第2部分(第1/7 页)

Zhou　Jing　said；　〃They　are　many　and　we　few。　We　must　enlist　more　troops　to　oppose　them。〃

Liu　Yan　agreed；　and　he　put　out　notices　calling　for　volunteers　to　serve　against　the　rebels。　One　of　these　notices　was　posted　up　in　the　county　of　Zhuo；　where　lived　one　man　of　high　spirit。

This　man　was　no　mere　bookish　scholar；　nor　found　he　any　pleasure　in　study。　But　he　was　liberal　and　amiable；　albeit　a　man　of　few　words；　hiding　all　feeling　under　a　calm　exterior。　He　had　always　cherished　a　yearning　for　high　enterprise　and　had　cultivated　the　friendship　of　humans　of　mark。　He　was　tall　of　stature。　His　ears　were　long；　the　lobes　touching　his　shoulders；　and　his　hands　hung　down　below　his　knees。　His　eyes　were　very　big　and　prominent　so　that　he　could　see　backward　past　his　ears。　His　plexion　was　as　clear　as　jade；　and　he　had　rich　red　lips。

＇e＇　Reigned　BC　157…141。

He　was　a　descendant　of　Prince　Sheng　of　Zhongshan　whose　father　was　the　Emperor　Jing*；　the　fourth　emperor　of　the　Han　Dynasty。　His　name　was　Liu　Bei。　Many　years　before；　one　of　his　forbears　had　been　the　governor　of　that　very　county；　but　had　lost　his　rank　for　remissness　in　ceremonial　offerings。　However；　that　branch　of　the　family　had　remained　on　in　the　place；　gradually　being　poorer　and　poorer　as　the　years　rolled　on。　His　father　Liu　Hong　had　been　a　scholar　and　a　virtuous　official　but　died　young。　The　widow　and　orphan　were　left　alone；　and　Liu　Bei　as　a　lad　won　a　reputation　for　filial　piety。

At　this　time　the　family　had　sunk　deep　in　poverty；　and　Liu　Bei　gained　his　living　by　selling　straw　sandals　and　weaving　grass　mats。　The　family　home　was　in　a　village　near　the　chief　city　of　Zhuo。　Near　the　house　stood　a　huge　mulberry　tree；　and　seen　from　afar　its　curved　profile　resembled　the　canopy　of　a　wagon。　Noting　the　luxuriance　of　its　f