小说园

第15部分（第2页）

Cheng　Pu　said；　〃This　seal　has　a　history。　In　olden　days　Bian　He*　saw　a　phoenix　sitting　on　a　certain　stone　at　the　foot　of　the　Jing　Mountains。　He　offered　the　stone　at　court。　The　King　of　Chu　split　open　the　stone　and　found　a　piece　of　jade。　In　the　twenty…sixth　year　of　Qin　Dynasty　（BC　221）；　a　jade　cutter　made　a　seal　from　it；　and　Li　Si*；　the　First　Emperors　Prime　Minister；　engraved　the　characters。　Two　years　later；　while　the　First　Emperor　was　sailing　in　Dongting　Lake；　a　terrific　storm　arrived。　The　Emperor　threw　the　seal　to　the　water　as　a　propitiatory　offering；　and　the　storm　immediately　ceased。　Ten　years　later　again；　when　the　First　Emperor　was　making　a　progress　and　had　reached　Huaying；　an　old　man　by　the　road　side　handed　a　seal　to　one　of　the　attendants　saying；　This　is　now　restored　to　the　ancestral　dragon！　and　had　then　disappeared。　Thus　the　jewel　returned　to　Qin。

〃The　next　year　the　First　Emperor　died。　Later　Zi　Ying；　the　last　Emperor　of　Qin　and　grandson　of　the　First　Emperor；　presented　the　seal　to　Liu　Bang　the　Supreme　Ancestor；　the　founder　of　Han　Dynasty。　Two　hundred　years　later；　in　Wang　Mangs　rebellion；　the　Emperors　mother；　Lady　Yuan；　struck　two　of　the　rebels；　Wang　Xun　and　Su　Xian；　with　the　seal　and　broke　off　a　corner；　which　was　repaired　with　gold。　Liu　Xiu　the　Latter　Han　Founder　got　possession　of　it　at　Yiyang；　and　it　has　been　regularly　bequeathed　hereafter。

＇e＇　The　Yangtze　or　Yangzi　river；　which　flows　from　west　to　east　to　the　Pacific　at　Shanghai。

〃I　heard　this　treasured　seal　had　been　lost　during　the　trouble　in　the　Palace　when　the　Ten　Regular　Attendants　hurried　off　the　Emperor。　It　was　missed　on　His　Majestys　return。　Now　my　lord　has　it　and　certainly　will　e　to　the　imperial　dignity。　But　you　must　not　remain　here　in　the　north。　Quickly　go　home　to　Changsha；　south　of　the　Great　River*；　where　you　can　lay　plans　for　the　acplishment　of　the　great　design。〃

〃Your　words　exactly　accord　with　my　thoughts；〃　said　Sun　Jian。　〃Tomorrow　I　will　make　an　excuse　that　I　am　unwell　and　get　away。〃

The　soldiers　were　told　to　keep　the　discovery　a　secret。　But　one　among　them　was　a　patriot　of　the　elected　chief　of　the　confederacy………Yuan　Shao。　He　thought　this　might　be　of　great　advantage　to　him；　so　he　stole　away　out　of　the　camp　and　betrayed　his　master。　He　went　to　Yuan　Shaos　camp；　informed　the　secret；　and　received　a　liberal　reward。　Yuan　Shao　kept　the　informant　in　his　own　camp。

Next　morning　Sun　Jian　came　to　take　leave；　saying；　〃I　am　rather　unwell　and　wish　to　return　to　Changsha。〃

Yuan　Shao　laughed；　saying；　〃I　know　what　you　are　suffering　from：　It　is　called　the　Imperial　Hereditary　Seal！〃

This　was　a　shock　to　Sun　Jian；　and　he　paled　but　said；　〃Whence　these　words？〃

Yuan　Shao　said；　〃The　armies　were　raised　for　the　good　of　the　state　and　to　relieve　it　from　oppression。　The　seal　is　state　property；　and　since　you　have　got　hold　of　it；　you　should　publicly　hand　it　over　to　me　as　chief。　When　Dong　Zhuo　has　been　slain；　it　must　go　back　to　the　government。　What　do　you　mean　by　concealing　it　and　going　away？〃

〃How　could　the　seal　get　into　my　hands？〃　said　Sun　Jian。

〃Where　is　the　article　out　of　the　well　near　the　Hall　of　Paragons？〃

〃I　have　it　not：　Why　harass　me　thus？〃

〃Quickly　produce　it；　or　it　will　be　the　worst　for　you！〃

Sun　Jian　pointing　toward　the　heavens　as　an　oath　said；　〃If　I　have　this　jewel　and　am　hiding　it　myself；　may　my　end　be　unhappy　and　my　death　violent！〃

The　lords　all　said；　〃After　an　oath　like　this；　we　think　he　cannot　have　it。〃

Then　Yuan　Shao　called　out　his　informant。

〃When　you　pulled　that　thing　out　of　the　well；　was　this　man　there？〃　asked　he　of　Sun　Jian。

Sun　Jians　anger　burst　forth；　and　he　sprang　forward　to　kill　the　man。

Yuan　Shao　also　drew　his　sword；　saying；　〃You　touch　that　soldier　and　it　is　an　insult　to　me！〃

Behind　Sun　Jian；　Generals　Cheng　Pu；　Huang　Gai；　and　Han　Dang　stepped　forth；　behind　Yuan　Shao；　Generals　Yan　Liang　and　Wen　Chou　were　ready　to　act。　In　a　moment　on　all　sides　swords　flew　from　their　scabbards。　But　the　confusion　was　stayed　by　the　efforts　of　the　others；　and　Sun　Jian　left　the　assembly。　Soon　he　broke　up　his　camp　and　marched　to　his　own　place。

Yuan　Shao　was　not　satisfied。　He　wrote　to　Jingzhou　Region　and　sent　the　letter　by　a　trusty　hand　to　tell　Imperial　Protector　Liu　Biao　to　stop　Sun　Jian　and　take　away　the　seal。

Just　after　this　came　the　news　of　the　defeat　and　misfortune　of　Cao　Cao；　and　when　he　was　ing　home；　Yuan　Shao　sent　out　to　wele　him　and　conduct　him　into　camp。　They　also　prepared　a　feast　to　console　him。

During　the　feast　Cao　Cao　said　sadly；　〃My　object　was　for　the　public　good；　and　all　you　gentlemen　nobly　supported　me。　My　plan　was　to　get　Yuan　Shao　with　his　Henei　troops　to　approach　Mengching；　and　my　force　at　Qiao　to　keep　Chenggao；　while　the　others　of　you　to　hold　Suanzao；　to　close　the　passes　of　Huanyuan　and　Daigu；　and　to　take　possession　of　the　granaries；　to　control　the　points　of　vantage；　and　thus　to　secure　the　Capital　District。　I　planned　for　Yuan　Shu　with　his　Nanyang　army　to　occupy　the　counties　of　Danshi　and　Xilin　and　go　into　Wu　Pass　to　help　the　three　supports。　All　were　to　fortify　their　positions　and　not　to　fight。　Advantage　lay　in　a　diverse　military　coalition　that　could　show　the　empire　a　possibility　of　dealing　with　the　rebellion。　We　could　have　convinced　the　people　to　side　with　us　against　Dong　Zhuo。　Victory　would　have　been　ours　at　once。　But　then　came　delays　and　doubts　and　inaction；　and　the　confidence　of　the　people　was　lost；　and　I　am　ashamed。〃

＇e＇　Liu　Dai　was　the　Imperial　Protector　of　Yanzhou　at　that　time。

No　reply　was　possible　and　the　guests　dispersed。　Cao　Cao　saw　that　the　others　mistrusted　him；　and　in　his　heart　knew　that　nothing　could　be　acplished。　So　he　led　off　his　force　to　Yanzhou　Region*。

Then　Gongsun　Zan　said　to　Liu　Bei；　〃This　Yuan　Shao　is　an　incapable；