Cao　Cao　smiled。　〃I　have　served　the　Hans　for　many　years。　Even　if　I　have　acquired　some　merit；　yet　I　have　been　rewarded　with　a　princedom　and　high　rank。　I　dare　not　aspire　to　greater　things。　If　the　finger　of　heaven　points　to　me；　then　shall　I　be　as　King　Wen　of　Zhou*。〃

〃As　Sun　Quan　acknowledges　himself　your　servant　and　promises　obedience；　you；　my　lord；　can　confer　a　title　upon　him　and　assign　to　him　the　duty　of　attacking　Liu　Bei；〃　said　Sima　Yi。

Approving　of　the　suggestion；　Cao　Cao　gave　Sun　Quan　the　titles　of　General　of　the　Flying　Cavalry　and　Lord　of　Nanzhang；　and　appointed　him　to　the　Imperial　Protectorship　of　Jingzhou。　Forthwith　this　mand　was　sent　away　to　Sun　Quan。

Cao　Cao's　condition　grew　worse　daily。　One　night　he　had　a　dream　of　three　horses　feeding　out　of　the　same　manger。

Next　day　he　told　it　to　Jia　Xu；　saying；　〃I　saw　three　horses　feeding　on　the　same　manger　before　the　family　of　Ma　Teng　was　harmed。　Last　night　I　saw　the　same　dream　again。　How　do　you　interpret　it？〃

〃The　horses　were　feeding　on　bounty：　It　is　auspicious　to　dream　of　dignity；〃　replied　Jia　Xu。　〃And　naturally　such　an　honor　es　to　the　Caos。　I　do　not　think　you　need　feel　any　misgivings。〃

Cao　Cao　was　forted。

Cao　Cao　dreamed　three　steeds　together　fed；

The　vision　seers　could　not　explain；

None　guessed　how　soon；　when　Cao　Cao　was　dead；

One　dynasty　would　rule　again。

Ah；　yes；　Cao　Cao　had　vainly　wrought；

Of　none　avail　each　wicked　wile；

For；　later；　in　Wei　court；　there　fought

Against　him　one　with　equal　guile。

That　night　Cao　Cao　became　worse。　As　he　lay　on　his　couch　he　felt　dizzy　and　could　not　see；　so　he　rose　and　sat　by　a　table；　upon　which　he　leaned。　It　seemed　to　him　that　someone　shrieked；　and；　peering　into　the　darkness；　he　perceiv