第143部分(第2/7 页)

Charity　wherein　the　poor　found　rice　and　flesh　and　means　of　cooking。　Any　wayfarer　was　allowed　to　take　of　these　according　to　the　measure　of　his　appetite。　Those　who　took　in　excess　would　invite　punishment　from　on　high。　Offenses　were　pardoned　thrice；　afterwards　offenders　were　punished。　They　had　no　officials　but　all　were　subject　to　the　control　of　the　Libationers。

This　sort　of　cult　had　been　spreading　in　Hanzhong　for　some　thirty　years　and　had　escaped　repression　so　far　because　of　the　remoteness　of　the　region。　All　the　Government　did　was　to　give　Zhang　Lu　the　title　of　General　Who　Guards　the　South　and　the　post　of　Governor　of　Hanning　and　take　means　to　secure　from　him　a　full　quota　of　local　tribute。

When　the　reports　of　Cao　Cao's　success　against　the　west；　and　his　prestige　and　influence；　reached　the　Hanzhong　people；　Zhang　Lu　met　with　his　counselors　to　discuss　the　matter。

Said　Zhang　Lu；　〃Ma　Teng　has　died；　and　Ma　Chao　defeated；　thus　the　northwest　has　fallen。　Cao　Cao's　next　ambition　will　be　the　southwest；　and　Hanzhong　will　be　his　first　attack。　I　should　act　first　by　assuming　the　title　of　Prince　of　Hanzhong　and　superintending　the　defense。〃

In　reply　one　Yan　Pu　said；　〃The　army　of　this　region　counts　one　hundred　thousand；　and　there　are　ample　supplies　of　everything。　East　River　Land　is　a　natural　stronghold　with　its　mountains　and　rivers。　Now　Ma　Chao's　soldiers　are　newly　defeated；　and　the　fugitives　from　the　Ziwu　Valley　are　very　numerous。　We　can　add　them　to　our　army　by　several　ten…thousands　more。　My　advice　is　that　as　Liu　Zhang　of　Yizhou　is　weak；　we　should　take　possession　of　the　forty…one　counties　of　West　River　Land；　and　then　you　may　set　up　your　sovereign　as　soon　as　you　like。〃

This　speech　greatly　pleased　Zhang　Lu；　who　then　began　to　concert　measures　with　his　brother；　Z