第一小说网

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第248部分（第2页）

Zheng　Wen　whipped　up　his　horse；　waved　his　sword；　and　went　to　meet　the　attack。　In　the　first　bout　he　cut　down　Qin　Lang。　The　Wei　soldiers　then　ran　away。　The　victor　hacked　off　the　head　of　his　victim　and　returned　to　lay　it　at　Zhuge　Liangs　feet。

Seated　in　his　tent；　Zhuge　Liang　summoned　Zheng　Wen　and　burst　out：　〃Take　him　away　and　behead　him！〃

〃I　have　done　nothing　wrong！〃　cried　Zheng　Wen。

〃As　if　I　do　not　know　Qin　Lang！　The　man　you　have　just　killed　was　not　Qin　Lang。　How　dare？　you　try　to　deceive　me？〃

Zheng　Wen　said；　〃I　will　own　up。　But　this　was　his　brother　Qin　Ming。〃

Zhuge　Liang　smiled。

〃Sima　Yi　sent　you　to　try　this　on　for　some　reason　of　his　own；　but　he　could　not　throw　dust　in　my　eyes。　If　you　do　not　tell　the　truth；　I　will　put　you　to　death。〃

Thus　caught；　the　false　deserter　confessed　and　begged　his　life。

Zhuge　Liang　said；　〃You　can　save　your　life　by　writing　a　letter　to　Sima　Yi　telling　him　to　e　to　raid　our　camp。　I　will　spare　you　on　this　condition。　And　if　I　capture　Sima　Yi；　I　will　give　you　all　the　credit　and　reward　you　handsomely。〃

There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　agree；　and　the　letter　was　written。　Then　Zheng　Wen　was　placed　in　confinement。

But　Fan　Jian　asked；　〃How　did　you　know　this　was　only　a　pretended　desertion？〃

〃Sima　Yi　looks　to　his　people；〃　replied　Zhuge　Liang。　〃If　he　made　Qin　Lang　a　leading　general；　Qin　Lang　was　certainly　a　man　of　great　military　skill　and　not　the　sort　of　man　to　be　overe　by　this　fellow　Zheng　Wen　in　the　first　encounter。　So　Zheng　Wens　opponent　certainly　was　not　Qin　Lang。　That　is　how　I　knew。〃

They　congratulated　him　on　his　perspicacity。　Then　Zhuge　Liang　selected　a　certain　persuasive　speaker　from　among　his　officers　and　whispered　certain　instructions　in　his　ear。　The　officer　at　once　left　and　carried　the　letter　just　written　to　the　Wei　camp；　where　he　asked　to　see　the　mander…in…Chief。　He　was　admitted；　and　the　letter　was　read。

〃Who　are　you？〃　said　Sima　Yi。

〃I　am　a　man　from　the　Middle　Land；　a　poor　fellow　stranded　in　Shu。　Zheng　Wen　and　I　are　fellow　villagers。　Zhuge　Liang　has　given　Zheng　Wen　a　Van　Leadership　as　a　reward　for　what　he　has　done；　and　Zheng　Wen　got　me　to　bring　this　letter　to　you　and　to　say　that　he　will　show　a　light　tomorrow　evening　as　a　signal；　and　he　hopes　you　will　lead　the　attack　yourself。　Zheng　Wen　will　work　from　the　inside　in　your　favor。〃

Sima　Yi　took　great　pains　to　test　the　reliability　of　these　statements；　and　he　examined　the　letter　minutely　to　see　if　it　bore　any　signs　of　fabrication；　but　he　found　it　was　Zheng　Wens　writing。

Presently　he　ordered　in　refreshments　for　the　bearer　of　the　letter；　and　then　he　said；　〃We　will　fix　today　at　the　second　watch　for　the　raid；　and　I　will　lead　in　person。　If　it　succeeds；　I　will　give　you　a　good　appointment　as　a　reward。〃

Taking　leave；　the　soldier　retraced　his　steps　to　his　own　camp　and　reported　the　whole　interview　to　Zhuge　Liang。

Zhuge　Liang　held　his　sword　aloft　toward　the　North　Star；　took　the　proper　paces　for　an　incantation；　and　prayed。

This　done；　he　summoned　Wang　Ping；　Zhang　Ni；　Wei　Yan；　Ma　Dai；　Ma　Zheng；　and　Jiang　Wei；　to　whom　he　gave　certain　instructions。　When　they　had　gone　to　carry　them　out；　he　ascended　a　hill；　taking　with　him　a　few　score　guards　only。

Sima　Yi　had　been　taken　in　by　Zheng　Wens　letter　and　intended　to　lead　the　night　raid。　But　the　elder　of　his　sons；　Sima　Shi；　expostulated　with　his　father。

〃Father；　you　are　going　on　a　dangerous　expedition　on　the　faith　of　a　mere　scrap　of　paper；〃　said　his　son。　〃I　think　it　imprudent。　What　if　something　goes　unexpectedly　wrong？　Let　some　general　go　in　your　place；　and　you　e　up　in　rear　as　a　reserve。〃

Sima　Yi　saw　there　was　reason　in　this　proposal；　and　he　finally　decided　to　send　Qin　Lang；　with　ten　thousand　troops；　and　Sima　Yi　himself　would　mand　the　reserve。

The　night　was　fine　with　a　bright　moon。　But　about　the　middle　of　the　second　watch　the　sky　clouded　over；　and　it　became　very　black；　so　that　a　man　could　not　see　his　next　neighbor。

〃This　is　providential；〃　chuckled　Sima　Yi。

The　expedition　duly　started；　soldiers　with　gags；　and　horses　with　cords　round　their　muzzles。　They　moved　swiftly　and　silently；　and　Qin　Lang　made　straight　for　the　camp　of　Shu。

But　when　he　reached　it　and　entered；　and　saw　not　a　soldier；　he　knew　he　had　been　tricked。　He　yelled　to　his　troops　to　retire；　but　lights　sprang　up　all　round；　and　attacks　began　from　four　sides。　Fight　as　he　would；　Qin　Lang　could　not　free　himself。

From　behind　the　battle　area　Sima　Yi　saw　flames　rising　from　the　camp　of　Shu　and　heard　continuous　shouting；　but　he　knew　not　whether　it　meant　victory　for　his　own　army　or　to　his　enemy。　He　pressed　forward　toward　the　fire。　Suddenly；　a　shout；　a　roll　of　drums；　and　a　blare　of　trumpets　close　at　hand；　a　bomb　that　seemed　to　rend　the　earth；　and　Wei　Yan　and　Jiang　Wei　bore　down　upon　Sima　Yi；　one　on　each　flank。　This　was　the　final　blow　to　him。　Of　every　ten　soldiers　of　Wei；　eight　or　nine　were　killed　or　wounded；　and　the　few　others　scattered　to　the　four　winds。

Meanwhile　Qin　Langs　ten　thousand　troops　were　falling　under　arrows　that　came　in　locust…flights；　and　their　leader　was　killed。　Sima　Yi　and　the　remnant　of　his　army　ran　away　to　their　own　camp。

After　the　third　watch　the　sky　cleared。　Zhuge　Liang　from　the　hill…top　sounded　the　gong　of　retreat。　This　obscurity　in　the　third　watch　was　due　to　an　incantation　called　Concealing　Method。　The　sky　became　clear；　because　Zhuge　Liang　performed　another　incantation　to　have　the　Deities　of　Six　Layers　sweep　away　the　few　floating　clouds　that　still　persisted。

The　victory　was　plete。　The　first　order　on　Zhuge　Liangs　return　to　camp　was　to　put　Zheng　Wen　to　death。

Next　he　considered　new　plans　for　capturing　the　south　bank。　Every　day　be　sent　a　party　to　offer　a　challenge　before　the　camps　of　the　enemy；　but　no　one　accepted。

One　day　Zhuge　Liang　rode　in　his　small　chariot　to　th