第一小说网

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第172部分（第2页）

〃My　father　heard　that　you　have　sustained　several　defeats；　and　he　has　sent　me；〃　said　Liu　Feng。

〃But　I　am　only　employing　the　ruse　of　leading　on　the　enemy；〃　said　Huang　Zhong；　smiling。　〃You　will　see　tonight　that　in　one　battle　I　shall　regain　all　the　camps　and　capture　their　supplies　and　many　horses。　I　have　only　lent　the　camps　to　them　to　store　their　supplies。　Tonight　I　shall　leave　Huo　Jun　to　guard　the　Pass；　while　General　Meng　Da　will　gather　up　the　spoils　for　us。　Now；　young　Sir；　you　shall　see　the　destruction　of　the　enemy。〃

That　same　night；　at　the　second　watch；　Huang　Zhong　left　the　Pass　with　five　thousand　troops。　But　now　Xiahou　Shang　and　Han　Hao；　seeing　no　move　from　the　Pass　for　many　days；　had　bee　careless　and　so　their　camps　were　unable　to　resist。　Their　troops　had　no　time　to　don　their　armors　or　to　saddle　their　horses。　All　the　leaders　did　was　to　flee　for　their　lives；　while　their　troops　trampled　each　other　down　and　were　killed　in　great　numbers。　All　three　camps　were　recovered　by　dawn；　and　in　them　were　found　all　sorts　of　military　equipment。　Horses　and　their　caparisons　also　fell　to　the　victors；　and　all　the　booty　was　carried　off　by　Meng　Da　and　stored　in　the　Pass。

Huang　Zhong　pressed　on　his　victory。　Liu　Feng　ventured　to　say；　〃Our　soldiers　need　repose。〃

〃Can　you　seize　the　tigers　whelps　without　going　into　the　tigers　den？〃　cried　Huang　Zhong。　And　he　urged　on　his　steed。　The　soldiers　also　were　eager。

Zhang　Hes　own　army　was　thrown　into　confusion　by　the　flying　men　from　the　defeated　armies；　and　he　could　not　maintain　his　station；　but　was　forced　to　retreat。　They　abandoned　all　their　stockades　and　rushed　to　the　bank　of　River　Han。

Then　Zhang　He　sought　the　two　generals　who　had　brought　about　the　misfortune　and　said　to　them；　〃This　is　Tiandang　Mountain；　where　our　stores　are。　Close　by　is　Micang　Mountain。　The　two　mountains　are　the　very　source　of　life　of　the　Hanzhong　army。　Lose　them；　and　Hanzhong　is　gone　too。　We　must　see　to　their　security。〃

Xiahou　Shang　said；　〃My　uncle；　Xiahou　Yuan；　will　look　out　for　the　defense　of　Micang　Mountain；　which　is　next　to　his　station　at　Dingjun　Mountain；　there　need　be　no　anxiety　about　that。　And　my　brother；　Xiahou　De；　guards　Tiandang　Mountain。　Let　us　go　to　him　and　help　to　protect　that。〃

Zhang　He　and　the　two　generals　set　out　at　once。　They　reached　the　mountain　and　told　Xiahou　De　all　that　had　happened。

〃I　have　one　hundred　thousand　troops　in　camp　here；〃　replied　he。　〃You　may　take　some　of　them　and　recover　your　lost　camps。〃

〃No；〃　replied　Zhang　He。　〃The　only　proper　course　is　to　defend。〃

Almost　as　they　spoke　the　rolling　of　drums　and　the　clang　of　gongs　were　heard；　and　the　look…outs　came　to　say　that　Huang　Zhong　was　near。

〃The　old　ruffian　does　not　know　much　of　the　art　of　war；〃　said　Xiahou　De　with　a　laugh。　〃After　all；　he　is　only　a　brave。〃

〃Be　not　mistaken：　He　is　crafty　and　not　only　bold；〃　said　Zhang　He。

〃This　move　is　against　the　rules　and　not　at　all　crafty。　He　is　worn　from　a　long　march　and　his　soldiers　are　fatigued；　and　they　are　deep　in　an　enemys　country。〃

〃Nevertheless；　be　careful　how　you　attack；〃　said　Zhang　He。　〃You　would　still　do　well　to　depend　upon　defense　only。〃

〃Give　me　three　thousand　good　soldiers；　and　I　will　cut　him　to　pieces；〃　cried　Han　Hao。

They　told　off　the　three　panies　for　him；　and　down　he　went　into　the　plain。　As　he　approached；　Huang　Zhong　arrayed　his　army。

Liu　Feng　put　in　a　note　of　warning；　saying；　〃The　sun　is　setting；　and　our　men　are　weary。　Let　us　retire　for　the　fight　tomorrow。〃

But　Huang　Zhong　paid　little　attention；　saying；　〃I　do　not　hold　with　your　objections。　This　is　the　one　God…given　opportunity　to　make　good；　and　it　would　be　a　sin　not　to　take　it。〃

So　saying；　the　drums　rolled　for　a　great　attack。　Han　Hao　came　forward　with　his　troops；　and　the　aged　general　went　toward　him　whirling　his　sword。　In　the　first　encounter　Han　Hao　fell。　At　this　the　soldiers　of　Shu　gave　a　yell　and　went　away　up　the　hill；　whereupon　Zhang　He　and　Xiahou　Shang　hastily　moved　out　to　withstand　them。　But　a　great　red　glare　sprang　into　the　sky　from　behind　the　hill；　and　a　shouting　arose。　Hastily　Xiahou　De　led　off　his　troops　to　meet　the　danger　there　and　went　straight　into　the　arms　of　Yan　Yan。　The　Veteran　Generals　arm　rose；　the　sword　fell；　and　Xiahou　De　dropped　from　his　steed　to　rise　no　more。

This　ambush；　into　which　the　dead　general　had　rushed；　had　been　carefully　prepared　by　Huang　Zhong；　who　had　sent　Yan　Yan　away　before　he　marched　himself　and　given　Yan　Yan　orders　what　to　do。　It　was　the　brushwood　that　Yan　Yans　men　had　spent　the　time　in　collecting　that　now　sent　forth　the　flames　reaching　up　to　the　heavens　and　filling　the　valleys。

Yan　Yan；　after　slaying　Xiahou　De；　came　round　the　hill　to　aid　in　the　attack　so　that　the　defenders　were　taken　both　in　front　and　rear。　They　could　do　nothing　and　presently　left　the　battlefield　and　rushed　toward　Dingjun　Mountain　to　seek　refuge　with　Xiahou　Yuan。

Meanwhile　the　victors　took　steps　to　hold　the　position　they　had　won　and　sent　the　good　news　of　victory　to　Capital　Chengdu。　And　when　the　news　arrived；　Liu　Bei　called　together　all　his　officers　to　rejoice。

Then　said　Fa　Zheng；　〃Not　long　ago　Zhang　Lu　submitted　to　Cao　Cao；　and　thereby　Cao　Cao　got　possession　of　Hanzhong　quite　easily。　Instead　of　following　up　this　by　an　advance　westward；　he　left　two　generals　to　guard　it　and　went　south。　That　was　a　mistake。　Now；　my　lord；　do　not　make　a　mistake　yourself；　but　take　advantage　of　the　present　favorable　position；　with　Zhang　He　newly　defeated　and　Tiandang　Mountain　captured；　to　attack　Hanzhong　and　you　will　have　it　at　once。　Once　that　is　yours；　you　can　train　your　army　and　amass　supplies　ready　for　a　stroke　against　the　arch…rebel　himself。　This　God…given　advantage　will　be　confirmed　to　you；　and　you　should　not　miss　it。〃

Both　Liu　Bei　and　Zhuge　Liang　saw　the　wisdom　of　this　scheme　and　prepared　to　act。　Zhao　Yun　and　Zhang　Fei　were　to　lead　the　van；　while　Liu　Bei　with　Zhuge　Liang　manded　the　main　army　of　one　hundred　thousand　troops。　A　day　was　chosen　to　set　out；　and　orders　were　sent　to　everyone　to　keep　careful　guard　for　Yizhou。

It　was　a　certain　auspicious　day　in　the　seventh　month　of　the　twenty…third　year　that　the　army　marched　（AD　218）。　Reaching　Jiameng　Pass；　Huang　Zhong　and　Yan　Yan　were　summoned　and　well　rewarded　for　their　services。

Liu　Bei　said　to　Huang　Zhong；　〃People　said　you　were　old；　General；　but　the　Directing　Instructor　of　the　army　know　you　better　than　they；　and　you　have　rendered　amazing　service。　Still；　Dingjun　Mountain　is　yet　to　be　captured；　and　it　is　both　a　great　central　store　and　a　major　defense　of　Nanzheng。　If　we　could　get