第286部分(第6/7 页)

The　Duke　of　Jin　may　let　Your　Majesty　return。〃

The　Latter　Ruler　promised　he　would。

When　the　wine　had　gone　round　several　more　times；　Sima　Zhao　put　the　same　question　a　second　time：　〃Do　you　never　think　of　Shu？〃

The　Latter　Ruler　replied　as　he　had　been　told。　He　also　tried　to　weep；　but　failed　to　shed　a　tear。　So　he　shut　his　eyes。

〃Is　not　that　just　what　Xi　Zheng　told　you　to　say？〃　asked　Sima　Zhao。

〃It　is　just　as　you　say；〃　was　the　reply。

They　all　laughed。　But　really　Sima　Zhao　was　pleased　with　the　frank　answer　and　felt　that　nothing　was　to　be　feared　from　him。

Laughter　loving；　pleasure　pursuing；

Rippling　smiles　over　a　merry　face；

Never　a　thought　of　his　former　glory

In　his　callous　heart　finds　place。

Childish　joy　in　a　change　of　dwelling；

That　he　feels　and　that　alone；

Manifest　now　that　he　was　never

Worthy　to　sit　on　his　father's　throne。

The　courtiers　thought　that　so　grand　an　exploit　as　the　conquest　of　the　River　Lands　was　worthy　of　high　honor；　so　they　memorialized　the　Ruler　of　Wei；　Cao　Huang；　to　confer　the　rank　Prince　of　Jin　on　Sima　Zhao。　At　that　time；　Cao　Huang　ruled　in　name　only；　for　he　had　no　authority。　The　whole　land　was　under　Sima　Zhao；　whose　will　the　Emperor　himself　dared　not　cross。　And　so；　in　due　course；　the　Duke　of　Jin　became　Prince　of　Jin。

After　being　made　Prince　of　Jin；　Sima　Zhao　posthumously　created　his　father；　Sima　Yi；　the　Original　Prince　and　his　late　elder　brother；　Sima　Shi；　the　Wonderful　Prince。

The　wife　of　Sima　Zhao　was　the　daughter　of　Wang　Su。　She　bore　to　him　two　sons；　the　elder　of　whom　was　named　Sima　Yan。　Sima　Yan　was　huge　of　frame；　his　flowing　hair　reached　to　the　ground　when　he　stood　up；　and　both　hands　hung　down　below　his　knees。　He　was　clever；　brave；　and