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第190部分（第1页）

Cao　Cao　smiled。　〃I　have　served　the　Hans　for　many　years。　Even　if　I　have　acquired　some　merit；　yet　I　have　been　rewarded　with　a　princedom　and　high　rank。　I　dare　not　aspire　to　greater　things。　If　the　finger　of　heaven　points　to　me；　then　shall　I　be　as　King　Wen　of　Zhou*。〃

〃As　Sun　Quan　acknowledges　himself　your　servant　and　promises　obedience；　you；　my　lord；　can　confer　a　title　upon　him　and　assign　to　him　the　duty　of　attacking　Liu　Bei；〃　said　Sima　Yi。

Approving　of　the　suggestion；　Cao　Cao　gave　Sun　Quan　the　titles　of　General　of　the　Flying　Cavalry　and　Lord　of　Nanzhang；　and　appointed　him　to　the　Imperial　Protectorship　of　Jingzhou。　Forthwith　this　mand　was　sent　away　to　Sun　Quan。

Cao　Caos　condition　grew　worse　daily。　One　night　he　had　a　dream　of　three　horses　feeding　out　of　the　same　manger。

Next　day　he　told　it　to　Jia　Xu；　saying；　〃I　saw　three　horses　feeding　on　the　same　manger　before　the　family　of　Ma　Teng　was　harmed。　Last　night　I　saw　the　same　dream　again。　How　do　you　interpret　it？〃

〃The　horses　were　feeding　on　bounty：　It　is　auspicious　to　dream　of　dignity；〃　replied　Jia　Xu。　〃And　naturally　such　an　honor　es　to　the　Caos。　I　do　not　think　you　need　feel　any　misgivings。〃

Cao　Cao　was　forted。

Cao　Cao　dreamed　three　steeds　together　fed；

The　vision　seers　could　not　explain；

None　guessed　how　soon；　when　Cao　Cao　was　dead；

One　dynasty　would　rule　again。

Ah；　yes；　Cao　Cao　had　vainly　wrought；

Of　none　avail　each　wicked　wile；

For；　later；　in　Wei　court；　there　fought

Against　him　one　with　equal　guile。

That　night　Cao　Cao　became　worse。　As　he　lay　on　his　couch　he　felt　dizzy　and　could　not　see；　so　he　rose　and　sat　by　a　table；　upon　which　he　leaned。　It　seemed　to　him　that　someone　shrieked；　and；　peering　into　the　darkness；　he　perceived　the　forms　of　many　of　his　victims………the　Empress　Fu；　the　Consort　Dong；　Fu　Wan；　Dong　Cheng；　and　more　than　twenty　other　officials………；　and　all　were　bloodstained。　They　stood　in　the　obscurity　and　whispered；　demanding　his　life。　He　rose；　lifted　his　sword　and　threw　it　wildly　into　the　air。　Just　then　there　was　a　loud　crash；　and　the　southwest　corner　of　the　new　building　came　down。　And　Cao　Cao　fell　with　it。　His　attendants　raised　him　and　bore　him　to　another　palace；　where　he　might　lie　at　peace。

But　he　found　no　peace。　The　next　night　was　disturbed　by　the　ceaseless　wailing　of　men　and　womens　voices。

When　day　dawned；　Cao　Cao　sent　for　his　officers；　and　said　to　them；　〃Thirty　years　have　I　spent　in　the　turmoil　of　war　and　have　always　refused　belief　in　the　supernatural。　But　what　does　all　this　mean？〃

〃O　Prince；　you　should　summon　the　Taoists　to　offer　sacrifices　and　prayers；〃　said　they。

Cao　Cao　sighed；　saying；　〃The　Wise　Teacher　said；　He　who　offends　against　heaven　has　no　one　to　pray　to。　I　feel　that　my　fate　is　acplished；　my　days　have　run；　and　there　is　no　help。〃

But　he　would　not　consent　to　call　in　the　priests。　Next　day　his　symptoms　were　worse。　He　was　panting　and　could　no　longer　see　distinctly。　He　sent　hastily　for　Xiahou　Dun；　who　came　at　once。　But　as　Xiahou　Dun　drew　near　the　doors；　he　too　saw　the　shadowy　forms　of　the　slain　Empress　and　her　children　and　many　other　victims　of　Cao　Caos　cruelty。　He　was　overe　with　fear　and　fell　to　the　ground。　The　servants　raised　him　and　led　him　away；　very　ill。

Then　Cao　Cao　called　in　four　of　his　trusty　advisers………Cao　Hong；　Chen　Qun；　Jia　Xu；　and　Sima　Yi………that　they　might　hear　his　last　wishes。

Cao　Hong；　speaking　for　the　four；　said；　〃Take　good　care　of　your　precious　self；　O　Prince；　that　you　may　quickly　recover。〃

But　Cao　Cao　said；　〃Thirty　and　more　years　have　I　gone　up　and　down；　and　many　bold　leaders　have　fallen　before　me。　The　only　ones　that　remain　are　Sun　Quan　in　the　south　and　Liu　Bei　in　the　west。　I　have　not　yet　slain　them。　Now　I　am　very　ill；　and　I　shall　never　again　stand　before　you；　wherefore　my　family　affairs　must　be　settled。　My　first　born………Cao　Ang；　son　of　Lady　Liu………fell　in　battle　at　Wancheng；　when　he　was　young。　The　Lady　Bian　bore　four　sons　to　me；　as　you　know。　The　third；　Cao　Zhi；　was　my　favorite；　but　he　was　vain　and　unreliable；　fond　of　wine　and　lax　in　morals。　Therefore　he　is　not　my　heir。　My　second　son；　Cao　Zhang；　is　valiant；　but　imprudent。　The　fourth；　Cao　Xiong；　is　a　weakly　and　may　not　live　long。　My　eldest；　Cao　Pi；　is　steady　and　serious；　he　is　fit　to　succeed　me；　and　I　look　to　you　to　support　him。〃

Cao　Hong　and　the　others　wept　as　they　heard　these　words；　and　they　left　the　chamber。　Then　Cao　Cao　bade　his　servants　bring　all　of　the　rare　incenses　and　fragrances　that　he　burned　every　day；　and　he　handed　out　to　his　handmaids。

＇e＇　Kevin；　a　reader：　〃Cao　Cao　has　been　portrayed　as　an　evil　character　because　usually　in　a　novel；　you　need　a　good　guy　and　a　bad　guy。　Liu　Bei　is　of　course　the　good　guy　and　Cao　Cao　is　the　bad　guy　in　this　case。　But　in　reality；　that　was　not　the　case。　Cao　Cao　was　one　of　the　smartest　humans　ever　to　be　born　in　China………not　smart　like　Zhuge　Liang；　but　in　a　different　way。　Cao　Cao　was　amazing　in　everything。　No　wonder　he　controlled　the　biggest　area。　No　wonder　he　had　so　many　followers。　Yes；　he　seems　to　be　very　cold　hearted　at　times；　but　if　you　meet　any　successful　people；　they　know　when　to　separate　their　business　from　peronal　matters。　Remember；　this　is　only　a　novel　even　though　it　is　very　based　on　the　real　story；　but　do　not　forget　that　there　are　lots　of　embellishments。〃　。。。。。

And　he　said　to　them；　〃After　my　death　you　must　diligently　attend　to　your　womanly　labors。　You　can　make　silken　shoes　for　sale；　and　so　earn　your　own　living。〃

He　also　bade　them　go　on　living　in　the　Bronze　Bird　Pavilion　and　celebrate　a　daily　sacrifice　for　him；　with　music　by　the　singing　women；　and　presentation　of　the　eatables　laid　before　his　tablet。

Next　he　manded　that　seventy…two　sites　for　a　tomb　should　be　selected　near　Jiangwu；　that　no　one　should　know　his　actual　burying　place；　lest　his　remains　should　be　dug　up。

And　when　these　final　orders　had　been　given；　he　sighed　a　few　times；　shed　some　tears；　and　died。　He　was　sixty…six；　and　passed　away　in　the　first　month　of　the　twenty…fifth　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　Era　（AD　220）。*

A　certain　poet　posed　〃A　Song　of　Yejun〃　expressing　sympathy　for　Cao　Cao；　which　is　given　here：

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