小说园

第289部分（第2页）

Thereupon　he　returned　to　the　council　chamber　and　issued　his　mands。　Du　Yu　was　made　mander…in…Chief　and；　with　one　hundred　thousand　troops；　was　to　attack　Jiangling；　Sima　Zhou；　Prince　of　Langye　and　General　Who　Guards　the　East；　was　to　attack　Tuzhong；　Wang　Hun；　General　Who　Conquers　the　East；　to　go　up　against　Hengjiang；　Wang　Rong；　General　Who　Exhibits　Prowess；　to　move　against　Wuchang；　Hu　Fen；　General　Who　Pacifies　the　South；　to　attack　Xiakou。　And　all　divisions；　fifty　thousand　troops　each；　were　under　the　orders　of　Du　Yu。　In　addition　to　the　land　forces；　two　large　fleets　were　to　operate　on　the　river　under　Wang　Jun；　General　Who　Shows　Dragon　Courage；　and　Tang　Bin；　General　Who　Possesses　Martial　Bravery。　Marines　and　lands　troops　amounted　to　more　than　two　hundred　thousand。　A　separate　force　under　Yang　Ji；　General　Who　Holds　the　South；　was　sent　away　to　Xiangyang　to　coordinate　all　forces。

The　Ruler　of　Wu　was　greatly　alarmed　at　the　news　of　such　armies　and　fleets；　and　he　called　to　him　quickly　his　Prime　Minister　Zhang　Ti；　Minister　of　the　Interior　He　Zhi；　and　Minister　of　Works　Teng　Xun；　to　consult　how　to　defend　his　land。

Zhang　Ti　proposed：　〃Send　mander　of　the　Flying　Chariots　Wu　Yan　to　meet　the　enemy　at　Jiangling；　mander　of　the　Flying　Cavalry　Sun　Xin　to　Xiakou；　I　volunteer　to　take　mand　of　a　camp　at　Niuzhu；　together　with　the　General　of　the　Left　Army　Shen　Zong　and　General　of　the　Right　Army　Zhuge　Xing；　ready　to　lend　help　at　any　point。〃

The　Ruler　of　Wu　approved　his　dispositions　and　felt　satisfied　that　he　was　safe　by　land。　But　in　the　privacy　of　his　own　apartment　he　felt　miserable；　for　he　realized　that　no　preparations　had　been　made　against　an　attack　by　water　under　the　Wei　leader　Wang　Jun。

Then　the　favorite　eunuch　Cen　Hun　asked　the　Emperor　why　he　bore　a　sad　countenance；　and　Sun　Hao　told　him　of　his　dread　of　the　enemy　navy。

〃The　armies　of　Jin　are　ing；　and　I　have　deployed　troops　for　general　defense。　Only　the　water　front；　by　which　Wang　Jun　and　his　several　thousand　battleships　sail　east　along　the　tide；　makes　me　feel　so　worried。〃

〃But　I　have　a　scheme　that　will　smash　all　Wang　Juns　ships！〃　cried　Cen　Hun。

〃What　is　it？〃　asked　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　pleased　to　hear　this。

〃Iron　is　plentiful。　Make　great　chains　with　heavy　links　and　stretch　them　across　the　river　at　various　points。　Also　forge　many　massive　hammers　and　arrange　them　in　the　stream；　so　that　when　the　enemys　ships　sail　down　before　the　wind；　they　will　collide　with　the　hammers　and　be　wrecked。　Then　they　will　sail　no　more。〃

Blacksmiths　were　soon　at　work　on　the　river　bank　welding　the　links　and　forging　the　hammers。　Work　went　on　day　and　night；　and　soon　all　the　chains　were　placed　in　different　points。

As　has　been　said　Du　Yu　was　to　attack　Jiangling；　and　he　sent　General　Zhou　Zhi　with　eight　hundred　sailors　to　sail　secretly　along　the　Great　River　to　capture　Yuexiang。　There　they　were　to　make　an　ambush　in　the　Bashan　Mountains　and　a　great　show　of　flags　along　the　bank　and　among　the　trees。　Drums　were　to　be　beaten　and　bombs　exploded　during　the　day　and　many　fires　lighted　at　night　to　give　the　appearance　of　a　great　army。

So　Zhou　Zhi　sailed　to　the　Bashan　Mountains。

Next　day　Du　Yu　directed　the　army　and　the　marine　forces　in　a　simultaneous　advance。

The　scouts　reported：　〃The　Ruler　of　Wu　has　sent　the　land　force　under　Wu　Yan；　the　navy　under　Lu　Jing；　and　the　vanguard　under　Sun　Xin！〃

Du　Yu　led　his　forces　forward。　The　vanguard　of　Wu；　under　Sun　Xin；　came　up；　and　at　the　first　encounter　Du　Yus　army　retired。　Sun　Xin　landed　his　marines　and　pursued。　But　in　the　midst　of　the　pursuit　a　signal　bomb　sounded；　and　Sun　Xin　was　attacked　on　all　sides　by　the　Jin　troops。　He　tried　to　retire；　but　the　army　he　had　been　pursuing；　Du　Yus　force；　turned　back　too　and　joined　in　the　attack。　Wus　losses　were　very　heavy；　and　Sun　Xin　hastened　back　to　the　city。　But　the　eight　hundred　Jin　soldiers　of　Zhou　Zhi　mingled　with　the　Wu　army　at　the　ramparts　and　so　entered　the　gates。　The　Jin　soldiers　raised　signal　fires　on　the　walls。

This　maneuver　amazed　Sun　Xin；　and　he　said；　〃The　northern　troops　had　surely　flown　across　the　river　into　the　city！〃

Sun　Xin　made　an　effort　to　escape；　but　the　leader　of　Jin；　Zhou　Zhi；　unexpectedly　appeared　and　slew　him。

Admiral　Lu　Jing　of　the　Wu　fleet　of　that　had　acpanied　Sun　Xin　saw　on　the　south　shore；　in　the　Bashan　Mountains；　a　great　standard　bearing　the　name　Jin　General　Who　Guards　the　South　Du　Yu　。　Lu　Jing　became　alarmed　and　landed　to　try　to　escape；　but　the　Jin　General　Zhang　Shang　soon　found　and　slew　him。

At　his　position　at　Jiangling；　Wu　Yan　heard　of　these　defeats　and　knew　his　position　was　untenable；　so　he　fled。　However；　he　was　soon　captured　and　led　into　the　presence　of　the　victorious　general。

〃No　use　sparing　you；〃　said　Du　Yu；　and　he　sentenced　the　prisoner　to　death。

Thus　Jiangling　was　captured　and　all　the　counties　along　the　River　Xiang　and　River　Yuan　as　far　as　Huangzhou；　which　surrendered　at　the　first　summons。

Du　Yu　sent　out　officers　to　soothe　the　people　of　the　conquered　counties；　and　they　suffered　nothing　from　the　soldiery。　Next　he　marched　toward　Wuchang；　and　that　city　also　yielded。　So　the　glory　of　Du　Yu　became　very　great。　He　then　summoned　his　officers　to　a　council　to　decide　upon　attacking　Capital　Jianye。

Hu　Fen　said；　〃A　one…century　rebellion　will　not　be　reduced　pletely　at　once。　The　time　of　the　spring　rise　of　waters　is　near；　and　our　position　is　precarious。　We　should　do　well　to　await　the　ing　spring。〃

Du　Yu　replied；　〃In　the　days　of　old；　Yue　Yi　overcame　the　powerful　state　Qi　in　one　battle　in　Jixi。　Our　prestige　is　now　high　and　success　certain；　easy　as　the　splitting　of　a　bamboo；　which　seems　to　wele　the　knife　after　the　first　few　joints　have　been　overe。　We　shall　meet　no　great　opposition。〃

So　Du　Yu　gave　orders　to　the　various　leaders　to　move　in　concert　against　the　capital　land　of　Jianye。

Now　the　Jin　leader　Wang　Jun　had　gone　down　the　riv