第一小说网

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第249部分（第1页）

re　the　camps　of　the　enemy；　but　no　one　accepted。

One　day　Zhuge　Liang　rode　in　his　small　chariot　to　the　front　of　the　Qishan　Mountains；　keenly　scanned　the　course　of　River　Wei　and　carefully　surveyed　the　lie　of　the　land。　Presently　he　came　to　a　valley　shaped　like　a　bottle…gourd；　large　enough　to　form　a　hiding　place　for　a　whole　thousand　soldiers　in　the　inner　recess；　while　half　as　many　more　could　hide　in　the　outer。　In　rear　the　mountains　were　so　close　that　they　left　passage　only　for　a　single　horseman。　The　discovery　pleased　the　general　mightily；　and　he　asked　the　guides　what　the　place　was　called。

They　replied；　〃It　is　called　Shangfang　Valley；　and　nicknamed　Gourd　Valley。〃

Returning　to　his　camp；　he　called　up　two　leaders　named　Du　Rui　and　Hu　Zhong　and　whispered　into　their　ears　certain　secret　orders。　Next　he　called　up　a　thousand　craftspeople　and　sent　them　into　the　Gourd　Valley　to　construct　〃wooden　oxen　and　running　horses〃　for　the　use　of　the　troops。　Finally　he　set　Ma　Dai　with　five　hundred　troops　to　guard　the　mouth　of　the　Gourd　Valley　and　prevent　all　entrance　and　exit。

Zhuge　Liang　said；　〃People　from　outside　cannot　enter；　from　inside　cannot　exit。　I　will　visit　the　valley　at　irregular　intervals　to　inspect　the　work。　A　plan　for　the　defeat　of　Sima　Yi　is　being　prepared　here　and　must　be　kept　a　profound　secret。〃

Ma　Dai　left　to　take　up　the　position。　The　two　generals；　Du　Rui　and　Hu　Zhong；　were　superintendents　of　the　work　in　the　Gourd　Valley。　Zhuge　Liang　came　every　day　to　give　instructions。

One　day　Yang　Yi　went　to　Zhuge　Liang　and　said；　〃The　stores　of　grain　are　all　at　Saber　Pass；　and　the　labor　of　transport　is　very　heavy。　What　can　be　done？〃

Zhuge　Liang　replied；　smiling；　〃I　have　had　a　scheme　ready　for　a　long　time。　The　timber　that　I　collected　and　bought　in　the　River　Lands　was　for　the　construction　of　wooden　transport　animals　to　convey　grain。　It　will　be　very　advantageous；　as　they　will　require　neither　food　nor　water　and　they　can　keep　on　the　move　day　and　night　without　resting。〃

All　those　within　hearing　said；　〃From　old　days　till　now　no　one　has　ever　heard　of　such　a　device。　What　excellent　plan　have　you；　O　Prime　Minister；　to　make　such　marvelous　creatures？〃

〃They　are　being　made　now　after　my　plans；　but　they　are　not　yet　ready。　Here　I　have　the　sketches　for　these　mechanical　oxen　and　horses；　with　all　their　dimensions　written　out　in　full。　You　may　see　the　details。〃

Zhuge　Liang　then　produced　a　paper；　and　all　the　generals　crowded　round　to　look　at　it。　They　were　all　greatly　astonished　and　lauded；　〃The　Prime　Minister　is　superhuman！〃

A　few　days　later　the　new　mechanical　animals　were　plete　and　began　work。　They　were　quite　life…like　and　went　over　the　hills　in　any　desired　direction。　The　whole　army　saw　them　with　delight。　They　were　but　in　charge　of　Right　General　Gao　Xiang　and　a　thousand　soldiers　to　guide　them。　They　kept　going　constantly　between　Saber　Pass　and　the　front　carrying　grain　for　the　use　of　the　soldiers。

Along　the　Saber　Pass　mountain　roads

The　running　horses　bore　their　loads；

And　through　Xie　Valleys　narrow　way

The　wooden　oxen　paced　each　day。

O　generals；　use　these　means　today；

And　transport　troubles　take　away。

Sima　Yi　was　already　sad　enough　at　his　defeat；　when　the　spies　told　him　of　these　wooden　bullocks　and　horses　of　new　design　which　the　soldiers　of　Shu　were　using　to　convey　their　grain。

This　troubled　him　still　more；　and　he　said　to　his　generals；　〃I　knew　the　transportation　from　the　River　Lands　was　difficult；　therefore；　I　shut　the　gates　and　remained　on　the　defensive　waiting　for　the　enemy　to　be　starved。　With　this　device；　they　may　never　be　pelled　to　retreat　for　want　of　food。〃

Then　he　called　up　Zhang　Hu　and　Yue　Chen　and　gave　orders：　〃Each　of　you　with　five　hundred　troops　will　goes　to　the　Xie　Valley　by　by…roads。　When　you　see　the　Shu　soldiers　transport　their　grain　by；　you　are　to　let　them　through；　but　only　to　attack　at　the　end　and　capture　four　or　five　of　the　wooden　horses　and　bullocks。〃

So　a　thousand　soldiers　went　on　this　service　disguised　as　soldiers　of　Shu。　They　made　their　way　along　the　by…ways　by　night　and　hid。　Presently　the　wooden　convoy　came　along　under　the　escort　of　Gao　Xiang。　Just　as　the　end　of　it　was　passing；　they　made　a　sudden　rush；　and　captured　a　few　of　the　〃animals〃　which　the　soldiers　of　Shu　abandoned。　In　high　glee　they　took　them　to　their　own　camp。

When　Sima　Yi　saw　them；　he　had　to　confess　they　were　very　life…like。　But　what　pleased　him　most　was　that　he　could　imitate　them　now　that　he　had　models。

〃If　Zhuge　Liang　can　use　this　sort　of　thing；　it　would　be　strange　if　I　could　not；〃　said　he。

He　called　to　him　many　clever　craftspeople　and　made　them　then　and　there　take　the　machines　to　pieces　and　make　some　exactly　like　them。　In　less　than　half　a　month；　they　had　pleted　a　couple　of　thousand　after　Zhuge　Liangs　models；　and　the　new　mechanical　animals　could　move。　Then　Sima　Yi　placed　Cen　Wei；　General　Who　Guards　the　Frontiers；　in　charge　of　this　new　means　of　transport；　and　the　〃animals〃　began　to　ply　between　the　camp　and　the　West　Valley　Land。　The　Wei　soldiers　were　filled　with　joys。

Gao　Xiang　returned　to　camp　and　reported　the　loss　of　a　few　of　his　wooden　oxen　and　horses。

〃I　wished　him　to　capture　some　of　them；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　much　pleased。　〃I　am　just　laying　out　these　few；　and　before　long　I　shall　get　some　very　solid　help　in　exchange。〃

〃How　do　you　know；　O　Prime　Minister？〃　said　his　officers。

〃Because　Sima　Yi　will　certainly　copy　them；　and　when　he　has　done　that；　I　have　another　plan　ready　to　play　on　him。〃

Some　days　later　Zhuge　Liang　received　a　report　that　the　enemy　were　using　the　same　sort　of　wooden　bullocks　and　horses　to　bring　up　supplies　from　Xizhou。