小说园

第143部分（第2页）

This　met　Liu　Zhangs　views；　and　so　he　prepared　gold　and　pearls　and　rich　stuffs；　worthy　presents　for　the　man　of　power。　And　when　these　were　ready；　he　appointed　Zhang　Song　his　emissary。　Zhang　Song　in　the　meantime　occupied　his　leisure　in　secretly　copying　maps　and　plans　of　the　west　country。　When　all　was　ready；　he　started　with　a　small　escort。

They　heard　this　in　Jingzhou；　and　Zhuge　Liang　sent　a　trusty　person　to　the　capital　to　keep　him　informed　as　to　all　the　doings。

Zhang　Song　arrived　in　Xuchang；　and；　after　he　had　established　himself　in　his　lodging；　he　made　daily　visits　to　the　Prime　Ministers　palace　to　try　to　obtain　an　interview。　But　the　last　success　over　Ma　Chao　had　filled　Cao　Cao　with　insufferable　pride；　and　he　did　nothing　but　give　banquets。　He　never　appeared　except　for　the　most　important　affairs；　and　even　carried　on　the　business　of　the　state　in　his　own　residence。　So　Zhang　Song　waited　many　days。　But　when　he　got　to　know　the　persons　who　were　nearest　the　Prime　Minister；　he　bribed　them　and　obtained　an　audience。

Cao　Cao　was　seated　in　the　high　place；　and　after　his　visitor　had　finished　salutations；　he　said；　〃Your　master　Liu　Zhang　has　sent　no　tribute　for　several　years。　Why？〃

〃Because　the　roads　are　dangerous；　and　thieves　and　robbers　infest　them。　Intercourse　is　restricted。〃

Cao　Cao　interrupted　in　a　loud　harsh　voice；　saying；　〃What　thieves　and　robbers　are　there　when　I　have　cleansed　the　empire？〃

〃How　can　you　say　the　land　is　tranquil　when　one　sees　Sun　Quan　in　the　south；　Zhang　Lu　and　Liu　Bei　in　the　west；　and　everyone　of　these　with　armies　reckoned　in　legions？　The　weakest　of　them　has　one　hundred　thousand　troops。〃

The　extraordinary　appearance　of　the　emissary　had　prejudiced　Cao　Cao　from　the　outset；　and　when　Cao　Cao　heard　these　blunt　words；　he　suddenly　shook　out　his　sleeves；　rose　and　left　the　hall。

Those　in　attendance　were　annoyed　with　Zhang　Song　and　said；　〃How　can　you　behave　so　rudely　when　you　e　on　a　mission？　Your　whole　attitude　was　blunt　and　discourteous。　Happily　for　you；　our　lord　remembered　you　had　e　from　afar　and　did　not　take　open　notice　of　your　fault。　The　best　thing　for　you　is　to　go　home　again　as　quickly　as　you　can。〃

But　Zhang　Song　smiled。

〃We　have　no　plausible　flatterers　and　glib　talkers　in　the　River　Lands；〃　said　he。

At　this；　one　from　below　the　steps　called　out；　〃So　you　call　us　plausible　and　glib　then。　And　you　have　none　such　in　your　country；　eh？〃

Zhang　Song　looked　around　and　saw　the　speaker　was　a　man　with　thin　delicate　eyebrows　crossing　narrow　eyes　set　in　a　pale　spiritual　face。　He　asked　his　name。　It　was　Yang　Xiu；　son　of　the　former　Regent　Marshal　Yang　Biao。　The　young　man　was　then　employed　as　Chair　of　the　Secretariat　of　the　Prime　Ministers　palace。　He　was　deeply　read　and　had　the　reputation　of　being　a　clever　controversialist；　as　Zhang　Song　knew。　So　on　one　side　was　a　desire　to　confound　and　on　the　other　overweening　pride　in　his　own　ability；　with　contempt　for　other　scholars。　Perceiving　the　ridicule　in　Zhang　Songs　speech；　Yang　Xiu　invited　him　to　go　to　the　library　where　they　could　talk　more　freely。　There；　after　they　had　got　settled　in　their　respective　places；　Yang　Xiu　began　to　talk　about　the　west。

〃Your　roads　are　precipitous　and　wearisome；〃　said　Yang　Xiu。

〃But　at　our　lords　mand　we　travel；　even　through　fire　and　water。　We　never　decline；〃　replied　Zhang　Song。

〃What　sort　of　a　country　is　this　Yizhou？〃

〃Yizhou　is　a　name　for　the　group　of　western　counties　and　territories　known　of　old　as　the　state　of　Shu。　The　roads　are　intersected　by　streams；　and　the　land　bristles　with　steep　mountains。　The　circuit　is　over　two　hundred　stations　and　marches　and　the　area　over　one　hundred　thousand　square　miles。　The　population　is　dense；　villages　being　so　close　that　the　crowings　of　cocks　in　one　waken　the　people　in　the　next；　and　the　dogs　barking　in　this　excite　the　curs　in　that。　The　soil　is　rich　and　well　cultivated；　and　droughts　or　famines　are　equally　unknown。　Prosperity　is　general；　and　the　music　of　pipes　and　strings　can　always　be　heard。　The　produce　of　the　fields　is　piled　mountain　high。　There　is　no　place　its　equal。〃

〃But　what　of　the　people？〃

＇e＇　Liu　Xiangru　was　prime　minister　of　Zhao　in　the　Warring　States　period；　who　did　not　have　the　force　even　to　bind　a　chicken；　but　boldly　behaved　in　the　court　of　the　powerful　Qin。　When　King　Zhaoxiang　of　Qin　tried　to　make　away　the　purest　jadestone　from　Zhao；　Liu　Xiangru　threatened　to　destroy　the　stone；　and　so　King　Zhaoxiang　backed　up　and　let　Liu　Xiangru　to　return　to　Zhao。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Ma　Yuan　was　one　of　the　greatest　Han　generals。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Zhang　Ji　was　a　legendary　physician　in　Latter　Han。　One　of　his　pilations　instantly　became　one　of　the　main　bases　for　historical　Chinese　healing。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Yan　Zun　was　one　of　the　most　well…known　Taoist　scholars　in　early　Han。　。。。。。

〃Our　administrators　are　talented　as　Liu　Xiangru*；　our　soldiers　able　as　Ma　Yuan*；　our　physicians　are　expert　as　Zhang　Ji*；　our　diviners　are　profound　as　Yan　Zun*。　Our　schools　of　philosophy　and　our　culture　stand　forth　as　models；　and　we　have　more　remarkable　people　than　I　can　enumerate。　How　should　I　ever　finish　the　tale　of　them？〃

〃And　how　many　such　as　you；　Sir；　do　you　think　there　are　at　the　orders　of　your　Imperial　Protector？〃

〃Our　officers　are　all　geniuses：　Wise；　bold；　loyal；　righteous；　and　magnanimous。　As　for　poor　simpletons　like　me：　They　are　counted　by　hundreds；　there　are　cartloads　of　them；　bushels　of　them。　No　one　could　count　them。〃

〃What　office　may　you　hold　then？〃

Zhang　Song