第一小说网

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第282部分（第2页）

He　therefore　decided　to　send　fifty　thousand　troops；　over　whom　he　set　the　Veteran　General　Ding　Feng；　with　two　able　assistants………Sun　Yin　and　Ding　Fung。　Having　received　his　edict；　Ding　Feng　sent　away　his　manders　with　twenty　thousand　troops　to　Mianzhu；　and　he　himself　went　with　thirty　thousand　troops　toward　Shouchun。　The　army　marched　in　three　divisions。

In　the　city　of　Mianzhu；　Zhuge　Zhan　waited　for　the　rescue　which　never　came。

Weary　of　the　hopeless　delay；　he　said　to　his　generals；　〃This　long　defense　is　useless。　I　will　fight！〃

Leaving　his　son　Zhuge　Shang　and　Chair　of　the　Secretariat　Zhang　Zun………Zhang　Feis　grandson………in　the　city；　Zhuge　Zhan　put　on　his　armor　and　led　out　three　thousand　troops　through　three　gates　to　fight　in　the　open。　Seeing　the　defenders　making　a　sortie；　Deng　Ai　drew　off　and　Zhuge　Zhan　pursued　him　vigorously；　thinking　Deng　Ai　really　fled　before　his　force。　But　there　was　an　ambush；　and　falling　therein　he　was　quickly　surrounded　as　is　the　kernel　of　a　nut　by　the　shell。　In　vain　he　thrust　right　and　shoved　left；　he　only　lost　his　troops　in　the　raining　arrows　and　bolts。　The　troops　of　Wei　poured　in　more　flights　of　arrows；　so　that　his　army　were　all　shattered。　Before　long；　Zhuge　Zhan　was　wounded　and　fell。

〃I　am　done；〃　cried　he。　〃But　in　my　death　I　will　do　my　duty！〃　He　drew　his　sword　and　slew　himself。

From　the　city　walls　his　son　Zhuge　Shang　saw　the　death　of　his　father。　Girding　on　his　armor　he　made　to　go　out　to　fight。

But　Zhang　Zun　told　him；　〃Young　general；　do　not　go　out　immediately！〃

Cried　Zhuge　Shang；　〃My　father　and　I　and　all　our　family　have　received　favors　from　the　state。　My　father　has　died　in　battle　against　our　enemies；　and　can　I　live？〃

He　whipped　his　horse　and　dashed　out　into　the　thick　of　the　fight；　where　he　died。　A　poem　has　been　written　extolling　the　conduct　of　both　father　and　son。

In　skill　he　was　found　wanting；　not　in　loyalty；

But　the　Lords　word　had　gone　forth；

That　the　Ruler　of　Shu　was　to　be　cut　off；

Noble　were　Zhuge　Liangs　descendants。

In　miseration　of　their　loyalty；　Deng　Ai　had　both　father　and　son　buried　fittingly。　Then　he　began　attacking　the　city　vigorously。　Zhang　Zun；　Huang　Chong；　and　Li　Qiu；　the　defenders；　however；　held　the　city　desperately；　but　to　no　avail　for　their　numbers　being　small；　and　the　three　leaders　were　slain。　This　was　the　end　of　the　defense；　and　Deng　Ai　then　entered　as　conqueror。　Having　rewarded　his　army；　he　set　out　for　Chengdu。

The　closing　days　of　the　Latter　Ruler　were

As　had　been　those　of　Liu　Zhang。

The　next　chapter　will　tell　of　the　defense　of　Chengdu。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　118　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　118

Chapter　118

Weeping　At　The　Ancestral　Temple；　A　Filial　Prince　Dies；

Marching　To　The　West　River　Land；　Two　Leaders　petes。

The　news　of　the　fall　of　Mianzhu　and　the　deaths　in　battle　of　Zhuge　Zhan　and　Zhuge　Shang；　father　and　son；　brought　home　to　the　Latter　Ruler　that　danger　was　very　near；　and　he　summoned　a　council。

Then　the　officials　said；　〃Panic　has　seized　upon　the　people；　and　they　are　leaving　the　city　in　crowds。　Their　cries　shake　the　very　sky！〃

Sorely　he　felt　his　helplessness。　Soon　they　reported　the　enemy　were　actually　near　the　city；　and　many　courtiers　advised　flight。

〃We　do　not　have　enough　troops　to　protect　the　capital。　Leave　the　city　and　flee　south　to　the　seven　counties　of　Nanzhong；〃　said　they。　〃The　country　is　difficult　and　easily　defended。　We　can　get　the　Mangs　to　e　and　help　us。〃

But　Minister　Qiao　Zhou　opposed；　saying；　〃No；　no；　that　will　not　do。　The　Mangs　are　old　rebels。　To　go　to　them　would　be　a　calamity。〃

Then　some　proposed　seeking　refuge　in　Wu：　〃The　people　of　Wu　are　our　sworn　allies；　and　this　is　a　moment　of　extreme　danger。　Let　us　go　thither。〃

But　Qiao　Zhou　also　opposed　this；　saying；　〃In　the　whole　course　of　past　ages　no　emperor　has　ever　gone　to　another　state。　So　far　as　I　can　see；　Wei　will　presently　absorb　Wu；　and　certainly　Wu　will　never　overe　Wei。　Imagine　the　disgrace　of　being　a　minister　of　Wu　and　then　having　to　style　yourself　minister　of　Wei。　It　would　double　the　mortification。　Do　neither。　Surrender　to　Wei；　and　Wei　will　give　Your　Majesty　a　strip　of　land　where　the　ancestral　temple　can　be　preserved；　and　the　people　will　be　saved　from　suffering。　I　desire　Your　Majesty　to　reflect　well　upon　this。〃

The　distracted　Latter　Ruler　retired　from　the　council　without　having　e　to　any　decision。　Next　day　confusion　had　bee　still　worse。　Qiao　Zhou　saw　that　matters　were　very　urgent　and　presented　a　written　memorial。　The　Latter　Ruler　accepted　it　and　decided　to　yield。

But　from　behind　a　screen　stepped　out　the　fifth　of　the　Emperors　sons；　Liu　Chan；　Prince　of　Beidi。

Liu　Chan　shouted　at　Qiao　Zhou；　〃You　corrupt　pedant；　unfit　to　live　among　people！　How　dare　you　offer　such　mad　advice　in　a　matter　concerning　the　exis