第一小说网

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第138部分（第2页）

Chapter　58

Ma　Chao　Launches　An　Expedition　For　Revenge；

Cao　Cao　Flees　The　Field　In　Disguise。

〃What　is　this　good　plan　of　yours；　friend　Chen　Qun？〃　asked　Cao　Cao　of　the　speaker；　who　was　a　civilian　in　his　service。

Chen　Qun　replied；　〃Your　two　principal　enemies………Liu　Bei　and　Sun　Quan………are　now　firm　allies；　close　as　lips　and　teeth。　But　Liu　Bei　wants　the　West　River　Land　and　if　you；　O　Prime　Minister；　send　a　mighty　host　against　Sun　Quan；　Sun　Quan　must　ask　help　from　his　friend　Liu　Bei；　who；　having　his　heart　set　on　the　west；　will　refuse　it。　Sun　Quan　without　this　aid　cannot　stand　and　will　bee　so　weak　that　the　South　Land　will　be　yours　for　the　taking；　and　Jingzhou　will　follow　in　a　tap　of　the　drum。　The　west　will　follow　and　the　whole　empire　is　yours。〃

〃Those　are　my　thoughts　put　into　words；〃　replied　Cao　Cao。

The　expeditionary　force　of　three　hundred　thousand　troops　set　out　for　the　south。　Zhang　Liao　of　Hefei　was　in　mand　of　the　supply　department。

Sun　Quan　speedily　heard　of　the　move　and　called　in　his　advisers。

At　the　council　Zhang　Zhao　said；　〃Let　us　send　to　Lu　Su　to　tell　him　to　write　at　once　to　Liu　Bei　that　he　may　help　us。　They　are　good　friends；　and　Liu　Bei　will　certainly　respond　favorably。　Beside；　since　Liu　Bei　and　our　lord　are　now　connected　by　marriage；　there　is　no　risk　of　refusal。　With　the　support　of　Liu　Bei；　there　is　no　danger　to　our　country。〃

Sun　Quan　listened　to　this　advice　and　sent　to　Lu　Su　bidding　him　to　ask　help　from　Liu　Bei。　Accordingly；　on　receipt　of　this　mand；　a　letter　was　written　to　Liu　Bei；　who　after　reading　it；　retained　the　messenger　at　the　guest…house　till　Zhuge　Liang　could　arrive　from　Nanjun。　As　soon　as　he　arrived；　Liu　Bei　showed　him　the　letter。

The　adviser　said；　〃It　is　not　necessary　for　the　South　Lands　troops　to　move；　nor　need　we　send　ours。　I　can　prevent　Cao　Cao　from　even　daring　to　look　in　the　southeast　direction。〃

So　Zhuge　Liang　wrote　a　reply　telling　Lu　Su：

〃You　can　lay　aside　all　anxiety　and　rest　content；　for　if　the　northern　army　approach；　they　will　be　forced　backward　at　once。〃

The　letter　was　given　to　the　messenger；　and　then　Liu　Bei　asked　his　adviser；　〃How　could　the　Instructor　hope　to　roll　back　the　huge　army　of　three　hundred　thousand　troops　that　Cao　Cao　is　preparing　to　bring　south？〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃Cao　Caos　chief　fear　is　Xiliang。　Now　just　lately　he　has　slain　Ma　Teng　and　his　sons　as　well；　and　the　people　of　Xiliang　are　grinding　their　teeth　with　rage。　Now　you　must　write　and　ask　Ma　Chao　to　march　through　the　pass；　and　Cao　Cao　will　have　no　leisure　to　think　of　any　expedition　to　the　south。〃

The　letter　was　written；　sent　by　a　trusty　hand；　and　duly　delivered。

Now　Ma　Chao　was　in　Xiliang。　One　night　he　had　a　vision。　In　his　dream　he　saw　himself　lying　out　on　a　snowy　plain　and　many　tigers　were　ing　up　and　biting　him。　He　awoke　in　a　fright　and　began　to　wonder　what　the　dream　portended。　Failing　to　explain　it；　he　told　the　dream　to　his　officers。　One　of　them　ventured　to　say　the　portent　was　evil。　This　was　General　Pang　De。

〃What　is　your　interpretation？〃　asked　Ma　Chao。

〃Meeting　with　tigers　on　a　snowy　plain　is　a　very　inauspicious　subject　to　dream　about。　Assuredly　our　old　General　is　in　trouble　at　the　capital。〃

And　at　that　moment　one　entered　in　hot　haste　and　cast　himself　on　the　earth；　weeping　and　crying；　〃The　Uncle　and　his　sons　are　dead！〃

It　was　Ma　Dai；　the　nephew　of　Ma　Teng。　And　he　told　the　story　of　the　evil：　〃Uncle　Ma　Teng　and　Huang　Kui　had　planned　to　assassinate　Cao　Cao；　but　the　plot　had　miscarried　and　bee　known。　Ma　Tie　fell　in　the　battlefield；　Uncle　Ma　Teng　and　Ma　Xiu　were　put　to　death　in　the　market　place；　and　I　escaped　in　disguise。〃

Ma　Chao　fell　to　the　ground　and　wept　bitterly；　grinding　his　teeth　with　rage　at　his　enemy　Cao　Cao。　They　lifted　him　to　his　feet　and　led　him　away　to　repose。

Soon　after　arrived　a　messenger　with　a　letter　from　Liu　Bei；　which　read　like　this：

〃In　these　latter　days　of　the　hapless　Hans；　when　the　rebellious　and　tyrannical　Cao　Cao　monopolizes　all　power；　to　the　injury　of　the　Emperor　and　the　wretchedness　of　the　people；　I；　Liu　Bei；　recall　that　your　father　and　I　were　recipients　of　an　edict　and　we　swore　to　exterminate　the　recreant。　Now　your　father　has　suffered　death　at　the　hands　of　the　tyrant；　and　you　must　avenge　him。　As　the　holy　books　say；　you　cannot　let　the　same　sky　cover　you　nor　the　same　sunshine　upon　you　and　your　fathers　murderer。　If　you　can　lead　your　army　to　attack　Cao　Cao　on　one　side；　I　will　march　my　armies　to　prevent　his　retreat；　and　he　will　be　taken；　and　all　his　evil　crew　can　be　exterminated。　Then　and　thus　will　your　father　be　avenged；　and　the　Hans　can　be　restored。　I　might　add　more；　but　I　will　await　your　reply。〃

Wiping　his　tears；　Ma　Chao　wrote　a　reply　which　was　returned　by　the　bearer。

The　Xiliang　army　was　then　mustered；　horse　and　foot　were　assembled。　Just　before　the　day　that　had　been　fixed　for　the　start；　the　Imperial　Protector　of　Xizhou；　Han　Sui；　sent　for　Ma　Chao；　to　whom　he　showed　a　letter　from　Cao　Cao　promising　the　Lordship　of　Xiliang　as　a　reward　for　sending　Ma　Chao　a　prisoner　to　the　capital。

〃Bind　us　both；　Uncle；　and　send　us　thither！　You　need　not　move　a　single　spear；〃　said　the　younger　man　prostrating　himself。

But　Han　Sui　raised　him；　saying；　〃Your　father　and　I　were　sworn　brothers。　Think　you　I　would　harm　you？　Rather　will　I　help　if　you　are　going　to　fight。〃

Ma　Chao　expressed　his　gratitude。　The　unhappy　bearer　of　Cao　Caos　letter　was　dragged　forth　and　beheaded。　This　done；　the　two　took　count　of　their　armies。　Han　Sui　had　eight　divisions　under　eight　manders………Yang　Qiu；　Cheng　Yin；　Hou　Xuan；　Liang　Xing；　Cheng　Yi；　Li　Kan；　Ma　Wan；　and　Zhang　Han………all　to　be　relied　upon　to　follow　Han　Sui。　Ma　Chao　had　two　leaders；　Pang　De　and　Ma　Dai。　The　total　force　was　two　hundred　thousand　troops　with　which　the　manders　march　to　Changan。

The　Governor　of　that　city　was　Zhong　Yao。　As　soon　as　he　heard　what　was　afoot；　he　sent　a　fleet　messenger　to　Cao　Cao　and　prepared　for　defense。　He　led　his　force　out　into　the　open　plain　and　arrayed　it　for　battle。

Ma　Dai；　with　fifteen　thousand；　came　on　first；　pouring　over　the　countryside　like　a　flood。　Zhong　Yao　would　parley　with　him；　but　Ma　Dai　came　forward；　sword　in　hand；　to　attack。　However；　the　defender　did　not　take　the　challenge　but　turned　and　fled。　Ma　Dai　followed　in　pursuit。　Soon　the　main　body　of　the　invaders　arrived；　and　they　surrounded　the　city；　which　Zhong　Yao　set　about　defending。

Changan　had　been　the　capital　of　the　Western　Han　and　so　was　well　fortified　with　a　solid　wall　and　a　deep　moat；　safe　against　the　most　terrific　attacks。　The　new　armies　besieged　the　city　for　ten　days　without　success。　Then　Pang　De　proposed　a　plan。

Said　he；　〃Since　the　land　about　the　city　is　barren　and　the　water　bitter；　the　people　must　have　munication　with　the　country　around　in　order　to　live。　Further　they　have　no　fuel。　Ten　days　of　siege　must　have　exhausted　the　supplies　in　the　city；　wherefore　if　we　relax　for　a　time………well；　you　will　see。　We　shall　capture　the　city　without　moving　a　finger。〃

〃Your　plan　seems　excellent；〃　said　Ma　Chao；　when　he　heard　what　it　was。

Thereupon　they　sent　orders　to　each　division　to　retire；　and　Ma　Chao　covered　the　retreat。　Next　day　Zhong　Yao　went　up　on　the　walls　to　look　around　and　saw　that　the　besiegers　had　gone。　However；　suspecting　a　ruse；　he　sent　out　spies；　who