第138部分(第4/7 页)

e　council　Zhang　Zhao　said；　〃Let　us　send　to　Lu　Su　to　tell　him　to　write　at　once　to　Liu　Bei　that　he　may　help　us。　They　are　good　friends；　and　Liu　Bei　will　certainly　respond　favorably。　Beside；　since　Liu　Bei　and　our　lord　are　now　connected　by　marriage；　there　is　no　risk　of　refusal。　With　the　support　of　Liu　Bei；　there　is　no　danger　to　our　country。〃

Sun　Quan　listened　to　this　advice　and　sent　to　Lu　Su　bidding　him　to　ask　help　from　Liu　Bei。　Accordingly；　on　receipt　of　this　mand；　a　letter　was　written　to　Liu　Bei；　who　after　reading　it；　retained　the　messenger　at　the　guest…house　till　Zhuge　Liang　could　arrive　from　Nanjun。　As　soon　as　he　arrived；　Liu　Bei　showed　him　the　letter。

The　adviser　said；　〃It　is　not　necessary　for　the　South　Land's　troops　to　move；　nor　need　we　send　ours。　I　can　prevent　Cao　Cao　from　even　daring　to　look　in　the　southeast　direction。〃

So　Zhuge　Liang　wrote　a　reply　telling　Lu　Su：

〃You　can　lay　aside　all　anxiety　and　rest　content；　for　if　the　northern　army　approach；　they　will　be　forced　backward　at　once。〃

The　letter　was　given　to　the　messenger；　and　then　Liu　Bei　asked　his　adviser；　〃How　could　the　Instructor　hope　to　roll　back　the　huge　army　of　three　hundred　thousand　troops　that　Cao　Cao　is　preparing　to　bring　south？〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃Cao　Cao's　chief　fear　is　Xiliang。　Now　just　lately　he　has　slain　Ma　Teng　and　his　sons　as　well；　and　the　people　of　Xiliang　are　grinding　their　teeth　with　rage。　Now　you　must　write　and　ask　Ma　Chao　to　march　through　the　pass；　and　Cao　Cao　will　have　no　leisure　to　think　of　any　expedition　to　the　south。〃

The　letter　was　written；　sent　by　a　trusty　hand；　and　duly　delivered。

Now　Ma　Chao　was　in　Xiliang。　One　night　he　had　a　vision。　In　his　dream　he　saw　himself　lying　out　on　a　snowy　plain　and　many　tigers　were　ing　up　and　biting　him。