小说园

第59部分（第1页）

〃You　do　not　distinguish　between　the　wise　and　the　foolish；　which　is　to　have　foul　vision。　You　have　never　read　the　Odes　or　the　Histories；　which　is　to　have　foul　speech。　You　are　deaf　to　honest　words；　which　is　to　have　foul　ears。　You　are　unable　to　reconcile　antiquity　with　today；　which　is　to　be　foul　without。　You　cannot　tolerate　the　nobles；　which　is　to　be　foul　within。　You　harbor　thoughts　of　rebellion；　which　is　to　have　a　foul　heart。　I　am　one　of　the　most　famous　scholars　in　the　empire；　and　you　make　me　a　drummer　boy；　that　is　as　Yang　Huo　belittling　Confucius　or　Zang　Cang　vilifying　Mencius。　You　desire　to　be　chief　and　arbitrator　of　the　great　nobles；　yet　you　treat　me　thus！〃

Now　Kong　Rong　who　had　remended　Mi　Heng　for　employment　was　among　the　guests；　and　he　feared　for　the　life　of　his　friend。　Wherefore　he　tried　to　calm　the　storm。

〃Mi　Heng　is　only　guilty　of　a　misdemeanor；〃　said　Kong　Rong。　〃He　is　not　a　man　likely　to　disturb　your　dreams　like　Fu　Yue；　Illustrious　Sir。〃

Pointing　to　Mi　Heng；　the　Prime　Minister　said；　〃I　will　send　you　to　Jingzhou　as　my　messenger；　and　if　Liu　Biao　surrenders　to　me；　I　will　give　you　a　post　at　court。〃

But　Mi　Heng　was　unwilling　to　go。　So　Cao　Cao　bade　two　of　his　men　prepare　three　horses；　and　they　set　Mi　Heng　on　the　middle　one　and　dragged　him　along　the　road　between　them。

It　is　also　related　that　a　great　number　of　officers　of　all　ranks　assembled　at　the　East　Gate　to　see　the　messenger　start。

Xun　Yu　said；　〃When　Mi　Heng　es；　we　will　not　rise　to　salute　him。〃

So　when　Mi　Heng　came；　dismounted；　and　entered　the　waiting　room；　they　all　sat　stiff　and　silent。　Mi　Heng　uttered　a　loud　cry。

〃What　is　that　for？〃　said　Xun　Yu。

〃Should　not　one　cry　out　when　one　enters　a　coffin？〃　said　Mi　Heng。

〃We　may　be　corpses；〃　shouted　they　altogether；　〃but　you　are　a　wandering　headless　ghost。〃

〃I　am　a　minister　of　Han　and　not　a　partisan　of　Cao　Caos；〃　cried　Mi　Heng。　〃You　cannot　say　I　have　no　head。〃

They　were　angry　enough　to　kill　him；　but　Xun　Yu　checked　them；　saying；　〃He　is　a　paltry　fellow。　It　is　not　worth　soiling　your　blades　with　his　blood。〃

〃I　am　paltry；　and　yet　I　have　the　soul　of　a　man；　and　you　are　mere　worms；〃　said　Mi　Heng。

They　went　their　ways；　all　very　angry。　Mi　Heng　went　on　his　journey　and　presently　reached　Jingzhou；　where　he　saw　Liu　Biao。　After　that；　under　pretense　of　extolling　Liu　Biaos　virtue；　he　lampooned　Liu　Biao　who　was　annoyed　and　sent　him　to　Jiangxia　to　see　Huang　Zu。

〃Why　did　you　not　put　the　fellow　to　death　for　lampooning　you？〃　said　one　to　Liu　Biao。

〃You　see　he　shamed　Cao　Cao；　but　Cao　Cao　did　not　kill　him　as　Cao　Cao　feared　to　lose　popular　favor。　So　Cao　Cao　sent　him　to　me；　thinking　to　borrow　my　hand　to　slay　him　and　so　suffer　the　loss　of　my　good　name。　I　have　sent　him　on　to　Huang　Zu　to　let　Cao　Cao　see　that　I　understood。〃

Liu　Biaos　clever　caution　met　with　general　praise。　At　that　time　a　messenger　from　Yuan　Shao　was　also　there　with　certain　proposals　for　an　alliance；　and　it　was　necessary　to　decide　which　aide　to　espouse。　All　the　advisers　came　together　to　consider　the　question。

Then　mander　Han　Song　said；　〃As　you　have　now　two　offers；　you　can　please　yourself　and　choose　your　own　way　to　destroy　your　enemies；　for　if　one　refuses；　you　can　follow　the　other。　Now　Cao　Cao　is　an　able　general　and　has　many　capable　officers　in　his　train。　It　looks　as　though　he　may　destroy　Yuan　Shao　and　then　move　his　armies　across　the　river。　I　fear；　my　lord；　you　would　be　unable　then　to　withstand　him。　That　being　so；　it　would　be　wise　to　support　Cao　Cao；　who　will　treat　you　with　respect。〃

Liu　Biao　replied；　〃You　go　to　the　capital　and　see　how　things　tend。　That　will　help　me　to　decide。〃

Han　Song　said；　〃The　positions　of　master　and　servant　are　clearly　defined。　Now　I　am　your　man　prepared　to　go　all　lengths　for　you　and　obey　you　to　the　last；　whether　in　serving　the　Emperor　or　in　following　Cao　Cao。　But　lest　there　should　be　any　doubt　you　must　remember　that　if　the　Emperor　gives　me　any　office；　then　I　shall　bee　his　servant　and　shall　not　be　ready　to　face　death　for　you。〃

〃You　go　and　find　out　what　you　can。　I　have　ideas　in　my　mind。〃

So　Han　Song　took　his　leave　and　went　to　the　capital；　where　he　saw　Cao　Cao。　Cao　Cao　gave　him　rank　and　made　him　Governor　of　Lingling。

Adviser　Xun　Yu　remonstrated；　saying；　〃This　man　came　to　spy　out　how　things　were　moving。　He　has　done　nothing　to　deserve　reward；　and　yet　you　give　him　an　office　like　this。　There　were　no　such　suspicious　rumors　connected　with　poor　Mi　Heng；　and　yet　you　sent　him　off　and　would　never　test　his　power。〃

〃Mi　Heng　shamed　me　too　deeply　before　all　the　world。　I　am　going　to　borrow　Liu　Biaos　hand　to　remove　him。　And　you　need　say　no　more；〃　said　Cao　Cao。

Then　Cao　Cao　sent　Han　Song　back　to　his　former　master　to　tell　him　what　had　happened。　Han　Song　came　and　was　full　of　praise　for　the　virtues　of　the　court　and　was　keen　on　persuading　Liu　Biao　to　espouse　that　side。

Then　Liu　Biao　suddenly　turned　angry；　charged　him　with　treachery；　put　him　in　prison；　and　threatened　him　with　death。

〃You　turn　your　back　on　me；〃　cried　Han　Song。　〃I　did　not　betray　you。〃

Kuai　Liang　remarked；　〃Han　Song　had　foretold　this　possibility　before　he　left。　It　is　only　what　he　expected。〃

Liu　Biao；　who　was　just　and　reasonable；　went　no　further。

Presently　came　the　news　that　Mi　Heng　had　been　put　to　death　by　Huang　Zu　on　account　of　a　quarrel　begun　over　the　wine　cups。　Both　being　worse　for　liquor　they　had　begun　to　discuss　the　worth　of　people。

〃You　were　in　Xuchang；〃　said　Huang　Zu。　〃Who　was　there　of　worth？〃

〃The　big　boy　was　Kong　Rong　and　the　little　one　Yang　Xiu。　There　was　no　one　else　to　count。〃

〃What　am　I　like？〃　said　Huang　Zu。

〃You　are　like　a　god　in　a　temple：　You　sit　still　and　receive　sacrifice；　but　the　lack　of　intelligence　is　pitiful。〃