第289部分(第1/7 页)

Yang　Hu　replied；　〃Sun　Hao　is　a　very　cruel　ruler　and　could　be　conquered　without　fighting。　If　he　were　to　die　and　a　wise　successor　sat　upon　his　throne；　Your　Majesty　would　never　be　able　to　gain　possession　of　Wu。〃

The　Ruler　of　Jin　realized　the　truth；　and　he　said；　〃Suppose　your　army　attacked　now。　What　then？〃

〃I　am　now　too　old　and　too　ill　for　the　task；〃　replied　Yang　Hu。　〃Some　other　bold　and　capable　leader　must　be　found。〃

Yang　Hu　left　the　court　and　retired　to　his　home。　Toward　the　end　of　the　year　he　was　nigh　unto　death；　and　the　Ruler　of　Jin　went　to　visit　him。　The　sight　of　his　master　at　his　bedside　brought　tears　to　the　eyes　of　the　faithful　old　leader。

〃If　I　died　a　myriad　times；　I　could　never　requite　Your　Majesty；〃　said　Yang　Hu。

Sima　Yan　also　wept；　saying；　〃My　great　grief　is　that　I　could　not　take　advantage　of　your　abilities　to　attack　Wu。　Who　now　is　there　to　carry　out　your　design？〃

Hesitatingly　the　sick　man　replied；　〃I　am　dying　and　must　be　wholly　sincere。　General　Du　Yu　is　equal　to　the　task；　and　is　the　one　man　to　attack　Wu。〃

Sima　Yan　said；　〃How　beautiful　it　is　to　bring　good　people　into　prominence！　But　why　did　you　write　a　memorial　remending　certain　people　and　then　burn　the　draft　so　that　no　one　knew？〃

The　dying　man　answered；　〃I　bowed　before　the　officials　in　open　court；　but　I　did　not　beseech　the　kindness　of　the　private　attendants。〃

So　Yang　Hu　died；　and　Sima　Yan　wailed　for　him　and　then　returned　to　his　palace。　He　conferred　on　the　dead　leader　the　posthumous　rank　of　Imperial　Guardian　and　Lord　of　Juping。　The　traders　closed　their　shops　out　of　respect　to　his　memory；　and　all　the　frontier　camps　were　filled　with　wailing。　The　people　of　Xiangyang；　recalling　that　he　loved　to　wander　on　the　Xian　Hills；　built　there　a　temple　to　him　and