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第21部分（第1页）

〃Do　you　think　I　could　bear　to　lose　you？〃　said　Dong　Zhuo。

〃Though　you　love　me　yet　I　must　not　stay　here。　That　Lu　Bu　will　try　to　ruin　me　if　I　do。　I　fear　him。〃

〃We　will　go　to　Meiwo　tomorrow；　you　and　I；　and　we　will　be　happy　together　and　have　no　cares。〃

She　dried　her　tears　and　thanked　him。　Next　day　Li　Ru　came　again　to　persuade　Dong　Zhuo　to　send　the　damsel　to　Lu　Bu。

〃This　is　a　propitious　day；〃　said　Li　Ru。

〃He　and　I　standing　in　the　relation　of　father　and　son。　I　cannot　very　well　do　that；〃　said　Dong　Zhuo。　〃But　I　will　say　no　more　about　his　fault。　You　may　tell　him　so　and　soothe　him　as　well　as　you　can。〃

〃You　are　not　being　beguiled　by　the　woman；　are　you？〃　said　Li　Ru。

Dong　Zhuo　colored；　saying；　〃Would　you　like　to　give　your　wife　to　some　body　else？　Do　not　talk　about　this　any　further。　It　would　be　better　not　to。〃

Li　Ru　left　the　chamber。　When　he　got　outside；　he　cast　his　eyes　up　to　heaven；　saying；　〃We　are　dead　people；　slain　by　the　hand　of　this　girl！〃

When　a　scholar　of　history　reached　this　episode　he　wrote　a　verse　or　two：

Just　introduce　a　woman；

Conspiracies　succeed；

Of　soldiers；　or　their　weapons；

There　really　is　no　need。

They　fought　their　bloody　battles；

And　doughty　deeds　were　done；

But　in　a　garden　summer　house

The　victory　was　won。

The　order　was　given　to　journey　to　Meiwo；　and　the　whole　body　of　officers　assembled　to　add　luster　to　the　start。　Diao　Chan；　from　her　carriage；　saw　Lu　Bu　among　the　crowd。　She　at　once　dropped　her　eyes　and　assumed　an　appearance　of　deepest　melancholy。　After　the　cavalcade　started　and　when　her　carriage　had　almost　disappeared　in　the　distance；　the　disappointed　lover　reined　in　his　steed　on　a　mount　whence　he　could　watch　the　dust　that　rose　around　it。　Unutterable　sadness　filled　his　heart。

Suddenly　a　voice　said；　〃Why　do　you　not　acpany　the　Prime　Minister；　General；　instead　of　standing　here　and　sighing？〃

It　was　Wang　Yun。

〃I　have　been　confined　to　the　house　by　illness　these　few　days；〃　continued　he；　〃so　I　have　not　seen　you。　But　I　had　to　struggle　out　today　to　see　the　Prime　Minister　set　off。　This　meeting　is　most　fortunate。　But　why　were　you　sighing？〃

〃Just　on　account　of　that　daughter　of　yours；〃　said　Lu　Bu。

Feigning　great　astonishment；　Wang　Yun　said；　〃So　long　a　time　and　yet　not　given　to　you！〃

〃The　old　ruffian　has　fallen　in　love　with　her　himself。〃

〃Surely　this　cannot　be　true。〃

Lu　Bu　related　the　whole　story　while　Wang　Yun　listened；　silent；　but　stamping　on　the　ground　as　with　irritation　and　perplexity。

After　a　long　time　Wang　Yun　said；　〃I　did　not　think　he　was　such　a　beast。〃

Taking　Lu　Bu　by　the　hand；　Wang　Yun　said；　〃e　to　my　house；　and　we　will　talk　it　over。〃

So　they　went　away　together　to　the　house　and　retired　to　a　secret　room。　After　some　refreshments；　Lu　Bu　told　the　whole　story　of　the　episode　in　Phoenix　Pavilion　just　as　it　happened。

Wang　Yun　said；　〃He　seems　to　have　corrupted　my　little　girl　and　has　stolen　your　wife。　He　will　be　an　object　of　shame　and　ridicule　to　the　whole　world。　And　those　who　do　not　laugh　at　him　will　laugh　at　you　and　me。　Alas！　I　am　old　and　powerless　and　can　do　nothing。　More　pitied　than　blamed！　But　you；　General；　you　are　a　warrior；　the　greatest　hero　in　the　world。　Yet　you　have　been　put　to　this　shame　and　exposed　to　this　contempt。〃

A　wave　of　fierce　wrath　rolled　up　in　Lu　Bu。　Banging　the　table　he　shouted　and　roared。

His　host　ostentatiously　tried　to　calm　him；　saying；　〃I　forgot　myself。　I　should　not　have　spoken　like　that。　Do　not　be　so　angry；　I　pray！〃