第一小说网

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第251部分（第2页）

Fierce　fires　roared　in　the　valley；

But　the　rain　quenched　them。

Had　Zhuge　Liangs　plan　but　succeeded；

Where　had　been　the　Jins？

From　the　new　camp　on　the　north　bank　of　the　river；　Sima　Yi　issued　an　order：　〃The　south　shore　has　been　lost。　If　any　of　you　proposes　going　out　to　battle　again；　he　shall　be　put　to　death！〃

Accordingly　no　one　spoke　of　attacking；　but　all　turned　their　energies　toward　defense。

Guo　Huai　went　to　the　general　to　talk　over　plans。

He　said；　〃The　enemy　have　been　carefully　spying　out　the　country。　They　are　certainly　selecting　a　new　position　for　a　camp。〃

Sima　Yi　said；　〃If　Zhuge　Liang　goes　out　to　Wugong　Hills；　and　thence　eastward　along　the　hills；　we　shall　be　in　grave　danger。　If　he　goes　westward　along　River　Wei；　and　halts　on　the　Wuzhang　Hills；　we　need　feel　no　anxiety。〃

They　decided　to　send　scouts　to　find　out　the　movements　of　their　enemy。　Presently　the　scouts　returned　to　say　that　Zhuge　Liang　had　chosen　the　Wuzhang　Hills。

〃Our　great　Emperor　of　Wei　has　remarkable　fortune；〃　said　Sima　Yi；　clapping　his　hand　to　his　forehead。

Then　he　confirmed　the　order　to　remain　strictly　on　the　defensive　till　some　change　of　circumstances　on　the　part　of　the　enemy　should　promise　advantage。

After　his　army　had　settled　into　camp　on　the　Wuzhang　Hills；　Zhuge　Liang　continued　his　attempts　to　provoke　a　battle。　Day　after　day；　parties　went　to　challenge　the　army　of　Wei；　but　they　resisted　all　provocation。

One　day　Zhuge　Liang　put　a　dress　made　of　deer　hide　in　a　box；　which　he　sent；　with　a　letter；　to　his　rival。　The　insult　could　not　be　concealed；　so　the　generals　led　the　bearer　of　the　box　to　their　chief。　Sima　Yi　opened　the　box　and　saw　the　deer　hide　dress。　Then　he　opened　the　letter；　which　read　something　like　this：

〃Friend　Sima　Yi；　although　you　are　a　mander…in…Chief　and　lead　the　armies　of　the　Middle　Land；　you　seem　but　little　disposed　to　display　the　firmness　and　valor　that　would　render　a　contest　decisive。　Instead；　you　have　prepared　a　fortable　lair　where　you　are　safe　from　the　keen　edge　of　the　sword。　Are　you　not　very　like　a　deer？　Wherefore　I　send　the　bearer　with　a　suitable　gift；　and　you　will　humbly　accept　it　and　the　humiliation；　unless；　indeed；　you　finally　decide　to　e　out　and　fight　like　a　warrior。　If　you　are　not　entirely　indifferent　to　shame；　if　you　retain　any　of　the　feelings　of　a　tiger；　you　will　send　this　back　to　me　and　e　out　and　give　battle。〃

Sima　Yi；　although　inwardly　raging；　pretended　to　take　it　all　as　a　joke　and　smiled。

〃So　he　regards　me　as　a　deer；〃　said　he。

He　accepted　the　gift　and　treated　the　messenger　well。　Before　the　messenger　left；　Sima　Yi　asked　him　a　few　questions　about　his　masters　eating　and　sleeping　and　hours　of　labor。

〃The　Prime　Minister　works　very　hard；〃　said　the　messenger。　〃He　rises　early　and　retires　to　bed　late。　He　attends　personally　to　all　cases　requiring　punishment　of　over　twenty　of　strokes。　As　for　food；　he　does　not　eat　more　than　a　few　pints　of　grain　daily。〃

〃Indeed；　Zhuge　Liang　eats　little　and　works　much；〃　remarked　Sima　Yi　to　his　generals。　〃Can　he　last　long？〃

The　messenger　returned　to　his　own　side　and　reported　to　Zhuge　Liang；　saying；　〃Sima　Yi　took　the　whole　episode　in　good　part　and　shown　no　sign　of　anger。　He　only　asked　about　the　Prime　Ministers　hours　of　rest；　and　food；　and　such　things。　He　said　no　word　about　military　matters。　I　told　him　that　you　ate　little　and　worked　long　hours；　and　then　he　said；　Can　he　last　long？　That　was　all。〃

〃He　knows　me；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　pensively。

First　Secretary　Yang　Yong　presently　ventured　to　remonstrate　with　his　chief。

〃I　notice；〃　said　Yang　Yong；　〃that　you　check　the　books　personally。　I　think　that　is　needless　labor　for　a　Prime　Minister　to　undertake。　In　every　administration　the　higher　and　subordinate　ranks　have　their　especial　fields　of　activity；　and　each　should　confine　his　labors　to　his　own　field。　In　a　household；　for　example；　the　male　plows　and　the　female　cooks；　and　thus　operations　are　carried　on　without　waste　of　energy；　and　all　needs　are　supplied。　If　one　individual　strives　to　attend　personally　to　every　matter；　he　only　wearies　himself　and　fails　to　acplish　his　end。　How　can　he　possibly　hope　to　perform　all　the　various　tasks　well？

＇e＇　Bing　Ji　was　a　prime　minister　of　Western　Han。　One　day；　while　riding　in　his　cart　with　attendants；　they　came　across　brawling　people　by　the　road。　He　continued　without　concern。　They　then　came　across　a　man　with　an　water　buffalo　panting。　He　immediately　stopped　to　ask　how　long　they　had　been　traveling。　His　attendants　were　puzzled　as　to　why　he　was　more　concerned　about　an　ox　than　injured　people。　He　replied　that　fighting　was　a　matter　for　local　officials；　but　an　ox　panting　in　early　spring　（if　not　traveling　for　long）　suggested　unusual　heat；　which　could　have　disastrous　results　for　all。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Chen　Ping　（BC　？…178）　a　master　strategist　of　Liu　Bang。　He　first　served　Xiang　Yu　but　then　became　a　follower　in　Liu　Bangs　camp。　Served　as　Liu　Bangs　prime　minister　and　Empress　Lus　left　minister。　After　the　death　of　Empress　Lu；　Chen　Ping　played　an　important　role　in　returning　royal　authority　to　the　Liu　clan。　。。。。。

〃And；　indeed；　the　ancients　held　this　same　opinion；　for　they　said　that　the　high　officers　should　attend　to　the　discussion　of　ways　and　means；　and　the　lower　should　carry　out　details。　Of　old；　Bing　Ji*　was　moved　to　deep　thought　by　the　panting　of　an　ox；　but　inquired　not　about　the　corpses　of　certain　brawlers　which　lay　about　the　road；　for　this　matter　concerned　the　magistrate。　Chen　Ping*　was　ignorant　of　the　figures　relating　to　taxes；　for　he　said　these　were　the　concern　of　the　tax　controllers。　O　Prime　Minister；　you　weary　yourself　with　minor　details　and　sweat　yourself　everyday。　You　are　wearing　yourself　out；　and　Sima　Yi　has　good　reason　for　what　he　said。〃

〃I　know………I　cannot　but　know；〃　replied　Zhuge　Liang　with　tears　in　his　eyes。　〃But　this　heavy　responsibility　was　laid　upon　me；　and　I　fear　no　other　will　be　so　devoted　as　I　am。〃

Those　who　heard　him　wept。　Thereafter　Zhuge　Liang　appeared　more　and　more　harassed；　and　military　operations　did　not　speed。

On　the　other　side　the　officers　of　Wei　r