北斗星小说网

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第197部分（第2页）

〃I　have　been　in　your　service　these　many　years　and　have　never　justified　the　favor　you　have　shown　me。　I　will　risk　my　life　and　go　to　this　Liu　Bei　of　Shu　that　I　may　talk　to　him　plainly　and　prove　to　him　the　advantages　of　friendship　and　alliance　against　Cao　Pi。〃

This　offer　pleased　Sun　Quan；　who　then　appointed　Zhuge　Jin　as　his　messenger　to　try　to　induce　the　First　Ruler　to　keep　the　peace。

Messengers　pass　when　states　are　at　wrangle；

May　this　one　succeed　and　unravel　this　tangle！

What　fortune　attended　this　messenger　will　be　related　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　82　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　82

Chapter　82

Sun　Quan　Submits　To　Wei；　Receiving　The　Nine　Dignities；

The　First　Ruler　Attacks　Wu；　Rewarding　Six　Armies。

In　the　eighth　month　of　the　first　year　of　Manifest　Might　（AD　221）　the　First　Ruler　marched　at　the　head　of　his　army　and　camped　at　Baidicheng　（City　of　the　White　Emperor）；　through　the　Kui　Pass。　His　advanced　guard　had　gone　beyond　the　River　Lands　when　his　attendants　told　him　that　Zhuge　Jin　had　e　as　a　messenger　from　Wu。　He　told　them　not　to　admit　Zhuge　Jin。

But　Huang　Quan　said；　〃His　brother　being　your　Prime　Minister；　Zhuge　Jin　is　certainly　e　on　some　important　mission。　Your　Majesty　ought　to　see　him　and　hear　what　he　says。　If　his　proposals　are　admissible；　then　agree；　if　not；　he　can　be　made　use　of　to　take　knowledge　of　your　intentions　to　Sun　Quan　and　let　Sun　Quan　know　that　you　intend　to　punish　his　crime。〃

Then　the　First　Ruler　gave　way；　and　the　messenger　was　brought　in。　He　bowed　down　to　the　earth。

〃Zhuge　Jin；　you　have　e　a　long　journey。　What　is　its　object？〃　said　the　First　Ruler。

〃My　brother　has　long　served　Your　Majesty；　I　have　e　at　the　risk　of　my　life　to　discuss　Jingzhou　affairs。　When　Guan　Yu　was　at　Jingzhou；　my　master　repeatedly　sought　to　ally　the　two　families　by　marriage；　but　was　refused。　When　Guan　Yu　attacked　Xiangyang；　Cao　Cao　wrote　again　and　again　urging　my　master　to　attack　Jingzhou。　But　the　Marquis　was　unwilling；　and　it　was　the　enmity　between　your　brother　and　Lu　Meng　that　led　to　the　attack　and　the　unfortunate　success。

〃My　master　is　now　very　sorry　for　it；　but　it　was　Lu　Mengs　doing。　However；　Lu　Meng　is　now　dead；　and　his　enmity　has　died　with　him。　Moreover；　Lady　Sun　is　always　thinking　over　returning　to　you。　My　master　now　proposes　to　send　back　the　lady；　to　bind　and　hand　over　to　you　those　officers　who　surrendered；　and　to　restore　Jingzhou。　If　the　two　houses　swear　perpetual　amity；　then　we　may　join　forces　against　Cao　Pi　and　punish　his　usurpation。〃

To　this　harangue　the　First　Ruler　only　replied；　〃You　of　East　Wu　killed　my　brother。　Yet　you　dare　e　with　your　artful　talk！〃

Zhuge　Jin　said；　〃I　only　wish　to　discuss　the　relative　importance　of　the　issues。　Your　Majesty　is　an　Imperial　Uncle；　and　Cao　Pi　has　seized　the　throne　of　your　House。　Yet　you　do　not　think　of　destroying　the　usurper；　but　on　the　other　hand　you　disregard　the　most　honorable　position　in　the　world　for　the　sake　of　a　so…called　brother；　a　connection　of　another　name。　Surely　this　is　rejecting　the　chief　for　the　subordinate；　the　main　issue　for　a　detail。

〃The　Middle　Land　is　the　biggest　part　of　the　empire；　and　the　two　capitals；　Luoyang　and　Changan；　are　both　famous　as　places　whence　the　two；　one　the　Founder；　the　other　the　Restorer；　of　the　Hans；　initiated　their　mighty　task。　Your　Majesty　takes　no　thought　of　these；　but　would　dispute　over　Jingzhou。　In　other　words；　the　important　is　abandoned　for　the　worthless。

〃All　the　world　knows　of　your　assumption　of　the　dignity　of　Emperor　and　that　you　will　assuredly　restore　the　Hans　and　rescue　their　territory。　Only　now　you　do　not　try　to　deal　with　Wei；　you　only　desire　to　attack　Wu。　I　venture　to　think　you　have　made　a　bad　choice。〃

All　this　argument　only　added　fuel　to　the　fire。

〃The　slayer　of　my　brother　shall　not　live　in　the　same　world　as　I。　You　ask　me　not　to　fight。　I　will　cease　when　I　have　slain　your　master。　Were　it　not　for　the　sake　of　your　brother；　I　would　behead　you　at　once。　As　it　is；　you　may　go；　and　you　may　tell　your　master　to　cleanse　his　neck　ready　for　the　blade　of　the　executioner。〃

Zhuge　Jin　saw　that　the　position　was　hopeless　and　took　his　leave　to　return　to　the　South　Land。

But　while　Zhuge　Jin　had　been　absent；　Zhang　Zhao　said　to　Sun　Quan；　〃Zhuge　Jin　knows　something　of　the　strength　of　the　Shu　armies；　and　he　made　this　mission　an　excuse　to　get　out　of　danger。　He　will　not　return。〃

The　Marquis　replied；　〃He　and　I　are　sworn　friends………friends　to　the　death。　I　shall　not　wrong　him；　nor　will　he　betray　me。　When　he　was　at　Chaisang　and　Zhuge　Liang　came　to　our　country；　I　wanted　my　friend　Zhuge　Jin　to　persuade　his　brother　to　remain　with　me。　His　reply　was　that　his　brother　would　not　remain　any　more　than　he　himself　would　go：　Each　would　be　faithful　to　his　salt。　That　was　quite　clear　enough。　How　could　he　desert　me　after　that？　Our　friendship　has　something　of　the　divine　in　it；　and　no　talk　from　outside　can　sow　dissension　between　us。〃

Even　as　Sun　Quan　spoke；　the　servants　told　him　that　Zhuge　Jin　had　returned。

〃What　do　you　think　now？〃　said　Sun　Quan。