小说园

第153部分（第1页）

d　to　name　one；　Id　say　that　the　early　death　of　Pang　Tong　had　the　greatest　impact。。。had　he　lived；　Zhuge　Liang　might　have　lived　longer　as　well；　and　he　wouldnt　have　had　to　be　everywhere　at　once。〃　。。。。。

＇e＇　Karl；　a　reader：　〃Youre　right。　Yeah；　hes　a　guy　who　likes　his　wine　as　well；　like　my　favourite　Cao　Cao。　Ai　mean；　why　da　hell　not？？！？！　To　remain　sober　with　stupid　tasks　that　should　be　delegated　and　all。　Pang　Tong　ranks　high　in　my　thoughts。　Open…minded　guy。　Even　when　on　da　piss　with　Liu　Bei；　hes　VERY　sober。。。　Not　a　time　to　rejoice　to　be　at　war。。。〃　。。。。。

Not　only　was　the　leader　of　the　expedition　slain；　but　more　than　half　of　his　soldiers　fell　in　the　narrow　road　that　fatal　day*。　Some　of　the　troops　in　the　van　escaped　and　ran　off　to　tell　Wei　Yan　of　the　mishap　to　the　army；　and　he　halted　and　turned　back　to　help。　However；　it　was　difficult　to　march　back；　and　he　could　not　hack　a　way　through；　for　the　road　was　held　by　Zhang　Ren；　and　archers　and　crossbowmen　occupied　all　the　heights。

Then　one　of　the　renegades　proposed　that　they　should　try　to　return　along　the　high　road；　and　they　started　for　Luocheng　this　way。　But　in　front　of　them　arose　a　great　cloud　of　dust；　betraying　the　approach　of　an　enemy。　Wu　Lan　and　Lei　Tong；　the　defenders　of　the　city；　were　moving　toward　them；　and　Wei　Yan　was　between　the　two　armies　closed　in　like　the　kernel　of　a　nut。　Wei　Yan　fought　hard　to　get　through。　When　his　case　seemed　most　desperate　and　hopeless；　he　observed　signs　of　confusion　in　the　army　that　lay　between　him　and　the　city。　Soon　that　army　turned　and　faced　the　other　way。　He　pressed　forward　and　presently　saw　troops　of　his　own　side；　led　by　the　veteran　Huang　Zhong。

〃I　will　rescue　you；　Wei　Yan！〃　shouted　Huang　Zhong；　as　he　came　near。

Now　the　defenders　of　Luocheng　found　themselves　between　two　enemies；　and　they　were　smitten　heavily。　They　could　not　check　Wei　Yan　and　Huang　Zhong；　who　got　close　to　the　very　walls　of　Luocheng。　Seeing　them　near；　Liu　Gui；　who　had　been　left　to　defend　the　city；　poured　out　against　them。　Thereupon　Huang　Zhong　and　Wei　Yan；　in　spite　of　the　nearness　of　the　army　of　Liu　Bei；　refused　battle　and　turned　sway　from　the　city。

Liu　Beis　army　made　a　dash　for　two　stockades；　but　when　Zhang　Ren　came　along　the　by…road；　and　the　other　three　defenders　of　the　city　came　on；　the　stockades　could　not　be　held；　and　Liu　Beis　army　had　to　retire。　Now　fighting　and　now　marching；　the　army　of　Liu　Bei　strove　hard　to　reach　River　Fu　Pass；　but　Zhang　Ren　pressed　close。　However；　Liu　Feng　and　Guan　Ping　came　up；　and　not　only　drove　back　the　pursuers　but　chased　them　some　seven　miles。　Finally；　Liu　Bei　and　his　troops　reached　the　Pass；　weary　and　dispirited。　His　son　and　nephew　returned　from　the　pursuit　with　many　horses　they　had　captured　from　the　flying　enemy。　However；　nothing　had　been　gained　and　the　victory　lay　rather　with　the　army　of　the　West　River　Land。

Liu　Bei　sent　to　inquire　about　Pang　Tong。　One　of　the　fugitives　from　the　army　finally　reached　River　Fu　Pass　and　told　Liu　Bei　of　the　sad　news………man　and　horse　wounded　to　death。　Liu　Bei　turned　his　face　to　the　west　and　mourned　bitterly。

Although　the　body　of　the　slain　leader　lay　far　away；　they　instituted　sacrifice　to　call　the　spirit；　and　all　the　generals　keened　for　him。

Then　said　Huang　Zhong；　〃Now　that　our　leader　is　no　more；　certainly　the　enemy　will　return　to　attack　the　Pass。　What　is　to　be　done？　I　think　we　had　better　send　to　Jingzhou　for　Zhuge　Liang　and　get　him　to　lay　plans　for　getting　possession　of　the　West　River　Land。〃

And　even　then　came　in　one　to　say　that　the　enemy　under　Zhang　Ren　had　e　and　were　now　offering　a　challenge　at　the　rampart。

Huang　Zhong　and　Wei　Yan　wished　to　go　forth　to　fight；　but　Liu　Bei　disapproved；　saying；　〃We　have　suffered　a　severe　check；　and　the　soldiers　are　low…spirited。　Let　us　rather　remain　on　the　defensive　until　the　Directing　Instructor　can　arrive。〃

Huang　Zhong　and　Wei　Yan　made　no　objection；　but　set　themselves　to　guard　the　Pass　most　vigilantly；　while　a　letter　was　written　to　Zhuge　Liang　and　sent　by　the　hand　of　Guan　Ping。　He　set　forth　at　once；　and　Liu　Bei　gave　himself　up　to　holding　the　Pass。

In　Jingzhou；　it　was　the　seventh　day　of　the　seventh　moon；　and　in　the　evening　Zhuge　Liang　invited　his　officers　to　a　banquet。　Conversation　turned　toward　the　enterprise　in　the　West　River　Land。　Suddenly　a　large　and　brilliant　meteor　appeared　falling　in　the　west；　illuminating　the　whole　sky。　It　so　disturbed　the　host　that　he　dashed　his　wine　cup　to　the　ground；　covered　his　face；　and　burst　into　tears。

〃Alas！　Alas！〃

The　guests　eagerly　asked　him　why　he　wept。

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃I　knew　by　my　calculations　that　the　bowl　of　the　Dipper　would　be　in　the　west　at　this　season　and　that　the　auspices　would　be　unfavorable　to　leaders　of　armies；　and　lo！　the　Heavens　have　gone　against　our　army。　When　Venus　was　about　to　stand　over　Luocheng；　I　wrote　to　our　lord　warning　him　to　be　very　cautious。　I　never　contemplated　the　falling　of　the　star　this　evening。　Now　Pang　Tong　is　no　more。〃

Again　he　fell　to　weeping。　〃My　lord　has　lost　an　arm！〃　moaned　he。

The　guests　were　rather　disturbed；　but　they　only　half　believed　that　such　a　misfortune　had　happened。

〃We　shall　hear　the　sad　news　in　a　very　few　days；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

The　banquet　ended　sadly　enough；　and　the　guests　went　their　ways。　A　few　days　later；　while　Zhuge　Liang　was　sitting　with　Guan　Yu　and　a　few　others；　they　reported　the　arrival　of　Guan　Ping　with　letters　from　the　west。　When　the　letters　were　opened；　they　knew　that　Pang　Tong　had　fallen　the　same　evening　that　the　meteor　had　appeared。

Zhuge　Liang　wailed；　and　the　others　wept　with　him。

Then　Zhuge　Liang　said；　〃I　must　go　to　help　our　lord。　He　is　hemmed　in　at　the　Pass　and　cannot　move。〃

〃If　you　go　away；　who　will　guard　this　region？〃　asked　Guan　Yu。　〃It　is　of　very　great　importance。〃

〃Our　lord　has　not　written　plainly；　but　I　know　what　was　in　his　mind。〃　Then　he　showed　the　letter　to　the　others　and　said；　〃Provision　for　the　defense　of　this　region　is　laid　upon　me；　and　I　am　to　find　one　equal　to　the　task。　I　read　the　letter　to　mean　that　he　desires　Guan　Yu　to　undertake　the　defense；　and　I　know　that　Guan　Yu　will　do　it　for　the　sake　of　the　pledge　taken　long　ago　in　the　Peach　Garden。　The　task　is　no　light　one。〃

Guan　Yu　accepted　without　hesitation　or　thought　of　excuse。　A　special　banquet　was　prepared　at　which　the　seal　was　to　be　handed　over　to　him。

〃All　the　future　rests　with　you；　General；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang　as　he　raised　the　symbol　of　office　to　place　it　in　the　hands　of　the　mander。