第129部分(第5/7 页)

you；　my　lord；　agree　to　whatever　the　messenger　proposes。　Then　let　the　messenger　be　taken　to　the　guest…house　while　we　arrange　what　is　to　be　done。〃

So　the　envoy　was　introduced。　Bows　having　been　exchanged；　host　and　guest　being　seated　in　due　order　and　the　tea　drunk；　Liu　Bei　opened　the　interview。

〃You　must　have　some　mands　for　me；　Sir；　since　you　e　thus。〃

〃News　has　just　been　received　that　you；　O　Imperial　Uncle；　have　just　been　bereaved　of　your　consort。　I　venture　to　hope　you　would　not　object　to　an　advantageous　match；　and　I　have　e　to　propose　one。　Are　you　disposed　to　listen？〃

〃To　lose　one's　wife　in　middle　age　is　truly　a　great　misfortune；〃　said　Liu　Bei。　〃While　her　body　is　still　warm；　I　cannot　listen　to　proposals　for　another　marriage。〃

＇e＇　Jin　was　a　state　that　occupied　the　western　part　of　the　empire；　in　the　mountainous　area　north　of　the　Yellow　River。　During　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period；　under　the　leadership　of　Duke　Wen　and　his　successors；　Jin　grew　into　a　very　large　state；　which　broke　into　three　states　in　the　Warring　States　period。　Qin　was　a　western…most　state　existed　in　both　Spring　and　Autumn　and　Warring　States　periods。　Because　Jin　blocked　its　way　to　the　east；　Qin　was　shielded　from　the　wars　in　the　central　plain。　Wars　between　Qin　and　Jin　were　not　few；　but　intermarriages　between　the　two　houses　were　frequent；　and　this　alliance　strengthened　both　states。　。。。。。

Lu　Fan　said；　〃A　man　without　a　wife　is　like　a　house　without　a　ridge　pole。　At　your　age；　one　should　not　live　an　inplete　life。　I　am　e　on　the　part　of　Marquis　Sun　Quan；　who　has　a　sister；　beautiful　as　she　is；　acplished　and　well　fitted　to　be　a　mate　for　you。　Should　the　two　families　bee　allied　as　formerly　were　Qin　and　Jin*；　then　that　ruffian　Cao　Cao　would　never　dare　so　much　as　look　this　way。　Such　an　a