第100部分(第4/7 頁)

g；　but　Liu　Zong　was　too　afraid　to　answer　the　call。　No　persuasion　could　get　him　to　go。

Wang　Wei　said　to　him　privately；　〃Now　you　can　overe　Cao　Cao　if　you　are　wise。　Since　you　have　announced　surrender　and　Liu　Bei　has　gone　away；　Cao　Cao　will　relax　his　precautions；　and　you　can　catch　him　unawares。　Send　a　well…prepared　but　unexpected　force　to　waylay　him　in　some　manding　position；　and　the　thing　is　done。　If　you　were　to　take　Cao　Cao　prisoner；　your　fame　would　run　throughout　the　empire；　and　the　land　would　be　yours　for　the　taking。　This　is　a　sort　of　opportunity　that　does　not　recur；　and　you　should　not　miss　it。〃

The　young　man　consulted　Cai　Mao；　who　called　Wang　Wei　an　evil　counselor　and　spoke　to　him　harshly。

〃You　are　mad！　You　know　nothing　and　understand　nothing　of　destiny；〃　said　Cai　Mao。

Wang　Wei　angrily　retorted；　saying；　〃Cai　Mao　is　the　betrayer　of　the　country；　and　I　wish　I　could　eat　him　alive！〃

The　quarrel　waxed　deadly；　and　Cai　Mao　wanted　to　slay　Wang　Wei。　But　eventually　peace　was　restored　by　Kuai　Yue。

Then　Cai　Mao　and　Zhang　Yun　went　to　Fancheng　to　see　Cao　Cao。

Cai　Mao　was　by　instinct　specious　and　flattering；　and　when　his　host　asked　concerning　the　resources　of　Jingzhou；　he　replied；　〃There　are　fifty　thousand　of　horse；　one　hundred　fifty　thousand　of　foot；　and　eighty　thousand　of　marines。　Most　of　the　money　and　grain　are　at　Jiangling。　The　rest　is　stored　at　various　places。　There　are　ample　supplies　for　a　year。〃

〃How　many　war　vessels　are　there？　Who　is　in　mand？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

〃The　ships；　of　all　sizes；　number　seven　thousands；　and　we　two　are　the　manders。〃

Upon　this　Cao　Cao　conferred　upon　Cai　Mao　the　title　of　the　Lord　Who　Controls　the　South；　and　Supreme　Admiral　of　the　Naval　Force；　and　Zhang　Yun　was　his　Vice…Admiral　with　the　title