Page:Romance of the Three Kingdoms - tr. Brewitt-Taylor - Volume 1.djvu/243

 Tung Ch‘êng changed colour and rose from his seat. “You, Sir, are a relative of His Majesty and so I showed you my inmost feelings. Why did you mislead me?”

“Because I feared you might be misleading me, and I wanted to find out.”

At this Tung Ch‘êng drew out the decree he had received and showed it. His host was deeply moved. Then he produced the pledge. There were only six names to it and these were Tung Ch‘êng, Wang Tzŭ-fu, Ch‘ung Chi, Wu Shih, Wu Tzŭ-lan and Ma T‘êng.

“Since you have a decree like this, I cannot but do my share,” said Liu Pei and at Tung Ch‘êng’s request he added his name and signature to the others and handed it back.

“Now let us but get three more, which will make ten, and we shall be ready to act.”

“But you must move with great caution and not let this get abroad,” said Yüan-tê.

The two remained talking till an early hour in the morning when the visitor left.

Now in order to put Tsʻao Ts‘ao quite off the scent that any plot against him was in progress, Liu Pei began to devote himself to gardening, planting vegetables and watering them with his own hands. His brothers ventured to remonstrate with him for taking to such an occupation when great matters needed attention.

“The reason for this you may not know,” replied he. And they said no more.

One day when the two brothers were absent and Yüan-tê was busy in his garden, two messengers with an escort came from Ts‘ao Ts‘ao, saying, “The command of the Minister is that you come at once.”

“What important affair is afoot?” asked he nervously.

“We know nothing: we were ordered to come and request your presence.”

All he could do was to follow. When he arrived Ts‘ao met him and laughingly said, “That is a big business you have in hand at home.”

This remark made Liu Pei turn the colour of clay. But Ts‘ao took him by the hand and led him straight to the private garden, saying, “The growth of vegetables that you are trying to learn is very difficult.”

Yüan-tê breathed again. He said, “That is hardly a business it is only a solace.”

Ts‘ao said, “I happened to notice the green plums on the trees to-day and suddenly my thoughts went back to a year ago when we were thrashing Chang Hsiu. We were marching through a parched district and every one was suffering from thirst. Suddenly I lifted my whip and pointing at something in the distance I said, “Look at those plum trees.” The soldiers