第29部分(第3/7 页)

nstrated　with　Cao　Cao；　saying；　〃The　Supreme　Ancestor　secured　the　Land　Within　the　Passes*　and　his　illustrious　successor　on　the　throne；　Liu　Xiu；　took　Henei。　They　both　first　consolidated　their　position　whereby　they　could　mand　the　whole　empire。　Their　whole　progress　was　from　success　to　success。　Hence　they　acplished　their　great　designs　in　spite　of　difficulties。

〃Illustrious　Sir；　your　Land　Within　the　Passes　and　your　Henei　are　Yanzhou　and　the　Yellow　River；　which　you　had　first；　and　which　is　of　the　utmost　strategic　point　of　the　empire。　If　you　undertake　this　expedition　against　Xuzhou　leaving　many　troops　here　for　defense；　you　will　not　acplish　your　design；　if　you　leave　too　few；　Lu　Bu　will　fall　upon　us。　And　finally　if　you　lose　this　and　fail　to　gain　Xuzhou；　whither　will　you　retire？　That　region　is　not　vacant。　Although　Tao　Qian　has　gone；　Liu　Bei　holds　it；　and　since　the　people　support　him；　they　will　fight　to　the　death　for　him。　To　abandon　this　place　for　that　is　to　exchange　the　great　for　the　small；　to　barter　the　trunk　for　the　branches；　to　leave　safety　and　run　into　danger。　I　would　implore　you　to　reflect　well。〃

Cao　Cao　replied；　〃It　is　not　a　good　plan　to　keep　soldiers　idle　here　during　such　scarcity。〃

〃If　that　is　so；　it　would　be　more　advantageous　to　attack　the　eastern　counties　of　Chencheng；　Yingchuan；　and　Runan；　and　feed　your　army　on　their　supplies。　The　remnants　of　the　Yellow　Scarves；　He　Yi　and　Huang　Shao；　are　there　with　stores　and　treasures　of　all　kinds　that　they　have　amassed　by　plundering　wherever　they　could。　Rebels　of　their　stamp　are　easily　broken。　Break　them；　and　you　can　feed　your　army　with　their　grain。　Moreover；　both　the　court　and　the　mon　people　will　join　in　blessing　you。〃

This　new　design　appealed　strongly　to　Cao　Cao；　and　he　quickly　began　his　preparations　to　ca