第84部分(第4/7 页)

sked　what　had　happened；　Cao　Cao　told　them　what　the　late　adviser　had　predicted。　He　read　to　them　the　dead　officer's　testament；　which　ran　something　like　this：

〃Yuan　Xi　and　Yuan　Shang　are　going　to　Liaodong。　Illustrious　Sir；　you　are　on　no　account　to　attack；　for　Gongsun　Kang　has　long　lived　in　fear　lest　the　Yuans　should　absorb　his　country。　When　they　arrive；　Gongsun　Kang　will　hesitate。　If　you　attack；　he　will　save　the　Yuans　to　help　him；　if　you　wait；　they　will　work　against　each　other。　This　is　evident。〃

The　officers　simply　jumped　with　surprise　to　see　how　perfectly　events　had　been　foreseen。　Then　Cao　Cao　at　the　head　of　all　his　officers　performed　a　grand　sacrifice　before　the　coffin　of　the　wise　Guo　Jia。　He　had　died　at　the　age　of　thirty…eight；　after　eleven　years　of　meritorious　and　wonderful　service　in　wars。

When　Heaven　permitted　Guo　Jia's　birth；

It　made　him　ablest　man　on　earth。

He　knew　by　rote　all　histories；

From　him　war　kept　no　mysteries。

Like　Fan　Li's；　his　plans　were　quite　decisive；

As　Chen　Ping's；　his　strokes　were　most　incisive。

Too　soon　he　ran　his　earthly　race；

Too　soon　the　great　beam　fell　from　place。

When　Cao　Cao　returned　to　Jizhou；　he　sent　off　the　coffin　of　his　late　adviser　to　Capital　Xuchang　where　it　was　interred。

Then　Cheng　Yu　and　others　said；　〃As　the　north　has　been　overe；　it　is　time　to　settle　the　south。〃

Cao　Cao　was　pleased　and　said；　〃That　has　long　occupied　my　thoughts。〃

The　last　night　he　spent　in　Jizhou；　Cao　Cao　went　to　the　eastern　corner　tower　and　stood　there　regarding　the　sky。　His　only　panion　was　Xun　You。

Presently　Cao　Cao　said；　〃That　is　a　very　brilliant　glow　there　in　the　south。　It　seems　too　strong　for　me　to　do　anything　there。〃

〃What　is　there　that　can　oppose　your