第一小说网

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第246部分（第2页）

〃Then　take　five　thousand　troops　and　start。　Wei　Ping　shall　follow　with　twenty　thousand　of　horse　and　foot　to　deal　with　any　ambush　that　may　discover　itself。　I　will　follow　later　with　three　thousand　to　help　where　need　be。〃

So　Zhang　He　set　out　and　advanced　quickly。

Ten　miles　out　he　heard　a　roll　of　drums；　and　suddenly　appeared　from　a　wood　a　cohort　led　by　Wei　Yan；　who　galloped　to　the　front；　crying；　〃Whither　would　you　go；　O　rebel　leader？〃

Zhang　He　swiftly　turned　and　engaged　Wei　Yan；　but　after　some　ten　passes　Wei　Yan　fled。　Zhang　He　rode　after　Wei　Yan　along　the　road　for　ten　miles　and　then　stopped　to　observe。　As　he　saw　no　ambush；　he　turned　again　and　resumed　the　pursuit。　All　went　well　till　he　came　to　a　slope；　when　there　arose　shouts　and　yells　and　another　body　of　soldiers　came　out。

〃Zhang　He；　do　not　run　away！〃　cried　this　leader；　who　was　Guan　Xing。

Guan　Xing　galloped　close；　and　Zhang　He　did　not　flee。　They　fought；　and　after　half　a　score　of　passes　Guan　Xing　seemed　to　have　the　worst　of　the　encounter　and　fled。　Zhang　He　followed。　Presently　they　neared　a　dense　wood。　Zhang　He　was　fearful　of　entering　in；　so　he　sent　forward　scouts　to　search　the　thickets。　They　could　find　no　danger；　and　Zhang　He　again　pursued。

But　quite　unexpectedly　Wei　Yan；　who　had　formerly　fled；　got　round　ahead　of　Zhang　He　and　now　appeared　again。　The　two　fought　a　half　score　bouts　and　again　Wei　Yan　ran。　Zhang　He　followed；　but　Guan　Xing　also　got　round　to　the　front　by　a　side　road　and　so　stopped　the　pursuit　of　Zhang　He。　Zhang　He　attacked　furiously　as　soon　as　he　was　checked；　this　time　so　successfully　that　the　troops　of　Shu　threw　away　their　war…gear　and　ran。　The　road　was　thus　littered　with　spoil；　and　the　Wei　soldiers　could　not　resist　the　temptation　to　gather　it。　They　slipped　from　their　horses　and　began　to　collect　the　arms。

The　maneuvers　just　described　continued；　Wei　Yan　and　Guan　Xing　one　after　the　other　engaging　Zhang　He；　and　Zhang　He　pressing　on　after　each　one；　but　achieving　nothing。　And　as　evening　fell　the　running　fight　had　led　both　sides　close　to　the　Wooden　Path。

Then　suddenly　Wei　Yan　made　a　real　stand；　and　he　rode　to　the　front；　yelling；　〃Rebel！　I　have　despised　fighting　you；　but　you　have　kept　pursuing　me。　Now　we　will　fight　to　the　death！〃

Zhang　He　was　furious　and　nothing　loath；　so　he　came　on　with　his　spear　to　meet　Wei　Yan；　who　was　flourishing　his　sword。　They　met；　yet　again；　after　some　ten　bouts；　Wei　Yan　threw　aside　weapons；　armor；　helmet　and　all　his　gear；　and　led　his　defeated　pany　sway　along　the　Wooden　Path。

Zhang　He　was　filled　with　the　lust　to　kill；　and　he　could　not　let　Wei　Yan　escape。　So　he　set　out　after　Wei　Yan；　although　it　was　already　dark。　But　suddenly　lights　appeared；　and　the　sky　became　aglow；　and　at　the　same　time　huge　boulders　and　great　bulks　of　timber　came　rolling　down　the　slopes　and　blocked　the　way。

Fear　gripped　Zhang　He；　and　he　cried；　〃I　have　blundered　into　an　ambush！〃

The　road　was　blocked　in　front　and　behind　and　bordered　by　craggy　precipices。　Then；　rat…tat…tat！　came　the　sound　of　a　rattle；　and　therewith　flew　clouds　of　arrows　and　showers　of　bolts。　Zhang　He；　his　more　than　one　hundred　generals；　and　his　whole　pursuing　army　perished　in　the　Wooden　Path。

With　myriad　shining　bolts　the　air　was　filled；

The　road　was　littered　with　brave　soldiers　killed；

The　force　to　Saber　Pass　faring　perished　here；

The　tale　of　valor　grows　from　year　to　year。

Soon　the　second　army　of　Wei　under　Wei　Ping　came　up；　but　too　late　to　help。　From　the　signs　they　knew　that　their　rades　had　been　victims　of　a　cruel　trick；　and　they　turned　back。

But　as　they　faced　about；　a　shout　was　heard；　and　from　the　hilltops　came；　〃I；　Zhuge　Liang；　am　here！〃

Looking　up　they　saw　his　figure　silhouetted　against　a　fire。

Pointing　to　the　slain；　Zhuge　Liang　cried；　〃I　have　gone　hunting　in　this　wood。　Only　instead　of　slaying　a　horse；　I　have　killed　a　deer。　But　you　may　go　in　peace；　and　when　you　see　your　mander；　tell　him　that　he　will　be　my　quarry　one　day！〃

The　soldiers　told　this　to　Sima　Yi　when　they　returned。

Sima　Yi　was　deeply　mortified；　saying；　〃Letting　friend　Zhang　He　die　is　my　fault！〃

And　when　he　returned　to　Luoyang；　the　Ruler　of　Wei　wept　at　the　death　of　his　brave　leader　and　had　his　body　searched　and　honorably　buried。

Zhuge　Liang　had　no　sooner　reached　Hanzhong　than　he　prepared　to　go　on　to　Capital　Chengdu　and　see　his　lord。

But　Li　Yan；　who　was　in　the　capital；　said　to　the　Latter　Ruler；　〃Why　does　the　Prime　Minister　return；　for　I　have　kept　him　fully　supplied　with　all　things　needed　for　the　army？〃

Then　the　Latter　Ruler　sent　Fei　Yi　into　Hanzhong　to　inquire　why　the　army　had　retired。

When　Fei　Yi　had　arrived　and　showed　the　cause　of　his　ing；　Zhuge　Liang　was　greatly　surprised。

Zhuge　Liang　showed　the　letter　from　Li　Yan；　saying；　〃Li　Yan　wrote　to　warn　that　East　Wu　was　about　to　invade　the　country。〃

Fei　Yi　said；　〃Li　Yan　memorialized　to　the　Throne；　saying　he　had　sent　you　supplies　and　knew　not　why　Your　Excellency　returned。〃

So　Zhuge　Liang　inquired　carefully；　and　then　it　came　out　that　Li　Yan　had　failed　to　find　sufficient　grain　to　keep　the　army　supplied；　and　so　had　sent　the　first　lying　letter　to　the　army　that　it　might　retire　before　the　shortage　showed　itself。　His　memorial　to　the　Throne　was　designed　to　cover　the　former　fault。

〃The　fool　has　ruined　the　great　design　of　the　state　just　to　save　his　own　skin！〃　cried　Zhuge　Liang　bitterly。

He　summoned　the　offender　and　sentenced　him　to　death。

But　Fei　Yi　interceded；　saying；　〃O　Prime　Minister；　the　First　Ruler　had　loved　and　trusted　Li　Yan　with　his　son。　Please　forgive　him　this　time。〃

And　so　Li　Yans　life　was　spared。

However；　when　Fei　Yi　made　his　report　in　Chengdu；　the　Latter　Ruler　was　wroth　and　ordered　Li　Yan　to　suffer　death。

But　this　time　Jiang　Wan　intervened；　saying；　〃Your　late　father　named　Li　Yan　as　one　of　the　guardians　of　your