第65部分(第2/7 页)

ow　dare　he　do　such　a　thing？〃

Soon　Liu　Bei　appeared。　Again　Yuan　Shao　ordered　him　out　to　instant　execution。

〃What　crime　have　I　mitted？〃　asked　Liu　Bei。

〃You　sent　your　brother　to　slay　one　of　my　generals。　Is　that　no　crime？〃

〃Pray　let　me　explain　before　I　die。　Cao　Cao　hated　me　and　has　always　done　so。　Now　he　has　found　out　where　I　am　and；　fearing　that　I　may　help　you；　has　got　my　brother　to　destroy　your　two　generals；　feeling　sure　that　when　you　heard　of　it；　you　would　be　angry　and　put　me　to　death。　You　cannot　fail　to　see　this。〃

〃What　he　says　is　sense；〃　said　Yuan　Shao；　turning　to　his　advisers；　〃and　you　two　nearly　brought　on　me　the　reproach　of　injuring　the　good。〃

Yuan　Shao　ordered　his　attendants　to　retire　and　asked　Liu　Bei　to　e　and　sit　by　him。

Liu　Bei　came；　saying；　〃I　am　deeply　thankful；　Illustrious　Sir；　for　your　great　kindness；　for　which　I　can　never　be　sufficiently　grateful。　Now　I　desire　to　send　some　confidential　messenger　with　a　secret　letter　to　my　brother　to　tell　him　where　I　am；　and　I　am　sure　he　will　e　without　a　moment's　delay。　He　will　help　you　to　destroy　Cao　Cao　to　make　up　for　having　destroyed　your　two　officers。　Do　you　approve　of　this？〃

〃If　I　got　Guan　Yu；　he　would　be　ten　times　better　than　the　Yan　Liang　and　Wen　Chou　that　I　have　lost；〃　replied　Yuan　Shao。

So　Liu　Bei　prepared　a　letter。　But　there　was　no　one　to　take　it。　Yuan　Shao　ordered　the　army　to　withdraw　to　Wuyang；　where　they　made　a　large　camp。　For　some　time　nothing　was　done。

Then　Cao　Cao　sent　Xiahou　Dun　to　defend　the　strategic　points　at　Guandu　while　he　led　the　bulk　of　the　army　back　to　the　capital。　There　he　gave　many　banquets　in　honor　of　the　services　of　Guan　Yu；　and　then　he　told　Lu　Qian　that　putting　the　supplies　in　the　front　of　the　army　had　been　meant　as　a　bait　to