小说园

第210部分（第1页）

t　of　his　army；　so　that　he　will　not　feel　inclined　to　make　any　expeditions　further。　Ma　Chao　is　in　mand　at　the　passes　between　Wei　and　Hanzhong。　I　shall　also　leave　Guan　Xing　and　Zhang　Bao　with　forces　to　reinforce　any　point　where　danger　may　appear。　I　can　assure　Your　Majesty　that　no　untoward　event　will　happen。

〃I　am　going　to　sweep　clean　the　Mang　country；　so　that　we　may　have　a　free　hand　to　attack　Wei　when　the　day　es。　Thus　I　shall　be　enabled　to　requite　the　honor　paid　me　by　your　father　the　First　Ruler；　who　came　thrice　to　seek　me　and　who　doubled　my　obligation　when　he　confided　to　me　the　care　of　his　son。〃

〃Indeed　I　am　young　and　ignorant；〃　replied　the　Latter　Ruler；　〃and　can　only　exist　with　you　to　decide　for　me。〃

At　that　moment　Counselor　Wang　Lian；　a　man　of　Nanyang；　stepped　forward；　crying；　〃No；　no；　Sir；　you　may　not　go！　The　South　Mang　is　a　wild　country　reeking　with　malaria。　It　is　wrong　that　an　officer　of　state　in　such　an　exalted　and　responsible　position　should　go　away　on　a　distant　expedition。　These　rebels　and　tribespeople　are　but　an　irritation；　not　a　disease；　and　an　ordinary　leader　would　be　enough　to　send　against　them。　He　would　not　fail。〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　〃This　country　of　the　Mangs　is　distant　and　mostly　tribal。　To　pacify　them　will　be　difficult；　and　I　feel　I　ought　to　go。　When　to　be　harsh　and　when　to　show　leniency　are　matters　to　be　decided　on　at　the　moment；　and　instructions　cannot　be　easily　given　to　another。〃

Zhuge　Liang　steadily　opposed　all　Wang　Lians　efforts　to　bring　about　a　change　of　intention；　and　he　soon　took　leave　of　the　Latter　Ruler　and　made　ready　to　start。

Jiang　Wan　was　Army　Counselor　of　the　expedition；　Fei　Yi；　Secretary；　Dong　Jue　and　Fan　Jian；　Army　Inspectors；　Zhao　Yun　and　Wei　Yan；　manders；　Wang　Ping　and　Zhang　Yi；　Deputy　manders。　Beside　these　were　other　half　a　hundred　leaders　and　officers　of　Shu；　and　the　whole　force　was　five　hundred　thousand　troops。

Soon　after　the　force　marched　south　to　Yizhou；　Guan　Suo；　the　third　son　of　Guan　Yu；　appeared　and　wished　to　see　Zhuge　Liang。

And　Guan　Suo　said　to　him；　〃After　the　fall　of　Jingzhou；　I　was　hidden　by　the　Bao　family　from　where　I　wanted　to　go　to　the　River　Lands　to　ask　the　First　Ruler　for　a　revenge　for　my　father。　But　I　fell　in　illness；　which　was　long　and　severe；　and　I　only　just　recovered。　I　was　then　traveling　toward　Chengdu　to　meet　with　the　Latter　Ruler；　when　I　met　the　army　in　the　south　expedition。　I　know　that　vengeance　has　been　taken　on　the　murderers　of　my　father。　And　now　I　want　to　present　myself　to　the　Prime　Minster。〃

Zhuge　Liang　was　greatly　affected　to　see　him。　He　sent　news　of　the　young　mans　arrival　to　the　court　and　gave　Guan　Suo　a　post　of　Van　Leader。

The　army；　foot　and　horse；　marched　in　the　best　of　order；　eating　when　hungry；　drinking　when　thirsty；　camping　at　night；　and　moving　by　day。　No　plundering　was　permitted；　and　the　people　suffered　not　at　all。

When　Yong　Kai　and　his　fellow　rebels　heard　that　Zhuge　Liang　was　marching　against　them；　they　called　their　troops　together　and　formed　three　divisions；　Gao　Ding　in　the　center；　Yong　Kai　on　the　left；　and　Zhu　Bao　on　the　right。　They　mustered　about　fifty　thousand　troops　in　each　army；　and　they　went　to　oppose　the　march　of　the　Shu　army。

Gao　Ding　sent　E　Huan　to　lead　the　van。　This　E　Huan　was　nine　spans　tall　in　stature；　and　savage　of　countenance。　His　weapon　was　a　two…bladed　halberd。　He　was　very　valiant　and　could　face　many　warriors。　He　led　his　own　cohort　out　in　advance　of　the　main　body　and　fell　in　with　the　leading　bodies　of　the　Shu　army　immediately　after　they　had　got　into　Yizhou。

The　two　sides　drew　up　for　battle。　The　arrays　being　plete；　Wei　Yan　rode　out　and　vilified　the　rebels；　shouting；　〃O　malcontent！　Be　quick　to　surrender！〃

Instead；　E　Huan　galloped　out　and　fought　with　Wei　Yan。　After　a　few　bouts　Wei　Yan　seemed　to　be　bested　and　fled。　But　this　was　only　a　ruse。　As　E　Huan　followed；　the　gongs　clanged　and　from　left　and　right　poured　out　Zhang　Yi　and　Wang　Ping。　Wei　Yan　turned　around；　and　three　generals　besieged　and　captured　E　Huan。

He　was　taken　to　the　tent　of　Zhuge　Liang；　who　bade　his　attendants　loose　his　bonds；　gave　him　wine；　and　forted　him。

Then　Zhuge　Liang　asked；　〃Whom　do　you　belong　to？〃

E　Huan　replied；　〃I　am　one　of　the　generals　under　Gao　Ding。〃

〃I　know　Gao　Ding　as　a　loyal　and　good　sort；　but　he　has　been　led　away　by　this　Yong　Kai。　Now　I　shall　release　you；　but　you　are　to　bring　Gao　Ding　to　his　senses　and　see　to　it　that　he　es　to　surrender　and　avoids　grave　disaster。〃

E　Huan　thanked　him　and　withdrew。　He　went　to　his　own　side　and　soon　saw　Gao　Ding。　He　told　Gao　Ding　what　Zhuge　Liang　had　said；　and　Zhuge　Liangs　kindly　feeling　deeply　affected　Gao　Ding。

Next　day；　Yong　Kai　came　over　to　Gao　Dings　camp　to　visit　him。

After　the　exchange　of　salutations；　Yong　Kai　asked；　〃How　did　E　Huan　manage　to　return？〃

〃Zhuge　Liang　released　him　out　of　pure　kindness；〃　replied　Gao　Ding。

〃This　is　a　ruse　of　his　to　separate　you　from　me：　He　wishes　to　make　us　enemies。〃

Gao　Ding　almost　believed　this　too；　and　he　was　much　perplexed。

Just　then　the　watchers　reported　that　the　leaders　of　Shu　had　e　up　and　were　offering　battle。　So　Yong　Kai　led　out　thirty　thousand　troops　to　take　up　the　challenge。　But　after　the　third　encounter　he　fled。　Wei　Yan　pursued　him　and　smote　for　a　distance　of　seven　miles。

Next　day　Yong　Kai　challenged；　but　the　soldiers　of　Shu　refused　to　fight；　and　remained　within　their　lines　for　three　days。　On　the　fourth　day　Yong　Kai　and　Gao　Ding　divided　their　troops　into　two　parts　and　came　to　attack　the　camp。　Now　Zhuge　Liang　had　told　Wei　Yan　to　wait　for　this　double　attack；　and　so　when　it　came　to　pass；　both　divisions　fell　into　an　ambush　and　suffered　great　loss；　many　being　killed　and　more　captured。

The　prisoners　were　taken　to　the　camp；　and　the　soldiers　belonging　to　the　two　leaders………Yong　Kai　and　Gao　Ding………were　confined　separately。　Then　Zhuge　Liang　told　the　soldiers　to　let　it　be　known　that　only　those　belonging　to　Gao　Ding　would　be　spared；　the　others　would　be　put　to　death。　When　time　had　been　given　for　this　story　to　spread　among　the　prisoners；　Yong　Kais　troops　were　brought　up　to　the　manders　tent。

〃Whose　soldiers　were　you？〃　asked　Zhuge　Liang。

〃Gao　Dings；〃　cried　they　all；　falsely。

Then　they　were　all　pardoned；　and；　after　being　given　wine　and　food；　they　were　taken　to　the　frontier　and　set　free。

Next　the　real　Gao　Dings　soldiers　were　brought　forward；　and　the　same　question　was　put　to　them。