第49部分(第3/7 页)

e　then　issued　an　order　that　no　one　should　drink　wine　under　penalty　of　death。

Now　one　of　his　generals；　Hou　Cheng；　lost　fifteen　horses；　stolen　by　one　of　his　subordinates；　Hou　Cao；　who　intended　to　resell　them　to　Liu　Bei。　Hou　Cheng　found　out　where　the　horses　were；　went　out　after　them；　and　recovered　them　after　killing　Hou　Cao。　And　Hou　Cheng's　colleagues　congratulated　him　on　his　success。　To　celebrate　the　occasion；　Hou　Cheng　brewed　a　few　barrels　of　wine　to　be　drunk　at　the　feast。

But　thinking　his　chief　might　find　him　in　fault；　Hou　Cheng　sent　the　bottles　of　wine　to　Lu　Bu's　palace　with　a　petition　explaining；　〃By　your　virtue　of　warlike　renown；　I　have　recovered　my　horses；　and　as　my　rades　e　with　their　congratulations；　I　brew　some　bottles　of　wine；　first　to　offer　Your　Lordship　and　second　to　ask　your　permission　to　have　a　little　wine　at　the　feast。〃

Lu　Bu　took　it　very　angrily；　saying；　〃When　I　have　forbidden　all　wine；　you　brew　some　and　begin　to　give　feasts：　You　are　simply　defying　me！〃

Whereupon　he　ordered　the　officer　to　instant　execution。　However；　Song　Xian；　Wei　Xu；　and　other　officers　came　in　and　interceded；　and　after　a　time　Lu　Bu　softened。

〃You　ought　to　lose　your　head　for　this　disobedience。　But　for　the　sake　of　your　colleagues；　the　punishment　shall　be　reduced　to　a　hundred　strokes。〃

They　tried　to　beg　him　off　this；　but　only　succeeded　in　reducing　the　number　of　blows　to　one　half。

When　the　sentence　had　been　carried　out　and　Hou　Cheng　was　permitted　to　return　home；　his　colleagues　came　sadly　to　console　him。

〃Had　it　not　been　for　you；　I　should　have　been　put　to　death；〃　said　Hou　Cheng。

Song　Xian　replied；　〃All　Lu　Bu　cares　for　is　his　family。　There　is　no　pity　for　anyone　else。　We　are　no　more　than　the　weeds　by　the　roadside。〃

Wei　Xu　said；