三国演义英文版-第158部分

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At　this；　one　from　below　the　steps　called　out；　〃So　you　call　us　plausible　and　glib　then。　And　you　have　none　such　in　your　country；　eh？〃
Zhang　Song　looked　around　and　saw　the　speaker　was　a　man　with　thin　delicate　eyebrows　crossing　narrow　eyes　set　in　a　pale　spiritual　face。　He　asked　his　name。　It　was　Yang　Xiu；　son　of　the　former　Regent　Marshal　Yang　Biao。　The　young　man　was　then　employed　as　Chair　of　the　Secretariat　of　the　Prime　Minister's　palace。　He　was　deeply　read　and　had　the　reputation　of　being　a　clever　controversialist；　as　Zhang　Song　knew。　So　on　one　side　was　a　desire　to　confound　and　on　the　other　overweening　pride　in　his　own　ability；　with　contempt　for　other　scholars。　Perceiving　the　ridicule　in　Zhang　Song's　speech；　Yang　Xiu　invited　him　to　go　to　the　library　where　they　could　talk　more　freely。　There；　after　they　had　got　settled　in　their　respective　places；　Yang　Xiu　began　to　talk　about　the　west。
〃Your　roads　are　precipitous　and　wearisome；〃　said　Yang　Xiu。
〃But　at　our　lord's　mand　we　travel；　even　through　fire　and　water。　We　never　decline；〃　replied　Zhang　Song。
〃What　sort　of　a　country　is　this　Yizhou？〃
〃Yizhou　is　a　name　for　the　group　of　western　counties　and　territories　known　of　old　as　the　state　of　Shu。　The　roads　are　intersected　by　streams；　and　the　land　bristles　with　steep　mountains。　The　circuit　is　over　two　hundred　stations　and　marches　and　the　area　over　one　hundred　thousand　square　miles。　The　population　is　dense；　villages　being　so　close　that　the　crowings　of　cocks　in　one　waken　the　people　in　the　next；　and　the　dogs　barking　in　this　excite　the　curs　in　that。　The　soil　is　rich　and　well　cultivated；　and　droughts　or　famines　are　equally　unknown。　Prosperity　is　general；　and　the　music　of　pipes　and　strings　can　always　be　heard。　The　produce　of　the　fields　is　piled　mountain　high。　There　is　no　place　its　equal。〃
〃But　what　of　the　people？〃

＇e＇　Liu　Xiangru　was　prime　minister　of　Zhao　in　the　Warring　States　period；　who　did　not　have　the　force　even　to　bind　a　chicken；　but　boldly　behaved　in　the　court　of　the　powerful　Qin。　When　King　Zhaoxiang　of　Qin　tried　to　make　away　the　purest　jadestone　from　Zhao；　Liu　Xiangru　threatened　to　destroy　the　stone；　and　so　King　Zhaoxiang　backed　up　and　let　Liu　Xiangru　to　return　to　Zhao。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Ma　Yuan　was　one　of　the　greatest　Han　generals。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Zhang　Ji　was　a　legendary　physician　in　Latter　Han。　One　of　his　pilations　instantly　became　one　of　the　main　bases　for　historical　Chinese　healing。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Yan　Zun　was　one　of　the　most　well…known　Taoist　scholars　in　early　Han。　。。。。。
〃Our　administrators　are　talented　as　Liu　Xiangru*；　our　soldiers　able　as　Ma　Yuan*；　our　physicians　are　expert　as　Zhang　Ji*；　our　diviners　are　profound　as　Yan　Zun*。　Our　schools　of　philosophy　and　our　culture　stand　forth　as　models；　and　we　have　more　remarkable　people　than　I　can　enumerate。　How　should　I　ever　finish　the　tale　of　them？〃
〃And　how　many　such　as　you；　Sir；　do　you　think　there　are　at　the　orders　of　your　Imperial　Protector？〃
〃Our　officers　are　all　geniuses：　Wise；　bold；　loyal；　righteous；　and　magnanimous。　As　for　poor　simpletons　like　me：　They　are　counted　by　hundreds；　there　are　cartloads　of　them；　bushels　of　them。　No　one　could　count　them。〃
〃What　office　may　you　hold　then？〃
Zhang　Song　replied；　〃Mine　can　hardly　be　called　an　office。　I　am　a　Supernumerary　Charioteer。　But；　Sir；　what　state　affairs　may　you　control？〃
〃I　am　the　First　Secretary　in　the　Palace　of　the　Prime　Minister；〃　replied　Yang　Xiu。
〃They　say　that　members　of　your　family　held　office　for　many　generations；　and　I　do　not　understand　why　you　are　not　in　court　service　actually　assisting　the　Emperor；　instead　of　filling　the　post　of　a　mere　clerk　in　the　private　palace　of　the　Prime　Minister。〃
Yang　Xiu's　face　suffused　with　shame　at　this　rebuke；　but　he　mastered　himself　and　replied；　〃Though　I　am　among　the　minor　officials；　yet　my　duties　are　of　great　importance；　and　I　am　gaining　experience　under　the　Prime　Minister's　guidance。　I　hold　the　office　for　the　sake　of　the　training。〃
Zhang　Song　smiled；　saying；　〃If　what　I　have　heard　is　true；　Cao　Cao's　learning　throws　no　gleaming　light　on　the　way　of　Confucius　or　Mencius；　nor　does　his　military　skill　illumine　the　art　of　Sun　Zi　or　Wu　Qi。　He　seems　to　understand　the　doctrine　of　brute　force　and　holding　on　to　what　advantages　he　can　seize；　but　I　see　not　how　he　can　give　you　any　valuable　training　or　enlighten　your　understanding。〃
〃Ah；　Sir；　that　es　of　dwelling　in　out…of…the…way　parts。　How　could　you　know　of　the　magnificent　talents　of　the　great　Prime　Minister？　But　I　will　show　you　something。〃
Yang　Xiu　called　up　an　attendant　and　bade　him　bring　a　book　from　a　certain　case。　He　showed　this　to　his　guest；　who　read　the　title　〃The　New　Book　of　Cao　Cao〃。　Then　Zhang　Song　opened　it　and　read　it　through　from　the　beginning；　the　whole　thirteen　chapters。　They　all　dealt　with　the　art　of　war。
〃What　do　you　take　this　to　be？〃　asked　Zhang　Song；　when　he　had　finished。
〃This　is　the　great　Prime　Minister's　discussion　of　the　art　of　ancient　and　modern　war　posed　on　the　model　of　Sun　Zi's　Treatise　on　the　Art　of　War。　You　may　be　disdainful　of　the　Prime　Minister's　talents；　but　will　this　not　go　down　to　posterity？〃
〃This　book！　Every　child　in　Yizhou　knows　this　by　heart。　What　do　you　mean　by　calling　it　a　new　book？　It　was　written　by　some　obscure　person　of　the　time　of　the　Warring　States；　and　Cao　Cao　has　plagiarized　it。　But　he　has　deceived　no　one　but　you；　Sir。〃
〃But　what　is　the　use　of　your　sarcastic　insult　in　saying　that　your　school　children　know　the　book　by　rote？　It　has　never　been　given　to　the　world；　although　copies　have　been　made。　It　belongs　to　his　private　library。〃
〃Do　you　disbelieve　me？　Why；　I　know　it　and　could　repeat　it。〃
Then　Zhang　Song　repeated　the　whole　book；　word　for　word；　from　beginning　to　end。
Yang　Xiu　said；　〃You　remember　it　like　this　after　only　one　reading！　Really　you　are　marvelous。〃

He　boasted　not　a　handsome　face；
Nor　was　his　body　blessed　with　grace。
His　words　streamed　like　a　waterfall；
He　read　a　book　and　knew　it　all。
Shu's　glories　could　he　well　rehearse；
His　lore　embraced　the　universe。
Or　text　or　note　of　scholiast
Once　read；　his　memory　held　fast。

At　leave…taking　Yang　Xiu　said；　〃Remain　a　while　in　your　lodgings　till　I　can　petition　our　Prime　Minister　to　give　you　another　interview。〃
Zhang　Song　thanked　him　and　left。
By　and　bye　Yang　Xiu　went　to　see　Cao　Cao　on　the　matter　of　receiving　the　emissary　from　the　west　and　said；　〃Sir；　why　did　you　formerly　treat　Zhang　Song　so　off…hand？〃
〃He　spoke　very　rudely。　That　is　why。〃

＇e＇　Cao　Cao　hated　Mi　Heng；　who　was　critial　of　him。　Yet　he　did　not　kill　Mi　Heng。　Instead　he　sent　Mi　Heng　on　mission　to　Jingzhou；　where　Huang　Zhu；　a　general　of　Liu　Biao；　killed　Mi　Heng　over　a　wine　cup。　Mi　Heng　was　one　of　the　most　treasured　writers　in　ancient　China。
〃But　you　bore　with　Mi　Heng*。　Why　not　with　this　man？〃
〃Mi　Heng's　reputation　for　scholarship　stood　highest　of　all；　and　I　could　not　bear　to　put　him　to　death。　But　what　ability　has　this　Zhang　Song？〃
〃To　say　nothing　about　his　speech　being　like　the　River　of　Heaven；　nothing　daunts　his　talent　for　dialectic。　I　happened　to　show　him　your　new　treatise；　he　read　it　over　once　and　could　repeat　it。　From　this；　it　is　evident　he　is　cultured　and　has　a　prodigious　memory。　There　are　few　like　him　in　the　world。　But　he　said　the　book　was　the　work　of　an　obscure　person　of　a　few　hundred　years　back；　and　every　school　child　in　his　country　knew　it。〃
〃It　only　shows　that　the　ancients　and　I　are　in　secret　sympathy；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。
However；　Cao　Cao　ordered　the　book　to　be　torn　up　and　burned。
〃Then　may　I　bring　him　to　see　you；　Sir；　that　he　may　see　the　glory　of　our　court。〃
Cao　Cao　grudgingly　consented；　saying　〃I　am　reviewing　troops　tomorrow　on　the　western　parade　ground。　You　may　bring　him　there　and　let　him　see　what　my　army　looks　like。　He　will　be　able　to　talk　about　it　when　he　goes　home。　When　I　have　dealt　with　the　south；　I　shall　take　the　west　in　hand。〃
Hence　the　very　next　day　Yang　Xiu　took　Zhang　Song　over　to　the　west　parade　ground；　where　a　review　of　the　Tiger　Guard　was　to　be　held。　There　were　fifty　thousand　of　them；　and　when　drawn　up　in　order；　they　made　a　very　brave　show　with　their　gleaming　helmets　and　bright　new　uniforms。　Their　drums　rolled　to　shake　the　heavens；　and　their　weapons　glittered　in　the　sun。　Their　discipline　and　order　were　perfect。　Their　gay　banners　fluttered　in　the　breeze。　They　looked　ready　to　fly　even；　so　alert　and　smart　were　they。
Zhang　Song　glanced　at　them　contemptuously。
After　a　long　time　Cao　Cao　called　up　Zhang　Song　and；　pointing　to　his　army；　said；　〃Have　you　ever　seen　such　fine　bold　fellows　in　Yizhou？〃
〃We　never　see　this　military　parade　in　Yizhou。　We　govern　the　people　by　righteousness。〃
Cao　Cao　changed　color　and　looked　hard　at　the　bold　speaker；　who　gazed　back　at　him　without　the　least　sign　of　fear。
Yang　Xiu　shot　a　quick　glance　at　Zhang　Song；　but　Cao　Cao　went　on；　saying；　〃I　regard　the　rat…class　of　the　world　as　of　no　more　importance　than　so　many　weeds；　and　for　my　army　to　reach　a　place　is　to　overe　it；　to　give　battle　is　to　conquer；　to　besiege　is　to　take。　Those　who　are　with　me；　live；　but　those　who　oppose　me；　die。　Do　you　understand？〃
〃O　Prime　Minister；　I　know　well　that　when　you　march　out　your　army；　you　always　conquer。　I　knew　it　when　you　attacked　Lu　Bu　at　Puyang；　and　when　you　fought　Zhang　Xiu　at　Wancheng；　and　when　you　met　Zhou　Yu　at　the　Red　Cliffs；　and　when　in　Huarong　Valley　you　encountered　Guan　Yu；　and　on　that　day　when　you　cut　off　your　beard　and　threw　away　your　robe　at　Tong　Pass；　and　when　you　hid　in　a　boat　to　escape　the　arrows　on　the　Yellow　River。　On　all　these　occasions；　no　one　could　stand　against　you。〃
It　made　Cao　Cao　very　angry　to　be　thus　twitted　with　his　misfortunes　and　he　said；　〃You　stuck…up　pedant！　How　dare　you　thus　bring　up　all　my　failures？〃
Cao　Cao　called　to　his　attendants　to　eject　the　bold　disputant　and　put　him　to　death。
Yang　Xiu　ventured　to　argue　with　him；　saying；　〃You　may　behead　him；　but　he　came　from　the　west　bearing　tribute；　and　his　death　would　have　a　very　evil　effect　on　all　distant　peoples。〃
But　Cao　Cao　was　too　angry　to　be　reasonable　and　persisted。　However；　Xun　Yu　also　remonstrated；　and　Zhang　Song　was　not　put　to　death。　But　he　was　beaten　and　ejected。　He　returned　to　his　lodging　and　left　the　city　that　night；　reflecting　upon　what　he　had　intended　and　what　he　had　acplished。
Thought　he；　〃I　did　not　expect　such　arrogance　when　I　came　with　the　intention　of　giving　him　a　region。　When　I　get　back；　Liu