第284部分(第2/7 页)

ed　away；　and　peace　reigns　throughout　Ba　and　Shu。

＇e＇　Bai　Qi　a　general　of　Qin。　In　BC　278；　the　armies　of　Qin；　led　by　Bai　Qi；　conquered　Chu　and　entered　her　capital　Ying；　destroying　the　Palace　to　the　ground。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Han　Xin　（BC　？…197）　was　a　great　general　of　Liu　Bang。　。。。。。

〃The　merits　of　Deng　Ai　surpass　those　of　Bai　Qi*；　who　subdued　the　mighty　state　of　Chu；　and　Han　Xin*；　who　conquered　the　state　of　Zhao。　Deng　Ai　is　created　Grand　mander；　and　we　confer　upon　him　a　fief　of　twenty　thousand　homesteads；　and　his　two　sons　are　ennobled；　each　with　a　fief　of　one　thousand　homesteads。〃

After　the　edict　had　been　received　with　full　ceremonies；　Wei　Guan　produced　the　private　letter；　which　said　that　Deng　Ai's　proposals　would　have　suitable　consideration　in　due　time。

Then　said　Deng　Ai；　〃A　general　in　the　field　may　decline　to　obey　even　the　orders　of　his　prince。　My　mission　was　to　conquer　the　west。　Why　are　my　plans　hindered？〃

So　he　wrote　a　reply　and　sent　it　to　the　capital　by　the　hand　of　the　envoy。　At　that　time　it　was　mon　talk　at　court　that　Deng　Ai　intended　to　rebel；　and　when　Sima　Zhao　read　the　letter；　his　suspicions　turned　to　certainty；　and　he　feared。　This　was　the　letter：

〃Deng　Ai；　General　Who　Conquers　the　West；　has　reduced　the　chief　of　the　revolt　to　submission；　and　must　have　authority　to　act　according　as　he　sees　best　in　order　to　settle　the　early　stages　of　administration　of　the　new　territory。　To　await　government　orders　for　every　step　means　long　delays。　According　to　the　Spring　and　Autumn　Annals　a　high　officer；　when　abroad；　has　authority　to　follow　his　own　judgment　for　the　safety　of　the　Throne　and　the　advantage　of　the　state。

〃Now　seeing　that　Wu　is　still　unsubdued；　all　interest　centers　upon　this　country；　and　schemes　of　settlement　should　not　be　nul