Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

She wept saying, “If you go, do you think Chen Gong and others equal to the defense of the city? Should anything go wrong, you would be very sorry. You abandoned me at Changan, and it was only through the fortunate kindness of Pang Shu that I was hidden from our enemies and rejoined you. Who would have thought you would leave me again? But go, go your way as far as you wish, and do not mind your wife.”

And she wept bitterly. Lu Bu very sadly went to take leave of Diao Chan who said, “You are my lord and my life; you must not be careless and ride out alone.”

“You need not fear; with my mighty trident halberd and Red-Hare, who dare come near me?”

He went out. But when he met Chen Gong, he said, “That story about supplies for Cao Cao is all false, one of his many ruses. I am not going to stir.”

Chen Gong sighed; he felt all was lost.

“We shall die, and no person shall know our burial place,” said he.

Thereupon Lu Bu remained in his own quarters with his ladies, drinking freely to dissipate his sorrows.

Two of his advisers, Xu Si and Wang Kai, went in and proposed, “Yuan Shu in the South of River Huai is very powerful. Why not write to him to renew the marriage alliance? Yuan Shu can hardly refuse to rescue the affianced bride of his son.”

So Lu Bu wrote and bade these two take the letter.

Xu Si said, “You ought to send a strong escort with us to force a way through.”

So Lu Bu told off one thousand troops and two of his generals, Zhang Liao and He Meng, to conduct his messenger beyond the pass. They started that same night at the second watch, Zhang Liao leading and He Meng bringing up the rear. They got out of the city, crept past Liu Bei's camp, and got beyond the danger zone. Then half the escort went on, and Zhang Liao led the remainder back toward the city. At the pass he found Guan Yu waiting. However, at that moment Gao Shun came to his help, and they all returned and reentered the gates. The two messengers presently reached Shouchun, saw Yuan Shu, and presented the letter.

“How is this?” said Yuan Shu. “Formerly he slew my messenger and repudiated the marriage; now he sends to ask for it.”

“It is all due to the vile plans of that monster Cao Cao. If pray you, Illustrious Sir, consider it carefully,” replied Xu Si.

“But if your master was not hemmed in by his enemy and in imminent danger, he would never have thought of renewing this proposal of marriage.”

The messengers said, “You may decide not to help him, but the teeth are cold when the lips are gone. It will not make for your happiness and comfort.”

Said Yuan Shu, “Lu Bu is unreliable; tell him that I will send soldiers after the girl has arrived here.”

This was final, and the two messengers took leave and headed back to Xiapi. When the party reached Liu Bei's camp, Xu Si decided, “We must wait the night falls, and Wang Kai and I will try to get through in the darkness; the escort of He Meng remaining behind to protect our rear.”

They tried that very night, and the two messengers crept across without discovery. But the escort found them selves faced by Zhang Fei. He Meng tried to fight but was captured in the very first bout, and the five hundred troops of his half company were either killed or they fled.

The prisoner was taken to Liu Bei, who forwarded him to the main camp. There he told the story of the marriage and the scheme to save the city. Cao Cao was angry and ordered the execution of He Meng at the main gate.

Then Cao Cao sent orders to each camp to exercise the greatest diligence with threats of rigorous punishment of the officers of any corps that permitted any communication between the besieged and the outer world.

Every soldier felt mightily afraid. Liu Bei returned to camp and cautioned his brothers, saying, “We are in the most important place with regard to the South of River Huai, and you must be very careful not to allow any breach of this command.”

Zhang Fei was inclined to grumble, saying, “We have just captured one of the enemy's leaders, and there is no word of praise or reward for us; nothing but new orders and threats. What do you make of that?”

“You are wrong to complain,” said Liu Bei. “These are orders of the Commander-in-Chief, and what would happen were there no orders? Do not disobey them, Brother.”

They promised obedience and withdrew. In the meantime Xu Si and Wang Kai had got back to Lu Bu and told him what Yuan Shu had said, that if the girl came the soldiers should go.

“But how can she be sent?” said Lu Bu.

Xu Si said, “That is the difficulty. He Meng's capture means that Cao Cao knows the whole plan of getting help from the South of River Huai. I do not see how any one but you yourself could hope to get through the close siege.” “Suppose we tried, today?” said Lu Bu.

“This is an ill-omened day; you must not try today. Tomorrow is a very lucky day, especially in the evening, for any military action.”