第54部分(第3/7 页)

As　soon　as　Ma　Teng　heard　that　Liu　Bei　had　set　forth；　he　reported　that　pressing　business　called　him　and　marched　back　to　his　own　region；　Xiliang。

When　Liu　Bei　reached　Xuzhou；　the　Deputy　Imperial　Protector；　Che　Zhou；　came　to　meet　him。　When　the　official　banquet　was　over；　Sun　Qian　and　Mi　Zhu　paid　their　visit　to　Che　Zhou。　Then　Liu　Bei　proceeded　to　his　residence　to　greet　his　family。

Scouts　were　sent　out　to　see　what　Yuan　Shu　was　doing。　They　came　back　with　the　intelligence：　〃Yuan　Shu's　arrogance　had　driven　away　his　generals；　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan；　who　had　returned　to　their　mountain　fastness　in　Mount　Song。　His　forces　thus　reduced；　he　wrote　resigning　the　imperial　style　he　had　assumed　in　favor　of　his　brother　Yuan　Shao；　who　at　once　manded　his　presence。　Thereupon　he　packed　up　the　Palace　fittings　he　had　made；　got　the　remnants　of　his　army　in　order；　and　marched　west。〃

When　Yuan　Shu　neared　Xuzhou；　Liu　Bei　led　out　his　force　of　fifty　thousand　soldiers　and　four　generals………Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　Zhu　Ling；　and　Lu　Zhao。　Yuan　Shu　sent　out　Ji　Ling　to　force　a　way　through。　But　Zhang　Fei　opposed　him　and　attacked　without　a　parley。　In　the　tenth　bout　Zhang　Fei　cut　down　Ji　Ling。　The　defeated　troops　fled　in　all　directions。

Then　Yuan　Shu　came　up　with　his　own　army。　Liu　Bei　placed　Zhu　Ling　and　Lu　Zhao　in　mand　of　the　left　wing；　Guan　Yu　and　Zhang　Fei　the　right　wing；　and　himself　in　the　center；　and　so　met　Yuan　Shu。

As　soon　as　the　enemy　came　near；　Liu　Bei　began　to　abuse　him；　crying；　〃O　rebellious　one；　and　wicked；　I　have　a　mand　to　destroy　you！　Yield；　then；　with　good　grace　and　so　escape　your　punishment！〃

〃Base　weaver　of　mats　and　mean　maker　of　straw　sandals！　How　dare　you　make　light　of　me？〃　replied　Yuan　Shu；　and　he　gave　the　signal　for　an　attack。

Liu　Bei　retired；　and　his