第一小说网

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第250部分（第2页）

＇e＇　Wu　Qi；　aka　Wu　Zi；　a　famous　general　in　the　Warring　States　period。　He　first　served　Lu；　then　went　to　Wei；　his　native；　and　led　Wei　army　against　Qin。　He　made　enemies　in　Wei；　so　he　fled　to　Chu；　where　King　Dao　made　him　prime　minister。　Wu　Qi　made　Chu　a　powerful　state；　expanded　her　territory；　defended　her　against　Wei；　Zhao；　and　Han；　and　attacked　Qin。　Wu　Qi　is　the　author　of　a　military　treatise　named　〃Wu　Qis　Art　of　War〃。　。。。。。

When　he　thus　knew　it　was　true；　he　consoled　himself　with　the　words；　〃Lu　Xun　knows　the　art　of　war　even　as　did　Sun　Zi*　and　Wu　Qi*。　The　subjugation　of　the　southeast　is　not　for　me　this　time。〃

Thereupon　Cao　Rui　distributed　his　generals　among　the　various　vantage　points　and　led　the　main　army　back　into　Hefei；　where　he　camped　ready　to　take　advantage　of　any　change　of　conditions　that　might　promise　success。

Meanwhile　Zhuge　Liang　was　at　Qishan；　where　he　intended　to　make　a　long　sojourn。　He　made　his　soldiers　mix　with　the　people　in　Wei　and　share　in　the　labor　of　the　fields；　and　the　crops………the　soldiers　one…third；　the　people　two…third。　He　gave　strict　orders　against　any　encroachment　on　the　property　of　the　farmers；　and　so　they　and　the　soldiers　lived　together　very　amicably。

Then　Sima　Yis　son；　Sima　Shi；　went　to　his　father　and　said；　〃These　soldiers　of　Shu　have　despoiled　us　of　much　grain；　and　now　they　are　mingling　with　the　people　of　Qishan　and　tilling　the　fields　along　the　banks　of　River　Wei　as　if　they　intended　to　remain　there。　This　would　be　a　calamity　for　us。　Why　do　you　not　appoint　a　time　to　fight　a　decisive　battle　with　Zhuge　Liang？〃

His　father　replied；　〃I　have　the　Emperors　orders　to　act　on　the　defensive　and　may　not　do　as　you　suggest。〃

While　they　were　thus　talking；　one　reported　that　Wei　Yan　had　e　near　and　was　insulting　the　army　and　reminding　them　that　he　had　the　helmet　of　their　leader。　And　he　was　challenging　them。　The　generals　were　greatly　incensed　and　desired　to　accept　the　challenge；　but　the　mander…in…Chief　was　immovable　in　his　decision　to　obey　his　orders。

〃The　Holy　One　says：　If　one　cannot　suffer　small　things；　great　matters　are　imperiled。　Our　plan　is　to　defend。〃

So　the　challenge　was　not　accepted；　and　there　was　no　battle。　After　reviling　them　for　some　time；　Wei　Yan　went　away。

Seeing　that　his　enemy　was　not　to　be　provoked　into　fighting；　Zhuge　Liang　gave　orders　to　Ma　Dai　to　build　a　strong　stockade　in　the　Gourd　Valley　and　therein　to　excavate　pits　and　to　collect　large　quantities　of　inflammables。　So　on　the　hill　they　piled　wood　and　straw　in　the　shape　of　sheds；　and　all　about　they　dug　pits　and　buried　mines。　When　these　preparations　were　plete；　Ma　Dai　received　instructions　to　block　the　road　in　rear　of　Gourd　Valley　and　to　lay　an　ambush　at　the　entrance。

〃If　Sima　Yi　es；　let　him　enter　the　valley；　and　then　explode　the　mines　and　set　fire　to　the　straw　and　the　wood；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃Also；　set　up　seven　star　flags　at　the　mouth　of　the　valley　and　arrange　a　night　signal　of　seven　lamps　on　the　hill。〃

After　Ma　Dai　had　gone；　Wei　Yan　was　called　in；　and　Zhuge　Liang　said　to　him；　〃Go　to　the　camp　of　Wei　with　five　hundred　troops　and　provoke　them　to　battle。　The　important　matter　is　to　entice　Sima　Yi　out　of　his　stronghold。　You　will　be　unable　to　obtain　a　victory；　so　retreat　that　he　may　pursue。　You　are　to　make　for　the　signal；　the　seven　star　flags　by　day　or　the　seven　lamps　at　night。　Thus　you　will　lead　him　into　the　Gourd　Valley；　where　I　have　a　plan　prepared　for　him。〃

When　Wei　Yan　had　gone；　Gao　Xiang　was　summoned。

〃Take　small　herds；　forty　or　fifty　at　a　time；　of　the　wooden　oxen　and　running　horses；　load　them　up　with　grain　and　lead　them　to　and　fro　on　the　mountains。　If　you　can　succeed　in　getting　the　enemy　to　capture　them；　you　will　render　a　service。〃

So　the　transport　wooden　cattle　were　sent　forth　to　play　their　part　in　the　scheme；　and　the　remainder　of　the　Qishan　soldiers　were　sent　to　work　in　the　fields。

He　gave　orders　to　his　generals；　saying；　〃If　the　enemy　under　other　leaders　e　to　attack；　you　are　to　flee　the　field。　Only　in　the　case　Sima　Yi　es　in　person；　you　are　to　attack　most　vigorously　the　south　bank　of　the　river　and　cut　off　the　retreat。〃

Then　Zhuge　Liang　led　his　army　away　to　camp　next　to　the　Gourd　Valley。

Xiahou　Hui　and　Xiahou　He　went　to　their　chief；　Sima　Yi；　and　said；　〃The　enemy　have　set　out　camps　and　are　engaged　in　field　work　as　though　they　intended　to　remain。　If　they　are　not　destroyed　now；　but　are　allowed　to　consolidate　their　position；　they　will　be　hard　to　dislodge。〃

〃This　certainly　is　one　of　Zhuge　Liangs　ruses；〃　said　the　chief。

〃You　seem　very　afraid　of　him；　mander；〃　retorted　they。　〃When　do　you　think　you　can　destroy　him？　At　least　let　us　two　brothers　fight　one　battle　that　we　may　prove　our　gratitude　for　the　Emperors　kindness。〃

〃If　it　must　be　so；　then　you　may　go　in　two　divisions；〃　said　Sima　Yi。

As　the　two　divisions；　five　thousand　troops　each；　were　marching　along；　they　saw　ing　toward　them　a　number　of　the　transport　wooden　animals　of　the　enemy。　They　attacked　at　once；　drove　off　the　escort；　captured　them；　and　sent　them　back　to　camp。　Next　day　they　captured　more；　with　soldiers　and　horses　as　well；　and　sent　them　also　to　camp。

Sima　Yi　called　up　the　prisoners　and　questioned　them。

They　told　him；　saying；　〃The　Prime　Minister　understood　that　you　would　not　fight；　and　so　had　told　off　the　soldiers　to　various　places　to　work　in　the　fields；　and　therefore　provide　for　future　needs。　We　had　been　unwittingly　captured。〃

Sima　Yi　set　them　free　and　bade　them　begone。

〃Why　spare　them？〃　asked　Xiahou　He。

〃There　is　nothing　to　be　gained　by　the　slaughter　of　a　few　mon　soldiers。　Let　them　go　back　to　their　own　and　praise　the　kindliness　of　the　Wei　leaders。　That　will　slacken　the　desire　of　their　rades　to　fight　against　us。　That　was　the　plan　by　which　Lu　Meng　captured　Jingzhou。〃

Then　he　issued　general　orders　that　all　Shu　prisoners　should　be　well　treated　and　sent　away　free。　However；　he　kept　rewarding　those　of　his　army　who　had　done　well。

As　has　been　said；　Gao　Xiang　was　ordered　to　keep　pretended　convoys　on　the　move；　and　the　soldiers　of　Wei　attacked　and　captured　them　whenever　they　saw　them。　In　half　a　month　they　had　scored　many　successes　of　this　sort；　and　Sima　Yis　h