the　first　division；　Zhang　Liao　and　Zhang　He；　the　second；　Xiahou　Dun　and　Xiahou　Yuan；　the　third；　Yu　Jin　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　Lus　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　fathers　corpse　was　exposed　in　the　streets。

Minister　Zhi　Xi　wept　over　the　corpse。　This　public　exhibition　of　sympathy　rekindled　Cao　Caos　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　friends　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。