小说园

第112部分（第2页）

〃Do　not　ask　too　much。　You　will　see　presently。〃

Soon　after　all　the　officers　were　summoned　to　the　main　tent；　and　Zhuge　Liangs　presence　was　desired。　He　went　contentedly　enough。

When　all　were　seated；　Zhou　Yu　suddenly　addressed　Zhuge　Liang；　saying；　〃I　am　going　to　fight　a　battle　with　the　enemy　soon　on　the　water。　What　weapons　are　the　best？〃

〃On　a　great　river　arrows　are　the　best；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

〃Your　opinion　and　mine　agree。　But　at　the　moment　we　are　short　of　them。　I　wish　you　would　undertake　to　supply　about　a　hundred　thousand　arrows　for　the　naval　fight。　As　it　is　for　the　public　service；　you　will　not　decline；　I　hope。〃

〃Whatever　task　the　mander…in…Chief　lays　upon　me；　I　must　certainly　try　to　perform；〃　replied　Zhuge　Liang。　〃May　I　inquire　by　what　date　you　require　the　hundred　thousand　arrows？〃

〃Could　you　have　them　ready　in　ten　days？〃

〃The　enemy　will　be　here　very　soon。　Ten　days　will　be　too　late；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

〃In　how　many　days　do　you　estimate　the　arrows　can　be　ready？〃

〃Let　me　have　three　days。　Then　you　may　send　for　your　hundred　thousand。〃

〃No　joking；　remember！〃　said　Zhou　Yu。　〃There　is　no　joking　in　war　time。〃

〃Dare　I　joke　with　the　mander…in…Chief？　Give　me　a　formal　military　order。　If　I　have　not　pleted　the　task　in　three　days；　I　will　take　my　punishment。〃

Zhou　Yu；　secretly　delighted；　sent　for　the　secretaries　and　prepared　the　mission　then　and　there。

Then　he　drank　to　the　success　of　the　undertaking　and　said；　〃I　shall　have　to　congratulate　you　most　heartily　when　this　is　acplished。〃

〃This　day　is　too　late　to　count；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃On　the　third　from　tomorrow　morning　send　five　hundred　small　boats　to　the　river　side　to　convey　the　arrows。〃

They　drank　a　few　more　cups　together；　and　then　Zhuge　Liang　took　his　leave。

After　he　had　gone；　Lu　Su　said；　〃Do　you　not　think　there　is　some　deceit　about　this？〃

〃Clearly　it　is　not　I！　It　is　he　who　has　signed　his　own　death　warrant；〃　said　Zhou　Yu。　〃Without　being　pressed　in　the　least；　he　asked　for　a　formal　order　in　the　face　of　the　whole　assembly。　Even　if　he　grew　a　pair　of　wings；　he　could　not　escape。　Only　I　will　just　order　the　workers　to　delay　him　as　much　as　they　can；　and　not　supply　him　with　materials；　so　that　he　is　sure　to　fail。　And　then；　when　the　certain　penalty　is　incurred；　who　can　criticize？　You　can　go　and　inquire　about　it　all　and　keep　me　informed。〃

So　off　went　Lu　Su　to　seek　Zhuge　Liang；　who　at　once　reproached　him　with　having　blabbed　about　the　former　business。

Zhuge　Liang　said；　〃He　wants　to　hurt　me；　as　you　know；　and　I　did　not　think　you　could　not　keep　my　secret。　And　now　there　is　what　you　saw　today；　and　how　do　you　think　I　can　get　a　hundred　thousand　arrows　made　in　three　days？　You　will　simply　have　to　rescue　me。〃

〃You　brought　the　misfortune　on　yourself；　and　how　can　I　rescue　you？〃　said　Lu　Su。

〃I　look　to　you　for　the　loan　of　twenty　vessels；　manned　each　by　thirty　people。　I　want　blue　cotton　screens　and　bundles　of　straw　lashed　to　the　sides　of　the　boats。　I　have　good　use　for　them。　On　the　third　day；　I　shall　undertake　to　deliver　the　fixed　number　of　arrows。　But　on　no　account　must　you　let　Zhou　Yu　know；　or　my　scheme　will　be　wrecked。〃

Lu　Su　consented；　and　this　time　he　kept　his　word。　He　went　to　report　to　his　chief　as　usual；　but　he　said　nothing　about　the　boats。

He　only　said；　〃Zhuge　Liang　is　not　using　bamboo　or　feathers　or　glue　or　varnish；　but　has　some　other　way　of　getting　arrows。〃

〃Let　us　await　the　three　days　limit；〃　said　Zhou　Yu；　puzzled　though　confident。

On　his　side　Lu　Su　quietly　prepared　a　score　of　light　swift　boats；　each　with　its　crew　and　the　blue　screens　and　bundles　of　grass　plete　and；　when　these　were　ready；　he　placed　them　at　Zhuge　Liangs　disposal。

Zhuge　Liang　did　nothing　on　the　first　day；　nor　on　the　second。　On　the　third　day　at　the　middle　of　the　fourth　watch；　Zhuge　Liang　sent　a　private　message　asking　Lu　Su　to　e　to　his　boat。

〃Why　have　you　sent　for　me；　Sir？〃　asked　Lu　Su。

〃I　want　you　to　go　with　me　to　get　those　arrows。〃

〃Whither　are　you　going？〃

〃Do　not　ask。　You　will　see。〃

Then　the　twenty　boats　were　fastened　together　by　long　ropes　and　moved　over　to　the　north　bank。　The　night　proved　very　foggy　and　the　mist　was　very　dense　along　the　river；　so　that　one　person　could　scarcely　see　another。　In　spite　of　the　fog；　Zhuge　Liang　urged　the　boats　forward　as　if　into　the　vast　fairy　kingdom。

There　is　a　poem　on　these　river　fogs：

Mighty　indeed　is　the　Great　River！