小说园

第30部分（第1页）

on　to　plundering　the　surrounding　country。　They　wanted　him　to　go　against　it　without　loss　of　time。

〃With　our　soldiers　fresh　from　victory；　the　city　will　fall　at　a　tap　of　the　drum；〃　said　they。

So　Cao　Cao　marched　the　army　straight　to　the　city。　An　attack　was　quite　unexpected　but　the　two　leaders；　Xue　Lan　and　Li　Fang；　hurried　out　their　few　soldiers　to　fight。　Xu　Chu；　the　latest　recruit；　said　he　wished　to　capture　these　two　and　he　would　make　of　them　an　introductory　gift。

The　task　was　given　him　and　he　rode　forth。　Li　Fang　with　his　halberd　advanced　to　meet　Xu　Chu。　The　bat　was　brief　as　Li　Fang　fell　in　the　second　bout。　His　colleague　Xue　Lan　retired　with　his　troops。　But　he　found　the　drawbridge　had　been　seized　by　Li　Dian；　so　that　he　could　not　get　shelter　within　the　city。　Xue　Lan　led　his　men　toward　Juye。　But　Lu　Qian　pursued　and　killed　him　with　an　arrow。　His　soldiers　scattered　to　the　four　winds。　And　thus　Yanzhou　was　recaptured。

Next　Cheng　Yu　proposed　an　expedition　to　take　Puyang。　Cao　Cao　marched　his　army　out　in　perfect　order。　The　van　leaders　were　Dian　Wei　and　Xu　Chu；　Xiahou　Dun　and　Xiahou　Yuan　led　the　left　wing；　Li　Dian　and　Yue　Jing　led　the　right　wing；　Yu　Jin　and　Lu　Qian　guarded　the　rear。　Cao　Cao　himself　manded　the　center。

When　they　approached　Puyang；　Lu　Bu　wished　to　go　out　in　person　and　alone　to　attack；　but　his　adviser　Chen　Gong　protested；　saying；　〃General；　you　should　not　go　out　until　the　arrival　of　the　other　officers。〃

〃Whom　do　I　fear？〃　said　Lu　Bu。

So　he　threw　caution　to　the　winds　and　went　out　of　the　city。　He　met　his　foes　and　he　began　to　revile　them。　The　redoubtable　Xu　Chu　went　to　fight　with　him；　but　after　twenty　bouts　neither　batant　was　any　the　worse。

〃He　is　not　the　sort　that　one　man　can　overe；〃　said　Cao　Cao。

And　he　sent　Dian　Wei　to　attack　Lu　Bu　from　another　direction。　Lu　Bu　stood　the　double　onslaught。　Soon　after　the　flank　manders　joined　in………Xiahou　Dun　and　Xiahou　Yuan　attacking　the　left；　Li　Dian　and　Yue　Jing　surrounding　the　right。　Lu　Bu　had　six　opponents。　These　proved　really　too　many　for　him　so　he　turned　his　horse　and　rode　back　to　the　city。

But　when　the　members　of　the　Tian　family　saw　him　ing　back　beaten；　they　raised　the　drawbridge。

Lu　Bu　shouted；　〃Open　the　gates！　Let　me　in！〃

But　the　Tians　said；　〃We　have　gone　over　to　Cao　Cao！〃

This　was　hard　to　hear　and　the　beaten　man　abused　them　roundly　before　he　left。　Chen　Gong　got　away　through　the　east　gate　taking　with　him　the　generals　family。

Thus　Puyang　came　into　Cao　Caos　hands；　and　for　their　present　services　the　Tian　family　were　pardoned　their　previous　fault。

However；　Liu　Ye　said；　〃Lu　Bu　is　a　savage　beast。　If　let　alive；　he　will　be　a　great　danger。　Hunt　him　down！〃

Liu　Ye　was　ordered　to　keep　Puyang。　Wherefore　Cao　Cao　determined　to　follow　Lu　Bu　to　Dingtao　whither　he　had　gone　for　refuge。

Lu　Bu；　Zhang　Miao；　and　Zhang　Chao　were　assembled　in　the　city。　Gao　Shun　and　other　generals　were　out　foraging。　Cao　Cao　army　arrived　but　did　not　attack　for　many　days；　and　presently　he　withdrew　fifteen　miles　and　made　a　stockade。　It　was　the　time　of　harvest；　and　he　set　his　soldiers　to　cut　the　wheat　for　food。　The　spies　reported　this　to　Lu　Bu　who　came　over　to　see。　But　when　he　saw　that　Cao　Caos　stockade　lay　near　a　thick　wood；　he　feared　an　ambush　and　retired。　Cao　Cao　heard　that　Lu　Bu　had　e　and　gone　and　guessed　the　reason。

〃He　fears　an　ambush　in　the　wood；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃We　will　set　up　flags　there　and　deceive　him。　There　is　a　long　embankment　near　the　camp　but　behind　it　there　is　no　water。　There　we　will　lay　an　ambush　to　fall　upon　Lu　Bu　when　he　es　to　burn　the　wood。〃

So　Cao　Cao　hid　all　his　soldiers　behind　the　embankment　except　half　a　hundred　drummers；　and　he　got　together　many　peasants　to　loiter　within　the　stockade　as　though　it　was　not　empty。

Lu　Bu　rode　back　and　told　Chen　Gong　what　he　had　seen。

〃This　Cao　Cao　is　very　crafty　and　full　of　wiles；〃　said　the　adviser。　〃Do　not　act。〃

〃I　will　use　fire　this　time　and　burn　out　his　ambush；〃　said　Lu　Bu。

Next　morning　Lu　Bu　rode　out；　and　there　he　saw　flags　flying　everywhere　in　the　wood。　He　ordered　his　troops　forward　to　set　fire　on　all　sides。　But　to　his　surprise　no　one　rushed　out　to　make　for　the　stockade。　Still　he　heard　the　beating　of　drums　and　doubt　filled　his　mind。　Suddenly　he　saw　a　party　of　soldiers　move　out　from　the　shelter　of　the　stockade。　He　galloped　over　to　see　what　it　meant。

Then　the　signal…bombs　exploded；　out　rushed　the　troops　and　all　their　leaders　dashed　forward。　Xiahou　Dun；　Xiahou　Yuan；　Xu　Chu；　Dian　Wei；　Li　Dian；　and　Yue　Jing　all　attacked　at　once。　Lu　Bu　was　at　a　loss　and　fled　into　the　open　country。　One　of　his　generals；　Cheng　Lian；　was　killed　by　an　arrow　of　Yue　Jing。　Two　thirds　of　his　troops　were　lost；　and　the　beaten　remainder　went　to　tell　Chen　Gong　what　had　e　to　pass。

〃We　had　better　leave；〃　said　Chen　Gong。　〃An　empty　city　cannot　be　held。〃

So　Chen　Gong　and　Gao　Shun；　taking　their　chiefs　family　with　them；　abandoned　Dingtao。　When　Cao　Caos　soldiers　got　into　the　city；　they　met　with　no　resistance。　Zhang　Chao　mitted　suicide　by　burning　himself。　Zhang　Miao　fled　to　Yuan　Shu。

Thus　the　whole　northeast　fell　under　the　power　of　Cao　Cao。　He　immediately　tranquilized　the　people　and　rebuilt　the　cities　and　their　defenses。

Lu　Bu　in　his　retreat　fell　in　with　his　generals；　and　Chen　Gong　also　rejoined　him；　so　that　he　was　by　no　means　broken。

〃I　have　but　small　army；〃　said　Lu　Bu；　〃but　still　enough　to　break　Cao　Cao。〃

And　so　he　retook　the　backward　road。　Indeed：

Thus　does　fortune　alternate；　victory；　defeat；

The　happy　conqueror　today；　tomorrow；　must　retreat？

What　was　the　fate　of　Lu　Bu　will　appear　later。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　13　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　13