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第192部分（第2页）

However；　Cao　Pi　did　not　trust　him。　Then　they　reported　that　Liu　Feng　was　ing　to　arrest　him；　with　a　large　army；　and　had　attacked　Xiangyang　and　was　challenging　Meng　Da　to　battle。

Cao　Pi　said；　〃You　seem　to　be　true。　Go　then　to　Xiangyang　and　take　Liu　Feng。　If　you　bring　me　his　head；　I　shall　no　longer　doubt。〃

Meng　Da　replied；　〃I　will　convince　him　by　argument。　No　soldiers　will　be　needed。　I　will　bring　him　to　surrender　too。〃

So　Meng　Da　was　made　General　Who　Establishes　Strong　Arms；　Lord　of　Pingyang；　and　Governor　of　Xincheng；　and　sent　to　guard　Xiangyang　and　Fancheng。

Now　there　were　two　generals　there　already；　Xiahou　Shang　and　Xu　Huang；　who　engaged　in　reducing　the　surrounding　territories。　Meng　Da　arrived；　met　his　two　colleagues；　and　was　told　that　Liu　Feng　was　fifteen　miles　from　the　city。　Whereupon　Meng　Da　wrote　him　a　letter　urging　him　to　surrender。　But　Liu　Feng　was　in　no　mood　to　surrender。　Instead　he　tore　up　the　letter　and　put　the　messenger　to　death。

〃The　renegade　has　already　made　me　offend　against　my　duty　to　my　uncle；　and　now　would　sever　me　from　my　father　so　that　I　shall　be　reproached　as　disloyal　and　unfilial；〃　said　Liu　Feng。

Meng　Da　went　out　with　his　army　to　give　battle。　Liu　Feng　rode　to　the　front；　pointed　with　his　sword　at　his　opponent；　and　railed　against　him。

〃Death　is　very　near　you！〃　replied　Meng　Da。　〃Yet　you　continue　obstinately　in　the　way　of　foolishness　and　will　not　understand。〃

Liu　Feng　rode　out　flourishing　his　sword。　He　engaged　Meng　Da；　who　ran　away　before　the　conflict　had　well　begun。　Liu　Feng　pursued　hotly　to　seven　miles。　Then　he　fell　into　an　ambush　and　found　himself　attacked　on　two　sides　by　Xiahou　Shang　and　Xu　Huang。　Also　Meng　Da　returned　to　the　attack。　Liu　Feng　was　forced　to　fly。　He　made　straight　for　Shangyong；　pursued　all　the　way。　When　he　reached　the　city　and　hailed　the　gate；　he　was　met　by　a　volley　of　arrows。

〃I　have　surrendered　to　Wei！〃　cried　Shen　Dan　from　the　city　tower。

Liu　Feng　got　furious　and　prepared　to　attack　the　wall；　but　the　army　of　Wei　was　close　behind；　and　having　no　resting　place；　he　set　off　for　Fangling。　He　arrived　there　to　find　the　banners　of　Wei　set　out　along　the　walls。　Then　he　saw　Shen　Yi　wave　a　signal　from　the　tower；　and　at　once　there　appeared　from　the　shelter　of　the　wall　a　body　of　soldiers；　and　the　leading　banner　displayed　General　of　the　Right　Army　Xu　Huang　。

Liu　Feng　was　worsted　by　the　ambush。　Then　he　made　for　home。　But　he　was　pursued；　and　only　a　hundred　riders　of　his　remained　to　him　when　he　regained　Chengdu。

Seeking　an　interview　with　his　father；　he　found　but　scant　sympathy。

In　response　to　his　petition；　made　prostrate；　and　weeping；　Liu　Bei　said；　〃Shameful　son！　How　are　you　e　to　see　me　at　all？〃

〃My　uncles　mishap　was　not　due　to　my　refusal　of　help；　but　because　Meng　Da　thwarted　me。〃

〃You　eat　as　a　man；　you　dress　as　a　man；　but　you　have　no　more　the　instincts　of　a　man　than　an　image　of　clay　or　wood。　What　mean　you　by　saying　another　wretch　thwarted　you？〃

Liu　Bei　bade　the　executioners　expel　Liu　Feng　and　put　him　to　death。　But　the　Prince　felt　some　punction　later　when　he　heard　of　Liu　Fengs　treatment　to　the　messenger　who　had　brought　Meng　Das　letter　inviting　him　to　bee　a　traitor。　And　he　gave　way　to　grief　for　the　death　of　Guan　Yu　until　he　fell　ill。　So　no　military　movements　were　made。

After　he　had　succeeded　to　the　princedom；　Cao　Pi　raised　all　his　officers　to　high　rank　and　had　an　army　prepared　of　three　hundred　thousand；　and　maneuvered　them　over　the　southern　territories　and　made　great　feasts　in　the　county　of　Qiao　in　the　old　state　of　Pei；　which　was　the　land　of　his　ancestors。　As　the　grand　army　passed　by；　the　aged　villagers　lined　the　roads　offering　gifts　of　wine；　just　as　when　the　Founder　of　the　Hans　returned　home　to　Pei。

When　it　was　announced　that　the　Regent　Marshal　Xiahou　Dun　was　near　death；　Cao　Pi　hastened　back　to　Yejun；　but　arrived　too　late　to　see　him。　He　put　on　mourning　for　the　great　leader　and　instituted　magnificent　funeral　ceremonies。

In　the　eighth　month　of　that　same　year　（AD　220）；　it　was　reported　that　a　phoenix　had　been　seen　to　bow　at　Shiyi；　and　a　jilin　had　appeared　at　Linzi；　while　a　yellow　dragon　was　observed　in　Yejun。

Whereupon　Imperial　mander　Li　Qu　and　Minister　Xu　Zhi　discussed　these　appearances；　and　putting　them　all　together　they　concluded；　saying；　〃Those　splendid　signs　presage　that　Wei　is　about　to　supplant　Han；　and　the　altar　of　abdication　should　be　set　up。〃

Presently　a　deputation　of　forty　high　officers；　both　military　and　civil；　led　by　Hua　Xin；　Wang　Lang；　Xin　Pi；　Jia　Xu；　Liu　Ye；　Liu　Zi；　Chen　Jiao；　Chen　Qun；　and　Huan　Jie　went　into　the　Forbidden　City　and　proposed　to　Emperor　Xian　that　he　should　abdicate　and　yield　to　the　Prince　of　Wei；　Cao　Pi。

It　is　time　to　set　up　the　throne　of　Wei；

And　steal　the　land　from　the　Hans。

The　next　chapter　will　record　the　Emperors　reply。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　80　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　80

Chapter　80

Cao　Pi　Deposes　The　Emperor；　Taking　Away　T