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第187部分（第2页）

He　said　to　his　colleague　Zhou　Cang；　〃I　have　had　a　terrible　dream　in　which　I　saw　our　lord　all　dripping　with　gore。　I　would　question　him；　but　I　was　overe　with　dread。　May　it　augur　no　evil　tidings！〃

Just　then　the　troops　of　Wu　came　up　to　the　city　wall　and　displayed　the　gory　heads　of　the　two；　father　and　son。　Wang　Fu　and　Zhou　Cang　went　up　on　the　wall　to　see　if　the　dread　tokens　were　real。　There　was　no　doubt。　Wang　Fu　with　a　despairing　cry　threw　himself　over　the　wall　and　perished；　Zhou　Cang　died　by　his　own　hand。　Thus　Maicheng　fell　to　Wu。

The　execution　of　Guan　Yu　gave　Sun　Quan　undisputed　possession　of　the　whole　of　the　Jingzhou　Region。　He　rewarded　his　soldiers　and　spread　a　great　feast　at　which　Lu　Meng　was　in　the　seat　of　honor。

Sun　Quan　made　a　speech；　saying；　〃After　long　waiting；　the　desire　of　my　heart　has　e　to　me　very　easily　through　the　magnificent　efforts　of　my　friend　Lu　Meng。〃

Lu　Meng　bowed　and　bowed　deprecatingly；　but　Sun　Quan　continued；　〃My　good　Zhou　Yu　was　superior　to　most　humans；　and　he　defeated　Cao　Cao　at　the　Red　Cliffs。　Alas！　He　died　too　soon。　My　good　Lu　Su　succeeded　him。　In　his　first　interview；　he　inaugurated　the　general　policy　of　creating　a　state。　That　was　the　first　instance　of　his　keen　insight。　When　Cao　Cao　descended　upon　my　country；　and　everyone　counseled　me　to　yield；　he　advised　me　to　summon　my　good　Zhou　Yu　to　oppose　and　smite　Cao　Cao。　That　was　the　second　instance　of　his　keen　insight。　He　made　only　one　fault：　He　advised　me　to　let　Liu　Bei　occupy　Jingzhou。　Now　today　my　good　Lu　Meng　has　succeeded；　and　in　that　he　far　surpasses　both　his　predecessors。〃

Then　Sun　Quan　filled　a　goblet　and　in　person　presented　it　to　the　guest　of　the　evening。　Lu　Meng　took　the　cup；　but　as　he　raised　it；　a　sudden　change　came　over　him。

Dashing　the　cup　to　the　ground；　Lu　Meng　seized　Sun　Quan；　crying；　〃O　green…eyed　boy！　O　purple…bearded　rat！　Do　you　know　me？〃

Consternation　seized　the　whole　assembly；　but　many　rushed　to　the　rescue　of　their　lord；　who　had　been　thrown　to　the　floor　by　the　guest　he　had　so　lately　plimented。　Rushing　forward　over　Sun　Quans　body；　Lu　Meng　sat　himself　in　the　hosts　seat；　his　eyebrows　staring　stiff　and　his　eyes　glaring。

〃After　I　quelled　the　Yellow　Scarves；　I　went　hither　and　thither　for　thirty　years。　Now　I　have　fallen　victim　to　your　base　plots；　and　you　have　overe　me。　Living；　I　have　been　unable　to　gorge　upon　the　flesh　of　my　enemy；　dead；　I　will　pursue　the　spirit　of　this　bandit　Lu　Meng。　I　am　the　Lord　of　Hanshou；　Guan　Yu！〃

Terror…stricken；　Sun　Quan　was　the　first　to　fall　prostrate；　and　all　his　officers　followed　him。

Thereupon　Lu　Meng　fell　over　dead；　with　blood　gushing　from　the　seven　orifices　of　his　body。

In　due　time　the　body　was　coffined　and　interred。　Lu　Meng　was　created　posthumously　Governor　of　Nanjun　and　Lord　of　Chanling。　His　son；　Lu　Ba；　was　given　hereditary　nobility。

After　this　visitation　Sun　Quan　lived　in　constant　terror。　Soon　Zhang　Zhao　came　in　from　Jianye　to　see　him　and　blame　him　for　the　murder。

〃My　lord；　by　the　slaughter　of　Guan　Yu　you　have　brought　misfortune　very　near　to　this　state。　You　know　the　oath　sworn　in　the　Peach　Garden。　Now　Liu　Bei　has　the　force　of　the　two　River　Lands　at　his　back；　Zhuge　Liang　as　adviser；　and　those　heroes　Zhang　Fei；　Zhao　Yun；　Huang　Zhong；　and　Ma　Chao　to　carry　out　his　behests。　When　Liu　Bei　hears　of　the　death　of　both　father　and　son；　he　will　set　in　motion　the　whole　force　he　has　to　avenge　them；　and　I　fear　you　cannot　stand　such　an　onslaught。〃

Sun　Quan　started　up　in　a　fright。

〃Yes；　I　have　made　a　little　mistake；〃　said　he。　〃But　seeing　it　is　so；　what　shall　I　do？〃

〃You　need　have　no　fear；〃　replied　Zhang　Zhao。　〃I　have　a　plan　to　fend　off　the　armies　of　the　west　from　our　borders　and　keep　Jingzhou　quite　safe。〃

〃What　is　your　plan？〃　asked　Sun　Quan。

〃Cao　Cao　with　his　many　legions　is　greedily　aiming　at　the　whole　empire。　If　Liu　Bei　wants　revenge；　he　will　ally　himself　with　Cao　Cao；　and；　should　they　bine　against　the　South　Land；　we　should　be　in　great　danger。　Therefore　I　advise　you　to　send　Guan　Yus　head　to　Cao　Cao　to　make　it　appear　that　Cao　Cao　was　the　prime　cause　of　his　destruction。　This　should　divert　Liu　Beis　extreme　hatred　toward　Cao　Cao　and　send　the　armies　of　Shu　against　Wei　instead　of　toward　Wu。　After　carefully　considering　the　whole　matter；　I　counsel　this　as　the　best　course　of　action。〃

Sun　Quan　thought　the　move　worth　making；　and　so　the　head　of　the　great　warrior　was　placed　in　a　box　and　sent　off　as　quickly　as　possible　to　Cao　Cao。

At　this　time　Cao　Caos　army　had　marched　back　from　Mopo　to　Luoyang。　When　he　heard　of　the　ing　of　the　gruesome　gift；　he　was　glad　at　heart。

Said　he；　〃So　Guan　Yu　is　dead。　Now　I　can　stick　to　my　mat　and　sleep　soundly　at　night。〃

But　Sima　Yi　saw　through　the　ruse　and　said　from　his　place　by　the　steps；　〃This　is　a　trick　to　divert　evil　from　Wu。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？　How？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

〃The　Peach　Garden　Oath　bound　the　three　brothers　to　live　and　die　together。　Now　Wu　is　fearful　of　revenge　for　the　execution　of　one　of　the　three　and　sends　the　head　to　you　to　cause　Liu　Beis　wrath　to　fasten　on　you；　O　Prince。　Sun　Quan　wishes　Liu　Bei　to　attack　you　instead　of　himself；　the　real　perpetrator　of　the　crime。　Then　he　will　find　a　way　of　acplishing　his　ends　while　you　two　are　quarreling。〃

〃You　are　right；　friend；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃And　now　how　can　we　escape？〃

〃I　think　escape　is　easy。　You　have　the　head　of　Guan　Yu。　Make　a　wooden　image　of　the　remainder　of　the　body；　and　bury　the　whole　with　the　rites　suitable　to　a　minister　of　state。　When　Liu　Bei　hears　of　this；　he　will　turn　his　hate　toward　Sun　Quan　and　raise　all　his　forces　to　attack　him。　If　you　will　think　it　out；　you　will　see　that　whichever　is　victor　the　other　will　be　smitten；　and　if　we　get　one　of　the　two；　the　other　will　follow　before　very　long。〃

Cao　Cao　was　pleased　with　the　solution。　Then　he　ordered　the　messenger　to　e　in　with　the　box；　which　was　opened；　and　he　looked　upon　the　face　of　the　dead。　The　features　had　not　changed；　the　face　bore　the　same　appearance　as　of　old。　Cao　Cao　smiled。

〃I　hope　you　have　been　well　since　our　last　meeting；　Guan　Yu；〃　said　Cao　Cao。

To　his　horror；　the　mouth　opened；　the　eyes　rolled；　and　the　long　beard　and　hair　stiffened。　Cao　Cao　fell　to　the　ground　in　a　swoon。

They　rushed　to　him；　but　it　was　a　long　time　before　he　recovered　consciousness。

〃General　Guan　Yu　is　indeed　a　spirit；〃　he　said。

The　messenger　who　had　brought　the　dead　warriors　head　told　the　story　of　Guan　Yu　cursing　and　reviling　Sun　Quan；　and　of　what　had　befallen　Lu　Meng。

Cao　Cao；　filled　with