小说园

第55部分（第1页）

Main　Next　to　Chapter　22　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　22

Chapter　22

Yuan　Shao　And　Cao　Cao　Both　Take　The　Field；

Guan　Yu　And　Zhang　Fei　Captures　Two　Generals。

This　was　the　plan　Chen　Deng　proposed　to　Liu　Bei；　〃Yuan　Shao　is　Cao　Caos　terror。　He　is　strongly　posted　in　an　extensive　territory　of　four　regions………Jizhou；　Qingzhou；　Youzhou；　and　Bingzhou………with　one　million　fighting　soldiers　and　numerous　able　officers。　Write　letters　and　pray　him　rescue　you。〃

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃But　we　have　never　had　any　dealings　with　each　other；　and　he　is　unlikely　to　do　such　a　thing　for　a　person　who　has　just　destroyed　his　brother。〃

〃There　is　someone　here　whose　family　have　been　on　intimate　terms　with　the　Yuans　for　a　hundred　years。　Yuan　Shao　would　surely　e；　if　he　wrote。〃

〃And　who　is　this？〃

〃A　man　you　know　well　and　respect　greatly。　Can　you　not　guess？〃

〃You　surely　mean　Zheng　Xuan；〃　said　Liu　Bei　suddenly。

〃That　is　he；〃　said　Chen　Deng　smiling。

Now　Zheng　Xuan　was　a　student　and　a　man　of　great　talent；　who　had　long　studied　under　the　famed　teacher　Ma　Rong；　whose　knowledge　of　the　Book　of　Odes　was　universally　recognized。　Whenever　Ma　Rong　lectured；　he　let　fall　a　curtain　behind　which　were　a　circle　of　singing　girls。　The　students　were　assembled　in　front　of　this　curtain。　Zheng　Xuan　attended　these　lectures　for　three　years　and　never　once　let　his　eyes　wander　to　the　curtain。

Naturally　the　master　admired　his　pupil。　After　Zheng　Xuan　had　finished　his　studies　and　gone　home；　Ma　Rong　praised　him　to　the　others；　saying；　〃Only　one　man　has　penetrated　the　inner　meaning　of　my　instructions；　and　that　one　is　Zheng　Xuan。〃

In　Zheng　Xuans　household；　the　waiting　maids　were　familiar　with　the　Book　of　Odes。　Once　one　of　the　maids　opposed　Zheng　Xuans　wishes；　so　as　punishment　she　was　made　to　kneel　in　front　of　the　steps。　Another　girl　made　fun　of　her；　quoting　from　an　ode：

〃What　are　you　doing　there　in　the　mire？〃

The　kneeling　girl　capped　the　verse　from　another　ode；　quoted　she：

〃That　was　but　a　simple　word　I　said；

Yet　brought　it　wrath　upon　my　head。〃

Such　was　the　family　in　which　Zheng　Xuan　had　been　born。　In　the　reign　of　the　Emperor　Huan；　he　rose　to　the　rank　of　Chair　of　the　Secretariat。　But　when　the　Ten　Eunuchs　began　to　control　the　government；　he　gave　up　office　and　retired　into　the　country　to　Xuzhou。　Liu　Bei　had　known　him　before；　had　consulted　him　on　many　occasions；　and　greatly　respected　him。

Liu　Bei　was　glad　that　he　had　remembered　this　man；　and　without　loss　of　time；　in　pany　with　Chen　Deng；　he　went　to　Zheng　Xuans　house　to　ask　him　to　draft　this　letter；　which　Zheng　Xuan　generously　consented　to　do。

Sun　Qian　was　entrusted　with　the　task　of　delivery　and　set　out　at　once。　Yuan　Shao　read　it　and　considered　the　matter　long　before　speaking。

〃Liu　Bei　destroyed　my　brother；　and　I　ought　not　to　help　him；　but　out　of　consideration　for　the　writer　of　this　letter　I　must。〃