Читаем Three Kingdoms Romance полностью

Zhou Yu's anger flared up and he flushed, crying, “Our lord's orders were to destroy Cao Cao, and whoever mentioned the word surrender should be put to death. Now, the very moment when the two armies are to engage, you dare talk of surrender and damp the ardor of my army! If I do not slay you, how can I support the others?”

He ordered the lictors to remove Huang Gai and execute him without delay.

Huang Gai then flamed up in turn, saying, “This is the third generation since I went with General Sun Jian, and we overran the southeast; whence have you sprung up?”

This made Zhou Yu perfectly furious, and Huang Gai was ordered to instant death. But Gan Ning interfered.

Said he, “He is a veteran officer of the South Land; pray pardon him!”

“What are you prating about?” cried Zhou Yu. “Dare you come between me and my duty?”

Turning to the lictors, Zhou Yu ordered them to drive Gan Ning forth with blows.

The other officials fell on their knees entreating pity for Huang Gai.

“He is indeed most worthy of death, but it would be a loss to the army; we pray you forgive him. Record his fault for the moment, and after the enemy shall have been defeated then put him to death.”

But Zhou Yu was implacable. The officers pleaded with tears. At length he seemed moved, saying, “Had you not interceded, he should certainly have suffered death. But now I will mitigate the punishment to a beating. He shall not die.”

Zhou Yu turned to the lictors and bade them deal the culprit one hundred blows. Again his colleagues prayed for remission, but Zhou Yu angrily pushed over the table in front of him and roared to the officers to get out of the way and let the sentence be executed.

So Huang Gai was stripped, thrown to the ground, and fifty blows were given. At this point the officers again prayed that he be let off.

Zhou Yu sprang from his chair and pointing his finger at Huang Gai said, “If you dare flout me again, you shall have the other fifty. If you are guilty of any disrespect, you shall be punished for both faults!”

With this he turned into the inner part of the tent, growling as he went, while the officers helped their beaten colleague to his feet. He was in a pitiable state. His back was cut in many places, and the blood was flowing in streams. They led him to his own quarters and on the way he swooned several times. His case seemed most pitiable.

Lu Su went to see the suffering officer and then called on Zhuge Liang in his boat. Lu Su related the story of the beating and said, “Though the other officers have been cowed into silence, I think thought you, Sir, might have interceded. You are a guest and not under Zhou Yu's orders. Why did you stand by with your hands up your sleeves and say never a word?”

“You insult me,” said Zhuge Liang smiling.

“Why do you say that? I have never insulted you; never since the day we came here together.”

“Do you not know that terrible beating was but a ruse? How could I try to dissuade Zhou Yu?”

Then Lu Su began to perceive, and Zhuge Liang continued, saying, “Cao Cao would not be taken in unless there was some real bodily suffering. Zhou Yu is going to send Huang Gai over as a deserter, and Zhou Yu will see to it that the two Cao Cao's spies duly tell the tale. But when you see the General, you must not tell him that I saw through the ruse. You say that I am very angry like the others.”

Lu Su went to see Zhou Yu and asked, “Why have you so cruelly beaten a proved and trusty officer?”

“Do the officers resent it?” asked Zhou Yu.

“They are all upset about it.”

“And what does your friend think?”

“Zhuge Liang also resents it in his heart, and thinks you have made a mistake.”

“Then I have deceived him for once,” said Zhou Yu gleefully.

“What mean you?” cried Lu Su.

“That beating that Huang Gai got is part of my ruse. I am sending him to Cao Cao as a deserter, and so I have supplied a reason for desertion. Then I am going to use fire against the enemy.”

Lu Su kept silence, but he recognized that Zhuge Liang was again right. Meanwhile Huang Gai lay in his tent, whither all his colleague officers went to condole with him and inquire after his health. But Huang Gai would say never a word; he only lay sighing deeply from time to time.

But when the Strategist Kan Ze came, Huang Gai told them to bring him to the room where he lay. Then he bade the servants go away, and Kan Ze said, “Surely you must have some serious quarrel with the General.”

“I have none,” said Huang Gai.

“Then this beating is just part of a ruse?”

“How did you guess?” said Huang Gai.

“Because I watched the General, and I guessed about nine tenths of the truth.”

Huang Gai said, “You see I have been very generously treated by the Sun family, all three of them, and have no means of showing my gratitude except by offering to help in this ruse. True I suffer, but I do not regret that. Among all those I know in the army, there is not one I am intimate with except yourself. You are true and I can talk with you as a friend.”