Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

While Liu Bei stood regarding it, he saw a figure coming down a mountain path. The man's bearing was lofty; he was handsome and dignified. He wore a comfortable-looking bonnet on his head, and a black robe hung about his figure in easy folds. He used a staff to help him down the steep path.

“Surely that is he!” said Liu Bei.

He dismounted and walked over to greet the stranger, whom he saluted deferentially, saying, “Are you not Master Sleeping-Dragon, Sir?”

“Who are you, General?” said the stranger.

“I am Liu Bei.”

“I am not Zhuge Liang, but I am a friend of his. My name is Cui Zhouping.”

“Long have I known of you! I am very glad to see you,” replied Liu Bei. “And now I pray you be seated just where we are and let me receive your instruction.”

The two men sat down in the wood on a stone, and the two brothers ranged themselves by Liu Bei's side.

Cui Zhouping began, saying, “General, for what reason do you wish to see Zhuge Liang?”

Liu Bei replied, “The empire is in confusion and troubles gather everywhere. I want your friend to tell me how to restore order.”

“You, Sir, wish to arrest the present disorder although you are a kindly man and, from the oldest antiquity, the correction of disorder has demanded stern measures. On the day that Liu Bang first put his hand to the work and slew the wicked ruler of Qin, order began to replace disorder. Good government began with the Supreme Ancestor, (BC 206), and endured two hundred years; two centuries of tranquillity. Then came Wang Mang's rebellion, and disorder took the place of order. Anon, arose Liu Xiu, who restored the Han Dynasty, and order once more prevailed. We have had two centuries of order and tranquillity, and the time of trouble and battles is due. The restoration of peace will take time; it cannot be quickly accomplished. You, Sir, wish to get Zhuge Liang to regulate times and seasons, to repair the cosmos; but I fear the task is indeed difficult and to attempt it would be a vain expenditure of mental energy. You know well that he who goes with the favor of Heaven travels an easy road, he who goes contrary meets difficulties. One cannot escape one's lot; one cannot evade fate.”

“Master,” replied Liu Bei, “your insight is indeed deep, and your words of wide meaning; but I am a scion of the House of Han and must help it. Dare I talk of the inevitable and trust to fate?”

Cui Zhouping replied, “A simple denizen of the mountain wilds is unfitted to discuss the affairs of empire. But you bade me speak and I have spoken; perhaps somewhat madly.” “Master, I am grateful for your instruction. But know you whither Zhuge Liang has gone?”

“I also came to see him and I know not where he is,” said Cui Zhouping.

“If I asked you, Master, to accompany me to my poor bit of territory, would you come?”

“I am too dilatory, too fond of leisure and ease, and no longer have any ambitions. But I will see you another time.”

And with these words Cui Zhouping saluted and left. The three brothers also mounted and started homeward.

Presently Zhang Fei said, “We have not found Zhuge Liang, and we have had to listen to the wild ravings of this so-called scholar. There is the whole result of this journey.”

“His words were those of a deep thinker,” replied Liu Bei.

Some days after the return to Xinye, Liu Bei sent to find out whether Zhuge Liang had returned, and the messenger came back saying that he had. Wherefore Liu Bei prepared for another visit.

Again Zhang Fei showed his irritation by remarking, “Why must you go hunting after this villager? Send and tell him to come.”

“Silence!” said Liu Bei, “The Teacher Mencius said, 'To try to see the sage without going his way is like barring a door you wish to enter.' Zhuge Liang is the greatest sage of the day; how can I summon him?”

So Liu Bei rode away to make his visit, his two brothers with him as before. It was winter and exceedingly cold; floating clouds covered the whole sky. Before they had gone far, a bitter wind began to blow in their faces, and the snow began to fly. Soon the mountains were of jade and the trees of silver.

“It is very cold and the earth is frozen hard, no fighting is possible now.” Said Zhang Fei. “Yet we are going all this way to get advice which will be useless to us. Where is the sense of it? Let us rather get back to Xinye out of the cold.”

Liu Bei replied, “I am set upon proving my zeal to Zhuge Liang, but if you, my brother, do not like the cold, you can return.”

“I do not fear death; do you think I care for the cold? But I do care about wasting my brother's energies,” said Zhang Fei.

“Say no more,” said Liu Bei, and they traveled on.

When they drew near the little wood, they heard singing in a roadside inn and stopped to listen. This was the song:

Although possessed of talent rare,

This man has made no name;

Alas! The day is breaking late

That is to show his fame.