小说园

第45部分（第1页）

Cao　Cao　laid　hold　of　the　sword　by　his　side　and　made　to　take　his　own　life。　All　hastened　to　prevent　him。

Guo　Jia　said；　〃In　ancient　days；　the　days　of　the　Spring　and　Autumn　history；　the　laws　were　not　applied　to　those　of　the　most　important。　You　are　the　supreme　leader　of　a　mighty　army　and　must　not　wound　yourself。〃

Cao　Cao　pondered　for　a　long　time。　At　last　he　said；　〃Since　there　exists　the　reason　just　quoted；　I　may　perhaps　escape　the　death　penalty。〃

Then　with　his　sword　he　cut　off　his　hair　and　threw　it　on　the　ground；　saying；　〃I　cut　off　the　hair　as　touching　the　head。〃

Then　he　sent　messengers　to　exhibit　the　hair　throughout　the　whole　army；　saying；　〃The　Prime　Minister；　having　trodden　down　some　corn；　ought　to　have　lost　his　head　by　the　terms　of　the　order；　now　here　is　his　hair　cut　off　as　an　attack　on　the　head。〃

This　deed　was　a　stimulus　to　discipline　all　through　the　army　so　that　not　a　person　dared　be　disobedient。　A　poet　wrote：

A　myriad　soldiers　march　along　and　all　are　brave　and　bold；

And　their　myriad　inclinations　by　one　leader　are　controlled。

That　crafty　leader　shore　his　locks　when　forfeit　was　his　head；

O　full　of　guile　were　thou；　Cao　Cao；　as　everyone　has　said。

On　the　first　news　of　the　approach　of　Cao　Cao　with　an　army；　Zhang　Xiu　wrote　to　Liu　Biao　for　help。　Then　Zhang　Xiu　led　out　his　troops；　with　his　two　generals；　Lei　Xu　and　Zhang　Xian。

When　the　array　was　plete　Zhang　Xiu　took　his　station　in　front　and　pointing　at　Cao　Cao　railed　at　him；　saying；　〃O　false　and　pretended　supporter　of　benevolence　and　justice！　O　shameless　one！　You　are　just　a　beast　of　the　forest；　and　absolutely　devoid　of　humanity。〃

This　annoyed　Cao　Cao　who　sent　out　Xu　Chu　against　the　insulter。　Zhang　Xian　came　to　meet　him　and　fell　in　the　third　bout。　Thence　Zhang　Xius　troops　fled　and　were　pursued　to　the　very　walls　of　Nanyang；　only　managing　to　get　within　just　before　the　pursuit　came　up。　The　city　was　then　closely　besieged。

Seeing　the　moat　was　so　wide　and　deep　that　approach　to　the　wall　would　be　difficult；　Cao　Caos　manders　began　to　fill　up　the　ditch　with　earth。　Then　with　sand　bags；　brushwood；　and　bundles　of　grass　they　built　a　great　mound　near　the　wall　and　on　this　erected　steps　so　that　they　could　look　over　into　the　city。

Cao　Cao　rode　round　the　city　closely　inspecting　the　defenses。　Three　days　later　he　issued　an　order　to　make　a　mound　of　earth　and　brushwood　at　the　northwest　corner；　as　he　would　mount　the　walls　at　that　point。　He　was　observed　from　within　the　city　by　Jia　Xu。

Jia　Xu　went　to　Zhang　Xiu　and　said；　〃I　know　what　Cao　Cao　intends；　and　I　can　defeat　him　by　a　countermove。〃

Even　amongst　the　very　foremost

There　is　one　who　leads　the　way；

Someone　sees　through　your　devices；

Be　as　crafty　as　ye　may。

What　the　counter…move　was　will　be　told　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　18　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　18

Chapter　18

Giving　Counsels；　Jia　Xu　Directs　A　Great　Victory；

Braving　Battlefield；　Xiahou　Dun　Loses　An　Eye。

Jia　Xu；　as　he　had　guessed　the　enemys　intention；　had　also　devised　a　countermove。　So　he　went　to　his　chief　and　said；　〃I　saw　Cao　Cao　very　carefully　reconnoitering　round　about　the　city。　He　certainly　noticed　that　the　southeast　corner　of　the　wall　had　been　lately　restored　with　mud　bricks　of　a　different　kind；　and　that　the　fencing　barrier　is　badly　out　of　repair。　He　will　try　to　effect　an　entrance　there。　Wherefore　he　is　making　a　feint　attack　at　the　opposite　point。　He　is　piling　up　straw　and　making　ostentatious　preparations　whereby　to　cajole　us　into　withdrawing　from　the　real　point　of　attack　to　defend　the　northwest。　His　troops　will　scale　the　walls　in　the　darkness　and　try　to　enter　at　the　southeast。〃

〃Supposing　your　surmise　correct；　what　do　you　advise？〃　asked　Zhang　Xiu。

〃The　countermove　is　plain。　You　issue　an　order　for　our　best　and　bravest　soldiers　to　fill　their　bellies；　to　take　only　the　lightest　outfit　and　conceal　themselves　in　the　houses　near　the　southeast　corner。　Then　disguise　the　townspeople　as　soldiers　and　send　them　to　pretend　to　defend　the　northwest。　Tonight　we　will　let　the　enemy　climb　up　the　walls　and　enter　the　city　and；　once　they　are　fairly　within；　give　the　signal　and　the　concealed　soldiers　will　rush　out　upon　them。　We　may　even　capture　Cao　Cao　himself。〃

The　stratagem　was　decided　upon。

Soon　the　scouts　told　Cao　Cao：　〃The　defenders　of　the　city　have　moved　to　the　northwest　where　noisy　preparations　for　defense　are　going　on。　The　opposite　corner　is　left　undefended。〃

〃They　have　fallen　into　my　trap！〃　said　Cao　Cao　gleefully。

He　ordered　his　troops　to　prepare　shovels　and　hooks　and　all　the　gear　needed　for　scaling　walls；　and　all　day　they　kept　up　the　attack　on　the　northwest　angle。

But　at　the　second　watch　they　dispatched　the　veterans　to　the　opposite　corner；　where　they　climbed　the　wall；　broke　up　the　fencing　barrier；　and　got　into　the　city　apparently　without　disturbing　any　of　the　guards。　There　was　no　sign　of　life　anywhere　as　they　entered。　But　just　as　they　were　leaving　the　wall；　suddenly　a　bomb　exploded　and　they　found　themselves　in　an　ambush。　They　turned　to　retire；　but　Zhang　Xiu　immediately　fell　on　the　rear　and　began　a　slaughter。　Cao　Caos　troops　were　totally　defeated　and　fled　out　of　the　gate　into　the　country。　Zhang　Xiu　kept　up　the　pursuit　till　daybreak；　when　he　retired　into　the　city　again。

Cao　Cao　then　rallied　his　army　and　mustered　his　soldiers。　He　had　lost　fifty　thousand　and　much　baggage；　while　two　of　his　generals；　Lu　Qian　and　Yu　Jin　were　wounded。