ster　Cao　Shen；　while　your　master；　though　he　says　he　is　descended　from　a　prince；　has　no　proof　thereof。　In　the　eyes　of　the　world；　Liu　Bei　is　just　a　weaver　of　mats；　a　seller　of　straw　shoes。　Who　is　he　to　strive　with　Cao　Cao？〃

＇e＇　It　was　the　day　in　the　South　of　River　Huai；　when　Yuan　Shu　spread　a　banquet　for　the　child　prodigies　of　the　region。　Lu　Ji　was　among　the　invited。　During　the　party；　Lu　Ji　stole　an　orange　for　his　mother。　Due　to　this　act；　his　name　was　written　in　the　〃List　of　Filial　Children〃。

Zhuge　Liang　laughed　and　replied；　〃Are　you　not　that　Lu　Ji　who　pocketed　the　orange　when　you　were　sitting　among　Yuan　Shu's　guests*？　Listen　to　me：　I　have　a　word　to　say　to　you。　Inasmuch　as　Cao　Cao　is　a　descendant　of　a　minister　of　state；　he　is　by　heredity　a　servant　of　the　Hans。　But　now　he　has　monopolized　all　state　authority　and　knows　only　his　own　arbitrary　will；　heaping　every　indignity　upon　his　lord。　Not　only　does　he　forget　his　prince；　but　he　ignores　his　ancestors；　not　only　is　he　a　rebellious　servant　of　Han；　but　the　renegade　of　his　family。　Liu　Bei　of　Yuzhou　is　a　noble　scion　of　the　imperial　family　upon　whom　the　Emperor　has　conferred　rank；　as　is　recorded　in　the　annals。　How　then　can　you　say　there　is　no　evidence　of　his　imperial　origin？　Beside；　the　very　founder　of　the　dynasty　was　himself　of　lowly　origin；　and　yet　he　became　emperor。　Where　is　the　shame　in　weaving　mats　and　selling　shoes？　Your　mean；　immature　views　are　unfit　to　be　mentioned　in　the　presence　of　scholars　of　standing。〃

This　put　a　stop　to　Lu　Ji's　flow　of　eloquence。

But　another　of　those　present　said；　〃Zhuge　Liang's　words　are　overbearing；　and　he　distorts　reason。　It　is　not　proper　argument；　and　he　had　better　say　no　more。　But　I　would　ask　him　what　classical　canon　he　studied。〃

＇e＇　Yi　Yin　was　the　founding　minist