第一小说网

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第162部分（第3页）

〃Be　not　sad；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃Thy　servant　is　no　rebel。　My　daughter　is　already　in　your　palace　as　a　secondary　lady。　She　is　wise　and　dutiful；　fit　to　be　your　consort　and　occupy　the　first　rank。〃

Emperor　Xian　dared　not　refuse；　and　therefore　at　the　new　year　（AD　215）；　in　the　time　of　the　festivities；　Lady　Caos　name　was　inscribed　on　the　dynastic　rolls　as　Empress。　And　no　one　of　the　courtiers　dared　protest。

Wherefore　Cao　Cao　became　even　more　powerful。　But　it　pleased　him　not　to　have　rivals　in　the　land；　so　he　again　thought　of　subduing　Liu　Bei　and　Sun　Quan。

Jia　Xu　proposed；　saying；　〃Xiahou　Dun　and　Cao　Ren；　who　are　serving　on　the　frontiers；　should　be　called　to　give　their　advice。〃

They　were　sent　for；　and　Cao　Ren　was　the　first　to　arrive。　As　a　relative；　he　felt　he　had　the　right　to　see　the　great　minister　without　delay　and　went　directly　to　the　palace。

But　it　happened　that　Cao　Cao　had　been　drinking　heavily；　and　his　faithful　henchman；　Xu　Chu；　would　not　admit　the　new　arrival。

〃I　am　of　the　family；〃　said　Cao　Ren；　angry　at　the　hindrance。　〃Dare　you　stop　me？〃

〃General；　you　may　be　a　relative；　but　here　you　are　but　an　officer　from　the　frontier。　I　am　of　little　account；　but　a　duty　lies　on　me　here　in　the　palace。　Our　lord　is　overe　with　wine　and　asleep；　and　I　dare　not　allow　you　to　enter。〃

The　refusal　came　to　Cao　Caos　knowledge；　and　he　mended　the　loyalty　of　Xu　Chu。

Soon　after；　Xiahou　Dun　came　and　was　called　to　the　council。

Xiahou　Dun　gave　his　opinion；　saying；　〃The　two　rivals　should　be　left　until　Zhang　Lu　of　Hanzhong　has　been　subdued。　The　great　army　that　can　overe　Zhang　Lu　will　be　in　condition　to　attack　the　West　River　Land；　and　it　will　be　conquered　without　difficulty。〃

The　advice　coincided　with　Cao　Caos　own　idea；　and　so　he　prepared　an　expedition　for　the　west。

By　a　crime　he　showed　his　power　over　a　feeble　king；

This　done；　at　once　he　hastened　to　destroy　his　neighbor。

What　happened　will　be　told　in　later　chapters。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　67　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　67

Chapter　67

Cao　Cao　Conquers　Hanzhong；

Zhang　Liao　Terrorizes　Xiaoyao。

The　expedition　against　the　East　River　Land　went　out　in　three　divisions。　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　were　Leaders　of　the　Van；　Cao　Cao　with　his　manders　marched　in　the　center；　and　Cao　Ren　brought　up　the　rear。　Xiahou　Dun　was　in　charge　of　the　missariat。

The　spies　soon　carried　the　news　into　Hanzhong；　and　Zhang　Lu　called　in　his　brother　Zhang　Wei　to　consult　how　to　meet　the　attack。

Said　Zhang　Wei；　〃The　strategic　point　to　hold　is　Yangping　Pass；　and　there　should　be　ten　stockades　there　with　the　forest　and　hills　to　support　them。　You；　my　brother；　should　make　your　depot　of　supplies　at　Hanning。〃

Thereupon　two　generals；　Yang　Ang　and　Yan　Ren；　were　sent　with　Zhang　Wei　to　the　Pass；　and　they　built　ten　stockades。

Soon　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　arrived　and　learned　the　Pass　had　prepared　a　defense。　They　camped　at　a　point　five　miles　away。　The　soldiers　were　fatigued　after　the　long　march；　and　all　lay　down　to　rest　without　placing　proper　guards。

Suddenly　the　camp　was　attacked　in　the　rear　by　Yang　Ang　and　Yan　Ren　from　different　points。　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　mounted　quickly　and　tried　to　beat　off　the　attackers；　but　the　enemy　poured　in　all　round；　and　their　army　suffered　great　loss。　They　returned　to　the　main　body　to　tell　of　their　defeat；　and　their　chief　abused　them　for　their　want　of　care。

〃Old　soldiers　like　you　should　have　known　better　and　taken　precautions　against　a　raid　of　the　camp　when　the　enemy　knew　your　troops　were　exhausted　by　a　long　march