第44部分(第1/7 页)

spiracy　against　Lu　Bu。〃

〃But　if　they　helped　him；　on　the　other　hand；　we　should　lengthen　the　tiger's　claws　and　teeth；〃　said　Chen　Gui。

So　Chen　Deng　could　only　approve　of　his　father's　precautions。

Yuan　Shu　returned　home　burning　to　avenge　his　defeat；　so　he　sent　to　the　South　Land　to　ask　a　loan　of　troops　from　Sun　Ce。

But　Sun　Ce　said；　〃On　the　strength　of　holding　the　State　Seal；　he　secretly　calls　himself　emperor　and　rebels　against　the　Hans。　I　would　rather　punish　such　a　renegade　than　help　him。〃

So　Sun　Ce　rejected。　The　letter　refusing　help　added　to　Yuan　Shu's　anger。

〃What　next　from　this　callow　youth？〃　cried　Yuan　Shu。　〃I　will　smite　him　before　I　deal　with　the　others。〃

But　his　adviser；　Yang　Dajiang；　dissuaded　him　from　this　course。

Having　refused　help　to　his　powerful　rival；　Sun　Ce　thought　it　wise　to　take　measures　for　his　own　safety。　So　he　stationed　an　army　at　Jiangkou。　Soon　after　came　a　messenger　from　Cao　Cao　bearing　Sun　Ce's　appointment　as　Governor　of　Kuaiji　with　orders　to　raise　an　army　and　reduce　Yuan　Shu。

Sun　Ce　was　inclined　to　carry　out　these　orders；　but　he　called　a　council　at　which　Zhang　Zhao　opposed　this　course。

Said　he；　〃Although　recently　defeated；　Yuan　Shu　has　large　army　and　ample　supplies。　He　is　not　to　be　attacked　lightly。　You　had　better　write　to　Cao　Cao　persuading　him　to　attack　the　South　of　River　Huai　and　we　will　be　auxiliaries。　Between　the　two　armies；　Yuan　Shu　must　certainly　be　defeated。　If　by　the　remotest　chance　we　lose；　we　have　Cao　Cao　to　e　to　our　rescue。〃

This　plan　was　adopted；　and　a　messenger　was　sent　to　lay　it　before　Cao　Cao。　In　the　meantime；　after　the　defeat　at　River　Yu；　Cao　Cao　had　reached　Xuchang　where　his　first　thought　was　to　institute　sacrifices　to　his　beloved　lost　leader；　Dian　Wei。　H