San kuo; or, Romance of the three kingdoms (volume 1 of 2)Luo, Guanzhong
History
San kuo; or, Romance of the three kingdoms (volume 1 of 2)
Luo, Guanzhong
China -- History -- Three kingdoms, 220-265 -- Fiction
So he went back to Hsüchou. Lü Pu, fearing that Liu Pei might doubt his
sincerity, restored his family and when the ladies, Kan and Mi, saw
their lord they told him that they had been kindly treated and guarded
by soldiers against any intrusion, and provisions had never been
wanting.
“I knew he would not harm my family,” said Yüan-tê to Kuan and Chang.
However, they were not pleased and would not accompany their brother
into the city when he went to express his thanks. They went to escort
the two ladies to Hsiaopʻei.
At the interview Lü Pu said, “I did not wish to take the city, but your
brother behaved very badly, drinking and flogging the soldiers, and I
came to guard it lest some evil should befall.”
“But I had long wished to yield it to you,” said Yüan-tê.
Thereupon Lü Pu pretended to wish to retire in favour of Yüan-tê who,
however, would not hear of it. He returned and took up his quarters in
Hsiaopʻei, but his two brothers would not take the situation kindly and
were very discontented.
Said Yüan-tê, “One must bow to one’s lot. It is the will of Heaven and
one cannot struggle against fate.”
Lü Pu sent presents of food and stuffs and peace reigned between the
two houses.
But there is no need to write of this. As the story runs, Yüan Shu
prepared a great banquet for his soldiers on the occasion of a victory
gained by Sun Tsʻê over Lu Kʻang, the Prefect of Luchiang. Yüan Shu
summoned the victor, who made obeisance at the foot of the hall of
audience. Shu, sitting in State, asked for details of the campaign and
then invited Sun Tsʻê to the banquet.
After the unhappy death of his father Sun Tsʻê had returned to
Chiangnan, where he had devoted himself to peaceful ends, inviting to
his side good men and able scholars. Afterwards when a quarrel broke
out between his mother’s uncle, the Prefect of Tanyang, and Tʻao
Chʻien, he removed his mother with all the family to Chʻüa, he himself
taking service under Yüan Shu, who admired and loved him greatly.
“If I had a son like him,” said Shu, “I should die without regret.”
He employed Sun Tsʻê as a soldier and sent him on various expeditions,
all of which were successful. After this banquet to celebrate the
victory over Lu Kʻang, Sun Tsʻê returned to his camp very bitter over
the arrogant and patronising airs of his patron. Instead of retiring to
his tent he walked up and down by the light of the moon.
“Here am I, a mere nobody and yet my father was such a hero!” And he
cried out and wept in spite of himself.
Then suddenly appeared one who said, laughing loudly, “What is this, O
Po-fu? While your noble father enjoyed the light of the sun he made
free use of me and if his son has any difficulty to resolve why does he
not refer it to me also instead of weeping here alone?”
Looking at the speaker Sun Tsʻê saw it was one Chu Chih, whose less
formal name was Chün-li, a native of that district, who had been in his
father’s service. Sun Tsʻê then ceased weeping and they two sat down.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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