第40部分(第5/7 页)

of　archery　and　the　peace　making　that　followed；　and　had　presented　the　letter；　his　lord　was　very　wroth。

〃Lu　Bu　repays　me　for　all　my　grain　with　this　bit　of　play　acting！〃　cried　Yuan　Shu。　〃He　has　saved　Liu　Bei；　but　I　will　lead　a　large　army　myself　and　settle　both　Liu　Bei　and　him。〃

〃Be　careful；　my　lord；〃　said　Ji　Ling。　〃Lu　Bu　is　braver　and　stronger　than　most　leaders　and　has　a　wide　territory。　He　and　Liu　Bei　together　make　a　powerful　bination；　not　easy　to　break。　But　there　is　another　course。　I　have　found　out　that　his　wife；　Lady　Yan；　has　a　daughter　just　of　marriageable　age；　and　as　you　have　a　son；　you　could　arrange　a　marriage　alliance　with　Lu　Bu。　If　his　daughter　wedded　your　son；　Lu　Bu　would　certainly　slay　your　enemy　for　you。　This　is　called　'Relative…above…Stranger'　plan。〃

This　scheme　appealed　to　Yuan　Shu；　who　soon　set　about　its　acplishment。　He　sent　presents　by　the　hand　of　Han　Yin；　who　was　to　discuss　the　question。

＇e＇　Jin　was　a　state　that　occupied　the　western　part　of　the　empire；　in　the　mountainous　area　north　of　the　Yellow　River。　During　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period；　under　the　leadership　of　Duke　Wen　and　his　successors；　Jin　grew　into　a　very　large　state；　which　broke　into　three　states　in　the　Warring　States　period。　Qin　was　a　western…most　state　existed　in　both　Spring　and　Autumn　and　Warring　States　periods。　Because　Jin　blocked　its　way　to　the　east；　Qin　was　shielded　from　the　wars　in　the　central　plain。　Wars　between　Qin　and　Jin　were　not　few；　but　intermarriages　between　the　two　houses　were　frequent；　and　this　alliance　strengthened　both　states。　。。。。。

When　Han　Yin　saw　Lu　Bu；　he　said；　〃My　master　has　an　immense　respect　for　you；　Illustrious　Sir；　and　he　desires　to　ensure　perpetual　alliance　between　the　two　families　by　a　marriage；　an　alliance　such　as　existed　between　the　anc