悔恕並行
Liang-Sheng-Yü was one of the great generals of China. He had served
his kingdom wisely for many years, when there was a war of four
nations. Liang-Sheng-Yü conquered the other nations, and put them under
the authority of his king.
He was also called Seung-Foo, or the great Helper of the King. He was
given this honorable title because he had served two generations of
kings—father and son.
One day Liang-Sheng-Yü reproved the general, Liang-Po, in the presence
of the king. Liang-Po was angry because of this and said to himself,
“Although Liang-Sheng-Yü is a great general, he should not say these
things to me in the king’s presence. He has found fault before the
king. I will now find fault with him and accuse him before the king.
The king forgave me, only because he knew I had done many good things
for the kingdom.”
He went to his home, but he could not sleep, for his heart burned with
anger. In the morning his face was yet cast down with sorrow, for he
could not forget his great disgrace before the king. His wife
questioned him, “What troubled you last night?” But he only answered,
“Do not ask.”
A servant brought his morning meal, but it was to him as if it had no
taste. And the wine-servant gave him wine, but it tasted as water.
Another servant brought him water to bathe, and he said, “It is too
cold.” But the water was such as it always had been.
Three days passed by and the heart of Liang-Po changed not. Then he
went to the house of a friend. On the way, while still at some
distance, he saw Liang-Sheng-Yü coming and he tried to meet him and
talk with him. But Liang-Sheng-Yü walked by on the other side and would
not see.
Liang-Po said to himself, “This is a strange and terrible thing. I was
never his enemy; why is he so long angry? Why will he not face me? With
him I served the king many years. I can not see why he should turn away
from me. He is wrong, wrong.”
He went home and wrote a letter to Liang-Sheng-Yü saying, “I saw you on
the Wun-Chung Street to-day and I desired to meet you and tell you many
things. I believe you wished not to see me, for you walked on the other
side, with your face turned from me. So my heart has another sorrow. I
would see you to-morrow, soon after the morning meal, and I invite you
to come to my house and eat the noon meal with me.”
But when the servant had brought Liang-Sheng-Yü the letter and he had
read it, he threw it into the fire and said not a word. The servant saw
and went home and told Liang-Po.
Fifty days after this, word came that the Chaa-Kwa Kingdom was about to
make war against the Juo Kingdom.
The king, therefore, sent word to the general, Liang-Po, and to the
great helper, Liang-Sheng-Yü, saying, “I want you to come at once to
me, your king.”
When he received the word, Liang-Po said, “I think there will be a
great war with the Chaa-Kwa Kingdom.” So he waited before going to the
king, and gave orders that four thousand soldiers should make ready for
battle.
They made ready, and for two days Liang-Po delayed his going. But
Liang-Sheng-Yü was already with the king. And in his heart he had fear,
for he thought, “Liang-Po will not come. I have made him feel shame
before the king. I have done wrong. But if he comes not, our nation is
surely lost. We can not go into battle without him.”
The king asked him, “Why has not the general, Liang-Po, come into my
presence? We can not have war without the general. Without him we can
not even send an answer to the Chaa-Kwa Kingdom.”
Liang-Sheng-Yü answered and said, “Before I sleep this night, I will
see the general.” Then he went to his home and told his servants, “I
have not time for food. I must see General Liang-Po.” And he bade them
cut a bundle of thorn sticks, which he took and carried to Liang-Po’s
house.
It was the time of Nyi-Kang (Everything Quiet) when Liang-Sheng-Yü came
to General Liang-Po’s house. He knocked on the door three or four times
before the servants opened it and asked, “Who is here?” He answered, “I
am Liang-Sheng-Yü. Tell your master I must see him to-night, or I die.”
Liang-Po dressed himself and came to the door. There he saw an old man
with head so bowed as to conceal his face. He wore old clothes, and he
carried a sword on his back and a bundle of thorn sticks in his hands.
And he knelt on the floor.
General Liang-Po said, “Who is this?” Then Liang-Sheng-Yü, the great
and proud helper of two generations of kings, said, “I wish to see
General Liang-Po.”
His face was still close to the floor and his voice trembled as he
spoke. “General Liang-Po,” he said, “I was against you before the king
and I have learned that the fault was mine. I found you right, and I am
guilty, not you. I have done you great wrong. General Liang-Po, my
sword is on my back and a bundle of thorn sticks is in my hand. Take
the sticks and beat me. Take the sword and cut off my head. We can not
make war to-morrow, if we are not at peace to-night.”
Then Liang-Po, the great general, helped Liang-Sheng-Yü upon his feet
and said, “No, we have always been friends. We will be friends forever,
and together we will serve our king. I wish you to forgive me. I wish
the king, too, to forgive me, for I have also made mistakes. We will
all forgive and be forgiven—then we will surely be friends.”
The two great men bowed down together and worshiped the Creator, and
they both swore that from that time they would have the same mind.