小说园

第281部分（第1页）

each　other。　But　the　visitor　did　not　like　the　look　on　the　faces　of　his　hosts　guards。　He　decided　to　find　out　what　Zhong　Hui　was　thinking。

〃The　capture　of　Hanzhong　is　a　piece　of　excellent　fortune　for　the　state；〃　said　Deng　Ai。　〃The　capture　of　Saber　Pass　can　now　be　acplished　easily。〃

〃What　is　your　own　idea；　General？〃　asked　Zhong　Hui。

Deng　Ai　tried　to　evade　answering　the　question；　admitting　he　had　no　good　suggestion。　But　Zhong　Hui　pressed　him　to　reply。

Finally　he　said；　〃In　my　simple　opinion　one　might　proceed　by　by…roads　from　the　pass　through　the　Yinping　Mountains　to　Deyang　in　Hanzhong；　and　thence　make　a　surprise　march　to　Chengdu。　Jiang　Wei　must　go　to　its　defense；　and　you；　General；　can　take　the　Saber　Pass。〃

〃A　very　good　plan；〃　said　Zhong　Hui。　〃You　may　start　forthwith；　and　I　will　wait　here　till　I　hear　news　of　your　success。〃

They　drank；　and　Deng　Ai　took　his　leave。　Zhong　Hui　went　back　to　his　own　tent　filled　with　contempt　for　Deng　Ais　plan。　which　he　thought　impracticable。

〃They　say　Deng　Ai　is　able。　I　think　he　is　of　most　ordinary　capacity；〃　said　he　to　his　officers。

〃But　why？〃　said　they。

〃Because　the　by…roads　by　Yinping　Mountains　are　impassable；　nothing　but　lofty　cliffs　and　steep　hills。　A　hundred　defenders　at　a　critical　point　could　cut　all　munications；　and　Deng　Ais　army　would　starve　to　death。　I　shall　go　by　the　direct　road；　and　there　is　no　fear　about　the　result。　I　shall　overe　Shu。〃

So　he　prepared　scaling　ladders　and　stone…throwing　machines　and　set　himself　to　besiege　Saber　Pass。

Deng　Ai　went　out　to　the　main　gate　of　the　court。　While　mounting；　he　said　to　his　followers；　〃What　did　Zhong　Hui　think　of　me？〃

〃He　looked　as　though　he　held　a　poor　opinion　of　what　you　had　said；　General；　and　disagreed　with　you；　although　his　words　were　fair　enough。〃

〃He　thinks　I　cannot　take　Chengdu。　So　I　shall　take　it！〃

He　was　received　at　his　own　camp　by　Shi　Zuan　and　his　son　Deng　Zhong；　and　a　party　of　others　of　his　generals；　and　they　asked　what　the　conversation　had　been　about。

〃I　told　Zhong　Hui　simple　truth；　but　he　thinks　I　am　just　a　mon　person　of　no　ability　to　speak　of。　He　regards　the　capture　of　Hanzhong　as　an　inparable　feat　of　arms。　Where　would　he　have　been　if　I　had　not　held　up　Jiang　Wei　at　Tazhong？　But　I　think　the　capture　of　Chengdu　will　beat　that　of　Hanzhong。〃

That　night　the　camp　was　broken　up；　and　Deng　Ai　set　his　army　out　upon　a　long　march　along　the　mountainous　paths。　At　twenty　miles　from　Saber　Pass　they　made　a　camp。　The　scouts　told　Zhong　Hui　of　his　movement；　and　Zhong　Hui　laughed　at　the　attempt。

From　his　camp　Deng　Ai　sent　a　letter　to　Sima　Zhao。

Then　he　called　his　officers　to　his　tent　and　asked　them；　saying；　〃I　am　going　to　make　a　dash　for　Chengdu　while　it　is　still　undefended；　and　success　will　mean　unfading　glory　for　us　all。　Will　you　follow　me？〃

〃We　will　follow　you　and　obey　your　orders；〃　cried　they　all。

So　the　final　dispositions　were　made。　Deng　Zhong　and　three　thousand　troops　went　first　to　improve　the　road。　His　troops　wore　no　armor；　but　they　had　axes　and　boring　tools。　They　were　to　level　roads　and　build　bridges。

Next　went　thirty　thousand　troops　furnished　with　dry　grain　and　ropes。　At　every　one　hundred　miles　they　were　to　make　a　post　of　three　thousand。

In　autumn　of　that　year；　they　left　Yinping；　and　in　the　tenth　month　they　were　in　most　precipitous　country　of　the　Yinping　Mountains。　They　had　taken　twenty　days　to　travel　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles。　They　were　in　an　uninhabited　country。　After　garrisoning　the　various　posts　on　the　way；　they　had　only　two　thousand　soldiers　left。　Before　them　stood　a　range　named　Heaven　Cliffs；　which　no　horse　could　ascend。　Deng　Ai　climbed　up　on　foot　to　see　his　son　and　the　troops　with　him　opening　up　a　road。　They　were　exhausted　with　fatigue　and　weeping。

Deng　Ai　asked　why　they　were　so　sad；　and　his　son　replied；　〃We　have　found　an　impassable　precipice　away　to　the　northwest　which　we　cannot　get　through。　All　our　labor　has　been　in　vain。〃

Deng　Ai　said；　〃We　have　got　over　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　and　just　beyond　is　Jiangyou。　We　cannot　go　back。　How　can　one　get　tiger　cubs　except　by　going　into　tiger　caves？　Here　we　are；　and　it　will　be　a　very　great　feat　to　capture　Chengdu。〃

They　all　said　they　would　go　on。　So　they　came　to　the　precipice。　First　they　threw　over　their　weapons；　then　the　leader　wrapped　himself　in　blankets　and　rolled　over　the　edge；　next　the　generals　followed　him；　also　wrapped　in　blankets。　Those　who　had　not　blankets　were　let　down　by　cords　round　the　waist；　and　others　clinging　to　trees　followed　one　after　another　till　all　had　descended　and　the　Heaven　Cliffs　was　passed。　Then　they　retook　their　armor　and　weapons　and　went　on　their　way。

They　came　across　a　stone　by　the　roadside。　It　bore　a　mysterious　inscription；　translated　literally　it　read：

＇e＇　Two　Lius　were　just　founded；　armies　pass　by　here。　Deng　Ai　and　Zhong　Hui　pete；　both　soon　die。

〃This　stone　is　a　message　of　Zhuge　Liang　the　Prime　Minister：　Two　fires　were　just　founded；　armies　pass　by　here。　Two　soldiers　pete；　both　soon　die。〃*

Deng　Ai　was　astonished。　Presently　he　bowed　before　the　stone　and　prayed　to　the　spirit　of　Zhuge　Liang。

〃O　Martial　Lord；　immortal！　I　grieve　that　I　am　not　thy　worthy　disciple。〃

The　rugged　lofty　mountain　peaks

Of　Yinping；　pierce　the　sky；

The　somber　crane　with　wearied　wing

Can　scarcely　over　them　fly。

Intrepid　Deng　Ai　in　blankets　wrapped

Rolled　down　the　craggy　steep；

His　feat　Zhuge　Liang　prophesied

By　insight　wondrous　deep。