第一小说网

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第137部分（第2页）

Said　Xun　Yu；　〃Sun　Quan　should　be　first　attacked；　because　of　the　recent　death　of　their　ablest　general　Zhou　Yu。　Liu　Bei　will　follow。〃

Cao　Cao　replied；　〃If　I　go　on　such　a　distant　expedition；　Ma　Teng　will　fall　upon　the　capital。　While　I　was　at　the　Red　Cliffs；　there　were　sinister　rumors　of　this；　and　I　must　guard　against　it。〃

Xun　Yu　said；　〃The　best　thing　that　occurs　to　me　is　to　obtain　for　Ma　Teng　the　title　of　General　Who　Subdues　the　South　and　send　him　against　the　South　Land。　Thus　he　can　be　enticed　to　the　capital　and　got　rid　of。　Then　you　can　have　no　fear　of　marching　southward。〃

Cao　Cao　approved；　and　soon　Ma　Teng　was　summoned　from　Xiliang；　a　frontier　territory　in　the　west。

＇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。　。。。。。

Ma　Teng　was　a　descendant　of　the　famous　leader　Ma　Yuan*；　General　Who　Quells　the　Waves。　His　fathers　name　was　Ma　Sui。　Ma　Sui　had　held　a　minor　magistracy　in　Tianshui　in　the　reign　of　Emperor　Huan；　but　had　lost　it　and　drifted　west　into　the　West　Valley　Land　where　he　got　amongst　the　Qiang　Peoples；　one　of　whose　women　he　took　to　wife。　She　bore　him　a　son；　Ma　Teng。　Ma　Teng　was　rather　over　the　mon　height；　and　bold…looking。　He　was　of　a　mild　disposition　and　very　popular。　But　in　the　reign　of　Emperor　Ling；　these　Qiangs　made　trouble；　and　then　Ma　Teng　raised　a　force　and　put　it　down。　For　his　services　he　received　the　tile　of　General　Who　Corrects　the　West。　He　and　Han　Sui；　who　was　known　as　mander　Who　Guards　the　West；　were　pledged　brothers。

On　receipt　of　the　summons　to　the　capital；　Ma　Teng　took　his　eldest　son；　Ma　Chao；　into　his　confidence　and　told　him　some　of　his　former　life。

〃When　Dong　Cheng　got　the　Girdle　Edict　from　the　Emperor；　we　formed　a　society；　of　which　Liu　Bei　was　one；　pledged　to　put　down　rebellion。　However；　we　acplished　nothing；　for　Dong　Cheng　was　put　to　death　and　Liu　Bei　was　unfortunate；　while　I　escaped　to　the　west。　However；　I　hear　that　Liu　Bei　now　holds　Jingzhou；　and　I　am　inclined　to　carry　out　the　plan　we　made　so　long　ago。　But　here　I　am　summoned　by　Cao　Cao　and　what　is　to　be　done？〃

Ma　Chao　replied；　〃Cao　Cao　has　the　mand　of　the　Emperor　to　call　you。　If　you　do　not　go；　that　will　mean　disobeying　an　imperial　mand　and　you　will　be　punished。　Obey　the　summons　in　so　far　as　to　go　to　the　capital；　where　you　may　be　able　to　arrange　to　carry　out　your　original　intention。〃

But　Ma　Tengs　nephew；　Ma　Dai；　held　other　opinions　and　opposed　this。

Said　he；　〃Cao　Caos　designs　are　unfathomable。　If　you　go；　Uncle；　I　fear　you　will　suffer。〃

〃Let　me　lead　the　army　against　the　capital；〃　said　Ma　Chao。　〃Can　we　not　purge　the　empire　of　evil？〃

But　his　father　said；　〃You　must　take　mand　of　the　Qiang　troops　for　the　defense　of　our　territory　here。　I　will　take　with　me　your　two　brothers　and　your　cousin。　When　Cao　Cao　knows　that　you　have　the　Qiangs　at　your　call　and　that　Han　Sui　is　prepared　to　assist；　he　will　hardly　dare　to　work　any　harm　to　me。〃

〃Father；　if　you　must　go；　be　careful　not　to　enter　the　city　till　you　know　exactly　what　plots　and　machinations　are　afoot。〃

〃I　will　certainly　take　great　care；　so　do　not　be　too　anxious；〃　said　the　father。

The　order　of　march　was　prepared。　The　governor　took　five　thousand　troops；　with　his　two　sons………Ma　Xiu　and　Ma　Tie………as　Leaders　of　the　Van　and　his　nephew　Ma　Dai　bringing　up　the　rear。　These　set　out　along　the　tortuous　road　to　the　capital。　At　seven　miles　distance　from　Xuchang　they　camped。

When　Cao　Cao　heard　of　Ma　Tengs　arrival；　he　called　to　him　Minister　Huang　Kui　and　said　to　him；　〃Ma　Teng　is　to　be　sent　against　the　south；　and　I　shall　send　you　as　Adviser。　You　are　first　to　go　to　his　camp　and　express　my　congratulations　on　his　arrival　and　say　that　as　Xiliang　is　so　distant　and　transport　very　difficult；　he　is　not　to　take　too　large　an　army　of　his　own。　I　will　send　a　large　force。　Also　tell　him　to　e　in　soon　for　audience　of　the　Emperor。　I　will　send　him　supplies。〃

With　these　instructions　Huang　Kui　went　to　Ma　Teng；　who　brought　out　wine　and　entertained　him　well。

In　his　cups　the　messenger　grew　confidential　and　said；　〃My　father　perished　at　the　hands　of　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si；　and　I　have　always　nourished　resentment。　Now　there　is　another　rebel　in　power　wronging　our　Prince。〃

〃Who　is　that？〃　asked　Ma　Teng。

〃The　wrong　doer　is　that　rebel　Cao　Cao；　of　course。　Do　you　mean　to　say　you　do　not　know？〃

However；　Ma　Teng　was　careful。　He　thought　it　very　likely　that　these　words　were　but　a　trap　for　him；　so　he　pretended　to　be　greatly　shocked　and　begged　his　guest　to　be　careful　lest　he　be　overheard。

But　Huang　Kui　cared　not；　shouting；　〃Then　you　have　quite　forgotten　the　Girdle　Edict；　eh？〃

Ma　Teng　began　to　see　Huang　Kui　was　sincere　and　presently　became　confidential　in　turn　and　told　his　guest　all　his　schemes。

〃Cao　Cao　wants　you　to　go　in　to　audience。　There　is　no　good　intention　there。　Do　not　go；〃　said　Huang　Kui。　〃You　lead　your　army　up　close　to　the　city　and　get　Cao　Cao　to　e　and　review　them。　When　he　es；　assassinate　him。〃

They　two　settled　how　this　plan　could　be　worked　out　and　the　messenger；　still　hot　with　anger　and　excitement；　returned　to　his　home。

Seeing　Huang　Kui　so　disturbed　in　mind；　his　wife；　Lady　Zhi；　asked　him　what　was　wrong。　But　he　would　tell　her　nothing。　However；　he　had　a　concubine；　Li　Chunxiang。　And　it　happened　that　she　had　an　intrigue　with　the　wifes　younger　brother；　Miao　Ze；　who　much　desired　to　marry　her。　The　concubine　who　also　saw　her　lords　displeasure；　spoke　of　it　to　her　paramour；　and　he　told　her　she　could　probably　draw　from　him　what　was　wrong　by　a　leading　question。

〃Ask　him　what　is　the　truth　about　two　men；　Liu　Bei　and　Cao　Cao？　Who　is　the　wicked　one；〃　suggested　Miao　Ze。

That　evening　Huang　Kui　went　to　the　apartments　of　his　concubine；　and　she　presently　put　the　question　proposed　by　her　lover。

Her　lord；　still　rather　intoxicated；　said；　〃You　are　not　an　official；　still　you　know　right　from　wrong　as　well　as　I。　My　enemy；