小说园

第44部分（第1页）

spiracy　against　Lu　Bu。〃

〃But　if　they　helped　him；　on　the　other　hand；　we　should　lengthen　the　tigers　claws　and　teeth；〃　said　Chen　Gui。

So　Chen　Deng　could　only　approve　of　his　fathers　precautions。

Yuan　Shu　returned　home　burning　to　avenge　his　defeat；　so　he　sent　to　the　South　Land　to　ask　a　loan　of　troops　from　Sun　Ce。

But　Sun　Ce　said；　〃On　the　strength　of　holding　the　State　Seal；　he　secretly　calls　himself　emperor　and　rebels　against　the　Hans。　I　would　rather　punish　such　a　renegade　than　help　him。〃

So　Sun　Ce　rejected。　The　letter　refusing　help　added　to　Yuan　Shus　anger。

〃What　next　from　this　callow　youth？〃　cried　Yuan　Shu。　〃I　will　smite　him　before　I　deal　with　the　others。〃

But　his　adviser；　Yang　Dajiang；　dissuaded　him　from　this　course。

Having　refused　help　to　his　powerful　rival；　Sun　Ce　thought　it　wise　to　take　measures　for　his　own　safety。　So　he　stationed　an　army　at　Jiangkou。　Soon　after　came　a　messenger　from　Cao　Cao　bearing　Sun　Ces　appointment　as　Governor　of　Kuaiji　with　orders　to　raise　an　army　and　reduce　Yuan　Shu。

Sun　Ce　was　inclined　to　carry　out　these　orders；　but　he　called　a　council　at　which　Zhang　Zhao　opposed　this　course。

Said　he；　〃Although　recently　defeated；　Yuan　Shu　has　large　army　and　ample　supplies。　He　is　not　to　be　attacked　lightly。　You　had　better　write　to　Cao　Cao　persuading　him　to　attack　the　South　of　River　Huai　and　we　will　be　auxiliaries。　Between　the　two　armies；　Yuan　Shu　must　certainly　be　defeated。　If　by　the　remotest　chance　we　lose；　we　have　Cao　Cao　to　e　to　our　rescue。〃

This　plan　was　adopted；　and　a　messenger　was　sent　to　lay　it　before　Cao　Cao。　In　the　meantime；　after　the　defeat　at　River　Yu；　Cao　Cao　had　reached　Xuchang　where　his　first　thought　was　to　institute　sacrifices　to　his　beloved　lost　leader；　Dian　Wei。　He　conferred　rank　upon　his　son　Dian　Man　and　took　him　into　his　own　palace　to　be　cared　for。

Presently　arrived　Sun　Ces　messenger　with　letters；　and　next　came　a　report　that　Yuan　Shu；　being　short　of　food；　had　made　a　raid　on　Chenliu。　Cao　Cao　thought　the　moment　opportune；　so　he　issued　orders　for　the　south　expedition；　leaving　Cao　Ren　to　hold　the　capital。　The　army　marched；　horse　and　foot；　one　hundred　seventy　thousand；　with　missariat　wagons　of　food　to　the　number　of　over　a　thousand。　Messages　were　sent　to　summon　Sun　Ce；　Liu　Bei；　and　Lu　Bu。

Liu　Bei　was　the　first　to　wele　the　grand　army　at　his　Yuzhou　borders；　and　he　was　called　in　to　the　Prime　Ministers　tent。　After　the　usual　salutations；　two　human　heads　were　produced　by　Liu　Bei。

〃Whose　are　these？〃　asked　Cao　Cao　in　surprise。

〃The　heads　of　Han　Xian　and　Yang　Feng。〃

〃Why　did　this　happen？〃

〃They　were　sent　to　control　Yidu　and　Langye；　but　they　allowed　their　soldiers　to　plunder　the　people。　Bitter　plaints　arose；　so　I　invited　them　to　a　banquet　and　my　brothers　dispatched　them　when　I　gave　the　signal　by　dropping　a　cup。　Their　armies　gave　in　at　once。　Now　I　have　to　apologize　for　my　fault。〃

〃You　have　removed　an　evil；　which　is　a　grand　service：　Why　talk　of　a　fault？〃

And　Cao　Cao　praised　Liu　Beis　action。

When　the　joint　army　reached　Lu　Bus　Xuzhou　borders；　he　came　to　meet　it。　Cao　Cao　spoke　graciously　to　him　and　conferred　upon　him　the　title　of　General　of　the　Left　Army；　promising　him　an　official　seal　as　soon　as　he　returned　to　the　capital。　Lu　Bu　was　very　pleased。

Then　the　three　armies　were　made　into　one　force；　Cao　Cao　being　in　the　center；　Lu　Bu　to　the　left　wing；　and　Liu　Bei　to　the　right　wing。　Xiahou　Dun　and　Yu　Jin　were　Leaders　of　the　Van。

On　Yuan　Shus　side；　General　Qiao　Rui　with　fifty　thousand　troops　was　appointed　Van　Leader。　The　armies　met　on　the　confines　of　the　city　of　Shouchun。　Qiao　Rui　and　Xiahou　Dun　rode　out　and　opened　battle。　But　Qiao　Rui　fell　in　the　third　bout；　and　his　troops　fled　into　the　city。

Then　came　news　that　Sun　Ces　fleet　was　near　and　would　attack　on　the　west。　The　other　three　land　corps　took　each　one　face………Cao　Cao　on　the　north；　Lu　Bu　on　the　east；　and　Liu　Bei　on　the　south。　The　city　of　Shouchun　was　in　a　parlous　state。

At　this　juncture　Yuan　Shu　summoned　his　officers。

Yang　Dajiang　explained　the　case；　〃Shouchun　has　suffered　from　drought　for　several　years；　and　the　people　are　on　the　verge　of　famine。　Sending　an　army　would　add　to　the　distress　and　anger　the　people；　and　victory　would　be　uncertain。　I　advise　not　to　send　any　more　soldiers　there；　but　to　hold　on　till　the　besiegers　are　conquered　by　lack　of　supplies。　Meanwhile；　Your　Highness；　with　regiment　of　guards；　will　move　over　to　the　other　side　of　River　Huai；　which　is　quite　ready；　and　we　shall　also　escape　the　enemys　ferocity。〃

So　due　arrangements　was　made。　One　hundred　thousand　troops　under　Li　Deng；　Yue　Jiu；　Liang　Gang；　and　Chen　Ji　were　appointed　to　guard　Shouchun。　Then　a　general　move　was　made　to　the　other　side　of　the　River　Huai。　Not　only　the　remained　army　went　over；　but　all　the　accumulated　wealth　of　the　Yuan　family；　gold　and　silver；　jewels　and　precious　stones；　were　moved　also。

Cao　Caos　army　of　one　hundred　seventy　thousand　needed　daily　a　considerable　quantity　of　food；　and　as　the　country　around　had　been　famine…stricken　for　several　years；　nothing　could　be　got　there。　So　he　tried　to　hasten　the　military　operations　and　capture　the　city。　On　the　other　hand；　the　defenders　knew　the　value　of　delay　and　simply　held　on。　After　a　months　vigorous　siege；　the　fall　of　Shouchun　seemed　as　far　off　as　it　was　at　first；　and　supplies　were　very　short。　Letters　were　sent　to　Sun　Ce　who　sent　a　hundred　thousand　carts　of　grain。　When　the　usual　distribution　became　impossible；　the　Chief　of　the　missariat；　Ren　Jun；　and　the　Controller　of　the　Granaries；　Wang　Hou；　presented　a　statement　asking　what　was　to　be　done。