第161部分(第1/7 页)

refuses　the　banquet；　then　we　must　try　conclusions　with　an　army。〃

〃This　suits　me；〃　said　Sun　Quan；　〃and　it　shall　be　done。〃

〃It　should　not　be　done！〃　interrupted　Kan　Ze。　〃The　man　is　as　bold　as　a　tiger　and　not　at　all　like　mon　humans。　The　plan　will　fail　and　result　in　more　harm。〃

〃Then　when　may　I　expect　to　get　my　Jingzhou？〃　asked　Sun　Quan；　angrily。

Sun　Quan　ordered　Lu　Su　to　carry　out　his　plan；　and　Lu　Su　went　to　Lukou　forthwith　and　settled　the　preliminaries　of　the　banquet　with　Lu　Meng　and　Gan　Ning。　The　place　selected　was　by　the　river。　Then　Lu　Su　wrote　a　letter　and　found　a　persuasive　person　to　deliver　it。　The　messenger　set　out　and　sailed　across　the　river　to　the　post；　where　he　was　received　by　Guan　Ping；　who　conducted　him　to　his　father。

〃As　Lu　Su　invites　me；　I　will　e　tomorrow。　You　may　return；〃　was　Guan　Yu's　reply。

After　the　messenger　had　gone；　Guan　Ping　said　to　his　father；　〃Why　did　you　promise　to　go？　I　think　Lu　Su　means　you　no　good。〃

〃Do　you　think　I　do　not　know？　This　has　all　e　out　of　my　refusal　to　yield　those　three　territories。　They　are　going　to　try　coercion　at　this　banquet。　If　I　refuse；　they　will　think　I　fear　them。　I　will　go　tomorrow　in　a　small　ship　with　just　my　ten　personal　guards；　and　we　shall　see　whether　Lu　Su　will　dare　to　e　near　me。〃

〃But；　Father；　why　risk　your　priceless　self　in　the　very　den　of　a　tiger？　I　think　you　are　not　giving　due　importance　to　my　uncle's　charge。〃

〃I　have　been　in　the　midst　of　million　blades　and　arrows；　yet　I　have　been　riding　through　it　like　traveling　through　a　meadow　of　no　one。　Think　you　that　I　shall　begin　to　show　fear　of　a　few　such　rats　as　those？〃

Nor　was　the　son　alone　in　remonstrance。　Ma　Liang　also　warned　his　chief。

〃Although　Lu　Su　has　a　great　repute；　yet　now　he　is　pushed　ha