第一小说网

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第152部分（第3页）

When　the　news　of　Ling　Baos　capture　and　death　reached　Luocheng；　Wu　Yi　and　Liu　Gui　took　counsel　together。

Their　colleague；　Zhang　Ren；　said；　〃I　know　a　by…road　on　the　southeast　which　is　of　great　importance；　and　I　pray　you　let　me　guard　it　while　you　two　hold　the　city。〃

So　as　soon　as　the　news　of　the　advancing　armies　came；　Zhang　Ren　led　three　thousand　troops　to　this　by…road　and　placed　them　in　ambush。　They　remained　hidden　while　Wei　Yan　passed　and　made　no　attack。　The　main　body　under　Pang　Tong　soon　followed。

The　soldiers　in　ambush　saw　a　rider　on　a　fine　white　horse　and　pointed　him　out　to　one　another；　saying；　〃That　surely　is　Liu　Bei　on　the　white　horse！〃

Their　leader　Zhang　Ren　rejoiced　too；　and　he　gave　certain　orders。

Pang　Tong　hastened　forward。　By　and　by　the　mountain　road　narrowed　to　a　defile　with　dense　thickets　on　either　hand；　and　as　the　season　was　when　summer　changes　into　autumn；　the　foliage　was　thick　and　impenetrable。　His　heart　alarmed　him；　and　presently　he　reined　in　his　steed　and　asked　if　any　knew　the　name　of　that　place。

One　of　the　soldiers　of　Yizhou　who　had　joined　his　army　said；　〃This　is　called　The　Fallen　Phoenix　Slope。〃

Pang　Tong　shuddered。　〃An　evil　omen　for　me；　since　Young　Phoenix　is　my　Taoist　name。　There　is　no　luck　for　me　here。〃

He　decided　to　retire。　But　as　he　gave　the　order；　the　roar　of　a　bomb　rent　the　air　and　arrows　began　to　fly　toward　him　thick　as　swarming　locusts。　All　the　hidden　men　were　shooting　at　the　rider　of　the　white　horse。　And　there；　wounded　by　many　arrows；　poor　Pang　Tong　died　at　the　age　of　thirty…six。

A　poem　says：

Deep　in　the　blue　recesses　of　Xian　Hills

Lay　hid　the　modest　cot　of　Pang　Tong。

But　now　each　village　urchin　knows　his　story；

And　any　village　rustic　tells　his　exploits。

He　knew　the　empire　must　be　triply　rent；

And　far　he　traveled　lonely；　to　and　fro。

None　knew　that　Heaven　would　cast　down　his　star；

Forbidding　his　return　in　glory　clad。

A　song　was　also　written　referring　to　Pang　Tong：

They　were　two；　the　Phoenix　and　the　Dragon；

And　they　would　travel　far　to　the　west；

But　on　the　road　thither

The　Phoenix　died　on　the　mountain　slope。

The　wind　drives　off　the　rain；

The　rain　sends　off　the　wind。

It　was　the　day　of　the　Han　restoration；

When　the　west　was　attained；

But　in　the　attainment

The　Dragon　was　alone。

＇e＇　Evan；　a　reader：　〃You　cant　underestimate　the　value　of　a　good　advisor；　Id　say　theyre　worth　10　tiger　generals　each。　Imagine　how　different　the　fate　of　each　kingdom　would　have　been　without　these　people；　and　how　much　more　Shu　and　Wu　might　have　acplished　had　not　several　of　their　brilliant　leaders　died　young。　If　I　had　to　name　one；　Id　say　that　the　early　death　of　Pang　Tong　had　the　greatest　impact。。。had　he　lived；　Zhu