小说园

第286部分（第2页）

Presently　the　Latter　Ruler　rose　and　left　the　table　to　change　dress。

Xi　Zheng　went　over　to　him　and　said；　〃Why　did　Your　Majesty　not　say　you　missed　Shu？　If　Your　Majesty　are　questioned　again；　weep　and　say　that　in　Shu　are　the　tombs　of　your　forefathers　and　no　day　passes　that　Your　Majesty　do　not　grieve　to　be　so　far　away。　The　Duke　of　Jin　may　let　Your　Majesty　return。〃

The　Latter　Ruler　promised　he　would。

When　the　wine　had　gone　round　several　more　times；　Sima　Zhao　put　the　same　question　a　second　time：　〃Do　you　never　think　of　Shu？〃

The　Latter　Ruler　replied　as　he　had　been　told。　He　also　tried　to　weep；　but　failed　to　shed　a　tear。　So　he　shut　his　eyes。

〃Is　not　that　just　what　Xi　Zheng　told　you　to　say？〃　asked　Sima　Zhao。

〃It　is　just　as　you　say；〃　was　the　reply。

They　all　laughed。　But　really　Sima　Zhao　was　pleased　with　the　frank　answer　and　felt　that　nothing　was　to　be　feared　from　him。

Laughter　loving；　pleasure　pursuing；

Rippling　smiles　over　a　merry　face；

Never　a　thought　of　his　former　glory

In　his　callous　heart　finds　place。

Childish　joy　in　a　change　of　dwelling；

That　he　feels　and　that　alone；

Manifest　now　that　he　was　never

Worthy　to　sit　on　his　fathers　throne。

The　courtiers　thought　that　so　grand　an　exploit　as　the　conquest　of　the　River　Lands　was　worthy　of　high　honor；　so　they　memorialized　the　Ruler　of　Wei；　Cao　Huang；　to　confer　the　rank　Prince　of　Jin　on　Sima　Zhao。　At　that　time；　Cao　Huang　ruled　in　name　only；　for　he　had　no　authority。　The　whole　land　was　under　Sima　Zhao；　whose　will　the　Emperor　himself　dared　not　cross。　And　so；　in　due　course；　the　Duke　of　Jin　became　Prince　of　Jin。

After　being　made　Prince　of　Jin；　Sima　Zhao　posthumously　created　his　father；　Sima　Yi；　the　Original　Prince　and　his　late　elder　brother；　Sima　Shi；　the　Wonderful　Prince。

The　wife　of　Sima　Zhao　was　the　daughter　of　Wang　Su。　She　bore　to　him　two　sons；　the　elder　of　whom　was　named　Sima　Yan。　Sima　Yan　was　huge　of　frame；　his　flowing　hair　reached　to　the　ground　when　he　stood　up；　and　both　hands　hung　down　below　his　knees。　He　was　clever；　brave；　and　skilled　in　the　use　of　arms。

The　second　son；　Sima　You；　was　mild　of　disposition；　a　filial　son　and　a　dutiful　brother。　His　father　loved　him　dearly。　As　Sima　Shi　had　died　without　leaving　sons；　this　youth；　Sima　You；　was　regarded　as　his　son；　to　continue　that　line　of　the　family。

Sima　Zhao　used　to　say：　〃The　empire　was　really　my　brothers。〃

Being　a　prince；　it　was　necessary　for　Sima　Zhao　to　choose　his　heir；　and　he　wished　to　name　his　younger　son　Sima　You。　But　Shan　Tao　remonstrated。

〃It　is　improper　and　infelicitous　to　prefer　the　younger；〃　said　Shan　Tao。

And　Jia　Chong；　He　Zeng；　and　Pei　Xiu　followed　in　the　same　strain。

〃The　elder　is　clever；　able　in　war；　one　of　the　most　talented　people　in　the　state　and　popular。　With　such　natural　advantages　he　has　a　great　destiny：　He　was　not　born　to　serve。〃

Sima　Zhao　hesitated；　for　he　was　s