第146部分(第2/7 页)

saying；　〃My　lord's　words　are　quite　in　accord　with　abstract　rectitude；　but　such　ideas　scarcely　suit　the　days　of　rebellion。　There　are　other　ways　of　fighting　than　with　warlike　weapons；　but　to　adhere　too　obstinately　to　the　idea　of　abstract　rectitude　is　to　do　nothing。　One　must　be　an　opportunist；　annex　the　weak　and　attack　the　willfully　deluded；　seize　the　recalcitrant　and　protect　the　docile。　These　were　the　teachings　of　the　great　Kings　Tang*　and　Wu*。　If　after　the　settlement　you　reward　with　righteousness　and　make　of　the　land　a　great　country；　will　you　be　guilty　of　a　breach　of　trust？　Remember　if　you　do　not　take　it　now；　another　will。〃

Liu　Bei；　realizing　the　truth　in　what　Pang　Tong　said；　replied；　〃These　words　are　as　jewels。　They　should　be　engraved　on　my　very　heart。〃

Thereupon　he　summoned　Zhuge　Liang　to　settle　the　details　of　an　army　to　march　west。

Zhuge　Liang　said；　〃This　is　an　important　place　and　must　be　very　well　defended。〃

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃I；　Pang　Tong；　and　my　two　generals　Huang　Zhong　and　Wei　Yan　will　go　into　the　west。　You　and　our　three　best　generals………Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　and　Zhao　Yun………can　defend　Jingzhou。〃

Guan　Yu　was　told　off　to　hold　Xiangyang　and　the　narrow　pass　at　Qingni；　Zhang　Fei　manded　four　territories　along　the　river；　and　Zhao　Yun　camped　at　Jiangling。

For　the　march　westward；　Huang　Zhong　led　the　van；　Wei　Yan　had　the　rearguard；　while　Liu　Bei　moved　in　the　center　with　Liu　Feng　and　Guan　Ping　as　his　aids。　Pang　Tong　was　mander　of　the　whole　army。

Just　as　the　fifty　thousand　troops　were　starting；　there　came　Liao　Hua　to　offer　his　service。　He　and　his　troops　were　attached　to　Guan　Yu。

It　was　in　the　winter　that　the　expedition　started。　Soon　they　met　the　force　under　Meng　Da；　five　thousand　soldiers；　to　act　as　escort　into　Yizhou。　Liu　B