第48部分(第7/7 頁)

aid　Liu　Bei。　〃These　are　orders　of　the　mander…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　anyone　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。〃

Then　Lu　Bu　ordered　Zhang　Liao　and　Gao　Shun；　〃Get　ready　three　thousand　troops　for　the　venture；　and　prepare　a　light　carriage。　I　will　lead　the　first　seventy　miles；　thence　y