第131部分(第3/7 页)

look　at；〃　said　Liu　Bei。　〃It　makes　me　feel　cold；　and　you　may　have　them　removed　for　a　time。〃

The　housekeeper　went　to　her　mistress　and　said；　〃The　weapons　in　your　chamber　displease　the　handsome　one。　May　we　remove　them？〃

Lady　Sun　laughed；　saying；　〃Afraid　of　a　few　weapons　after　half　a　life　time　spent　in　slaughter！〃

But　she　ordered　their　removal　and　bade　the　maids　take　off　their　swords　while　they　were　at　work。

That　night　Liu　Bei　and　Lady　Sun　conversed　under　the　moonlight；　and　the　night　passed　happily　enough。

Next　day　Liu　Bei　distributed　gifts　among　the　maids　to　secure　their　good　will。　He　also　sent　Sun　Qian　to　Jingzhou　with　news　of　the　wedding；　while　he　gave　himself　up　to　feasting　and　enjoyment。　The　Dowager　loved　him　more　every　day。

The　results　of　the　plot　to　destroy　Liu　Bei　were　thus　very　different　from　the　originators'　intention。　Sun　Quan　sent　to　his　general：

〃My　mother　had　insisted　upon　marrying　her　daughter　to　Liu　Bei；　and　so　by　juggling　with　the　fictitious；　we　had　made　it　real。　What　is　to　be　done？〃

The　news　troubled　Zhou　Yu　day　and　night；　but　eventually　he　thought　but　another　scheme　which　he　embodied　in　a　letter　sent　to　his　master。　Here　is　the　outline　of　the　missive：

〃Contrary　to　expectation；　the　plot　that　I；　Zhou　Yu；　contrived　has　turned　the　wrong　way。　However；　since　by　juggling　with　deceit；　we　have　ended　in　a　solid　truth。　Our　future　plans　must　start　from　the　actual　present　facts。　To　the　boldness　of　the　adventurer　Liu　Bei　is　added　the　aid　of　such　great　leaders　as　Guan　Yu；　Zhang　Fei；　and　Zhao　Yun；　not　to　mention　that　he　has　a　strategist　like　Zhuge　Liang。　He　is　not　the　man　to　remain　long　in　a　lowly　position。　Wherefore　I　can　think　of　no　better　plan　than　to　enervate　him　by　surrounding　him　with　softness　and　keeping