第72部分(第2/7 页)

ot　heed　the　gossip　of　the　streets；　Mother；〃　said　he。　〃I　must　be　judge　of　these　matters。〃

However；　Sun　Ce　sent　to　the　prison　for　Yu　Ji　in　order　to　interrogate　him。　Now　the　gaolers；　having　a　great　respect　for　Yu　Ji　and　faith　in　his　powers；　were　very　indulgent　to　him　and　did　not　keep　him　in　the　collar。　However　when　Sun　Ce　sent　for　him；　they　put　on　him　with　collar　and　fetters　all　plete。

Sun　Ce　had　heard　of　their　indulgence　and　punished　the　gaolers；　and　ordered　the　prisoner　thereafter　to　be　put　in　constant　torture。　Zhang　Zhao　and　many　others；　moved　by　pity；　made　a　petition　which　they　humbly　presented；　and　they　offered　to　bee　surety　for　him。

Sun　Ce　said　to　them；　〃Gentlemen；　you　are　all　great　scholars；　but　why　do　you　not　understand　reason？　Formerly　in　Jiaozhou　was　Imperial　Protector　Zhang　Jing；　who　was　deluded　by　these　vicious　doctrines　into　beating　drums；　twanging　lyres；　burning　incense；　and　such　things。　He　wore　a　red　turban　and　represented　himself　as　able　to　ensure　victory　to　an　army。　But　he　was　slain　by　the　enemy。　There　is　nothing　in　all　this；　only　none　of　you　will　see　it。　I　am　going　to　put　this　fellow　to　death　in　order　to　stop　the　spread　of　this　pernicious　doctrine。〃

Lu　Fan　interposed；　saying；　〃I　know　very　well　this　Yu　Ji　can　control　the　weather。　It　is　very　dry　just　now；　why　not　make　him　pray　for　rain　as　an　amercement？〃

〃We　will　see　what　sort　of　witchcraft　he　is　equal　to；〃　said　Sun　Ce。

Thereupon　he　had　the　prisoner　brought　in；　loosed　his　fetters；　and　sent　him　up　to　an　altar　to　intercede　for　rain。

The　docile　Taoist　Yu　Ji　prepared　to　do　as　he　was　bidden。　He　first　bathed　himself；　then　dressed　himself　in　clean　garments。　After　that　he　bound　his　limbs　with　a　cord　and　lay　down　in　the　fierce　heat　of　the　sun。　The　people　came　in　crowd