第79部分(第1/7 页)

ad　and　send　it　as　an　offering　to　Cao　Cao；　who　would　reward　you　well　for　the　service。〃

Sun　Qian　sat　unmoved　while　this　harangue　was　pronounced；　saying　at　the　end；　〃I　am　not　afraid　of　death。　Liu　Bei；　the　Princely　One；　is　true　and　loyal　to　the　state　and　so　out　of　sympathy　with　Lu　Bu；　or　Cao　Cao；　or　Yuan　Shao。　It　is　true　he　followed　these　three；　but　there　was　no　help　for　it。　Now　he　knows　your　chief　is　a　member　of　the　family；　so　that　both　are　of　the　same　ancestry；　and　that　is　why　he　has　e　far　to　join　him。　How　can　you　slander　a　good　man　like　that？〃

Liu　Biao　bade　Cai　Mao　be　silent　and　said；　〃I　have　decided；　and　you　need　say　no　more。〃

Whereat　Cai　Mao　sulkily　left　the　audience　chamber。

Then　Sun　Qian　was　told　to　return　with　the　news　that　Liu　Bei　would　be　wele；　and　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Biao　went　ten　miles　beyond　the　city　to　meet　his　guest。

When　Liu　Bei　arrived；　he　behaved　to　his　host　with　the　utmost　politeness　and　was　warmly　weled　in　return。　Then　Liu　Bei　introduced　his　two　sworn　brothers　and　friends　and　they　entered　Jingzhou　City　where　Liu　Bei　finally　was　lodged　in　the　Imperial　Protector's　own　residence。

As　soon　as　Cao　Cao　knew　whither　his　enemy　had　gone；　he　wished　to　attack　Liu　Biao；　but　Cheng　Yu　advised　against　any　attempt　so　long　as　Yuan　Shao；　the　dangerous　enemy；　was　left　with　power　to　inflict　damage。

He　said；　〃My　lord　should　return　to　the　capital　to　refresh　the　soldiers　so　that　they　may　be　ready　for　a　north　and　south　campaign　in　the　mild　spring　weather。〃

Cao　Cao　accepted　his　advice　and　set　out　for　the　capital。　In　the　first　month　of　the　eighth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　203）；　Cao　Cao　once　again　began　to　think　of　war；　and　sent　to　garrison　Runan　as　a　precaution　against　Liu　Biao。　Then；　after　arranging　for　the　saf