第一小说网

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第238部分（第2页）

As　soon　as　Wang　Shuang　got　within　hailing　distance；　he　shouted；　〃Do　not　flee；　Wei　Yan！〃

But　no　one　looked　back；　so　he　again　pressed　forward。

Then　he　heard　one　of　his　guards　behind　him　shouting；　〃There　is　a　blaze　in　the　camp　outside　the　city　wall。　I　think　it　is　some　wile　of　the　enemy！〃

Wang　Shuang　pulled　up　and；　turning；　saw　the　fire。　He　therefore　tried　to　draw　off　his　troops。　Just　as　he　passed　a　hill；　a　horseman　suddenly　came　out　of　a　wood。

〃Here　is　Wei　Yan！〃　shouted　the　horseman。

Wang　Shuang　was　too　startled　to　defend　himself　and　fell　at　the　first　stroke　of　Wei　Yans　blade。　Wang　Shuangs　troops　thought　this　was　only　the　beginning　of　an　ambush　and　serious　attack；　so　they　scattered。　But　really　Wei　Yan　only　had　thirty　men　with　him；　and　they　moved　off　leisurely　toward　Hanzhong。

No　man　could　better　Zhuge　Liangs　foresight　keen；

Brilliant　as　a　et　where　it　flashed：

Back　and　forth　at　will　his　soldiers　dashed；

And　Wang　Shuangs　dead　body　marked　where　they　had　been。

The　secret　orders　sent　to　Wei　Yan　was　that　he　was　to　keep　back　thirty　men　and　hide　beside　Wang　Shuangs　camp　till　that　warrior　left。　Then　the　camp　was　to　be　set　on　fire。　After　that　the　thirty　were　to　wait　till　Wang　Shuangs　return　to　fall　upon　him。　The　plan　being　successfully　carried　out；　Wei　Yan　followed　the　retreating　army　into　Hanzhong　and　handed　over　his　mand。

The　Shu　army　having　retreated　safely　to　Hanzhong；　feastings　were　held　in　celebration　of　the　event。

Zhang　He；　who；　failing　to　e　up　with　the　retiring　enemy；　presently　returned　to　camp。　Hao　Zhao　sent　a　letter　to　say　that　Wang　Shuang　had　met　his　end。　This　loss　caused　Cao　Zhen　deep　grief；　so　that　he　became　ill　and　had　to　return　to　Luoyang。　He　left　Zhang　He；　Sun　Li；　and　Guo　Huai　to　guard　the　approaches　to　Changan。

Meanwhile　in　the　South　Land；　at　a　court　held　by　Sun　Quan；　the　Prince　of　Wu；　a　certain　spy　reported：　〃Prime　Minister　Zhuge　Liang　has　invaded　Wei　twice；　and　mander…in…Chief　Cao　Zhen　has　suffered　great　losses。〃

Thereupon　his　ministers　urged　on　Sun　Quan　that　he　should　attack　Wei　and　try　to　gain　the　Middle　Land。

However；　Sun　Quan　could　not　make　up　his　mind；　and　Zhang　Zhao　endeavored　to　prove　to　him　that　his　hour　was　e　by　this　memorial：

＇e＇　King　Yu　was　the　founder　of　Xia　Dynasty；　King　Tang；　Shang　Dynasty；　Kings　Wen　and　Wu；　Zhou　Dynasty。

〃I　have　heard　that　a　phoenix　has　lately　appeared　in　the　hills　east　of　Wuchang　and　bowed；　that　a　yellow　dragon　has　been　seen　in　the　Great　River。　My　lord；　your　virtue　matches　that　of　Kings　Yu*　and　Tang*；　and　your　understanding　is　on　a　level　with　that　of　Kings　Wen*　and　Wu*。　Wherefore　you　should　now　proceed　to　the　imperial　style　and　then　raise　an　army　to　maintain　your　authority。〃

And　many　other　officers　supported　Zhang　Zhaos　proposal。　They　finally　persuaded　Sun　Quan　to　decide　upon　the　tiger　day　in　the　forth　month；　in　summer。　They　prepared　an　altar　on　the　south　of　Wuchang；　and　on　that　day　his　courtiers　formally　requested　him　to　ascend　to　the　high　place　and　assume　the　style　of　〃Emperor〃。

〃Yellow　Dragon〃　was　chosen　as　the　style　of　the　reign　（AD　229）。　Sun　Jian；　the　deceased　father　of　the　new　Emperor；　was　given　the　title　of　the　Martially　Glorious　Emperor；　his　mother　Empress　Wu；　and　his　elder　brother；　Sun　Ce；　was　made　posthumously　Prince　of　Changsha；　and　his　son；　Sun　Deng；　was　styled　Heir　Apparent。　The　rank　of　Left　panion　of　the　Heir　Apparent　was　conferred　upon　the　eldest　son　of　Zhuge　Jin；　Zhuge　Ke。　The　rank　of　Right　panion　of　the　Heir　Apparent　was　bestowed　upon　the　second　son　of　Zhang　Zhao；　Zhang　Xi。

This　son　of　Zhuge　Jin　was　a　person　seven…span　height；　very　clever；　and　especially　apt　at　capping　verses。　Sun　Quan　liked　him　much。　When　Zhuge　Ke　was　six；　he　went　with　his　father　to　a　banquet。　Sun　Quan　noticed　that　Zhuge　Jin　had　a　long　face；　so　he　bade　a　man　lead　in　a　donkey；　and　he　wrote　on　it　with　chalk；　〃My　friend　Zhuge　Jin〃。　Everyone　roared　with　laughter。　But　the　youngster　ran　up　and　added　a　few　strokes　making　it　read；　〃My　friend　Zhuge　Jins　donkey〃。　The　guests　were　astonished　at　his　ready　wit；　and　praised　him。　Sun　Quan　was　also　pleased　and　made　him　a　present　of　the　donkey。

Another　day；　at　a　large　official　banquet；　Sun　Quan　sent　the　boy　with　a　goblet　of　wine　to　each　courtier。

When　he　came　to　Zhang　Zhao；　the　old　man　declined　it；　saying；　〃This　is　not　the　proper　treatment　for　old　age。〃

〃Can　you　not　make　him　drink？〃　said　Sun　Quan。

＇e＇　Lu　Wang　was　a　master　strategist；　founding　minister　of　Zhou　Dynasty；　counselor　to　King　Wen。　Before　joining　King　Wen；　Lu　Wang　had　been　a　fisher；　who　mediated　on　the　river　bank　on　political　events。　。。。。。

Then　said　Zhuge　Ke　to　the　old　gentleman；　〃You　remember　Lu　Wang*；　he　was　ninety　and　yet　gripped　the　signaling　flags　and　wielded　the　axes　of　an　army　mander　in　the　field。　He　never　spoke　of　age。　Nowadays　in　battle　we　put　seniors　behind；　but　at　the　banquet　board　we　give　them　a　front　place。　How　can　you　say　we　do　not　treat　old　age　properly？〃

Zhang　Zhao　had　no　reply　ready；　and　so　had　to　drink。　This　sort　of　precocity　endeared　the　boy　to　Sun　Quan；　and　now　Sun　Quan　made　him　the　Left　panion　to　the　Heir　Apparent。

Zhang　Zhaos　son；　Zhang　Xi；　was　chosen　for　honor　on　accoun