第一小说网

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第38部分（第1页）

shout；　〃If　the　owner　of　this　had　not　fled；　he　would　have　been　stabbed　to　death！〃

On　the　other　side　they　hung　out　Sun　Ces　helmet；　and　the　soldiers　shouted　back；　〃Sun　Ces　head　is　here　already！〃

Both　sides　thus　yelled　defiance　at　each　other；　one　side　boasting；　the　other　bragging。　Then　Taishi　Ci　rode　out　challenging　Sun　Ce　to　a　duel　to　the　death；　and　Sun　Ce　would　have　accepted。

But　Cheng　Pu　said；　〃My　lord　should　not　trouble　himself。　I　will　take　him。〃

And　Cheng　Pu　rode　forth。

〃You　are　no　antagonist　for　me；〃　said　Taishi　Ci。　〃Tell　your　master　to　e　out。〃

This　incensed　Cheng　Pu；　who　rode　at　his　opponent；　and　they　two　fought　thirty　bouts。　The　duel　was　stopped　by　the　gongs　of　Liu　Yao。

〃Why　did　you　sound　the　retreat？〃　said　Taishi　Ci。　〃I　was　just　going　to　capture　the　wretch。〃

〃Because　I　have　just　heard　that　Que　has　been　captured。　Zhou　Yu　led　a　surprise　force　thither；　and　Chen　Wu　was　in　league　with　him　to　betray　the　city。　We　have　no　home　now。　I　will　hasten　to　Moling　to　get　the　help　of　Xue　Li　and　Ze　Rong　to　retake　the　city。〃

The　army　retired；　Taishi　Ci　with　it；　without　being　pursued。

On　the　other　side　Zhang　Zhao　said　to　Sun　Ce；　〃Zhou　Yus　attack　is　the　cause　of　this　move；　they　are　in　no　mood　to　fight。　A　night　raid　on　their　camp　would　finish　them。〃

The　army　was　divided　into　five　divisions　for　the　night　surprise　and　hastened　toward　the　camp　where　they　scored　a　victory。　Their　opponents　scattered　in　all　directions。　Taishi　Ci　alone　made　a　determined　stand；　and　as　he　could　not　withstand　a　whole　army；　he　fled　with　ten　horsemen　to　Jingxian。

Now　Sun　Ce　acquired　a　new　adherent　in　the　person　of　Chen　Wu。　He　was　a　soldier　of　middle　height；　sallow　of　plexion　and　red　eye；　an　odd　looking　man。　But　Sun　Ce　held　him　in　high　esteem；　appointed　him　mander；　and　put　him　in　the　van　of　the　attack　on　Xue　Li。　As　Van　Leader；　Chen　Wu　and　a　dozen　horsemen　made　a　dash　into　the　enemys　formation；　where　they　slew　half　a　hundred　men。　So　Xue　Li　would　not　fight　but　remained　within　his　defenses。　As　Sun　Ce　was　attacking　the　city；　a　spy　came　in　with　the　news　that　Liu　Yao　and　Ze　Rong　had　gone　to　attack　Niuzhu；　which　made　Sun　Ce　move　thither　in　haste。　His　two　opponents　were　ready　for　battle。

〃I　am　here！〃　said　Sun　Ce；　〃You　had　better　give　in。〃

A　general　came　out　from　behind　Liu　Yao　to　accept　the　challenge。　It　was　Yu　Mi。　But　in　the　third　bout　Sun　Ce　made　him　prisoner　and　carried　him　off　to　the　other　side。　Seeing　his　colleague　thus　captured；　Fan　Neng　rode　out　to　the　rescue　and　got　quite　close。　But　just　as　he　was　going　to　thrust；　all　Sun　Ces　soldiers　shouted；　〃There　is　a　man　behind　you　going　to　strike　secretly！〃

At　this　Sun　Ce　turned　and　shouted　so　thunderously　loud　that　Fan　Neng　fell　out　of　his　saddle　from　mere　fright。　He　split　his　skull　and　died。　When　Sun　Ce　reached　his　standard；　he　threw　his　prisoner　to　the　ground。　And　Yu　Mi　was　also　dead；　crushed　to　death　between　the　arm　and　the　body　of　his　captor。　So　in　a　few　moments　Sun　Ce　had　disposed　of　two　enemies；　one　crushed　to　death　and　one　frightened　to　death。　Thereafter　Sun　Ce　was　called　the　Little　Prince。

Liu　Yao　had　a　defeat。　The　greater　portion　of　his　force　surrendered；　and　the　number　of　those　slain　exceeded　ten　thousand。　Liu　Yao　himself　fled　to　Yuzhang　and　sought　safety　with　Liu　Biao；　Imperial　Protector　of　Jingzhou。

An　attack　on　Moling　was　the　next　move。　As　soon　as　Sun　Ce　arrived　at　the　moat；　he　summoned　mander　Xue　Li　to　surrender。　Someone　let　fly　a　furtive　arrow　from　the　wall　which　wounded　Sun　Ce　in　the　left　thigh　so　severely　that　he　fell　from　his　steed。　Hastily　his　officers　picked　up　their　wounded　chief　and　returned　to　the　camp　where　the　arrow　was　pulled　out　and　the　wound　dressed　with　the　medicines　suitable　for　injuries　by　metals。

By　Sun　Ces　mand　the　story　was　spread　abroad　that　the　hurt　had　been　fatal；　and　all　the　soldiers　set　up　cries　of　lamentation。　The　camp　was　broken　up。　Xue　Li；　Zhang　Ying；　and　Chen　Heng　made　a　night　sortie　but　fell　into　a　carefully　prepared　ambush。

Presently　Sun　Ce　himself　appeared　on　horseback；　shouting：　〃Sun　Ce　is　here　still！〃

His　sudden　appearance　created　such　a　panic　that　the　soldiers　dropped　their　weapons　and　fell　on　their　faces。　Sun　Ce　gave　orders　not　to　kill　them。　But　their　leaders　fell：　Zhang　Ying　from　Chen　Wus　spear　thrust　as　he　turned　to　run　away；　Chen　Heng　was　killed　by　Jiang　Qins　arrow；　and　the　mander；　Xue　Li；　was　slain　in　the　turbulence。　Thus　Sun　Ce　got　possession　of　Moling。　Having　calmed　the　people；　he　sent　his　soldiers　away　to　Jingxian；　where　Taishi　Ci　was　in　mand。

Taishi　Ci　had　assembled　two　thousand　veterans　in　addition　to　his　own　troops　for　the　purpose　of　avenging　his　master。　Sun　Ce　and　Zhou　Yu　on　the　other　hand　consulted　how　to　capture　him　alive。

Zhou　Yu　planned；　〃Attack　the　city　on　three　sides；　leaving　the　east　gate　free　for　flight。　Some　distance　off　an　ambush　shall　be　prepared；　when　Taishi　Ci；　his　men　fatigued　and　horses　spent；　shall　fall　an　easy　victim。〃

The　latest　recruits　under　Taishi　Cis　banner　were　mostly　hillmen　and　unaccustomed　to　discipline。　Beside；　the　walls　of　the　city　were　pitiably　low。　One　night　Sun　Ce　ordered　Chen　Wu　to　strip　off　his　long　dress；　leave　his　arms　save　a　dagger；　clamber　up　the　ramparts；　and　set　fire　to　the　city。　Seeing　the　flames　spreading；　Taishi　Ci　made　for　the　east　gate　and；　as　soon　as　he　got　outside；　Sun　Ce　followed　in　pursuit。　The　pursuit　was　maintained　for　some　fifteen　miles　when　the　pursuers　stopped。

Taishi　Ci　went　on　as　long　as　possible；　finally　halting　to　rest　in　a　spot　surrounded　by　reeds。　Suddenly　a　tremendous　shouting　arose。　Taishi　Ci　was　just　starting　when　tripping　ropes　arose　all　round；　his　horse　was　thrown　and　he　found　himself　a　prisoner。

Taishi　Ci　was　taken　back　to　camp。　As　soon　as　Sun　Ce　heard　the　news；　he　himself　rode　out　to　order　the　guards　to　leave　the　prisoner；　whose　bonds　he　loosened　with　his　own　hands。　Then　he　took　off　his　own　embroidered　robe　and　put　it　on　the　captive。　They　entered　the　camp　together。

〃I　knew　you　were　a　real　hero；〃　said　Sun　Ce。　〃That　worm　Liu　Yao　had　no　use　for　such　as　you；　and　so　he　got　beaten。〃

Taishi　Ci；　overe　by　this　kindness　and　good　treatment；　then　formally　surrendered。