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第150部分（第2页）

Liu　Bei　summoned　the　soldiers　of　the　escort　to　his　tent；　gave　them　wine　to　fort　them；　and　said；　〃Your　leaders　conspired　to　sow　dissension　between　brothers　and　were　found　with　daggers　hidden　beneath　their　clothing。　They　were　assassins　in　intent　and　have　met　the　fate　they　merited。　You　have　mitted　no　crime　and　need　feel　no　alarm。〃

The　soldiers　thanked　him　for　his　clemency　with　low　obeisance。

Then　said　Pang　Tong；　〃If　you　will　now　show　the　way　so　that　our　troops　may　capture　the　Pass；　you　shall　even　be　rewarded。〃

They　consented。　That　same　night　the　army　set　out；　with　the　soldiers　of　the　renegade　escort　leading　the　way。

When　they　reached　the　Pass　they　hailed　the　gate；　saying；　〃Open　the　gate　quickly！　The　generals　have　returned　earlier　than　they　expected　because　of　important　business。〃

Hearing　the　voices　of　their　rades；　the　gate　guards　had　no　suspicion　of　treachery　and　threw　open　the　gates。　In　rushed　the　enemy　soldiers　and　so　gained　possession　of　River　Fu　Pass　without　shedding　a　drop　of　blood。　The　defenders　came　over　to　the　side　of　Liu　Bei　and　were　liberally　rewarded。　This　done；　the　army　was　posted　so　as　to　guard　the　approaches　and　maintain　what　they　had　captured。

The　next　few　days　were　spent　in　banquets　and　feasts　in　celebration　of　success。

At　one　of　these　feasts；　Liu　Bei　turned　to　his　adviser；　saying；　〃This　is　what　one　might　call　a　joyful　occasion。〃

〃To　employ　warlike　weapons　in　making　an　attack　upon　the　possession　of　another　is　not　using　them　in　the　best　way；〃　replied　Pang　Tong。　〃Nor　is　such　attack　the　most　proper　occasion　for　rejoicing。〃

＇e＇　King　Wu；　aka　the　Martial　King；　founded　the　Zhou　Dynasty；　with　the　help　of　the　Duke　of　Zhou；　who　was　his　brother。　。。。。。

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃The　success　of　King　Wu　of　Zhou*　was　celebrated　with　music。　I　suppose　weapons　were　not　well　used　on　that　occasion　either。　Why　do　you　talk　so　wide　of　reason？　You　had　better　retire。〃

Pang　Tong　laughed　and　withdrew　from　the　table；　while　the　attendants　supported　Liu　Bei　to　his　own　chamber；　where　he　had　a　long　sleep。　About　midnight　he　awoke　from　his　wine；　and　then　the　servants　told　him　that　he　had　driven　sway　his　adviser　from　the　feast。　He　was　at　once　filled　with　remorse。　Next　day；　having　dressed　early　in　full　costume　of　ceremony；　he　took　his　seat　in　the　great　hall；　summoned　his　adviser　and　apologized　handsomely　for　his　rude　behavior　the　night　before。

〃I　drank　too　much　last　night　and　spoke　rudely。　Pray　forgive　me。〃

Pang　Tong；　who　had　taken　the　whole　episode　in　very　good　part　from　the　first；　laughed　and　talked　as　usual。

But　Liu　Bei　went　on；　〃Really　I　was　the　only　one　to　blame　yesterday。〃

〃We　both　slipped　up。　It　was　not　only　you；　my　lord；〃　said　Pang　Tong。

Then　Liu　Bei　laughed　too；　and　the　two　were　as　good　friends　again　as　ever。

When　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Zhang　heard　of　the　doings　of　his　relative　and　guest；　he　said；　〃I　did　not　think　that　such　things　would　e　to　pass。〃

The　officers　of　Yizhou　met　to　consider　how　to　oppose　the　further　advance　of　Liu　Bei。

Huang　Quan　said；　〃Let　us　send　without　delay　a　force　to　hold　Luocheng；　which　is　the　very　throat　of　the　road　he　must　take。　He　may　have　veteran　soldiers　and　fiery　generals；　but　he　will　not　be　able　to　pass。〃

So　the　four　ablest　generals………Deng　Xiang；　Ling　Bao；　Liu　Gui；　and　Zhang　Ren………were　told　off　for　this　duty；　and　they　led　fifty　thousand　troops。

As　they　marched；　Liu　Gui　said；　〃In　the　Silky　Hills　there　is　a　wonderful　Taoist　who　calls　himself　The　Super　Human　of　the　Dark　Void。　He　has　the　gift　of　second　sight；　so　let　us　visit　him　as　we　pass　and　inquire　what　our　fortunes　are　to　be。〃

〃What　should　one　seek　of　a　hermit　when　one　is　out　to　repulse　an　enemy？〃　said　his　colleague；　Zhang　Ren；　contemptuously。

〃Your　view　is　wrong；〃　said　Liu　Gui。　〃The　Holy　One　（Confucius）　has　said　that　it　is　characteristic　of　the　most　entire　sincerity　to　be　able　to　foreknow。　So　let　us　inquire　of　this　man　of　high　intelligence　that　we　may　know　what　to　do　and　what　to　avoid。〃

Whereupon　they　went　up　into　the　hills　and　sought　the　hermits　retreat。　They　were　a　small　party；　on　horseback。　Meeting　a　wood…cutter；　they　inquired　the　whereabouts　of　the　dwelling　of　the　wise　man；　and　he　pointed　to　one　of　the　highest　hills；　saying　that　the　Sage　lived　on　the　very　summit。　They　climbed　up　to　the　spot　he　had　told　them　of　and　found　a　small　hut。　At　their　summons；　a　lad　in　Taoist　garb　came　out　to　speak　with　them。　He　asked　their　names　and　led　them　into　the　presence　of　the　Super　Human；　who　received　them　seated　on　a　rush　cushion。　They　made　a　low　obeisance；　told　him　the　reason　of　their　ing；　and　asked　of　the　future。

〃How　can　a　poor　Taoist　recluse　know　ought　of　fortunes；　good　or　evil？〃　said　he。

However；　after　a　time；　as　Liu　Gui　repeated　his　request　again　and　again　and　ported　himself　most　humbly；　the　hermit　bade　the　lad　bring　paper　and　ink　and　he　wrote　eight　lines；　which　he　handed　to　his　questioner。

〃Supported　by　dragon　and　phoenix；

So　flies　he　westward。

But　the　phoenix　shall　fall　to　the　earth。

And　the　dragon　shall　soar　to　the　sky；

There　shall　be　successes　and　failures；

For　such　is　the　eternal　law。

See　that　ye　act　when　occasion　offers；

Lest　ye　descend　to　the　Nine　Golden　Springs。〃

Having　read　the　oracle；　they　pressed　the　seer　to　reveal　them　their　individual　fortunes；　but　he　replied；　〃Why　ask　these　things？　None　can　escape　his　fate。〃

Liu　Gui　ventured　to　question　the　Sage　further；　but　his　eyelids　dropped　as　if　he　slumbered。　Nor　would　he　vouchsafe　a　word　more；　and　the　four　generals　took　leave　and　descended　the　hill。

〃One　must　have　faith