第一小说网

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第156部分（第2页）

〃What　is　there　to　hope　for？〃　asked　Wei　Kang　despairingly。

Although　Yang　Fu　besought　Wei　Kang　with　bitterness　to　hold　out；　it　was　useless。　Wei　Kang　rejected　his　advice；　opened　the　city　gates；　and　bowed　his　head　in　submission。

〃You　only　yield　now　as　the　last　resource；〃　cried　Ma　Chao；　angry　at　the　delay　he　had　suffered。　〃This　is　no　real　submission。〃

Whereupon　he　put　to　death　Wei　Kang　and　all　his　family　to　the　number　of　two　score。

But　when　they　told　Ma　Chao　that　Yang　Fu　had　been　really　responsible　for　the　long　delay；　in　that　Yang　Fu　had　urged　his　master　to　hold　out；　Ma　Chao　did　not　put　him　to　death　but　praised　him　and　said；　〃Yang　Fu　had　but　done　his　duty。〃

Ma　Chao　further　showed　his　approval　by　employing　Yang　Fu　and　two　of　his　friends　in　his　own　army。　These　two　friends　were　named　Liang　Kuan　and　Zhao　Qu。

One　day　Yang　Fu　went　to　his　new　chief　and　said；　〃My　wife　has　died　in　Lintao。　I　wish　to　take　leave　for　two　months　to　bury　her。〃

Wherefore　Yang　Fu　was　granted　leave　and　went　away　from　the　army。　On　the　way；　he　went　to　his　maternal　cousin；　General　Jiang　Xu；　mander　of　Licheng。　The　generals　mother；　then　an　old　lady　of　eighty…two　was　Yang　Fus　aunt。

When　Yang　Fu　saw　her；　he　wept　before　her；　saying；　〃Behold　an　unfortunate　man！　The　city　I　had　to　defend　is　lost；　my　master　is　dead；　and　I　have　survived　him。　I　am　ashamed　to　look　you　in　the　face。　Now　this　Ma　Chao　ravages　the　countryside；　and　everyone　hates　him。　Yet　my　cousin　sits　still　and　does　nothing　against　Ma　Chao。　Is　this　fitting　conduct　for　a　state　servant？〃

Yang　Fu　wept　bitterly。

The　old　lady　was　moved　by　his　grief；　called　in　her　son　and　said　to　him　reproachfully；　〃You　are　the　cause　of　the　evil　that　has　e　upon　the　noble　Wei　Kang。〃

Then　turning　once　more　toward　Yang　Fu；　she　said；　〃But　what　can　now　be　done？　You　have　surrendered　and；　more　than　that；　you　have　accepted　service　under　your　late　enemy。〃

〃It　is　true；〃　replied　Yang　Fu。　〃I　have　surrendered　and　I　have　accepted　service；　but　it　is　with　the　desire　to　preserve　my　miserable　life　till　I　can　avenge　my　master。〃

〃Ma　Chao　is　bold　and　difficult　to　destroy；〃　said　Jiang　Xu。

〃Not　very　difficult；〃　replied　Yang　Fu；　〃for　though　he　is　bold；　yet　he　is　unskillful。　Already　I　have　two　friends　Liang　Kuan　and　Zhao　Qu　by　his　side；　and　they　would　help　against　him　if　you；　my　brother；　would　only　supply　a　force。〃

〃What　is　to　be　gained　by　delay？〃　then　said　the　old　lady。　〃Is　there　anyone　who　will　not　have　to　die？　To　perish　in　the　way　of　loyalty　and　righteousness　is　to　die　in　the　right　path。　Do　not　think　of　me；　for　if　you　do；　and　heed　not　the　call　of　your　cousin；　then　will　I　die　at　once　so　that　you　may　be　free　to　make　up　your　mind。〃

There　was　now　no　excuse　for　delay；　and　Jiang　Xu　had　to　act。　He　summoned　two　of　his　officers；　Yin　Feng　and　Zhao　Ang；　and　took　counsel　with　them。

Now　Zhao　Ang　had　a　son；　Zhao　Yue；　who　was　an　officer　in　the　army　of　Ma　Chao。　When　Zhao　Ang　had　to　consent　to　take　part　against　his　sons　chief；　he　became　very　unhappy　and　went　home　to　talk　over　it　with　his　wife；　Lady　Wang。

He　said；　〃I　have　today　been　led　into　a　scheme　to　destroy　Ma　Chao　and　avenge　Wei　Kang。　But　there　is　our　son　there　in　Ma　Chaos　service；　and　Ma　Chao　will　certainly　put　our　son　to　death　as　soon　as　he　hears　that　we　are　arming　against　him。　What　is　to　be　done？〃

But　his　wife　replied　angrily；　〃Should　anyone　grudge　even　his　life　to　avenge　his　liege　lord　or　his　father？　How　much　less　a　son？　My　lord；　if　you　let　the　thought　of　your　son　stay　your　hand；　then　will　I　die　forthwith。〃

This　decided　the　matter；　and　without　further　parley　Zhao　Ang　decided　to　share　the　expedition　and　set　about　preparations。　The　army　was　soon　on　the　way。　Jiang　Xu　and　Yang　Fu　camped　at　the　city　of　Licheng；　Zhao　Ang　and　Yin　Feng　camped　at　Qishan。　The　wife　of　Zhao　Ang　sold　her　ornaments　and　went　in　person　to　her　husbands　camp　to　feast　his　soldiers。

The　fears　of　Zhao　Ang　concerning　the　fate　of　his　son　were　only　too　soon　justified。　At　the　first　news　of　the　march　of　an　army　against　him；　Ma　Chao　beheaded　the　young　Zhao　Yue。　Then　Ma　Chao　marched　his　force；　together　with　Pang　De　and　Ma　Dai；　to　Licheng；　and　the　troops　under　Jiang　Xu　and　Yang　Fu　went　out　to　oppose　it。　The　two　leaders　on　the　avenging　side　went　to　battle　dressed　in　mourning　white。

They　railed　at　Ma　Chao；　crying；　〃Wicked　traitor！　Rebel！〃

Ma　Chao　angrily　dashed　across　toward　them；　and　the　fight　began。　From　the　very　first　it　was　seen　that　the　defenders　of　the　city　could　not　hope　to　beat　off　the　attack；　and　they　turned　to　flee。　Ma　Chao　pursued　them。　But　soon　he　heard　the　shouting　of　soldiers　behind　him　and　found　the　other　army　led　by　Zhao　Ang　and　Yin　Feng　was　attacking　his　rear。　Wherefore　he　was　between　two　armies　and　had　a　double　battle　to　fight。　As　he　turned　toward　that　in　his　rear；　Jiang　Xu　and　Yang　Fu　returned　again　to　the　attack。　And　while　engaged　with　these　two；　there　suddenly　appeared　a　third　force　under　Xiahou　Yuan；　who　had　just　received　orders　from　Cao　Cao　to　e　against　Ma　Chao。

Three　attacks　at　once　were　too　much　for　Ma　Chao；　and　he　fled；　his　force　in　utter　confusion。　He　retreated　all　that　night　and　at　dawn　reached　his　own　city　of　Jicheng。　He　hailed　the　gate；　but　a　flight　of　arrows　was　the　response。　Soon　after；　Liang　Kuan　and　Zhao　Qu　appeared　and　reviled　him　from　the　ramparts　above。　More　than　this；　they　dragged　his　wife；　Lady　Yang；　up　upon　the　wall；　hacked　her　before　his　face；　and　threw　the　bloody　body　at　his　feet。　They　followed　up　this　by　the　murder　in　like　manner　of　his　three　sons　and　other　members　of　his　family　to　the　number　of　ten　and　more。　And　all　their　dead　bodies　were　flung　from　the　wall。

Rage　and　despair　filled　Ma　Chaos　bosom；　he　almost　fell　from　his　steed。　But　little　time　was　allowed　to　grieve；　for　Xiahou　Yuan　was　nearly　upon　him。　Knowing　that　he　could　not　oppose　this　force　with　any　chance　of　victory；　he　made　no　battle　line；　but　set　off　with　two　of　his　generals；　Ma　Dai　and　Pang　De；　to　cut　his　way　through　such　parties　of　the　enemy　as　they　might　meet。　Their　sole　object　was　escape；　so　when　they