第150部分(第1/7 页)

Pass　and　Fucheng　are　both　yours。　Chengdu　will　follow　soon。　The　third　plan　is　to　drop　this　role　you　have　been　playing；　go　back　to　Jingzhou　and　make　a　regular　invasion。　But　if　you　ponder　these　schemes　too　long；　you　will　get　into　such　straits　that　nothing　can　save　you。〃

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃Of　your　three　schemes；　O　Instructor；　I　find　the　first　too　summary　and　the　last　too　slow。　I　choose　the　second　scheme；　which　is　neither。〃

So　a　letter　was　written　to　Liu　Zhang　saying　that　Cao　Cao　was　sending　an　army　against　Qingni；　and　since　the　generals　there　were　unequal　to　the　defense；　Liu　Bei　had　to　go　to　help。　As　the　matter　was　pressing；　there　could　be　no　personal　leave…taking。

〃I　knew　that　the　real　desire　of　Liu　Bei　was　to　return　to　Jingzhou；〃　said　Zhang　Song；　when　he　heard　of　the　letter　to　Liu　Zhang。

Zhang　Song　then　also　posed　a　letter　to　Liu　Bei。　While　he　was　looking　about　for　a　trusty　person　to　take　it；　his　brother　Zhang　Su；　who　was　the　Governor　of　Guanghan；　came　to　see　him。　Zhang　Song　hid　the　letter　in　his　sleeve　while　he　talked　with　his　brother。　Zhang　Su　noticed　his　anxious　inquietude；　which　he　could　not　explain。　Wine　was　brought　in　and；　as　the　two　brothers　chatted　over　it；　the　letter　dropped　to　the　floor　unnoticed　by　Zhang　Song。　One　of　Zhang　Su's　servants　saw　it；　picked　it　up；　and　gave　it　to　his　master；　who　opened　and　read　it。

This　is　about　how　it　ran：

〃What　I　said　to　you　lately　was　not　mere　meaningless　talk。　Why；　then；　postpone　action？　The　ancients　valued　the　person　who　took　by　force　and　held　by　conciliation。　If　you　act　at　once；　the　whole　matter　is　in　your　hand。　Why　abandon　all　and　return　to　Jingzhou？　Surely　I　do　not　hear　aright！　When　you　get　this　letter；　attack　without　a　moment's　delay　and　remember　that　I　am　your　ally　on　the　inside。