小说园

第206部分（第1页）

Before　long；　knowledge　of　these　things　came　to　the　Middle　Land；　and　a　report　was　sent　to　Capital　Luoyang　and　made　known　to　the　Ruler　of　Wei。

Cao　Pi　felt　relieved　and　was　glad　of　the　death　of　his　rival；　saying；　〃Liu　Bei　is　dead：　I　am　no　longer　worried。　An　attack　during　the　critical　moment　can　bring　a　victory　over　Shu。〃

But　Jia　Xu　dissuaded　him；　saying；　〃Liu　Bei　is　gone；　but　surely　he　has　confided　the　care　of　the　state　to　Zhuge　Liang；　who　is　indebted　to　him　so　deeply。　He　will　exhaust　every　effort　to　support　his　young　lord。　You　may　not　hastily　attack。〃

As　Jia　Xu　tendered　this　remonstrance；　a　man　suddenly　stepped　out　from　the　serried　ranks　of　courtiers　and　said　fiercely；　〃If　you　neglect　this　moment；　can　you　expect　a　more　favorable　opportunity？〃

All　eyes　turned　to　the　speaker。　It　was　Sima　Yi。

The　interruption　greatly　pleased　Cao　Pi；　who　at　once　asked　how　it　was　to　be　done。

Sima　Yi　propounded　his　plan　in　the　following　speech：　〃It　would　be　very　difficult　to　obtain　success　with　our　own　resources。　Hence　we　must　use　five　armies　and　attack　all　round　at　the　same　time；　so　as　to　divide　Zhuge　Liang。〃

〃Where　are　the　five　armies　to　e　from？〃　said　Cao　Pi。

＇e＇　Lu　Wang　was　a　master　strategist；　founding　minister　of　Zhou　Dynasty；　counselor　to　King　Wen。　Before　joining　King　Wen；　Lu　Wang　had　been　a　fisher；　who　mediated　on　the　river　bank　on　political　events。　。。。。。

Sima　Yi　went　on；　〃The　first　is　to　be　got　from　Liaodong；　from　the　Xianbi　State。　You　must　write　to　King　Kebi　Neng　and　send　him　presents　of　gold　and　silks　so　that　he　may　send　one　hundred　thousand　Qiang　troops　from　Liaoxi　to　attack　Xiping　Pass。　Secondly；　the　king　of　the　Mang　Tribes；　Meng　Huo；　must　be　persuaded　to　lead　one　hundred　thousand　troops　to　attack　the　south　of　Shu………Yizhou；　Yongchang；　Zangge；　and　Yuesui。　Thirdly；　you　must　send　an　ambassador　to　Wu　with　fair　promises　of　an　increase　of　territory；　and　so　induce　Sun　Quan　to　march　one　hundred　thousand　troops　to　the　attack　of　the　Three　Gorges；　making　Fucheng　his　objective。　The　fourth　army　can　be　got　from　General　Meng　Da　in　Shangyong；　who　can　muster　one　hundred　thousand　troops　to　attack　Hanzhong。　Lastly；　our　own　force　of　one　hundred　thousand　troops　may　be　placed　under　Cao　Zhen；　who　will　attack　by　way　of　Yangping　Pass。　With　five　hundred　thousand　troops　making　simultaneous　attacks　along　five　different　directions；　it　would　be　hard　for　Zhuge　Liang　to　hold　his　own；　even　if　he　had　the　talent　of　Lu　Wang*　himself。〃

The　scheme　delighted　Cao　Pi；　who　at　once　cast　about　for　four　glib…tongued　messengers。　He　also　issued　a　mission　to　Cao　Zhen　as　mander…in…Chief　with　the　order　to　take　Yangping　Pass。

At　this　time　Zhang　Liao　and　most　others　of　the　veterans　who　had　served　Cao　Cao　were　keeping　watch　in　various　stations　and　passes　and　fords　in　Jizhou；　Xuzhou；　Qingzhou；　and　Hefei。　They　were　not　summoned　for　this　expedition　to　the　west。

After　the　accession　of　Liu　Shan；　the　Latter　Ruler；　many　of　those　who　had　served　his　father　gradually　died　after　the　decease　of　their　master。　The　work　of　the　administration　of　the　country；　the　choice　of　officials；　law…making；　taxation；　decision　of　legal　cases；　was　all　done　by　the　Prime　Minister。

As　the　Latter　Ruler　had　no　consort；　the　courtiers；　headed　by　Zhuge　Liang；　proposed；　saying；　〃The　daughter　of　the　late　General　of　the　Flying　Cavalry　Zhang　Fei　is　prudent；　and　she　is　now　seventeen。　Your　Majesty　should　make　her　Empress。〃

So　Lady　Zhang　was　married　to　the　Emperor　and　became　Empress　Zhang。

It　was　in　the　autumn　of　the　first　year　of　Beginning　Prosperity　（AD　223）　that　the　Latter　Ruler　heard　of　the　plans　and　intentions　of　Wei　against　his　state。

The　persons　who　told　him　gave　him　full　details　said：　〃Wei　has　mustered　five　armies　of　one　hundred　thousand　each　to　march　against　the　River　Lands。　The　first　army　led　by　mander…in…Chief　Cao　Zhen　is　heading　to　Yangping　Pass。　The　second　army　from　Shangyong　led　by　the　rebel　Meng　Da　is　planning　to　attack　Hanzhong。　The　third　army　from　Wu　is　threatening　the　Three　Gorges。　The　fourth　army　under　King　Kebi　Neng　of　the　Qiang　tribes　is　marching　to　Xiping　Pass。　And　the　fifth　army　by　Meng　Huo　of　the　Mang　nations　is　approaching　the　southern　border　near　Yizhou；　Yongchang；　Zangge；　and　Yuesui。　The　border　stations　have　sent　flying　requests　for　help。　We　have　informed　the　Prime　Minister。　But　his　conduct　puzzles　us。　We　do　not　know　why　he　does　not　take　some　action　instead　of　remaining　shut　up　in　his　palace　all　the　time。〃

The　Latter　Ruler　became　really　alarmed；　and　he　sent　one　of　his　personal　attendants　to　call　the　Prime　Minister　to　court。

The　servant　was　gone　a　long　time；　and　then　returned　to　say：　〃The　servants　in　the　residence　said　the　Prime　Minister　was　ill　and　not　to　be　seen。〃

The　young　Emperors　distress　increased；　and　he　sent　two　High　Ministers………Dong　Yun　and　Du　Qiong………to　Zhuge　Liang；　saying　they　were　to　see　him　even　if　he　was　on　his　couch　and　tell　him　the　dreadful　news　of　invasion。　They　went；　but　they　got　no　farther　than　the　gate。　The　keepers　of　the　gate　refused　them　admission。

But　Du　Qiong　said；　〃The　First　Ruler　had　confided　his　son　to　the　Prime　Minister。　It　has　not　been　long　since　His　Majestys　accession　to　the　Throne　that　Cao　Pi　threatens　to　invade　our　territories　with　five　armies。　This　is　urgent　military　matter。　How　can　the　Prime　Minister　make　illness　as　an　excuse　not　to　appear？〃

The　wardens　of　the　gate　went　inside　with　what　was　said。

After　keeping　them　waiting　a　long　time；　the　wardens　returned；　saying；　〃The　Prime　Minister　is　rather　better　and　will　be　at　court　in　the　morning。〃

The　two　ministers　sighed　deeply　as　they　wended　their　way　to　the　Emperors　palace。

Next　morning　a　great　crowd　of　officers　assembled　at　the　gate　of　the　Prime　Ministers　residence　to　wait　for　him　to　appear。　But　he　did　not　e　out。　It　began　to　grow　late；　and　many　of　them　were　tired　of　waiting；　and　the　crowd　dispersed。