小说园

第170部分（第2页）

〃It　was　the　fault　of　Ren　Kui；　who　disobeyed　orders。〃

〃Defend　the　Pass　most　carefully。　Do　not　engage；〃　said　Ma　Chao。

Ma　Chao　sent　a　report　to　Capital　Chengdu　and　awaited　orders　for　a　further　action。　Cao　Hong　suspected　some　ruse　when　Ma　Chao　remained　so　long　inactive；　and　retired　to　Nanzheng。

Here　he　was　visited　by　Zhang　He；　who　asked；　〃General；　why　did　you　retire　after　the　successful　attack　and　slaughter　of　one　of　the　enemy　leaders？〃

〃Seeing　that　Ma　Chao　declined　to　e　out　to　fight；　I　suspected　some　ruse；〃　replied　Cao　Hong。　〃Beside；　when　I　was　at　Yejun　that　wonderful　soothsayer；　Guan　Lu；　foretold　the　loss　of　a　leader　here。　I　heeded　what　he　said　and　so　was　careful。〃

Zhang　He　laughed；　〃You　have　been　a　leader　of　soldiers　for　half　your　life；　and　yet　you　heed　the　sayings　of　a　soothsayer！　I　may　be　of　small　wit；　but　I　would　take　Baxi　with　my　own　troops；　and　the　possession　of　Baxi　would　be　the　key　to　the　whole　of　Shu。〃

〃The　defender　of　Baxi　is　Zhang　Fei；〃　said　Cao　Hong。　〃He　is　no　ordinary　man　to　meet。　One　must　be　careful。〃

〃All　of　you　fear　this　Zhang　Fei；　but　I　do　not。　I　look　upon　him　as　a　mere　nobody。　I　shall　have　to　capture　him　this　time。〃

〃But　if　you　fail；　what　then？〃

〃Then　I　shall　be　content　to　pay　the　penalty　according　to　military　rules。〃

Cao　Hong　made　him　put　his　undertaking　in　writing；　and　then　Zhang　He　marched　to　the　attack。

The　proud　are　often　defeat；

Lightsome　attacks　oft　fail。

The　following　chapter　will　tell　how　Zhang　He　fared。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　70　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　70

Chapter　70

Zhang　Fei　Takes　Wakou　Pass　With　Tactics；

Huang　Zhong　Captures　Tiandang　Mountain　By　Stratagem。

Zhang　Hes　army；　with　which　he　felt　so　sure　of　victory；　consisted　of　thirty　thousand　troops；　and　they　were　in　three　camps………Camp　Dangqu；　Camp　Mengtou；　and　Camp　Dangshi………which　were　protected　by　the　hills。　When　Zhang　He　marched；　he　left　half　the　soldiers　in　each　camp　as　defenders。

The　news　soon　reached　Baxi；　and　Zhang　Fei　called　in　his　colleague　Lei　Tong　to　give　his　opinion。

Lei　Tong　said；　〃The　country　is　bad　and　the　hills　full　of　danger　in　the　area　of　Langzhong。　Let　us　lay　an　ambush。　You；　General；　go　out　to　give　battle；　and　I　will　help　you　by　a　sudden；　unexpected　attack。　We　ought　to　get　Zhang　He。〃

Whereupon　Zhang　Fei　gave　five　thousand　troops　to　Lei　Tong；　and　himself　led　out　ten　thousand　troops　to　a　point　ten　miles　from　Langzhong。　Having　set　them　in　order；　he　rode　out　and　challenge　Zhang　He　to　single　bat。　Zhang　He　galloped　out　to　meet　him。

After　the　thirtieth　or　so　bout；　Zhang　Hes　ranks　suddenly　began　to　shout　and　soon　showed　signs　of　confusion。　The　reason　was　the　appearance　of　the　banners　of　Shu　from　the　cover　of　some　hills。　Zhang　He　dared　not　continue　to　fight；　and　he　fled。　Zhang　Fei　pursued　him。　Lei　Tong　also　appeared　in　his　road　and　attacked；　and　so；　with　enemies　on　both　sides；　Zhang　He　forced　his　way　out　and　lost　the　day。　Both　Zhang　Fei　and　Lei　Tong　continued　to　smite　him；　even　into　the　night；　till　he　got　back　to　his　camp　at　Dangqu。

Zhang　He　reverted　to　his　old　plan　of　defending　the　three　camps；　rolling　down　logs　and　hurling　stones。　But　he　remained　behind　his　defenses。　Zhang　Fei　made　a　camp　three　miles　off。

Next　day　Zhang　Fei　went　forth　and　offered　battle；　but　Zhang　He　took　no　notice。　Zhang　He　ascended　to　the　summit　of　the　hill　and　drank　wine　to　the　acpaniment　of　trumpets　and　drums；　but　he　would　not　fight。　Zhang　Fei　bade　his　soldiers　shout　insults；　but　these　had　no　effect。　Lei　Tong　was　sent　up　the　hill；　but　the　rolling　logs　and　hurtling　stones　forced　him　to　retire。　Then　the　defenders　of　the　other　two　camps　came　out　to　the　attack；　and　Lei　Tong　was　disfited。

Next　day　Zhang　Fei　again　offered　battle；　but　there　was　no　response。　Again　the　soldiers　yelled　every　form　of　insult；　but　Zhang　He　from　the　hill　top　only　replied　by　similar　abuse。　Zhang　Fei　was　at　his　wits　ends；　and　this　game　was　played　for　more　than　fifty　days。

Then　Zhang　Fei　made　a　strong　stockade　just　in　front　of　the　hill；　and　therein　he　sat　day　after　day　drinking　till　he　became　half　drunk。　And　when　he　was　so；　he　reviled　his　opponent。

About　this　time　Liu　Bei　sent　gifts　to　the　army；　and　when　the　messenger　went　back；　he　told　Liu　Bei　that　his　brother　was　giving　himself　over　to　wine。　This　made　Liu　Bei　anxious；　so　he　lost　no　time　in　asking　advice　from　Zhuge　Liang。

Zhuge　Liang　was　jocular；　saying；　〃Since　that　is　so；　let　us　send　him　fifty　vessels　of　the　best　brew　of　Chengdu。　He　probably　has　but　poor　stuff　in　the　camp。〃

〃But　he　has　always　had　a　weakness　for　wine；　and　he　has　failed　because　of　it。　Yet　you　would　encourage　him　to　drink　by　sending　him　more　wine？〃

〃My　lord；　is　it　that　you　do