第一小说网

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第278部分（第1页）

Huang　Hao　prostrated　himself　and　wept；　saying；　〃I　am　always　in　attendance　upon　the　Sacred　One………that　is　all　I　do。　I　never　meddle　in　state　affairs。　I　pray　you；　General；　pay　no　heed　to　what　people　say。　If　you　desire　my　death；　I　am　in　your　hands；　but　pity　me。〃

And　tears　ran　down　his　cheeks。　Jiang　Wei　went　away　in　ill　humor。　Outside　he　sought　his　friend　Xi　Zheng　and　told　him　what　had　happened。

〃General；　you　are　in　grave　danger；〃　said　Xi　Zheng。　〃And　if　you　fall；　the　country　falls　with　you。〃

〃Can　you　advise　me？〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃How　can　I　secure　the　state　and　myself？〃

Xi　Zheng　replied；　〃There　is　a　place　of　refuge　for　you　in　the　West　Valley　Land；　and　that　is　Tazhong。　It　is　a　rich　county；　and　you　can　make　a　cantonment　there　like　the　Martial　Lord　did。　Request　the　Emperor　to　let　you　go　thither。　You　can　gather　in　corn　and　wheat　for　your　armies；　you　can　secure　all　the　west　of　Longyou；　you　can　keep　Wei　from　troubling　Hanzhong；　you　will　retain　your　military　authority；　so　that　no　one　will　dare　intrigue　against　you；　and　you　will　be　safe。　Thus　you　can　ensure　the　safety　of　the　state　and　yourself。　You　should　lose　no　time。〃

〃Your　speech　is　gold　and　jewels！〃　said　Jiang　Wei；　gratefully。

Without　loss　of　time；　Jiang　Wei　memorialized　the　Throne　and　obtained　the　Latter　Rulers　consent。　Then　he　returned　to　Hanzhong；　assembled　his　officers；　and　told　them　his　plans。

〃Our　many　expeditions　have　failed　to　achieve　success　owing　to　lack　of　supplies。　Now　I　am　about　to　take　eighty　thousand　troops　to　Tazhong　to　form　a　cantonment　and　grow　wheat　and　corn　ready　for　the　next　expedition。　You　are　spent　with　much　fighting　and　may　now　repose　while　collecting　grain　and　guarding　Hanzhong。　The　armies　of　Wei　are　from　home　and　have　to　drag　their　grain　over　the　mountains。　They　will　be　worn　out　with　the　labor　and　must　soon　retire。　That　will　be　the　time　to　smite　them；　and　success　must　be　ours。〃

Hu　Ji　was　set　over　Hanshou；　Wang　Han　of　Yuecheng；　Jiang　Bin　over　Hancheng；　and　Jiang　Shu　and　Fu　Qian　went　to　guard　the　passes。　After　these　arrangements　had　been　made；　Jiang　Wei　went　off　to　Tazhong　to　grow　grain　and　mature　his　plans。

Deng　Ai　heard　of　these　dispositions　and　discovered　that　the　armies　of　Shu　were　distributed　in　forty　camps；　each　connected　with　the　next　like　the　joints　of　a　huge　serpent。　He　sent　out　his　spies　to　survey　the　country；　and　they　made　a　map　which　was　sent　to　the　capital。

But　when　the　Duke　of　Jin；　Sima　Zhao；　saw　the　memorial　and　the　map；　he　was　very　angry。

〃This　Jiang　Wei　has　invaded　our　country　many　times；　and　we　have　been　unable　to　destroy　him。　He　is　the　one　sorrow　of　my　heart。〃

Said　Jia　Chong；　〃He　has　carried　on　the　work　of　Zhuge　Liang　only　too　thoroughly；　and　it　is　hard　to　force　him　back。　What　you　need　is　some　crafty　brave　to　assassinate　him；　so　remove　this　constant　menace　of　war。〃

But　Assistant　Xun　Xu　said；　〃That　is　not　the　way。　Liu　Shan；　the　Ruler　of　Shu；　is　steeped　in　dissipation　and　has　given　all　his　confidence　to　one　favorite；　Eunuch　Huang　Hao。　The　higher　officers　of　state　are　concerned　solely　with　their　own　safety；　and　Jiang　Wei　has　gone　to　Tazhong　only　that　he　may　save　his　life。　If　you　send　an　able　leader　and　a　strong　army；　victory　is　certain。　Where　is　the　need　for　an　assassins　dagger？〃

〃These　are　excellent　words；〃　said　Sima　Zhao；　with　a　laugh；　〃but　if　I　would　attack　Shu；　where　is　the　leader？〃

〃Deng　Ai　is　the　ablest　leader　of　the　day；〃　said　Xun　Xu。　〃Give　him　Zhong　Hui　as　his　second；　and　the　thing　is　done。〃

〃Exactly　what　I　think！〃　said　Sima　Zhao。

So　he　summoned　Zhong　Hui　and　said　to　him；　〃I　desire　to　send　you　as　leader　against　Wu：　Can　you　go？〃

〃My　lords　design　is　not　against　Wu；　but　Shu；〃　was　his　reply。

〃How　well　you　know　my　inmost　thought！〃　said　Sima　Zhao。　〃But　how　would　you　conduct　an　expedition　against　Shu？〃

〃Thinking　that　my　lord　would　desire　to　attack　Shu；　I　have　already　prepared　plans。　Here　they　are。〃

He　laid　out　his　maps；　and　thereon　were　shown　the　camps；　and　storehouses；　and　roads　all　plete。

Sima　Zhao　was　highly　pleased。

〃You　are　an　excellent　leader；〃　said　he。　〃What　say　you　to　going　with　Deng　Ai？〃

〃The　River　Lands　is　large；　and　there　is　space　for　more　than　one　set　of　operations。　Deng　Ai　can　be　sent　along　another　line。〃

Zhong　Hui　was　given　the　title　of　General　Who　Conquers　the　West　and　the　insignia　of　a　mander…in…Chief　over　the　forces　of　the　Land　Within　the　Passes　and　control　of　the　armies　of　Qingzhou；　Xuzhou；　Yanzhou；　Yuzhou；　Jingzhou；　and　Yangzhou。　At　the　same　time　a　mission　with　authority　ensign　was　sent　to　Deng　Ai　giving　him　mand　of　the　forces　beyond　the　pass；　with　the　title　of　General　Who　Conquers　the　West。　And　the　time　for　an　attack　on　Shu　was　settled。

When　Sima　Zhao　was　settling　the　plans　in　the　court；　Deng　Dun；　General　of　the　Front　Army；　said；　〃Why　are　you　sending　our　armies　into　a　distant　and　dangerous　country　and　thus　inviting　trouble？　Jiang　Wei　has　invaded　this　country　many　times；　and　the　wars　have　cost　us　many　lives。　We　should　rather　seek　safety　in　defense。〃

〃I　am　sending　a　righteous　army　against　an　unrighteous　ruler。　How　dare　you　oppose　my　designs？〃

Sima　Zhao　ordered　the　executioners　to　put　Deng　Dun　to　death　forthwith；　and　they　soon　returned　to　lay　his　head　at　the　foot　of　the　steps。　This　frightened　all　those　present；　and　they　turned　pale。

Sima　Zhao　said；　〃It　is　six　years　since　I　conquered　the　east；　and　the　six　years　have　been　spent　in　preparation。　I　have　long　intended　to　reduce　both　Wu　and　Shu。　Now　I　will　destroy　Shu；　and　then　like　a　flood　I　will　descend　upon　Wu　and　conquer　that。　That　is　the　method　destroy　Guo　to　capture　Yu。　I　can　tell　very　nearly　what　forces　they　have　in　Shu。　There　are　eighty　or　ninety　thousand　troops　in　the　garrison　of　Capital　Chengdu；　forty　or　fifty　thousand　on　the　frontier；　while　Jiang　Wei　has　about　sixty　thousand　in　his　cantonments。　Against　them　we　can　pit　one　hundred　thousand　troops　beyond　the　pass　under　Deng　Ai；　enough　to　hold　Jiang　Wei　and　keep　him　from　moving　east；　and　Zhong　Hui　has　two　or　three　hundred　thousand　veterans　within　the　pass。　And　they　will　march　in　three　divisions　through　Luo　Valley　and　straight　into　Hanzhong。　Liu　Shan；　the　Ruler　of　Shu；　is　an　oblivious　fool　with　his　frontier　cities　in　ruins；　the　populace　and　officials　quaking　with　fear。　The　state　will　not　last　long。〃

The　assembly　praised　this　perspicacity。

Zhong　Hui　marched　as　soon　as　he　received　his　seal　of　office。　Lest　his　real　object　should　be　known；　he　gave　out　that　his　force　was　directed　against　Wu。　To　give　color　to　the　pretense；　he　had　many　large　ships　built　in　Qingzhou；　Yanzhou；　Yuzhou；　Jingzhou；　and　Yangzhou。　He　also　sent　Tang　Zi　along　the　coastal　regions　of　Dengzhou　and　Laizhou　to　collect　vessels。