小说园

第215部分（第2页）

Duo　Si　said；　〃O　King；　rest　content。　If　those　men　from　the　River　Lands　e　here；　I　will　see　to　it　that　not　one　goes　home。　And　Zhuge　Liang　will　meet　his　death　here　too。〃

Naturally；　Meng　Huo　was　pleased。　But　he　wanted　to　know　how　his　host　could　feel　so　secure。

Duo　Si　said；　〃In　this　ravine　there　are　only　two　roads；　the　one　you　came　by　and　another　by　the　northwest。　The　road　you　traveled　along　is　level　and　soft；　and　the　waters　are　sweet。　Humans　and　horses　may　both　use　it。　But　if　we　close　the　mouth　of　the　ravine　with　a　barricade；　then　no　one；　however　strong；　can　get　in。　The　other　road　is　precipitous；　dangerous；　and　narrow。　The　only　path　is　beset　with　venomous　serpents　and　scorpions；　and　as　evening　es　on　there　are　malarial　exhalations　which　are　dangerous　till　past　noon　the　next　day。　The　road　is　only　practicable　between　two　watches　before　sunset。　Then　the　water　is　undrinkable。　The　road　is　very　difficult。

〃Then　again　there　are　four　streams　actually　poisonous。　One　is　called　The　Dumb　Spring。　Its　water　is　pleasant　to　the　palate；　but　it　makes　people　dumb　and　they　die　in　a　few　days。　A　second　fountain　is　called　The　Destruction　Spring　and　is　hot。　But　if　a　person　bathes　therein；　his　flesh　rots　till　his　bones　protrude　and　he　dies。　The　third　is　The　Black　Spring。　Its　water　is　clear。　If　it　be　sprinkled　on　a　persons　body；　his　limbs　turn　black　and　presently　he　dies。　The　fourth　is　The　Weak　Spring；　ice　cold。　If　a　person　drink　of　this　water　his　breath　is　chilled；　he　bees　weak　as　a　thread　and　soon　dies。　Neither　birds　nor　insects　are　found　in　this　region；　and　no　one　but　the　Han　General　Ma　Yuan；　who　was　styled　General　Who　Quells　the　Waves　for　this　exploit；　has　ever　passed。　Now　the　northeast　road　shall　be　blocked；　and　you　may　hide　here　perfectly　safe　from　those　troops　of　Shu；　for；　finding　that　way　blocked；　they　will　try　the　other　road；　which　is　waterless　save　for　the　four　deadly　springs。　No　matter　how　many　they　be；　they　will　perish；　and　we　need　no　weapons。〃

〃Now　indeed　I　have　found　a　place　to　live　in；〃　cried　Meng　Huo；　striking　his　forehead。　Then　looking　to　the　north　he　said；　〃Even　Zhuge　Liangs　wonderful　cunning　will　be　of　no　avail。　The　four　springs　alone　will　defeat　him　and　avenge　my　army。〃

The　two　brothers　settled　down　fortably　as　guests　of　King　Duo　Si；　with　whom　they　spent　the　days　in　feasting。

In　the　meantime；　as　the　Mangs　did　not　appear；　Zhuge　Liang　gave　orders　to　leave　the　West　Er　River　and　push　south。　It　was　then　the　sixth　month；　and　blazing　hot。　A　poet　sang　about　the　bitter　heat　of　the　south：

The　hills　are　sere；　the　valleys　dry；

A　raging　heat　fills　all　the　sky；

Throughout　the　whole　wide　universe

No　spot　exists　where　heat　is　worse。

Another　poem　runs：

The　glowing　sun　darts　out　fierce　rays；

No　cloud　gives　shelter　from　the　blaze。

In　parching　heat　there　pants　a　crane；

The　whale　swims　through　the　hissing　main。

The　brooks　cool　margin　now　I　love；

Or　idle　stroll　through　bamboo　grove。

I　would　not　march　to　deserts　far

In　leathern　jerkin　donned　for　war。

Just　at　the　moment　of　setting　out　southward；　the　spies　brought　news　of　Meng　Huos　retreat：　〃Meng　Huo　has　fled　into　the　Bald　Dragon　Ravine；　and　there　he　has　barricaded　the　entrance。　The　valley　is　garrisoned；　the　hills　are　precipitous　and　even　impassable。〃

So　Zhuge　Liang　called　in　Lu　Kai　and　questioned　him；　but　he　did　not　know　exactly　the　conditions。

Then　out　spoke　Jiang　Wan；　saying；　〃Meng　Huos　repeated　captures　have　broken　his　spirit　so　that　he　dare　not　take　the　field　again。　Our　soldiers　are　exhausted　with　this　intense　heat；　and　little　is　to　be　gained　by　prolonging　the　campaign。　The　best　move　would　be　to　return　to　our　own　country。〃

〃If　we　do　this；　we　shall　fall　victims　to　Meng　Huos　scheme；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃If　we　retreated；　he　would　certainly　follow。　Beside；　having　advanced　so　far；　it　would　be　fruitless　to　turn　back　now。〃

Wang　Ping　was　sent　on　with　the　advanced　guard　and　some　of　the　Mangs　as　guides　to　seek　an　entrance　on　the　northwest。　They　found　the　road　and　came　to　the　first　spring………the　Dumb　Spring………；　of　which　the　thirsty　men　and　horses　drank　freely。

Wang　Ping　returned　to　report　his　success；　but　by　the　time　he　reached　camp；　he　and　all　his　soldiers　were　speechless。　They　could　only　point　to　their　mouths。

Zhuge　Liang　knew　they　had　been　poisoned；　and　was　alarmed。　He　went　forward　in　his　light　chariot　to　find　out　the　cause。　He　came　to　the　spring。　The　water　was　very　deep　and　dark　green。　A　mass　of　vapor　hung　about　the　surface　rising　and　falling。　They　would　not　touch　the　water。　Zhuge　Liang　went　up　the　hills　to　look　around；　but　could　see　nothing　except　a　rampart　of　mountains。　A　deep　silence　hung　over　all；　unbroken　by　the　cry　even　of　a　bird。　He　was　perplexed。

＇e＇　Ma　Yuan　（BC　14…AD　49）　a　general　who　first　served　Wang　Mang；　then　join　Liu　Xiu　in　restoring　Han　Dynasty。　In　his　life　of　career；　Ma　Yuan　contributed　much　to　Liu　Xius　success　by　putting　down　rebellions　throughout　the　empire　and　abroad。　。。。。。

Presently　he　noticed　an　old　temple　away　up　among　the　crags。　By　the　aid　of　the　lianas　and　creepers　he　managed　to　clamber　up；　and　in　a　chamber　hewn　out　of　the　rock　he　saw　the　figure　of　an　officer。　Beside　it　was　a　tablet　saying　the　temple　was　dedicated　to　Ma　Yuan*；　the　famous　general　who　had　preceded　him　in　that　country。　The　natives　had　erected　it　to　sacrifice　to　the　leader　who　had　headed　the　campaign　against　the　Mangs。

Zhuge　Liang；　much　impressed；　bowed　before　the　image　of　the　great　leader；　and　said；　〃Your　humble　servant　received　a　sacred　trust；　the　protection　of　the　son　of　the　First　Ruler。　That　son；　the　present　Emperor；　sent　him　here　to　subdue　the　Mangs　that　the　land　might　be　free　from　peril　when　he　decided