第288部分(第6/7 页)

ainst　attacking　Jin　and　exhortations　to　exercise　a　virtuous　rule　instead　of　engaging　in　hostilities。　It　angered　him。

〃They　say　Lu　Kang　has　e　to　an　understanding　with　the　enemy；　and　now　I　believe　it！〃　said　the　Ruler　of　Wu。

Thereupon　he　deprived　Lu　Kang　of　his　mand　and　took　away　his　mission　and　degraded　him　into　Marching　General。　Sun　Ji；　General　of　the　Left　Army；　was　sent　to　supersede　Lu　Kang。　And　none　dared　to　intervene。

Sun　Hao　became　still　more　arbitrary　and　of　his　own　will　changed　the　year…style　once　more　to　the　Phoenix　（AD　269）。　Day　by　day　his　life　became　more　wanton　and　vicious。　The　soldiers　in　every　camp　murmured　with　anger　and　resentment；　and　at　last　three　high　officers………Prime　Minister　Wan　Yu；　General　Liu　Ping；　and　Minister　of　Agriculture　Lou　Xuan………boldly　and　earnestly　remonstrated　with　the　Emperor　for　his　many　irregularities。　They　suffered　death。　Within　ten　years　more　than　forty　ministers　were　put　to　death　for　doing　their　duty。

Sun　Hao　maintained　an　extravagantly　large　guard　of　fifty　thousand　heavy　cavalry；　and　these　soldiers　were　the　terror　of　everyone。

Now　when　Yang　Hu；　on　the　Jin　side　of　the　frontier；　heard　that　his　opponent　Lu　Kang　had　been　removed　from　his　mand　and　that　the　conduct　of　the　Ruler　of　Wu　had　bee　wholly　unreasonable；　he　knew　that　the　time　was　near　for　him　to　conquer　Wu。　Wherefore　he　presented　a　memorial：

〃Although　fate　is　superior　to　human；　yet　success　depends　upon　human　effort。　Now　as　the　geographic　difficulties　of　the　South　Land　are　not　as　those　of　the　River　Lands；　while　the　ferocity　of　Sun　Hao　exceeds　that　of　Liu　Shan；　the　misery　of　the　people　of　Wu　exceeds　that　of　the　dwellers　in　Shu。　Our　armies　are　stronger　than　ever　before；　and　if　we　miss　this　opportunity　to　bring　the　whole　land　under　one　rule；　bu