小说园

第165部分（第1页）

elings？　I　am　ready　to　follow　you　and　do　as　you　mand。〃

Zhang　Liao　was　elated　at　this　moral　victory；　and　said；　〃Since　I　can　depend　upon　your　help；　my　friend；　then　I　would　ask　you　to　lie　in　ambush　on　the　north　of　Xiaoyao　Ford　in　order　to　destroy　the　Xiaoshi　Bridge　there　as　soon　as　the　army　of　Wu　has　crossed。　I；　with　my　friend　Yue　Jing；　will　smite　the　enemy。〃

Li　Dian　went　away　to　muster　his　troops　and　prepare　the　ambush。

As　has　been　recorded；　the　leaders　of　the　advance　guard　of　the　southern　army　were　the　veterans　Lu　Meng　and　Gan　Ning。　Sun　Quan　and　Ling　Tong　were　in　the　center；　the　other　generals　followed　them。　The　leaders　of　the　van　met　Yue　Jing　first；　and　Gan　Ning　rode　out　and　challenged　him。　After　a　few　bouts；　Yue　Jing　pretended　to　be　defeated　and　fled。　Gan　Ning　called　to　his　colleague　to　join　in　the　pursuit。

When　Sun　Quan　heard　that　this　advance　guard　had　been　successful；　he　hastened　his　army　to　Xiaoyao　Ford。　But　then　there　came　a　series　of　explosions；　and　up　came　Zhang　Liao　and　Li　Dian；　one　on　each　flank。　Sun　Quan　was　unprepared　for　this　and　sent　messengers　to　call　off　the　pursuit　and　ask　for　help　from　Lu　Meng　and　Gan　Ning。　Before　it　could　arrived；　Zhang　Liao　had　e　up。　Manifestly；　Ling　Tong；　who　had　with　him　only　a　small　troop　of　three　hundred　horse；　could　not　long　withstand　the　army　of　Cao　Cao；　but　he　faced　them　and　fought　bravely。

Presently　Ling　Tong　cried　to　his　lord；　〃Cross　the　Xiaoshi　Bridge　and　run　back；　my　lord！〃

Sun　Quan　galloped　for　the　bridge；　but　the　southern　end　had　been　already　broken　down　and　there　was　a　wide　breach　between　the　end　of　the　bridge　and　the　shore。　Not　a　single　plank　was　there　by　which　to　cross。　What　could　be　done？　Sun　Quan　was　in　a　quandary；　and　helpless。

〃Go　back　and　jump　for　it！〃　yelled　one　of　the　generals；　Gu　Li　by　name。

Sun　Quan　did　so。　Backing　his　horse　some　thirty　spans　or　so；　he　then　gave　it　its　head　and　lashed　it　with　his　whip。

The　good　beast　leaped；　cleared　the　chasm　and　his　master　wee　safe　on　the　southern　shore。

Once　Dilu　leant　across　the　Tan　Torrent　wide；

And　when　defeat　did　Sun　Quan　of　Wu　betide；

And　death　came　threateningly　at　Xiaoyao　Ford；

His　steed　too　leapt；　and　saved　him　from　the　sword。

Having　reached　the　farther　shore；　Sun　Quan　embarked　on　one　of　the　boats　of　Xu　Sheng　and　Dong　Xi　and　was　rowed　to　a　place　of　safety；　while　Ling　Tong　and　Gu　Li　were　still　fighting　with　Zhang　Liaos　army。　Gan　Ning　and　Lu　Meng；　ing　to　their　aid；　were　pursued　by　Yue　Jing；　and　Li　Dian　also　stayed　their　progress。　But　the　soldiers　of　the　South　Land　fought　bravely；　half　of　their　force　fell；　and　Ling　Tongs　troop　of　three　hundred　horse　perished　all；　while　Ling　Tong　himself　was　wounded；　but　found　his　way　to　the　bridge。　Finding　it　destroyed；　he　fled　along　the　stream。　Presently　he　was　seen　by　Sun　Quan　from　the　boat　and　taken　on　board　by　Dong　Xi。　Gan　Ning　and　Lu　Meng　also　cut　their　ways　back　to　the　southern　shore。

The　terrible　slaughter　at　this　battle　put　such　fear　into　the　minds　of　the　people　of　the　South　Land　that　the　name　of　Zhang　Liao　kept　the　very　children　quiet　at　night。

When　Sun　Quan　reached　his　camp；　he　richly　rewarded　Ling　Tong　and　Gu　Li。　Then　he　led　his　army　back　to　Ruxu　and　began　to　put　his　ships　in　order　so　that　the　army　and　navy　might　act　in　unison。　He　also　sent　home　for　reinforcements。

Zhang　Liao　reflected　that　he　had　insufficient　force　to　meet　another　attack　if　it　should　be　supported　by　the　navy　of　the　South　Land；　so　he　sent　Xue　Ti　through　the　night　to　carry　an　urgent　message　to　his　master　in　Hanzhong。　When　the　messenger　arrived；　Cao　Cao　saw　that　his　western　expedition　would　have　to　yield　to　the　urgency　of　home　defense。　However；　he　called　in　his　counselors　and　put　a　direct　question　to　them。

〃Can　we　take　West　River　Land　now；　or　not？〃

〃Shu　is　too　well　prepared；　we　cannot；〃　replied　Liu　Ye。　〃It　is　better　to　go　to　the　succor　of　Hefei；　and　then　go　down　the　river　to　take　the　South　Land。〃

Wherefore；　leaving　Xiahou　Yuan　to　station　at　the　Dingjun　Mountain　to　guard　Hanzhong；　and　Zhang　He　to　keep　Mount　Mengtou　Pass；　Cao　Cao　broke　up　his　camp　and　went　toward　Ruxu　with　all　his　manders。

The　armored　horsemen　had　conquered　Hanzhong；

The　ensigns　toward　the　south　were　turned　again。

The　subsequent　course　of　the　war　will　be　unfolded　in　later　chapters。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　68　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　68

Chapter　68

Gan　Nings　Hundred　Horsemen　Raid　The　Northern　Camp；

Zuo　Cis　Flung…Down　Cup　Fools　Cao　Cao。

Sun　Quan　was　occupied　in　ordering　his　army　at　Ruxu　when　he　heard　of　the　ing　of　Cao　Cao　from　Hanzhong　with　four　hundred　thousand　troops　to　the　relief　of　Hefei。　He　told　off　a　fleet　of　fifty　large　ships　to　lie　in　the　port；　while　Chen　Wu　went　up　and　down　the　river　banks　on　the　look…out。

〃It　would　be　well　to　inflict　a　defeat　upon　Cao　Caos　army　before　they　recover　from　the　long　march。　It　would　dishearten　them；〃　said　Zhang　Zhao。

Looking　around　at　the　officers　in　his　tent；　Sun　Quan　said；　〃Who　is　bold　enough　to　go　forth　and　fight　this　Cao　Cao　and　so　take　the　keen　edge　off　the　spirit　of　his　army？〃

And　Ling　Tong　offered　himself；　saying；　〃I　will　go！〃

〃How　many　soldiers　do　you　require？〃

〃Three　thousand　troops　will　suffice；〃　replied　Ling　Tong。