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第41部分（第1页）

〃No；　it　will　not。〃

〃The　nobles　rule；　then？〃

〃No；　nor　that。〃

〃The　high　officers？〃

〃Not　even　that。〃

Lu　Bu　laughed；　saying；　〃Then　you　mean　me　to　go　by　the　rule　for　mon　people。〃

〃Nor　that　either。〃

〃Then　what　do　you　mean？〃

Chen　Gong　said；　〃In　the　midst　of　the　present　troubles；　when　there　is　great　rivalry　among　the　nobles；　do　you　not　see　that　the　others　will　be　exceedingly　jealous　of　your　marriage　alliance　with　such　a　high　family　as　the　Yuans？　Suppose　you　postpone　the　choice　of　the　day；　most　likely　when　your　fine　morning　arrives；　the　wedding　party　will　fall　into　an　ambush　on　the　road　and　the　bride　be　carried　off。　Then　what　could　be　done？　My　opinion　is　that　you　would　have　done　better　to　refuse。　But　since　you　have　consented；　then　carry　out　the　plan　at　once　before　the　lords　hear　of　it；　and　so　send　the　girl　over　without　delay　to　Shouchun。　You　can　hire　a　lodging　there　till　you　have　selected　the　wedding　day；　and　the　odds　are　greatly　against　any　failure。〃

〃What　you　say　is　quite　to　the　point；〃　replied　Lu　Bu。

He　went　into　the　private　apartments　to　see　his　wife　and　told　her　the　bride　elect　would　set　out　immediately　and　the　trousseau　was　to　be　prepared　as　far　as　it　could　be。　On　his　side　he　chose　some　good　horses　and　had　a　wedding　carriage　got　ready。　The　escort　consisted　of　Han　Yin　and　two　of　Lu　Bus　generals；　Song　Xian　and　Wei　Xu。　The　procession　went　out　of　the　city　to　the　sound　of　music。

Now　at　this　time　Chen　Gui；　father　of　Chen　Deng；　was　placidly　waiting　till　the　evening　of　his　life　passed　into　night。　Hearing　this　burst　of　music　he　inquired　the　occasion；　and　the　servants　told　him。

〃They　are　working　on　the　Relative…above…Stranger　device；　then；〃　said　Chen　Gui。　〃Liu　Bei　is　in　danger。〃

Thereupon　in　spite　of　his　many　infirmities；　he　went　to　see　Lu　Bu。

〃Noble　Sir；　what　brings　you　here？〃　asked　Lu　Bu。

〃I　heard　you　were　dead；　and　I　came　to　mourn；〃　quavered　the　old　man。

〃Who　said　that？〃　exclaimed　his　host。

〃Once　upon　a　time　you　received　grand　presents　from　Yuan　Shu　that　you　might　slay　Liu　Bei；　but　you　got　out　by　that　clever　shot　at　your　halberd。　Now　they　suddenly　seek　a　marriage　alliance　thinking　to　get　hold　of　your　daughter　as　a　pledge。　The　next　move　will　be　an　attack　on　Xiaopei　and；　that　gone；　where　are　you？　Whatever　they　ask　in　future；　grain　or　troops　or　anything　else；　and　you　yield；　will　bring　your　own　end　nearer；　and　make　you　hated　all　round。　If　you　refuse；　then　you　are　false　to　the　duties　of　a　relative；　and　that　will　be　an　excuse　to　attack　you　openly。　Beside　this　Yuan　Shu　intends　to　call　himself　emperor；　which　would　be　rebellion；　and　you　would　be　of　the　rebels　family：　Something　abominable；　which　the　multitude　people　would　not　suffer。〃

Lu　Bu　was　much　disturbed　to　hear　this。

〃I　have　been　misled　by　Chen　Gong！〃　cried　he。

So　he　hurriedly　sent　Zhang　Liao　to　bring　the　wedding　party；　which　had　been　ten　miles　away；　back　to　the　city。　When　they　had　e；　Lu　Bu　threw　Han　Yin　into　prison　and　sent　a　reply　to　Yuan　Shu　saying　curtly　that　the　girls　trousseau　was　not　ready　and　she　could　not　be　married　till　it　was。

Chen　Gui　wanted　Han　Yin　to　be　sent　to　Capital　Xuchang。　But　Lu　Bu　was　hesitating　what　course　to　adopt；　when　he　heard　that　Liu　Bei　was　enlisting　soldiers　and　buying　horses　for　no　apparent　reason。

〃He　is　simply　doing　his　duty。　There　is　nothing　to　be　surprised　at；〃　said　Lu　Bu　at　first。

Then　came　two　officers；　Song　Xian　and　Wei　Xu；　saying；　〃As　you　ordered　us；　we　went　into　the　Huashang　Mountains　to　purchase　horses。　We　had　got　three　hundred　when；　on　our　way　back；　on　the　borders　of　Xiaopei　some　robbers　stole　half　of　them。　We　hear　that　the　real　robbers　were　Zhang　Fei　and　his　soldiers；　who　took　on　the　guise　of　brigands。〃

Lu　Bu　was　very　angry　at　this　and　began　to　prepare　an　expedition　against　Xiaopei。　When　Liu　Bei　heard　that　an　attack　threatened；　he　led　out　his　army　to　oppose　it；　and　the　two　armies　were　arrayed。

Liu　Bei　rode　to　the　front　and　said；　〃Elder　brother；　why　have　you　brought　an　army　against　me？〃

Lu　Bu　began　abusing　him；　saying；　〃That　shot　of　mine　at　the　Archery　Feast　saved　you　from　grave　danger。　Why　then　did　you　steal　my　horses？〃

〃I　wanted　horses　and　I　sent　out　to　buy　them。　Should　I　dare　to　take　yours？〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃You　stole　a　hundred　and　fifty　in　the　person　of　your　brother　Zhang　Fei。　You　only　used　another　mans　hand。〃

Thereupon　Zhang　Fei；　with　his　spear　set；　rode　out；　saying；　〃Yes；　I　stole　your　good　horses；　and　what　more　do　you　expect？〃

Lu　Bu　replied；　〃You　goggled…eyed　thief！　You　are　always　treating　me　with　contempt。〃

〃Yes；　I　took　your　horses　and　you　get　angry。　You　did　not　say　any　thing　when　you　stole　my　brothers　Xuzhou。〃

Lu　Bu　rode　forward　to　give　battle；　and　Zhang　Fei　advanced。　A　reckless　fight　began；　and　the　two　warriors　kept　it　up　for　a　hundred　bouts　without　a　decisive　stroke。　Then　Liu　Bei；　fearing　some　accident　to　his　brother；　hastily　beat　the　gongs　as　a　signal　to　retire　and　led　his　army　into　the　city。　Lu　Bu　then　invested　it。

Liu　Bei　called　his　brother　and　chided　him　as　the　cause　of　all　this　misfortune。

〃Where　are　the　horses？〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃In　some　of　the　temples　and　courts；〃　replied　Zhang　Fei。