Zhuge Liang Defeats the Scholars in Argument; Lu Su Rejects the Majority Opinion却说鲁肃、孔明辞了玄德、刘琦，登舟望柴桑郡来。 二人在舟中共议。鲁肃谓孔明曰：“先生见孙将军，切不可实言曹操兵多将广。”孔明曰：“不须子敬叮咛，亮自有对答之语。”及船到岸，肃请孔明于驿馆中暂歇，先自往见孙权。
Having taken leave of Liu Bei and Liu Qi，Lu Su and Zhuge Liang embarked on a boat for Chai-sang. The two men were discussing affairs together in the boat. Lu Su said to Zhuge Liang, “When you see General Sun，don’t tell him frankly that Cao Cao has a great many soldiers and generals.”
“You need not bid me do so,” replied Zhuge Liang. “I know what to say and reply.”
When the boat arrived, Lu Su asked Zhuge Liang to take a rest in the guests’ quarters while he Went alone to see Sun Quan. Went alone to see Sun Quam权正聚文武于堂上议事，闻鲁肃回，急召人问曰/子敬往江夏，体探虚实若何?”肃曰：“已知其略，尚容徐禀。” 权将曹操檄文示肃曰：“操昨遣使赍文至此，孤先发遣来 使，现今会众商议未定。”肃接檄文观看。其略曰：
Sun Quan, assembling his civil and military officers in his audience chamber, was discussing affairs with them. Hearing that Lu Su was back，he quickly called him in and asked, “What did you discover on your trip to Jiangxia?”
“I have known the general situation. Allow me to report it to you later”，replied Lu Su.
Then Sun Quan showed a despatch from Cao Cao to Lu Su and said, “Yesterday Cao Cao sent a messenger to bring the despatch here, I have sent the messenger back and this gathering is considering the reply.”
Lu Su read the despatch, the gist of which said,孤近承帝命，奉诏伐罪。旄麾南指，刘琮束手，荆、襄之民，望风归顺。今统雄兵百万，上将千员， 欲与将军会猎于江夏，共伐刘备，同分土地，永结盟 好。幸勿观望，速赐回音。
“At the imperial command to punish the guilty, my banners went south. Then Liu Cong has been captured，his people flocked to my side at the first rumour of my coming. I now command a force of a million picked men and a thousand able generals. I hope you will join me, General, in a hunting expedition at Jiangxia and we together attack Liu Bei, so that we can divide his territory between us and pledge everlasting friendship. Do not hesitate, but give me an early reply?
鲁肃看毕曰：“主公尊意若何？”权曰：“未有定论。”张昭曰：“曹操拥百万之众，借天子之名，以征四方，拒之不 顺。且主公大势可以拒操者，长江也。今操既得荆州。长江之险，已与我共之矣，势不可敌。以愚之计，不如纳降 为万安之策。”众谋士皆曰：“子布之言，正合天意。”
“What have you decided, my lord?” asked Lu Su as he finished the dispatch.
“I have not had any decision yet’’，answered Sun Quan.
Then Zhang Zhao said, “Cao Cao has a great Army of a million picked soldiers, and in the emperor’s name he is conquering territory on every side. To resist him would be opposing the emperor. Moreover my lord’s most important defence against Cao Cao is the Yangtse River and since Cao Cao has gained possession of Jinzhou, he has taken part of the advantage of the river from our hands. We cannot withstand him. In my humble opinion, the safest plan is submission.”
All the other advisers said，“Zhang Zhao’s proposal accords with the will of Heaven.”
孙权沉吟不语。张昭又曰：“主公不必多疑。如降操则东吴民安，江南六郡可保矣。”孙权低头不语。须臾，权起更衣，鲁肃随于权后。权知肃意，乃执肃手而言曰：“卿欲如何? ”肃曰“恰才众人所言，深误将军。众人皆可降曹操，惟将军不可降曹操。”权曰：“何以言之?”
Sun Quan pondered and hesitated but said nothing. Then Zhang Zhao said again, “Do not hesitate，my lord. Submission to Cao means peace for the people of Wu and safety for the six provinces south of the Yangtse River”.
Sun Quan bowed his head and said nothing, Presently he arose and went out and Lu Su followed him. Knowing Lu Su’s idea，Sun Quan took his hand and asked，“What do you desire?”
“What they have just said is very harmful to you. They may surrender to Cao Cao, but not you.” “Why do you say that?”
肃曰：“如肃等降操，当以肃还乡党，累官故不失州郡也；将军降操，欲安所归乎？位不过封侯，车不过一乘，骑不过一匹，从不过数人，岂得南面称孤哉？众人之 意，各自为己，不可听也。将军宜早定大计。”权叹曰： “诸人议论，大失孤望。子敬开说大计，正与吾见相同。此天以子敬赐我也！但操新得袁绍之众，近又得荆州之 兵，恐势大难以抵敌。”
“If people like us surrendered to Cao Cao, we should be sent home and keep our official posts in the provinces or districts. But if you surrender to Cao Cao, where will you go? At the most you would be made a marquis with one carriage and no more, one horse and just a few retainers. That would be the end of your kingship. The others are thinking for themselves- Don’t listen to them, but quickly fix upon your important plan.”
“Their arguments make me disappointed greatly,” Sun Quan sighed. “You have just talked about the important plan and your view of this is exactly the same as mine. Heaven must have sent you to me. But Cao Cao has just taken over Yuan Shao’s army and the troops of Jingzhou too. I fear he may prove too powerful to resist.”
肃曰：“肃至江夏，引诸葛瑾之弟诸葛亮在此，主公可问之，便知虚实。”权曰：“卧龙先生在此乎。”肃曰，“现在驿馆中安歇。”权曰：“今日天晚，且未相见。来日聚文武于帐下，先教见我江东英俊，然后升堂议事。”
Lu Su said, “From Jiangxia I have brought Zhuge Jin’s brother，Zhuge Liang, back with me. My lord may ask him. Then you may know the real situation.”
“Is ‘Master Sleeping Dragon’ here?” said Sun Quan.
“Yes，he is resting now in the guest-house.”
“It is too late to see him to-day. But to-morrow I will assemble my civil and military officers. First let him see my bravest and best men. After that we will discuss the matter.”
肃领命而去。次日至驿馆中见孔明，又嘱“今见我主，切不可言曹操兵多。”孔明笑曰：“亮自见机而变，决不有误。”肃乃引孔明至幕下。早见张昭、顾雍等一班文武二十余人，峨冠博带，整衣端坐，孔明逐一相见，各问姓名。施礼已毕，坐于客位。张昭等见孔明丰神飘洒，器宇轩昂，料道此人必来游说。张昭先以言挑之曰：“昭乃江东微末之士，久闻先生高卧隆中，自比管、乐。此语果有之乎?”
With these instructions Lu Su withdrew. Next day he went to the guest-house to call on Zhuge Liang and earnestly said to him again, "When you see my master to-day, don’t tell him that Cao Cao has a great many soldiers.”
Zhuge Liang said with a smile, “I shall do as circumstances dictate. I must not make any mistakes. Then Lu Su led Zhuge Liang to Sun Quan’s headquarters where they found more than twenty civil and military officers, including Zhang Zhao andGu Yong，all seated in state with tall headdresses and broad belts. Zhuge Liang was introduced to them one by one，and after an exchange of greetings，he took the guest’s seat. Then Zhang Zhao and the others， noting Zhuge Liang’s refined and elegant manner and commanding appearance, judged that he must have come to offer advice. Zhang Zhao led the way in trying to use some sentences to bait the visitor.“I am the most insignificant scholar in this district，” he said, “But，as I have long heard，while living as a recluse in Long zhong, you compared yourself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. Is it true that you really said so?”
孔明曰：“此亮平生小可之比也。”昭曰：“近闻刘豫州 三顾先生于草庐之中，幸得先生，以为如鱼得水，思欲席卷荆、襄。今一旦以属曹操，未审是何主见？”孔明自思张 昭乃孙权手下第一个谋士，若不先难倒他，如何说得孙权？遂答曰：“吾观取汉上之地，易如反掌。我主刘豫州躬行仁义，不忍夺同宗之基业，故力辞之。刘琮孺子，听信佞言，暗自投降，致使曹操得以猖獗。今我主屯兵江夏，别有良图，非等闲可知也。”
“In some trifling respects I did，” replied Zhuge Liang.
“Recently I heard that Liu Bei called at your thatched hut three times. Liu Bei thought that it was fortunate for him to discover you and that he was as lucky as a fish getting back to the water. Then he desired to take possession of Jingzhou and Xiangyang. But to-day those two districts belong to Cao Cao, what is your account of that?” said Zhang Zhao，Zhuge Liang thought to himself，“Zhang Zhao is Sun Quan’s first adviser. If I do not defeat him in argument first，how can I persuade Sun Quan?” So he answered. “In my opinion, to take the land round the Han River is as simple as turning over one’s hand. But as my master Liu Bei has humanity and sense of justice, he cannot bear to take the possession of a kinsman’s basic property by force. So he strongly refused to take it, Liu Cong is a stupid lad who listened to bad advice and surrendered to Cao Cao secretly, enabling Cao Cao to run wild. Now my master has stationed his troops at Jiangxia and has another good plan which cannot be easily known.”
昭曰：“若此，是先生言行相违也，先生自比管、乐：管仲相桓公，霸诸侯，一匡天下；乐毅扶持微弱之燕，下齐七十余城；此二人者，真济世之才也3先生在草庐之 中，但笑傲风月，抱膝危坐；今既从事刘豫州，当为生灵 兴利除害，剿灭乱贼。且刘豫州未得先生之前，尚且纵横 寰宇，割据城池；今得先生，人皆仰望；虽三尺童蒙，亦谓彪虎生翼，将见汉室复兴，曹氏即灭矣；朝廷旧臣，山林隐士，无不拭目而待：以为拂高天之云翳，仰日月之光 辉，拯民于水火之中，措天下于衽席之上，在此时也。何 先生自归豫州，曹兵一出，弃甲抛戈，望风而窜；上不能 报刘表以安庶民，下不能辅孤子而据疆土；乃弃新野，走樊城，败当阳，奔夏口，无容身之地；是豫州既得先生之 后，反不如其初也。管仲、乐毅，果如是乎？愚直之言， 幸勿见怪。”
Zhang Zhou said, “In that case, your deeds hardly match your words. You compare yourself to Guan Zhong and Yue Yi. But Guan Zhong was a minister serving Duke Huan, put Duke Huan at the head of all the feudal princes and united the country. Yue Yi helped Yan，a weak state, to conquer more than seventy cities of Qi. These two men were truly great geniuses with the abilities of saving the world, whereas you in your thatched hut smiled scornfully at ordinary people, sitting idle all day long clasping your knees. Now that you have taken service under Liu Bei，you should do something good for the people, rid the people of evils and destroy rebels and traitors. Moreover, before Liu Bei obtained your help, he could still manage freely to conquer some territory here and take some cities there, so that once he got you，people all expected，great things of him-even the three feet tall children said that the tiger had grown wings，that the Han dynasty would rise once more and that Cao Cao would soon be destroyed. All the old courtiers of Han and the hermits in mountain glades wiped their eyes and waited, thinking that the time had come when Liu Bei would wipe away the clouds of darkness from the high sky，gaze up at the glorious brilliancy of the sun and moon，save the people out of fire and water and put the country to rest on a couch of comfort. Why is it that as you joined Liu Bei, his men abandon their armour, threw away their spears and fled like rats as soon as Cao Cao’s army came out? On the.one hand, failing to serve Liu Biao (Liu Bei’s kinsman, who ruled over Jingzhou. After his death，his son Liu Cong succeeded him，but soon surrendered to Cao Cao.) well and relieve the people, and on the other hand, failing to support his son and preserve his land, Liu Bei had lost Xinye, escaped to Fancheng, been defeated at Dangyang and fled to Xiakou, unable to find a refuge anywhere.
Thus, after you had joined Liu Bei, he was worse off than before. Would this have been so with Guan Zhong and Yue Yi? I trust you do not mind my blunt speech.”
