ou　got　thrashed　at　Dangyang　and　in　desperation　sent　this　way　and　that　to　ask　help；　even　then　did　you　not　care？　But　do　you　think　big　talk　really　takes　people　in？〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃Liu　Bei　had　a　few　thousand　scrupulous　soldiers　to　oppose　against　a　million　fierce　brutes。　He　retired　to　Xiakou　for　breathing　space。　The　South　Land　have　strong　and　good　soldiers；　and　there　are　ample　supplies；　and　the　Great　River　is　a　defense。　Is　now　a　time　for　you　to　convince　your　lord　to　bend　the　knee　before　a　renegade；　to　be　careless　of　his　honor　and　reputation？　As　a　fact　Liu　Bei　is　not　the　sort　of　man　to　fear　such　a　rebel　as　Cao　Cao。〃

Yu　Fan　had　nothing　to　reply。

Next；　Bu　Zhi；　who　was　among　those　seated；　said；　〃Will　you　talk　of　our　southern　land　with　a　tongue　like　the　tongues　of　the　persuaders　Zhang　Yi　and　Su　Qin　in　the　ancient　time？〃

＇e＇　Su　Qin　was　prime　minister　of　six　states　during　the　Warring　States　period。　Su　Qin　was　the　leader　of　the　〃Perpendicular　Unionists〃；　the　diplomats　who　lobbied　a　group　of　states　from　north　to　south　to　make　war　with　Qin。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Zhang　Yi　was　prime　minister　of　Qin　during　the　Warring　States　period。　Zhang　Yi　was　the　leader　of　the　〃Horizontal　Unionists〃；　the　diplomats　who　persuaded　a　group　of　states　from　east　to　west　to　make　peace　with　Qin。　At　the　end　of　the　Warring　States；　Qin　conquerred　all　six　other　states　and　unified　China　under　one　rule　for　the　first　time。　。。。。。

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃You　regard　those　two　as　mere　speculative　talkers；　you　do　not　recognize　them　also　as　heroes。　Su　Qin*　bore　the　Prime　Ministers'　seals　of　six　federated　states；　Zhang　Yi*　was　twice　Prime　Minister　of　the　state　of　Qin。　Both　were　men　of　conspicuous　ability　who　brought　about　the　reformation　of　their　governments。　They　are　not　to　be　pared　with