小说园

第75部分（第2页）

Xu　You　produced　the　captured　letter；　saying；　〃Who　wrote　that？〃

〃Where　did　you　get　it？〃

Whereupon　Xu　You　told　Cao　Cao　the　story　of　the　captured　messenger。

Cao　Cao　seized　him　by　the　hand；　saying；　〃Since　our　old　friendship　has　brought　you　to　me；　I　hope　you　have　some　plan　to　suggest　to　me。〃

Xu　You　said；　〃To　oppose　a　great　army　with　a　small　one　is　to　walk　in　the　way　of　destruction；　unless　you　inflict　quick　defeat。　I　can　propose　a　plan　which　will　defeat　the　innumerable　hordes　of　Yuan　Shao　without　fighting　a　battle。　But　will　you　follow　my　advice？〃

〃I　very　much　desire　to　know　your　plan；〃　said　Cao　Cao。

〃Your　enemys　stores　of　all　kinds　are　at　Wuchao；　where　the　mander　of　the　guard　is　that　drunkard　Chunyu　Qiong。　You　can　send　some　of　your　trusty　veterans　to　pretend　they　belong　to　one　of　Yuan　Shaos　generals；　Jiang　Qi；　sent　to　help　guard　the　depot。　These　soldiers　can　find　an　opportunity　to　fire　the　grain　and　stores　of　all　kinds；　which　will　upset　all　Yuan　Shaos　calculations。　In　three　days　Yuan　Shao　is　no　more。〃

Cao　Cao　greatly　approved。　He　treated　Xu　You　very　liberally　and　kept　him　in　his　camp。　Forthwith　he　chose　five　thousand　of　horse　and　foot　ready　for　the　expedition。

Zhang　Liao　protested；　saying；　〃The　enterprise　will　be　futile　as　the　grain　depot　will　certainly　be　well　guarded。　Without　caution；　we　may　be　victims　of　the　treachery　on　the　part　of　the　newly　arrived　Xu　You。〃

〃Xu　You　is　no　traitor；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃He　has　e　sent　by　Heaven　to　defeat　Yuan　Shao。　If　we　do　not　get　grain；　it　will　be　hard　to　hold　out。　I　have　to　either　follow　his　advice　or　sit　still　and　be　hemmed　in。　If　he　were　a　traitor；　he　would　hardly　remain　in　my　camp。　Moreover　this　raid　has　been　my　desire　for　a　long　time。　Have　no　doubts：　The　raid　will　certainly　succeed。〃

〃Well；　then；　you　must　look　out　for　an　attack　here　while　the　camp　is　undefended。〃

〃That　is　already　well　provided　for；〃　said　Cao　Cao　gleefully。

The　arrangements　for　the　raid　on　the　grain　depot　were　made　with　extreme　care　to　ensure　success。　Cao　Cao　assigned　Xun　You；　Jia　Xu；　and　Cao　Hong　to　guard　the　main　camp；　together　with　Xu　You；　Xiahou　Dun　and　Xiahou　Yuan　to　guard　the　left　camp；　Cao　Ren　and　Li　Dian　to　guard　the　right　camp。　When　all　was　ready　they　set　out；　Cao　Cao　himself　in　the　center；　with　Zhang　Liao　and　Xu　Chu　as　van　leaders　and　Xu　Huang　and　Yu　Jin　as　rear　guard。　The　army　showed　the　ensigns　of　their　opponents。　The　troops　carried　bundles　of　grass　and　faggots　to　make　a　blaze。　The　soldiers　were　gagged　and　the　horses　tied　round　the　muzzles　so　as　to　prevent　any　noise。　They　set　out　at　dusk。

The　night　was　fine　and　the　stars　shone　brightly。

Ju　Shou；　still　a　prisoner　in　Yuan　Shaos　camp；　saw　the　stars　were　very　brilliant　and　told　his　gaolers　to　conduct　him　out　to　the　central　pavilion　whence　he　could　study　them。　While　watching　he　saw　the　planet　Venus　invade　the　quarter　of　the　Bear　and　Lyra；　which　startled　him　very　greatly。

〃Some　misfortune　is　near！〃　said　Ju　Shou。

So　although　it　was　still　night；　he　went　to　see　his　master。　But　Yuan　Shao　was　sleeping　after　indulgence　in　too　much　wine　and　was　in　bad　humor。　However；　when　they　had　roused　him　saying　that　the　prisoner　had　a　secret　message　to　deliver；　he　got　up。

〃While　I　happened　to　be　studying　the　aspect　of　the　heavens；〃　said　the　night　visitor；　〃I　saw　Venus；　then　between　Hydra　and　Cancer；　suddenly　shoot　into　the　neighborhood　of　the　Bear　and　Lyra。　There　is　danger　of　a　robber　raid；　and　special　precautions　must　be　taken　at　the　grain　depot。　Lose　no　time　in　sending　good　soldiers　and　vigorous　leaders　thither；　and　keep　a　lookout　on　the　byways　among　the　hills　that　you　may　escape　the　wiles　of　Cao　Cao。〃

〃You　are　a　criminal！〃　said　Yuan　Shao。　〃How　dare　you　e　with　such　wild　nonsense　to　upset　my　armies。〃

And　turning　to　the　gaolers　Yuan　Shao　continued；　〃I　bade　you　confine　him。　Why　did　you　let　him　e？〃

Then　he　issued　orders　to　put　the　gaolers　to　death　and　appointed　others　to　keep　the　prisoner　in　close　custody。

Ju　Shou　went　away；　wiping　his　falling　tears　and　sighing　deeply；　〃Our　soldiers　destruction　is　at　hand；　and　I　know　not　where　our　poor　corpses　may　find　a　resting　place。〃

Blunt　truth　offended　Yuan　Shao；

Too　stupid　any　plan　to　make；

His　stores　destroyed　this　is　evident

That　Jizhou　also　is　at　stake。

Cao　Caos　raiding　party　went　along　through　the　night。　Passing　one　of　Yuan　Shaos　outpost　camps；　they　were　challenged。

Cao　Cao　sent　forward　a　man　to　say；　〃Jiang　Qi　has　orders　to　go　to　Wuchao　to　guard　the　grain　stores。〃

Seeing　that　the　raiders　marched　under　the　ensigns　of　Yuan　Shao；　the　guard　had　no　suspicions　and　let　them　pass。　At　every　post　this　ruse　was　effective；　and　they　got　safely　through。　They　reached　their　objective　at　the　end　of　the　fourth　watch；　the　straw　and　wood　were　placed　in　position　without　loss　of　time；　and　the　blaze　started。　Then　Cao　Caos　manders　beat　to　attack。

At　this　time　Chunyu　Qiong　and　his　panions　were　all　asleep　after　a　heavy　drinking　bout。　However；　when　the　alarm　was　given；　they　sprang　up　and　asked　what　was　the　matter。　The　hubbub　was　indescribable。　Very　soon　the　fuddled　officers　were　caught　with　hooks　and　hauled　out　of　their　camp。

Yuan　Shaos　generals　Gui　Yuanjin　and　Zhao　Rui　were　just　returning　from　taking　grain　to　the　camp　and　seeing　the　flames　arise；　they　hastened　to　assist。

Some　of　Cao　Caos　soldiers　ran　to　him；　saying；　〃The　enemy　is　ing　up　in　the　rear。　Send　reinforcements。〃

But　Cao　Cao　only　replied；　〃Press　on　to　the　front　till　the　enemy　is　actually　close　at　hand　and　then　face　about。〃

So　the　attack　was　pressed　on　and　they　all　hastened　forward。　Very　soon　the　fire　gained　strength；　and　thick　smoke　hung　all　around　filling　the　sky。　When　Gui　Yuanjin　and　Zhao　Rui　drew　near；　Cao　Cao　turned　about　and　attacked　them。　They　could　not　stand　this　for　a　moment；　and　both　generals　were　killed。　Finally　the　stores　of　grain　and　forage　were　utterly　destroyed。

The　mander；　Chunyu　Qiong；　was　made　prisoner　and　taken　to　Cao　Cao　who　ordered　him　to　be　deprived　of　ears；　nose；　and　hands。　He　was　bound　on　a　horse　and　sent；　thus　horribly　mutilated；　to　his　master。

From　Yuan　Shaos　camp；　the　flames　of　the　burning　depot　were　seen　away　in　the　north；　and　they　knew　what　they　meant。　Yuan　Shao　hastily　summoned　his