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第135部分（第2页）

Then　someone　from　the　wall　asked；　〃Who　is　there？〃

The　soldiers　of　the　South　Land　replied；　〃The　mander…in…Chief　of　the　South　Land；　Zhou　Yu；　in　person。〃

Immediately　was　heard　the　thud　of　a　club；　and　the　wall　became　alive　with　troops　all　armed。　And　from　the　tower　came　out　Zhao　Yun　who　said；　〃Why　are　you　here；　General？〃

〃I　am　going　to　take　the　west　for　you；〃　replied　Zhou　Yu。　〃Do　you　not　know？〃

〃The　Directing　Instructor　knows　that　you　want　to　try　the　ruse　of　Borrow　a　Road　to　Destroy　the　Host。　And　so　he　stationed　me　here。　And　my　master　bade　me　say　that　he　and　the　ruler　of　the　West　River　Land　are　both　members　of　the　reigning　family　so　that　he　could　not　think　of　such　baseness　as　attacking　Yizhou。　If　you　people　of　the　South　Land　do　so；　he　will　be　forced　to　go　away　into　the　mountains　and　bee　a　recluse。　He　could　not　bear　to　lose　the　confidence　of　humankind。〃

At　this　Zhou　Yu　turned　his　horse　as　if　to　return。　Just　then　his　scouts　came　up　to　report：　〃Armed　bands　are　moving　toward　us　from　all　four　sides；　led　by　Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　Huang　Zhong；　and　Wei　Yan。　Their　number　is　unknown；　but　the　sound　of　their　tramping　shakes　the　heavens。　They　say　they　want　to　capture　the　mander…in…Chief。〃

At　these　tidings　Zhou　Yus　excitement　became　so　intense　that　he　fell　to　the　ground　with　a　great　cry；　and　the　old　wound　reopened。

The　game　was　now　too　deep；　in　vain　he　sought

A　countermove；　his　efforts　came　to　nought。

Later　chapters　will　show　what　was　Zhou　Yus　fate。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　57　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　57

Chapter　57

Sleeping　Dragon　Mourns　At　Chaisang；

Young　Phoenix　Intervenes　At　Leiyang。

In　the　last　chapter　it　was　said　that　a　sudden　rage　filled　the　bosom　of　Zhou　Yu；　and　he　fell　to　the　ground。　Then　he　was　carried　to　his　boat。　It　only　added　to　his　rage　and　mortification　to　be　told　that　Liu　Bei　and　Zhuge　Liang　could　be　seen　on　the　top　of　one　of　the　hills　apparently　feasting　and　enjoying　some　music。　He　lay　grinding　his　teeth　with　vexation。

〃They　say　I　shall　never　be　able　to　get　Yizhou！　But　I　will………I　swear　I　will。〃

Soon　after　Sun　Quans　brother　Sun　Hu　arrived；　and　Zhou　Yu　told　him　his　vexations。

〃My　brother　sent　me　to　assist　you；〃　said　Sun　Hu。

Zhou　Yu　ordered　Sun　Hu　to　press　the　army　forward　for　Yizhou；　and　they　got　to　Baqiu。　There　they　stopped；　for　the　scouts　reported　large　forces　under　Liu　Beis　generals………Liu　Feng　and　Guan　Ping………barring　the　water　route　in　the　Great　River。　This　failure　did　not　make　the　mander…in…Chief　any　calmer。

About　this　time　a　letter　from　Zhuge　Liang　arrived；　which　ran　like　this：

〃Since　our　parting　at　Chaisang　I　have　thought　of　you　often。　Now　es　to　me　a　report　that　you　desire　to　take　the　West　River　Land；　which　I　regret　to　say　I　consider　impossible。　The　people　there　are　strong；　and　the　country　is　precipitous　and　defensible。　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Zhang　may　be　weak　within；　but　he　is　strong　enough　to　defend　himself。

〃Now　indeed；　General；　you　would　go　far　and　you　would　render　great　services；　yet　can　anyone　foretell　the　final　result？　No；　not　even　Wu　Qi　the　Great　General　could　say　for　certain；　nor　could　Sun　Zi　the　Famed　Strategist　be　sure　of　a　successful　issue。　Cao　Cao　suffered　severe　defeat　at　the　Red　Cliffs。　Think　you　he　will　ever　cease　to　hope　for　revenge？　Now　if　you　undertake　a　long　expedition；　will　he　not　seize　the　occasion　to　fall　upon　the　South　Land　and　grind　it　to　powder？　Such　a　deed　would　be　more　than　I　could　bear；　and　I　venture　to　warn　you　of　the　possible　danger　if　haply　you　may　condescend　to　regard　it。〃

The　letter　made　Zhou　Yu　feel　very　sorrowful；　and　he　sighed　deeply。　He　called　for　paper　and　ink　and　wrote　to　the　Marquis　of　Wu。

Having　done　this；　he　said　to　his　assembled　officers；　〃I　have　honestly　tried　to　do　my　best　for　our　house；　but　my　end　is　at　hand。　The　number　of　my　days　is　acplished。　You　must　continue　to　aid　our　master　till　his　end　shall　be　achieved…〃

He　stopped；　for　he　had　swooned。

Slowly　he　regained　consciousness；　and　as　he　looked　up　to　heaven；　he　sighed　heavily；　〃O　God；　since　thou　made　Zhou　Yu；　why　did　thou　also　create　Zhuge　Liang？〃

Soon　after　he　passed　away。　He　was　only　thirty…six。

The　battle　at　the　Red　Cliffs　made　him　famous；

Though　young　in　years　he　gained　a　veterans　reputation。

Deep　feeling；　his　music　declared　its　intensity；

Subtle；　with　excess　hospitality　he　foiled　a　plot；

Persuasive；　he　obtained　a　large　gift　of　grain　from　Lu　Su；

Capable；　he　led　an　army　of　millions。

Baqiu　was　his　deathbed；　there　his　fate　met　him。

Sadly　indeed　they　mourned　him。

After　his　death　his　generals　sent　his　dying　memorial　to　the　Marquis　of　Wu；　who　was　most　deeply　affected　and　wept　aloud　at　the　sad　tidings　of　his　death。　When　Sun　Quan　opened　the　letters；　he　saw　that　Lu　Su　was　named　as　the　dead　generals　successor；　This　is　the　letter：

〃Possessing　but　ordinary　abilities；　there　was　no　reason　why　I　should　have　been　the　recipient　of　your　confidence　and　high　office；　but　I　have　not　spared　myself　in　the　leadership　of　the　great　army　under　my　mand　that　thereby　I　might　prove　my　gratitude。　Yet　none　can　measure　life；　and　the　number　of　our　days　is　ordained　by　fate。　Before　I　could　achieve　even　my　poor　intentions；　my　feeble　body　has　failed　me。　I　regret　it　without　measure。　I　die　with　Cao　Cao　threatening　and　our　northern　borders　disturbed；　and　with　Liu　Bei　in　your　family　as　though　you　were　feeding　a　fierce　tiger。　None　can　foretell　the　fate　of　the　e