小说园

第76部分（第2页）

Then　Xun　You　suggested　a　plan　to　Cao　Cao；　saying；　〃Now　is　the　moment　to　spread　a　report　that　an　army　will　go　to　take　Suanzao　and　attack　Yejun；　and　another　to　take　Liyang　and　intercept　the　enemys　retreat。　Yuan　Shao；　when　he　hears　of　this；　will　be　alarmed　and　tell　off　his　troops　to　meet　this　new　turn　of　affairs；　and　while　he　is　making　these　new　dispositions；　we　can　have　him　at　great　disadvantage。〃

Cao　Cao　adopted　the　suggestion；　and　care　was　taken　that　the　report　spread　far　around。　It　came　to　the　ears　of　Yuan　Shaos　soldiers；　and　they　repeated　it　in　camp。　Yuan　Shao　believed　it　and　ordered　his　son　Yuan　Tan　with　fifty　thousand　troops　to　rescue　Yejun；　and　General　Xin　Ming　with　another　fifty　thousand　to　go　to　Liyang；　and　they　marched　away　at　once。　Cao　Cao　heard　that　these　armies　had　started；　and　at　once　dispatched　troops　in　eight　divisions　to　make　a　simultaneous　attack　on　the　nearly　empty　camp。　Yuan　Shaos　troops　were　too　dispirited　to　fight　and　gave　way　on　all　sides。

Yuan　Shao　without　waiting　to　don　his　armor　went　forth　in　simple　dress　with　an　ordinary　cap　upon　his　head　and　mounted　his　steed。　His　youngest　son；　Yuan　Shang；　followed　him。　Four　of　the　enemy　generals………Zhang　Liao；　Xu　Chu；　Xu　Huang；　and　Yu　Jin………with　their　forces　pressed　in　his　rear；　and　Yuan　Shao　hastened　across　the　river；　abandoning　all　his　documents　and　papers；　baggage；　treasure；　and　stores。　Only　eight　hundred　horsemen　followed　him　over　the　stream。　Cao　Caos　troops　followed　hard　but　could　not　e　up　with　him。　However；　they　captured　all　his　impedimenta；　and　they　slew　some　eighty　thousands　of　his　army　so　that　the　watercourses　ran　blood　and　the　drowned　corpses　could　not　be　counted。　It　was　a　most　plete　victory　for　Cao　Cao；　and　he　made　over　all　the　spoil　to　the　army。

Among　the　papers　of　Yuan　Shao　was　found　a　bundle　of　letters　showing　secret　correspondence　between　him　and　many　persons　in　the　capital　and　army。

Cao　Caos　personal　staff　suggested　that　the　names　of　those　concerned　should　be　abstracted　and　the　persons　arrested；　but　their　lord　said；　〃Yuan　Shao　was　so　strong　that　even　I　could　not　be　sure　of　safety。　How　much　less　other　people？〃

So　Cao　Cao　ordered　the　papers　to　be　burned　and　nothing　more　was　said。

Now　when　Yuan　Shaos　soldiers　ran　away；　Ju　Shou；　being　a　prisoner；　could　not　get　away　and　was　captured。

Taken　before　Cao　Cao；　who　knew　him；　Ju　Shou　cried　aloud；　〃I　will　not　surrender！〃

Said　Cao　Cao；　〃Yuan　Shao　was　foolish　and　neglected　your　advice：　Why　still　cling　to　the　path　of　delusion？　Had　I　had　you　to　help　me；　I　should　have　been　sure　of　the　empire。〃

Ju　Shou　was　well　treated　in　the　camp；　but　he　stole　a　horse　and　tried　to　get　away　to　Yuan　Shao。　This　angered　Cao　Cao　who　recaptured　him　and　put　him　to　death；　which　he　met　with　brave　posure。

〃I　have　slain　a　faithful　and　righteous　man！〃　then　said　Cao　Cao　sadly。

And　the　victim　was　honorably　buried　at　Guandu。　His　tomb　bore　the　inscription　This　is　the　tomb　of　Ju　Shou　the　Loyal　and　Virtuous　。

Ju　Shou　was　honest　and　virtuous；

The　best　in　Yuan　Shaos　train；

From　him　the　stars　no　secrets　held；

In　tactics　all　was　plain。

For　him　no　terrors　had　grim　death。

Too　lofty　was　his　spirit；

His　captor　slew　him；　but　his　tomb

Bears　witness　to　his　merit。

Cao　Cao　now　gave　orders　to　attack　Jizhou。

In　feeling　over　confident；　thats　where　ones　weakness　lay；

The　other　bettered　him　by　plans　which　never　went　astray。

The　following　chapter　will　tell　who　won　the　next　campaign。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　31　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　31

Chapter　31

Cao　Cao　Overes　Yuan　Shao　In　Cangting；

Liu　Bei　Seeks　Shelter　With　Liu　Biao　In　Jingzhou。

Cao　Cao　lost　no　time　in　taking　advantage　of　Yuan　Shaos　flight；　but　smote　hard　at　the　retreating　army。　Yuan　Shao　without　helmet　or　proper　dress；　and　with　few　followers；　crossed　hastily　to　the　north　bank　at　Liyang。　He　was　met　by　one　of　his　generals；　Jiang　Yiqu；　who　took　him　in　and　forted　him　and　listened　to　the　tale　of　misfortunes。　Next　Jiang　Yiqu　called　in　the　scattered　remnants　of　the　army；　and　when　the　soldiers　heard　that　their　old　lord　was　alive　they　swarmed　to　him　like　ants；　so　that　Yuan　Shao　quickly　became　strong　enough　to　attempt　the　march　to　Jizhou。　Soon　the　army　set　out　and　at　night　halted　at　Huang　Hills。

That　evening；　sitting　in　his　tent；　Yuan　Shao　seemed　to　hear　a　far　off　sound　of　lamentation。　He　crept　out　quietly　to　listen　and　found　it　was　his　own　soldiers　telling　each　other　tales　of　woe。　This　one　lamented　an　elder　brother　lost；　that　one　grieved　for　his　younger　brother　abandoned；　a　third　mourned　a　panion　missing；　a　fourth；　a　relative　cut　off。　And　each　be