第122部分(第3/7 页)

d；　〃Of　course　you　are　camped　here　with　no　other　idea　than　to　take　Nanjun？〃

Liu　Bei　said；　〃We　heard　you　were　going　to　take　the　place　and　came　to　assist。　Should　you　not　take　it；　then　we　will　occupy　it。〃

Zhou　Yu　laughed；　saying；　〃We　of　the　South　Land　have　long　wished　for　this　territory。　Now　that　it　is　within　our　grasp；　we　naturally　shall　take　it。〃

Liu　Bei　said；　〃There　is　always　some　uncertainty。　Cao　Cao　left　Cao　Ren　to　guard　the　region；　and　you　may　be　certain　that　there　is　good　strategy　behind　Cao　Ren；　to　say　nothing　of　his　boldness　as　a　warrior。　I　fear　you　may　not　get　it。〃

〃Well；　if　we　do　not　take　it　then；　Sir；　you　may　have　it；〃　said　Zhou　Yu。

〃Here　are　witnesses　to　your　words；〃　said　Liu　Bei；　naming　Lu　Su；　Zhuge　Liang；　and　those　at　table。　〃I　hope　you　will　never　repent　what　you　have　just　said。〃

Lu　Su　stammered　and　seemed　unwilling　to　be　cited　as　one　of　the　witnesses；　but　Zhou　Yu　said；　〃When　the　word　of　a　noble　person　has　gone　forth；　it　is　ended。　He　never　regrets。〃

〃This　speech　of　yours；　Sir；　is　very　generous；〃　interjected　Zhuge　Liang。　〃The　South　Land　shall　try　first。　But　if　the　place　does　not　fall；　there　is　no　reason　why　my　lord　should　not　capture　it。〃

The　two　visitors　then　took　their　leave　and　rode　away。

As　soon　as　they　had　left；　Liu　Bei　turned　to　Zhuge　Liang　and　said；　〃O　Master；　you　bade　me　thus　reply　to　Zhou　Yu。　But　though　I　did　so；　I　have　turned　it　over　and　over　in　my　mind　without　finding　any　reason　in　what　I　said。　I　am　alone　and　weak；　without　a　single　foot　of　land　to　call　my　own。　I　desired　to　get　possession　of　Nanjun　that　I　might　have；　at　least；　a　temporary　shelter；　yet　I　have　said　that　Zhou　Yu　may　attack　it　first。　If　it　falls　to　the　South　Land；　how　can　I　get　possession？〃

Zhuge　Liang　laughed　and　repl