these　two　have　been　sent　to　feign　desertion　that　they　may　act　as　spies。　The　General　is　meeting　one　ruse　with　another。　He　wants　them　to　give　false　information。　Deceit　is　not　to　be　despised　in　war；　and　his　scheme　is　the　correct　one　to　employ。〃

Then　Lu　Su　understood。

That　night　as　Zhou　Yu　was　sitting　in　his　tent；　Huang　Gai　came　to　see　him　privately。

Zhou　Yu　said；　〃You　have　surely　some　wise　plan　to　propose　that　you　e　at　night　like　this。〃

Huang　Gai　replied；　〃The　enemy　are　more　numerous　than　we；　and　it　is　wrong　to　delay。　Why　not　burn　them　out？〃

〃Who　suggested　that　to　you？〃

〃I　thought　of　it　myself。　Nobody　suggested　it；〃　replied　Huang　Gai。

〃I　just　wanted　something　like　this；　and　that　is　why　I　kept　those　two　pretended　deserters。　I　want　them　to　give　some　false　news。　The　pity　is　that　I　have　no　one　to　feign　desertion　to　the　other　side　and　work　my　plan。〃

〃But　I　will　carry　out　your　plan；〃　said　Huang　Gai。

〃But　if　you　cannot　show　some　injury；　you　will　not　be　believed；〃　said　Zhou　Yu。

〃The　Sun　family　have　been　very　generous　to　me；　and　I　would　not　resent　being　crushed　to　death　to　repay　them；〃　said　Huang　Gai。

The　General　bowed　and　thanked　him；　saying；　〃If　you　would　not　object　to　some　bodily　suffering；　then　the　South　Land　would　indeed　be　happy。〃

〃Kill　me。　I　do　not　mind；〃　repeated　Huang　Gai　as　he　took　his　leave。

Next　day　the　drums　called　all　the　officers　together　to　the　General's　tent；　and　Zhuge　Liang　came　with　the　others。

Zhou　Yu　said；　〃The　enemy's　camps　extend　about　one　hundred　miles　so　that　the　campaign　will　be　a　long　one。　Each　leader　is　to　prepare　supplies　for　three　months。〃

Scarcely　had　he　spoken　when　Huang　Gai　started　up；　crying；　〃Say　not　three　months。　Be　ready　for　thirty　months；　a