小说园

第181部分（第2页）

Guan　Yu　saw　it；　but　the　bowstring　twanged；　and　the　arrow　came　flying。　He　was　not　nimble　enough　to　avoid　it；　and　it　wounded　his　left　arm。　Guan　Ping　at　once　went　to　his　fathers　assistance　and　led　him　away　to　the　camp。　Pang　De　wished　to　follow　up　this　advantage　and　came　back　whirling　his　sword；　but；　ere　he　could　strike；　the　gongs　of　his　own　side　rang　out。　He　thought　there　was　something　amiss　in　the　rear　and　stopped。

The　signal　for　retreat　had　been　sounded　by　Yu　Jin　out　of　jealousy；　for　he　had　seen　that　Guan　Yu　had　been　wounded；　and　he　grudged　his　colleague　the　glory　which　would　eclipse　his　own。　Pang　De　obeyed；　but　when　he　got　back；　he　wanted　to　know　why　retreat　had　been　sounded　on　the　very　verge　of　a　great　success。

〃Why　did　the　gongs　clang？〃　asked　Pang　De。

〃Because　of　our　Princes　warning。　Though　Guan　Yu　was　wounded；　I　feared　some　trick　on　his　part。　He　is　very　cunning。〃

〃I　should　have　killed　him　if　you　had　not　done　that；〃　said　Pang　De。

〃Haste　makes　slow　going。　You　can　postpone　your　fight　with　him；〃　said　Yu　Jin。

Pang　De；　though　ignorant　of　the　real　reason　why　he　was　made　to　miss　success　at　the　critical　moment；　was　still　very　vexed。

Guan　Yu　went　back　to　camp；　and　the　arrow…head　was　puled　out　of　the　wound。　Happily　it　had　not　penetrated　very　deeply；　and　the　usual　remedies　against　injuries　by　metal　were　applied。

Guan　Yu　was　very　bitter　against　his　enemy　and　declared；　〃I　swear　I　will　have　my　revenge　for　this　arrow。〃

〃Never　mind　anything　but　recovering　now；〃　said　his　officers。　〃Rest　and　get　well；　then　you　may　fight　again。

Before　long；　Pang　De　renewed　his　challenge；　and　Guan　Yu　was　for　going　out　to　fight；　however；　he　yielded　to　the　entreaties　of　his　officers。　And　when　Pang　De　set　his　soldiers　to　reviling　the　warrior；　Guan　Ping　saw　to　it　that　his　father　never　heard　it。　After　ten　days　of　challenges　hurled　uselessly　at　an　army　that　ignored　them；　Pang　De　took　council　with　Yu　Jin。

〃Evidently　Guan　Yu　is　helpless　from　the　effects　of　that　arrow…wound。　We　ought　to　advance　all　our　seven　armies　against　him　while　he　is　ill　and　destroy　his　camp。　Thereby　we　shall　relieve　Fancheng。〃

Thus　spoke　Pang　De；　but　jealousy　of　the　glory　that　might　accrue　to　his　next　in　mand　again　made　Yu　Jin　urge　caution　and　obedience　to　the　mand　of　the　Prince　of　Wei。　Yu　Jin　refused　to　move　his　army　in　spite　of　Pang　Des　repeated　persuasion。　Still　more；　Yu　Jin　led　the　armies　to　a　new　camping　ground　behind　the　hills　some　three　miles　north　of　Fancheng。　There　his　own　army　prevented　munication　by　the　main　road；　while　he　sent　Pang　De　into　a　valley　in　the　rear　so　that　Pang　De　could　do　nothing。

To　Guan　Pings　great　joy；　Guan　Yus　wound　soon　healed。　Soon　after　they　heard　of　Yu　Jins　new　camp；　and　as　Guan　Ping　could　assign　no　reason　for　the　change；　and　suspected　some　ruse；　he　told　his　father；　who　went　up　to　a　high　place　to　reconnoiter。

Looking　round；　Guan　Yu　noted　that　there　seemed　much　slackness　about　everything………from　flags　to　soldiers………in　Fancheng；　that　the　relief　armies　were　camped　in　a　valley　to　the　north；　and　that　River　Xiang　seemed　to　run　very　swiftly。　After　impressing　the　topography　on　his　mind；　he　called　the　guides　and　asked　the　name　of　the　gully　about　three　miles　north　of　the　city。

〃Zengkou　Stream；〃　was　the　reply。

He　chuckled。

〃I　shall　capture　Yu　Jin；〃　said　he。

Those　with　him　asked　how　he　knew　that。

He　replied；　〃Why；　how　can　any　fish　last　long　in　such　a　trap？〃

Those　in　his　train　gave　but　little　weight　to　what　he　said；　and　presently　he　went　back　to　his　own　tent。　It　was　just　then　the　time　for　the　autumn　rains；　and　a　heavy　downpour　came　on；　lasting　several　days。　Orders　were　given　to　get　ready　boats　and　rafts　and　such　things。　Guan　Ping　could　not　think　what　such　preparations　meant　in　a　dry　land　campaign。　So　he　asked　his　father。

〃Do　you　not　know　even？〃　replied　his　father。　〃Our　enemies　have　camped　in　difficult　ground　instead　of　the　open　country　and　are　crowded　in　the　dangerous　valley　there。　After　some　days　of　this　rain；　River　Xiang　will　swell；　and　I　shall　send　people　to　dam　up　all　the　outlets　and　so　let　the　water　rise　very　high。　When　at　its　highest；　I　shall　open　the　dams　and　let　the　water　out　over　Fancheng。　That　valley　will　be　flooded　too；　and　all　the　soldiers　will　bee　aquatic　animals。〃

The　Wei　armies　had　camped　in　the　gully；　and　after　several　days　of　heavy　rain；　Army　Inspector　Cheng　He　ventured　to　speak　to　his　mander。

He　said；　〃The　army　is　camped　near　the　mouth　of　a　stream　in　a　depression。　There　are　hills　around　us；　but　they　are　too　far　off　to　keep　the　water　away。　Our　soldiers　are　already　suffering　from　these　heavy　rains；　and；　moreover；　they　say　the　Jingzhou　troops　have　moved　to　higher　ground。　More　than　that；　at　River　Han　they　are　preparing　boats　and　rafts　so　that　they　can　take　advantage　of　the　floods　if　there　are　any。　Our　army　will　be　in　great　danger；　and　something　should　be　done。〃

But　Yu　Jin　scoffed　at　his　words；　saying；　〃You　fool！　Do　you　want　to　injure　the　spirit　of　our　soldiers？　Talk　no　more；　or　your　head　will　be　fallen。〃

Cheng　He　went　away　greatly　ashamed。

Then　Cheng　He　went　to　Pang　De；　who　saw　the　force　of　his　words　and　said；　〃What　you　said　is　excellent。　If　Yu　Jin　will　not　move　camp　tomorrow；　I　myself　will　do　so。〃

So　Cheng　He　left　it　at　that。

That　night　there　came　a　great　storm。　As　Pang　De　sat　in　his　tent；　he　heard　the　sound　as　of　ten　thousand　horses　in　stampede　and　a　roar　as　of　the　drums　of　war　seeming　to　shake　the　earth。　He　was　alarmed；　left　his　tent；　and　mounted　his　charger　to　go　and　see　what　it　meant。　Then　he　saw　the　rolling　waters　ing　in　from　every　side　and　the　seven　armies　flying　from　the　flood；　which　speedily　rose　to　the　height　of　ten　spans。　Yu　Jin；　Pang　De；　and　several　other　officers　sought　safety　by　rushing　up　the　hills。

As　day　dawned；　Guan　Yu　and　his　marines　came　along　in　large　boats　with　flags　flying　and　drums　beating。　Yu　Jin　saw　no　way　of　escape；　and　his　following　was　reduced　to　about　fifty　or　sixty　soldiers。　They　all　said　they　surrendered。　Guan　Yu　made　them　strip　and　then　took　them　on　board。

After　that　he　went　to　capture　Pang　De；　who　was　standing　on　a　hillock　with　Dong　Heng；　Dong　Chao；