第97部分(第6/7 頁)

ut　grave　reasons。　Sun　Quan　in　the　six　territories　of　the　South　Land　is　terrible　as　a　crouching　tiger　and；　with　the　Great　River　as　his　defense；　he　is　very　secure。　If；　Sir　Prime　Minister；　you　undertake　this　unjustifiable　expedition；　you　will　forfeit　the　respect　of　the　world；　I　fear。〃

〃All　three　of　them　are　disobedient　ministers　and　rebels；　and　how　can　I　fail　to　punish　them？〃　replied　Cao　Cao。

Cao　Cao　was　angry；　and　bade　the　adviser　go　from　his　presence。　Presently　Cao　Cao　gave　formal　orders　that　he　would　put　to　death　anyone　who　remonstrated　on　the　subject　of　his　expedition。

Kong　Rong　went　forth　from　the　Palace　sadly。

Casting　his　eyes　up　to　heaven；　he　cried；　〃Where　is　the　chance　of　success　when　the　perfectly　inhumane　attacks　the　perfectly　humane？　He　must　be　defeated！〃

One　of　the　clients　of　the　Imperial　Inspector　Chi　Lu；　whom　Kong　Rong　had　always　treated　contemptuously　and　disdainfully；　happened　to　hear　this　apostrophe　and　told　his　patron　who　carried　the　tale　to　Cao　Cao。

Chi　Lu　also　added　to　it；　saying；　〃Kong　Rong　habitually　speaks　disrespectfully　of　the　Chief　Minister　and　has　been　very　friendly　with　Mi　Heng。　In　fact　the　insults　that　Mi　Heng　had　hurled　at　you　had　been　deliberately　arranged　and　intrigued　by　Kong　Rong。　Kong　Rong　and　Mi　Heng　seemed　to　admire　each　other　hugely；　and　Mi　Heng　used　to　say；　'Confucius　is　not　dead；　because　Kong　Rong　is　he；'　and　the　other　used　to　reply；　'And　his　treasured　disciple；　Yan　Hui；　has　risen　again；　because　Mi　Heng　is　he。'〃

Chi　Lu's　tale　angered　Cao　Cao；　who　ordered　the　arrest　execution　of　the　high　minister。

Now　Kong　Rong　had　two　sons；　both　young；　who　were　sitting　at　home　playing　chess；　when　one　of　their　servants　ran　in　and　said；　〃Your　father　has　just　been　carried　off　for　execution。　Why　do