第一小说网

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第285部分（第2页）

As　Jiang　Wei　and　Zhong　Hui　discussed　the　matter；　General　Qiu　Jian；　a　man　in　the　confidence　of　Zhong　Hui；　was　present。　He　had　once　served　under　Assistant　General　Hu　Lie；　who　was　one　of　the　imprisoned　guests；　and　thus　he　found　means　to　warn　his　former　chief。

Hu　Lie　wept　and　said；　〃My　son；　Hu　Yuan；　is　in　mand　of　a　force　outside　the　city。　He　will　never　suspect　Zhong　Hui　capable　of　such　a　crime；　and　I　pray　you　tell　him。　If　I　am　to　die；　it　will　be　with　less　regret　if　my　son　can　be　told。〃

〃Kind　master；　have　no　anxiety；　only　leave　it　to　me；〃　replied　Qiu　Jian。

He　went　to　Zhong　Hui；　and　said；　〃Sir；　you　are　holding　in　captivity　a　large　number　of　officers；　and　they　are　suffering　from　lack　of　food　and　water。　Will　you　not　appoint　an　officer　to　supply　their　needs？〃

Zhong　Hui　was　accustomed　to　yield　to　the　wishes　of　Qiu　Jian；　and　he　made　no　difficulty　about　this。　He　told　Qiu　Jian　to　see　to　it　himself；　only　saying；　〃I　am　placing　great　trust　in　you；　and　you　must　be　loyal。　Our　secret　must　be　kept。〃

〃My　lord；　you　may　be　quite　content。　I　know　how　to　keep　a　strict　watch　when　necessary。〃

And　Qiu　Jian　allowed　to　enter　into　the　place　of　confinement　a　trusty　confidant　of　Hu　Lie；　who　gave　him　a　letter　to　his　son　Hu　Yuan。

When　Hu　Yuan　knew　the　whole　story；　he　was　astonished　and　told　his　subordinates；　and　they　were　greatly　enraged。

They　came　to　their　manders　tent　to　say：　〃We　would　rather　die　than　follow　a　rebel！〃

So　Hu　Yuan　fixed　upon　the　eighteenth　day　of　the　month　to　attempt　the　rescue。　He　enlisted　the　sympathy　of　Wei　Guan　and　got　his　army　ready。　He　bade　Qiu　Jian　tell　his　father　what　was　afoot。　Hu　Lie　then　told　his　fellow…captives。

One　day　Zhong　Hui　said　to　Jiang　Wei；　〃Last　night　I　dreamed　a　dream；　that　I　was　bitten　by　many　serpents。　Can　you　expound　the　vision？〃

Jiang　Wei　replied；　〃Dreams　of　dragons　and　snakes　and　scaly　creatures　are　exceedingly　auspicious。〃

Zhong　Hui　was　only　too　ready　to　accept　this　interpretation。　Then　he　told　Jiang　Wei　that　all　was　ready　and　they　would　put　the　crucial　question　to　each　captive。

〃I　know　they　are　opposed　to　us；　and　you　would　do　well　to　slay　them　all；　and　that　right　quickly；〃　replied　Jiang　Wei。

〃Good；〃　replied　Zhong　Hui。

He　bade　Jiang　Wei　with　several　ruffians　kill　the　Wei　leaders　among　the　captives。　But　just　as　Jiang　Wei　was　starting　to　carry　out　these　instructions；　he　was　seized　with　a　sudden　spasm　of　the　heart；　so　severe　that　he　fainted。　He　was　raised　from　the　earth　and　in　time　revived。　Just　as　he　came　to；　a　tremendous　hubbub　arose　outside　the　Palace。　Zhong　Hui　at　once　sent　to　inquire　what　was　afoot；　but　the　noise　waxed　louder　and　louder；　sounding　like　the　rush　of　a　multitude。

〃The　officers　must　be　raging；〃　said　Zhong　Hui。　〃We　would　best　slay　them　at　once！〃

But　they　told　him：　〃The　outside　soldiers　are　in　the　Palace！〃

Zhong　Hui　bade　them　close　the　doors　of　the　Hall　of　Audience；　and　he　sent　his　own　troops　upon　the　roof　to　pelt　the　ining　soldiers　with　tiles。　Many　were　slain　on　either　side　in　the　melee。　Then　a　fire　broke　out。　The　assailants　broke　open　the　doors。　Zhong　Hui　faced　them　and　slew　a　few；　but　others　shot　at　him　with　flights　of　arrows；　and　he　fell　and　died。　They　hacked　off　his　head。

Jiang　Wei　ran　to　and　fro　slaying　all　he　met　till　another　heart　spasm　seized　him。

〃Failed！〃　he　shrieked；　〃But　it　is　the　will　of　Heaven！〃

He　put　an　end　to　his　own　life。　He　was　fifty…nine。

Many　hundreds　were　slain　within　the　Forbidden　City。　Wei　Guan　presently　ordered　that　the　soldiers　were　to　be　led　back　to　their　various　camps　to　await　the　orders　of　the　Duke　of　Jin。

The　soldiers　of　Wei；　burning　for　revenge　of　his　many　invasions；　hacked　the　dead　body　of　Jiang　Wei　to　pieces。　They　found　his　gall　bladder　extraordinarily　large；　as　large　as　a　hens　egg。　They　also　seized　and　slew　all　the　family　of　the　dead　leader。

Seeing　that　Deng　Ais　two　enemies　on　the　spot　were　both　dead；　his　old　soldiers　bethought　themselves　of　trying　to　rescue　him。　When　Wei　Guan；　who　had　actually　arrested　Deng　Ai；　heard　this；　he　feared　for　his　life。

〃If　Deng　Ai　lives；　I　will　die　in　his　hand！〃　said　Wei　Guan。

Furthermore；　General　Tian　Xu　said；　〃When　Deng　Ai　took　Jiangyou；　he　wished　to　put　me　to　death。　It　was　only　at　the　prayer　of　my　friends　that　he　let　me　off。　May　I　not　have　my　revenge　now？〃

So　Wei　Guan　gave　order。　At　the　head　of　five　hundred　cavalry；　Tian　Xu　went　in　pursuit　of　the　cage…carts。　He　came　up　with　them　at　Mianzhu　and　found　that　the　two　prisoners　had　just　been　released　from　the　carts　in　which　they　were　being　carried　to　Luoyang。　When　Deng　Ai　saw　that　those　ing　up　were　soldiers　of　his　own　late　mand；　he　took　no　thought　for　defense。　Nor　did　Tian　Xu　waste　time　in　preliminaries。　He　went　up　to　where　Deng　Ai　was　standing　and　cut　him　down。　His　soldiers　fell　upon　the　son；　Deng　Zhong；　and　slew　him　also；　and　thus　father　and　son　met　death　in　the　same　place。

A　poem；　pitying　Deng　Ai；　was　written：