第54部分(第4/7 页)

　generals　from　the　flanks　closed　in。　They　smote　the　army　of　Yuan　Shu　till　corpses　littered　the　plain　and　blood　flowed　in　streams。　At　the　same　time　Yuan　Shu's　former　generals；　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan　from　Mount　Song；　attacked　the　baggage　train　and　pleted　the　destruction。　Yuan　Shu　tried　to　retreat　to　Shouchun；　but　Lei　Bo　and　Chen　Lan　barred　the　road。

Yuan　Shu　sought　refuge　in　Jiangling；　with　one　thousand　troops　left　of　all　his　army。　And　these　were　the　weakly　ones；　able　neither　to　fight　nor　flee。　It　was　then　the　height　of　summer；　and　their　food　was　nearly　exhausted。　The　whole　provision　consisted　of　thirty　carts　of　wheat。　This　was　made　over　to　the　soldiers；　and　the　members　of　his　household　went　hungry。　Many　died　of　actual　starvation。　Yuan　Shu　could　not　swallow　the　coarse　food　that　the　soldiers　lived　on。　One　day　he　bade　his　cook　bring　him　some　honeyed　water　to　quench　his　thirst。

〃There　is　no　water；　save　that　tainted　with　blood；〃　replied　the　cook。　〃Where　can　I　get　honeyed　water？〃

This　was　the　last　straw。　Yuan　Shu　sat　up　on　his　couch　and　rolled　out　on　the　floor　with　a　loud　cry。　Blood　gushed　from　his　mouth　and　thus　he　died。　It　was　the　sixth　month　of　the　fourth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　199）。

The　last　days　of　Han　approached　and　weapons　clashed　in　every　quarter；

The　misguided　Yuan　Shu；　lost　to　all　sense　of　honor；

Forgetful　of　his　forefathers；　who　had　filled　the　state's　highest　offices；

Madly　aspired　to　bee　himself　Emperor；

Resting　his　outrageous　claim　on　the　possession　of　the　Seal；

And　arrogantly　boasting　that　thus　he　fulfilled　the　design　of　Heaven。

Alas！　Sick　unto　death　he　vainly　begged　for　a　little　honeyed　water；

He　died；　alone。

Yuan　Shu　being　dead；　his　nephew；　Yuan　Yin；　taking　his　coffin　and