第106部分(第3/7 页)

Heng　rebelled　against　Qin　and　fought　both　Liu　Bang　and　Xiang　Yu。　Read　Tian　Heng　Island　。

〃Well；　you　know　Tian　Heng*；　that　hero　of　the　state　of　Qi：　His　character　was　too　noble　for　him　to　submit　to　any　shame。　It　is　necessary　to　remember　that　Liu　Bei　also　is　an　off…shoot　from　the　Dynastic　Family；　beside　being　a　man　of　great　renown。　Everyone　looks　up　to　him。　His　lack　of　success　is　simply　the　will　of　Heaven；　but　manifestly　he　could　not　bow　the　knee　to　anyone。〃

These　last　words　touched　Sun　Quan　to　the　quick；　and　he　could　not　control　his　anger。　He　shook　out　his　sleeves；　rose；　and　left　the　audience　chamber。　Those　present　smiled　at　each　other　as　they　dispersed。

But　Lu　Su　was　annoyed　and　reproached　Zhuge　Liang　for　his　maladroit　way　of　talking　to　Sun　Quan；　saying；　〃Luckily　for　you；　my　lord　is　too　large…minded　to　rebuke　you　to　your　face；　for　you　spoke　to　him　most　contemptuously。〃

Zhuge　Liang　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed。

〃What　a　sensitive　fellow　it　is！〃　cried　he。　〃I　know　how　Cao　Cao　could　be　destroyed；　but　he　never　asked　me。　So　I　said　nothing。〃

〃If　you　really　do　know　how　that　could　be　done；　I　will　certainly　beg　my　lord　to　ask　you。〃

〃Cao　Cao's　hosts　in　my　eyes　are　but　as　swarms　of　ants。　I　have　but　to　lift　my　hand；　and　they　will　be　crushed；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

Lu　Su　at　once　went　into　his　master's　private　room；　where　he　found　Sun　Quan　still　very　irritable　and　angry。

〃Zhuge　Liang　insulted　me　too　deeply；〃　said　Sun　Quan。

〃I　have　already　reproached　him；〃　said　Lu　Su；　〃and　he　laughed　and　said　you　were　too　sensitive。　He　would　not　give　you　any　advice　without　being　asked　for　it。　Why　did　you　not　seek　advice　from　him；　my　lord？〃

At　once　Sun　Quan's　anger　changed　to　joy。

He　said；　〃So　he　had　a　plan　ready；　and　his　w