第54部分(第5/7 页)

　his　wife　and　children；　sought　shelter　in　Lujiang。　There　the　Magistrate；　Xu　Liu；　slew　all　the　survivors。　Among　the　possessions　Xu　Liu　found　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal；　which　he　at　once　took　to　the　capital　and　presented　to　Cao　Cao；　for　which　service　he　was　made　Governor　of　Gaoling。　Since　then　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal　belonged　to　Cao　Cao。

When　Liu　Bei　heard　that　Yuan　Shu　was　dead；　he　prepared　a　report　to　the　Throne；　and　sent　it　to　Cao　Cao。　He　sent　the　two　generals　deputed　by　Cao　Cao；　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao；　back　to　the　capital；　keeping　the　army　to　defend　Xuzhou。　He　also　personally　went　through　the　countryside　manding　the　people　to　resume　their　ordinary　avocations。

Cao　Cao　was　angry　when　his　two　officers　returned　without　their　man　and　was　going　to　put　them　to　death。　Xun　Yu　reasoned　with　him。

〃The　power　was　in　Liu　Bei's　hands；　and　so　these　two　had　no　alternative；〃　said　Xun　Yu。

So　they　were　pardoned。

〃You　should　instruct　Che　Zhou；　the　Deputy　Imperial　Protector；　to　try　to　destroy　him；〃　said　Xun　Yu。

Accordingly　he　sent　secret　orders　to　Che　Zhou；　who　took　Chen　Deng　into　his　confidence　and　asked　his　advice。

Chen　Deng　said；　〃That　is　easy。　Liu　Bei　is　outside　the　city；　and　an　ambush　in　the　city　gate　to　attack　him　on　his　return　from　the　country　will　be　final。　I　will　attack　the　escort　with　arrows　from　the　city　walls。〃

Che　Zhou　agreed　to　try　this。

Then　Chen　Deng　went　to　his　father　to　tell　him。　Chen　Gui　bade　him　go　and　warn　the　intended　victim。　Chen　Deng　at　once　rode　away　to　do　so。　Before　long　he　met　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei；　to　whom　he　told　his　story。

Now　Liu　Bei　was　following　some　distance　behind。　As　soon　as　Zhang　Fei　heard　of　the　plot；　he　wanted　to　attack　the　ambush；　but　Guan　Yu　proposed　another　plan。

Said