小说园

第148部分（第1页）

The　warrior　sheathed　his　sword　and　said　humbly；　〃Whither　may　my　mistress　be　going；　and　why　goes　she　privily？〃

〃My　mother　is　ill　and　on　the　point　of　death。　I　had　no　time　to　inform　any　person　of　my　departure；〃　said　Lady　Sun。

〃But　why　take　the　young　master　if　you　are　going　merely　to　see　a　sick　person？〃　said　Zhao　Yun。

〃Liu　Shan　is　my　son；　and　I　would　not　leave　him　behind　to　be　neglected。〃

〃Mistress；　you　have　acted　wrongly。　My　lord　has　but　this　one　son　of　his　body；　and　I　rescued　the　child　lord　from　among　many　thousand　troops　of　Cao　Cao　in　the　great　battle　at　Long　Slope　Bridge　in　Dangyang。　There　is　no　reason　for　you　to　take　him　away。〃

Lady　Sun　took　refuge　in　anger。　〃You　leave　my　family　affairs　alone；　you　mon　soldier！〃　cried　she。

〃My　lady；　if　you　will　go；　then　go；　but　leave　the　young　master　behind。〃

〃You　are　a　rebel；　jumping　on　board　the　ship　like　that！〃　cried　Lady　Sun。

〃If　you　will　not　leave　the　young　lord　behind；　I　refuse　to　let　you　go；　e　what　may；〃　said　Zhao　Yun。

Lady　Sun　called　in　her　maids　to　seize　him；　but　he　just　pushed　them　off。　Then　he　took　the　boy　from　her　arms　and　ran　out　to　the　prow　of　the　ship。　He　tried　to　get　the　vessel　in　to　the　bank；　but　no　one　would　aid　him；　and　he　thought　it　would　be　wrong　to　begin　to　slay　indiscriminately。　He　knew　not　what　to　do　in　such　a　quandary。　And　Lady　Sun　was　screaming　to　her　maids　to　take　the　boy　away　from　him。　But　he　kept　too　firm　a　grip　on　the　child；　and　the　good　sword　in　his　other　hand　kept　everyone　at　bay。

Zhou　Shan　was　at　the　helm；　giving　all　his　attention　to　getting　the　ship　out　into　the　current　and　away　down　the　river。　He　steered　for　the　middle　of　the　stream；　where　the　wind　was　strong。　Zhao　Yun；　one　hand　taken　up　with　holding　the　boy；　was　quite　unable　to　get　the　vessel　in　toward　the　shore。

Just　as　things　looked　most　desperate；　Zhao　Yun　saw　a　string　of　ships　filing　out　from　a　creek　lower　down　the　stream；　flags　fluttering　and　drums　beating。　He　thought　that　certainly　all　was　over　and　he　was　about　to　fall　a　victim　to　a　stratagem　of　the　South　Land；　when　he　noticed　a　mighty　warrior　standing　in　the　prow　of　the　leading　craft。　He　was　armed　with　a　long　spear；　and　it　was　Zhang　Fei。

Zhang　Fei　also　shouted；　〃Sister…in…law！　Leave　the　child　lord。〃

Zhang　Fei　had　been　out　scouting　when　he　heard　the　news　of　his　sister…in…laws　sudden　departure；　and　he　at　once　made　for　the　River　Yu　with　the　intention　of　intercepting　her　flight。　He　had　arrived　just　in　the　nick　of　time　to　cut　off　the　ships　of　the　South　Land。　Very　soon；　sword　in　hand；　he　had　boarded　the　vessel。　As　Zhang　Fei　came　on　board；　Zhou　Shan　drew　his　sword　and　advanced　toward　him；　but　one　sweep　of　Zhang　Feis　blade　laid　him　on　the　deck　dead。　And　the　grim　warrior　hung　his　head　at　the　feet　of　Lady　Sun。

〃Why　this　very　unseemly　behavior？〃　cried　Lady　Sun；　now　quite　frightened。

〃Sister；〃　said　Zhang　Fei；　〃you　thought　very　little　of　my　brother　when　you　set　out　on　this　mad　journey。　That　was　behaving　rudely。〃

〃My　mother　is　very　ill。　It　is　a　matter　of　life　and　death；〃　cried　she。　〃If　I　had　waited　for　your　brothers　permission　to　go；　I　should　have　been　too　late。　If　you　do　not　let　me　go　now；　I　will　throw　myself　into　the　river。〃

Zhao　Yun　and　Zhang　Fei　took　counsel　together。　They　said　to　each　other；　〃It　is　hardly　the　correct　thing　for　servants　to　force　their　lords　wife　into　mitting　suicide。　Suppose　we　keep　the　child　and　let　the　vessel　go。〃

Then　they　said；　〃O　Lady；　we　cannot　allow　the　wife　of　our　exalted　brother　to　die　a　death　of　shame；　and　so　we　will　take　our　leave。　We　trust　you　will　not　forget　our　brother　and　that　you　will　return　quickly。〃

Taking　the　child　with　them；　they　left　the　vessel；　and　the　five　ships　of　the　South　Land　continued　their　voyage　down　stream。　One　poet　has　praised　the　conduct　of　Zhao　Yun：

Before；　Zhao　Yun　saved　Liu　Shan；

What　time　his　mother　died；

Again　like　service　he　performs；

Upon　the　Great　Rivers　tide。

The　soldiers　of　Wu　all　in　the　ship；

Were　stricken　down　with　fear

Search　all　the　world；　you　never　find

Of　bold　Zhao　Yun　the　peer。

Another　has　eulogized　Zhang　Fei：