forgiveness。〃

But　the　First　Ruler　was　angry；　and　said；　〃I　left　Chengdu　a　long　time　ago。　Why　did　you　not　e　to　confess　your　fault　before？　Now　you　find　yourselves　in　danger；　and　so　you　e　with　this　specious　tale　to　try　to　save　your　lives。　If　I　pardon　you；　how　shall　I　look　my　brother　in　the　face　when　we　meet　beneath　the　Nine　Golden　Springs？〃

Then　he　bade　Guan　Xing　set　up　an　altar　to　his　father　in　the　camp；　and　thereon　the　First　Ruler　offered　the　head　of　Ma　Zhong　in　sacrifice　before　the　tablet　of　Guan　Yu。　This　done；　he　had　Guan　Xing　strip　the　two　deserters　and　make　them　kneel　before　the　altar。　And　presently　with　his　own　hand；　Guan　Xing　hewed　them　in　pieces　as　a　sacrifice。

Presently　Zhang　Bao　came　in　and　wailed　before　the　First　Ruler；　saying；　〃The　two　enemies　of　my　uncle　have　been　slain；　but　when　will　vengeance　be　taken　upon　those　of　my　father？〃

〃Do　not　grieve；　my　nephew；〃　said　the　First　Ruler；　〃I　am　going　to　lay　waste　the　South　Land　and　slay　the　whole　of　the　curs　that　live　there。　I　will　assuredly　capture　the　two　murderers　of　your　father；　and　you　shall　hack　them　to　pieces　as　a　sacrifice。〃

Zhang　Bao　went　away；　still　weeping。

About　this　time　the　fear　of　the　First　Ruler　was　very　great　among　the　people　of　the　South　Land；　who　stood　in　dread　of　him　so　that　they　grieved　night　and　day。　Han　Dang　and　Zhou　Tai　were　rather　frightened　too；　and　they　sent　a　report　to　their　master　of　the　assassination　of　Ma　Zhong　and　what　had　befallen　the　assassins。

Then　Sun　Quan　was　distressed　and　called　together　his　counselors。　At　this　meeting　Bu　Zhi　proposed　submission　and　self…humiliation　for　the　sake　of　peace。

Said　he；　〃There　were　five　persons………Lu　Meng；　Pan　Zhang；　Ma　Zhong；　Mi　Fang；　and　Fu　Shiren………whom　Liu　Bei　had　a　grudge　against；　and　they　are　a