第130部分(第1/7 页)

scort　our　lord　to　the　South　Land；　you　will　take　these　with　you　and　act　as　they　direct。〃

Zhao　Yun　hid　the　three　silken　bags　in　his　breast　so　that　they　should　be　at　hand　when　required。

Zhuge　Liang　next　sent　the　wedding　gifts；　and　when　these　had　been　received；　the　preliminaries　were　settled。

It　was　then　the　early　winter　of　the　fourteenth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　209）。　The　bridegroom　elect；　his　escort；　and　the　intermediary　left　the　city　of　Jingzhou　with　a　fleet　of　ten　fast　ships　to　sail　down　the　river　to　Nanxu。　Zhuge　Liang　remained　to　guard　and　rule　the　region。

But　Liu　Bei　was　far　from　feeling　fortable。　They　arrived　and　the　ships　were　made　fast。　This　done；　the　time　had　e　for　the　first　of　the　silken　bags　to　be　opened。　And　so　it　was。　Thereupon　Zhao　Yun　gave　each　of　his　five　hundred　guards　his　instructions；　and　they　went　their　several　ways。　Next　Zhao　Yun　told　Liu　Bei　what　he　was　to　do：　To　pay　his　visit　first　to　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao；　who　was　the　father…in…law　of　Sun　Ce　and　of　Zhou　Yu。

The　State　Patriarch　Qiao　resided　in　Nanxu　and　to　his　house；　leading　sheep　and　bearing　wine　jars；　went　the　bridegroom　elect。　Having　made　his　obeisance；　Liu　Bei　explained　that　as　Lu　Fan　had　arranged；　he　had　e　to　marry　a　wife。

In　the　meantime　the　five　hundred　guards；　all　in　gala　dress；　had　scattered　over　the　city　place　buying　all　sorts　of　things；　as　they　said；　for　the　wedding　of　Liu　Bei　with　the　daughter　of　the　Sun　House。　They　spread　the　news　far　and　wide　and　the　whole　town　talked　about　it。

When　Sun　Quan　heard　of　Liu　Bei's　arrival；　he　bade　Lu　Fan　wait　upon　him　and　take　him　to　the　guest…house。　Meanwhile　the　State　Patriarch　Qiao　went　to　the　Dowager　Marchioness；　mother　of　Sun　Quan；　to　congratulate　her　on　the　happy　event。

〃What　happy