创客小说网

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第288部分（第2页）

〃I　have　some　very　old　wine；〃　replied　Lu　Kang；　smiling；　〃and　I　will　give　of　it　to　you　to　bear　to　your　general　as　a　gift。　It　is　the　wine　I　myself　brew　and　drink　on　ceremonial　occasions；　and　he　shall　have　half　in　return　for　todays　courtesy。〃

They　took　the　wine　and　left。

〃Why　do　you　give　him　wine？〃　asked　Lu　Kangs　officers。

〃Because　he　has　shown　kindness；　and　I　must　return　courtesy　for　courtesy。〃

When　the　gift　of　wine　arrived　and　the　bearers　told　Yang　Hu　the　story　of　their　reception；　he　laughed。

〃So　he　knows　I　can　drink；〃　said　Yang　Hu。

He　had　the　jar　opened；　and　the　wine　was　poured　out。　One　of　his　generals；　Chen　Yuan；　begged　him　to　drink　moderately　lest　there　should　be　some　harm　e　of　it。

〃Lu　Kang　is　no　poisoner；〃　replied　Yang　Hu。

And　he　drank。　The　friendly　intercourse　thus　continued；　and　messengers　frequently　passed　from　one　camp　to　the　other。

One　day　the　messengers　said　that　Lu　Kang　was　unwell　and　had　been　ailing　for　several　days。

〃I　think　he　suffers　from　the　same　plaint　as　I；〃　said　Yang　Hu。　〃I　have　some　remedies　ready　prepared　and　will　send　him　some。〃

The　drugs　were　taken　over　to　the　Wu　camp。

But　the　sick　mans　officers　were　suspicious　and　said；　〃This　medicine　is　surely　harmful：　It　es　from　the　enemy。〃

However；　Lu　Kang　said；　〃No；　old　Uncle　Yang　Hu　would　not　poison　a　person。　Do　not　doubt。〃

He　drank　the　decoction。　Next　day　he　was　much　better。

When　his　staff　came　to　congratulate　him；　he　said；　〃If　our　opponents　take　their　stand　upon　virtue　and　we　take　ours　upon　violence；　they　will　drag　us　after　them　without　fighting。　See　to　it　that　the　boundaries　be　well　kept　and　that　we　seek　not　to　gain　any　unfair　advantage。〃

Soon　after　came　a　special　envoy　from　the　Ruler　of　Wu　to　urge　upon　Lu　Kang　prompt　activity。

〃Our　Emperor　sends　orders　for　you　to　press　forward；〃　said　the　envoy。　〃You　are　not　to　await　a　Jin　invasion。〃

〃You　may　return；　and　I　will　send　up　a　memorial；〃　replied　Lu　Kang。

So　a　memorial　was　written　and　soon　followed　the　envoy　to　the　capital；　which　by　this　time　was　Jianye。　When　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　Sun　Hao；　read　it；　he　found　therein　many　arguments　against　attacking　Jin　and　exhortations　to　exercise　a　virtuous　rule　instead　of　engaging　in　hostilities。　It　angered　him。

〃They　say　Lu　Kang　has　e　to　an　understanding　with　the　enemy；　and　now　I　believe　it！〃　said　the　Ruler　of　Wu。

Thereupon　he　deprived　Lu　Kang　of　his　mand　and　took　away　his　mission　and　degraded　him　into　Marching　General。　Sun　Ji；　General　of　the　Left　Army；　was　sent　to　supersede　Lu　Kang。　And　none　dared　to　intervene。

Sun　Hao　became　still　more　arbitrary　and　of　his　own　will　changed　the　year…style　once　more　to　the　Phoenix　（AD　269）。　Day　by　day　his　life　became　more　wanton　and　vicious。　The　soldiers　in　every　camp　murmured　with　anger　and　resentment；　and　at　last　three　high　officers………Prime　Minister　Wan　Yu；　General　Liu　Ping；　and　Minister　of　Agriculture　Lou　Xuan………boldly　and　earnestly　remonstrated　with　the　Emperor　for　his　many　irregularities。　They　suffered　death。　Within　ten　years　more　than　forty　ministers　were　put　to　death　for　doing　their　duty。

Sun　Hao　maintained　an　extravagantly　large　guard　of　fifty　thousand　heavy　cavalry；　and　these　soldiers　were　the　terror　of　everyone。

Now　when　Yang　Hu；　on　the　Jin　side　of　the　frontier；　heard　that　his　opponent　Lu　Kang　had　been　removed　from　his　mand　and　that　the　conduct　of　the　Ruler　of　Wu　had　bee　wholly　unreasonable；　he　knew　that　the　time　was　near　for　him　to　conquer　Wu。　Wherefore　he　presented　a　memorial：

〃Although　fate　is　superior　to　human；　yet　success　depends　upon　human　effort。　Now　as　the　geographic　difficulties　of　the　South　Land　are　not　as　those　of　the　River　Lands；　while　the　ferocity　of　Sun　Hao　exceeds　that　of　Liu　Shan；　the　misery　of　the　people　of　Wu　exceeds　that　of　the　dwellers　in　Shu。　Our　armies　are　stronger　than　ever　before；　and　if　we　miss　this　opportunity　to　bring　the　whole　land　under　one　rule；　but　continue　to　weary　our　army　with　continual　watching　and　cause　the　world　to　groan　under　the　burden　of　militarism；　then　our　efficiency　will　decline　and　we　shall　not　endure。〃

When　Sima　Yan　read　this；　he　gave　orders　for　the　army　to　move。　But　three　officers………Jia　Chong；　Xun　Xu；　and　Feng　Dan………opposed　it；　and　the　orders　were　withdrawn。

Yang　Hu　was　disappointed　at　the　news　and　said；　〃What　a　pity　it　is　that　of　ten　affairs　in　the　world；　one　always　meets　with　eight　or　nine　vexations！〃

In　the　fourth　year　of　Universal　Tranquillity；　in　Jin　calendar　（AD　278）；　Yang　Hu　went　to　court　and　asked　leave　to　retire　on　account　of　ill　health。

Before　granting　him　leave　to　go；　Sima　Yan　asked；　〃Do　you　have　plans　to　propose　to　settle　the　empire？〃

Yang　Hu　replied；　〃Sun　Hao　is　a　very　cruel　ruler　and　could　be　conquered　without　fighting。　If　he　were　to　die　and　a　wise　successor　sat　upon　his　throne；　Your　Majesty　would　never　b