第136部分(第1/7 页)

iu　Bei　in　your　family　as　though　you　were　feeding　a　fierce　tiger。　None　can　foretell　the　fate　of　the　empire　in　these　nervous　days　of　stress　and　of　peculiar　anxiety　for　you。

〃Lu　Su　is　most　loyal；　careful　in　all　matters　and　a　fitting　man　to　succeed　to　my　office。　When　a　person　is　near　death；　his　words　are　wise。　If　I　may　haply　retain　your　regard；　I　may　die　but　I　shall　not　decay。〃

〃Zhou　Yu　should　have　been　a　king's　counselor！〃　cried　Sun　Quan；　amid　his　tears。　〃He　has　left　me　alas！　too　soon；　and　whom　have　I　to　lean　upon？　But　he　remends　Lu　Su；　and　I　can　do　nothing　better　than　take　that　advice。〃

Whereupon　Sun　Quan　appointed　Lu　Su　to　the　vacant　mand；　mandership…in…Chief。　Sun　Quan　also　saw　that　the　coffin　of　his　beloved　general　was　sent　to　Chaisang　ready　for　the　funeral　sacrifices。

The　night　of　Zhou　Yu's　death；　Zhuge　Liang　was　gazing　up　at　the　heavens　when　he　saw　a　star　of　a　general　fall　to　the　earth。

〃Zhou　Yu　is　dead；〃　said　he　with　a　smile。

At　dawn　he　sent　to　tell　Liu　Bei；　who　sent　people　to　find　out；　and　they　came　back　to　say　it　was　true　that　Zhou　Yu　had　died。

〃Now　that　this　has　e　to　pass；　what　should　we　do？〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃Lu　Su　will　succeed；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃And　I　see　in　the　heavens　signs　of　an　assembly　of　generals　in　the　southeast；　so　I　shall　go　there。　The　mourning　for　Zhou　Yu　will　serve　as　a　pretext。　I　may　find　some　able　leaders　there　to　be　of　help　to　you。〃

〃I　am　afraid　lest　the　generals　of　the　South　Land　harm　you；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

〃While　Zhou　Yu　lived；　I　did　not　fear。　Is　there　anything　to　dread　now　that　he　is　gone？〃

However；　Zhuge　Liang　took　Zhao　Yun　as　mander　of　his　escort　when　he　embarked　for　Baqiu；　and　on　the　road　he　heard　of　Lu　Su's　succession　to　the　late　general's　post。　As　the　coffin　of　Zho