第一小说网

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第52部分（第3页）

Using　The　Hosts　Forces；　Guan　Yu　Takes　Xuzhou。

〃Who　is　it？〃　was　the　question　on　the　lips　of　the　conspirators。

Ma　Tengs　reply　was；　〃The　Imperial　Protector　of　Yuzhou；　Liu　Bei。　He　is　here　and　we　will　ask　him　to　help。〃

〃Though　he　is　an　uncle　of　the　Emperor；　he　is　at　present　a　partisan　of　our　enemy；　and　he　will　not　join；〃　said　Dong　Cheng。

〃But　I　saw　something　at　the　hunt；〃　said　Ma　Teng。　〃When　Cao　Cao　advanced　to　acknowledge　the　congratulations　due　to　the　Emperor；　Liu　Beis　sworn　brother　Guan　Yu　was　behind　him；　and　grasped　his　sword　as　if　to　cut　down　Cao　Cao。　However；　Liu　Bei　signed　to　him　to　hold　his　hand　and　Guan　Yu　did。　Liu　Bei　would　willingly　destroy　Cao　Cao；　only　he　thinks　Cao　Caos　teeth　and　claws　are　too　many。　You　must　ask　Liu　Bei；　and　he　will　surely　consent。〃

Here　Wu　Shi　urged　caution；　saying；　〃Do　not　go　too　fast。　Let　us　consider　the　thing　most　carefully。〃

They　dispersed。　Next　day　after　dark　Dong　Cheng　went　to　Liu　Beis　lodging　taking　with　him　the　decree。　As　soon　as　Dong　Cheng　was　announced；　Liu　Bei　came　to　greet　him　and　led　him　into　a　private　room　where　they　could　talk　freely。　The　two　younger　brothers　were　there　as　well。

〃It　must　be　something　unusually　important　that　has　brought　Uncle　Dong　Cheng　here　tonight；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃If　I　had　ridden　forth　by　daylight；　Cao　Cao　might　have　suspected　something；　so　I　came　by　night。〃

Wine　was　brought　in；　and　while　they　were　drinking；　Dong　Cheng　said；　〃Why　did　you　check　your　brother　the　other　day　at　the　hunt；　when　he　was　going　to　attack　Cao　Cao？〃

Liu　Bei　was　startled　and　said；　〃How　did　you　know？〃

〃Nobody　noticed　but　I　saw。〃

Liu　Bei　could　not　prevaricate　and　said；　〃It　was　the　presumption　of　the　man　that　made　my　brother　so　angry。　Guan　Yu　could　not　help　it。〃

The　visitor　covered　his　face　and　wept。

〃Ah；〃　said　he；　〃if　all　the　court　ministers　were　like　Guan　Yu；　there　would　be　no　sighs　for　lack　of　tranquillity。〃

Now　Liu　Bei　felt　that　possibly　Cao　Cao　had　sent　his　visitor　to　try　him；　so　he　cautiously　replied；　〃Where　are　the　sighs　for　lack　of　tranquillity　while　Cao　Cao　is　at　the　head　of　affairs？〃

Dong　Cheng　changed　color　and　rose　from　his　seat。

〃You；　Sir；　are　a　relative　of　His　Majesty；　and　so　I　showed　you　my　inmost　feelings。　Why　did　you　mislead　me？〃

But　Liu　Bei　said；　〃Because　I　feared　you　might　be　misleading　me；　and　I　wanted　to　find　out。〃

At　this　Dong　Cheng　drew　out　the　decree　he　had　received　and　showed　it。　His　host　was　deeply　moved。　Then　Dong　Cheng　produced　the　pledge。　There　were　only　six　names　to　it；　and　these　were　Dong　Cheng；　Wang　Zifu；　Chong　Ji；　Wu　Shi；　Wu　Zilan；　and　Ma　Teng。

〃Since　you　have　a　decree　like　this；　I　cannot　but　do　my　share；〃　said　Liu　Bei；　and　at　Dong　Chengs　request　he　added　his　name　and　signature　to　the　others　and　handed　it　back。

〃Now　let　us　but　get　three　more；　which　will　make　ten；　and　we　shall　be　ready　to　act。〃

〃But　you　must　move　with　great　caution　and　not　let　this　get　abroad；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

The　two　remained　talking　till　an　early　hour　in　the　morning　when　the　visitor　left。

Now　in　order　to　put　Cao　Cao　quite　off　the　scent　that　any　plot　against　him　was　in　progress；　Liu　Bei　began　to　devote　himself　to　gardening；　planting　vegetables；　and　watering　them　with　his　own　hands。　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei　ventured　to　remonstrate　with　him　for　taking　to　such　an　occupation　when　great　matters　needed　attention。

〃The　reason　for　this　you　may　not　know；〃　replied　he。

And　they　said　no　more。

One　day　when　the　two　brothers　were　absent；　and　Liu　Bei　was　busy　in　his　garden；　two　generals　of　Cao　Cao；　Xu　Chu　and　Zhang　Liao；　with　an　escort　came　from　Cao　Cao；　saying；　〃The　mand　of　the　Prime　Minister　is　that　you　e　at　once。〃

〃What　important　affair　is　afoot？〃　asked　Liu　Bei　nervous