第15部分(第6/7 页)

　it　not：　Why　harass　me　thus？〃

〃Quickly　produce　it；　or　it　will　be　the　worst　for　you！〃

Sun　Jian　pointing　toward　the　heavens　as　an　oath　said；　〃If　I　have　this　jewel　and　am　hiding　it　myself；　may　my　end　be　unhappy　and　my　death　violent！〃

The　lords　all　said；　〃After　an　oath　like　this；　we　think　he　cannot　have　it。〃

Then　Yuan　Shao　called　out　his　informant。

〃When　you　pulled　that　thing　out　of　the　well；　was　this　man　there？〃　asked　he　of　Sun　Jian。

Sun　Jian's　anger　burst　forth；　and　he　sprang　forward　to　kill　the　man。

Yuan　Shao　also　drew　his　sword；　saying；　〃You　touch　that　soldier　and　it　is　an　insult　to　me！〃

Behind　Sun　Jian；　Generals　Cheng　Pu；　Huang　Gai；　and　Han　Dang　stepped　forth；　behind　Yuan　Shao；　Generals　Yan　Liang　and　Wen　Chou　were　ready　to　act。　In　a　moment　on　all　sides　swords　flew　from　their　scabbards。　But　the　confusion　was　stayed　by　the　efforts　of　the　others；　and　Sun　Jian　left　the　assembly。　Soon　he　broke　up　his　camp　and　marched　to　his　own　place。

Yuan　Shao　was　not　satisfied。　He　wrote　to　Jingzhou　Region　and　sent　the　letter　by　a　trusty　hand　to　tell　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Biao　to　stop　Sun　Jian　and　take　away　the　seal。

Just　after　this　came　the　news　of　the　defeat　and　misfortune　of　Cao　Cao；　and　when　he　was　ing　home；　Yuan　Shao　sent　out　to　wele　him　and　conduct　him　into　camp。　They　also　prepared　a　feast　to　console　him。

During　the　feast　Cao　Cao　said　sadly；　〃My　object　was　for　the　public　good；　and　all　you　gentlemen　nobly　supported　me。　My　plan　was　to　get　Yuan　Shao　with　his　Henei　troops　to　approach　Mengching；　and　my　force　at　Qiao　to　keep　Chenggao；　while　the　others　of　you　to　hold　Suanzao；　to　close　the　passes　of　Huanyuan　and　Daigu；　and　to　take　possession　of　the　granaries；　to　control　the　points　of　vantage；　and　thus　to　secure　the