第一小说网

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第44部分（第2页）

〃Serve　out　with　a　smaller　measure；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃That　will　save　us　for　a　time。〃

〃But　if　the　soldiers　murmur；　what　then？〃

〃I　shall　have　another　device。〃

As　ordered　the　controller　issued　grain　in　a　short　measure。　Cao　Cao　sent　secretly　to　find　out　how　the　army　took　this；　and　when　he　found　that　plaints　were　general　and　the　soldiers　were　saying　that　the　Prime　Minister　was　fooling　them；　he　sent　a　secret　summons　to　the　controller。

When　Wang　Hou　came；　Cao　Cao　said；　〃I　want　to　ask　you　to　lend　me　something　to　pacify　the　soldiers　with。　You　must　not　refuse。〃

〃What　does　the　Prime　Minister　wish？〃

〃I　want　the　loan　of　your　head　to　expose　to　the　soldiery。〃

〃But　I　have　done　nothing　wrong！〃　exclaimed　the　unhappy　man。

〃I　know　that；　but　if　I　do　not　put　you　to　death；　there　will　be　a　mutiny。　After　you　are　gone；　your　wife　and　children　shall　be　my　care。　So　you　need　not　grieve　on　their　account。〃

Wang　Hou　was　about　to　remonstrate　further；　but　Cao　Cao　gave　a　signal。　The　executioners　hustled　Wang　Hou　out；　and　he　was　beheaded。　His　head　was　exposed　on　a　tall　pole；　and　a　notice　said；　〃In　accordance　with　military　law；　Wang　Hou　had　been　put　to　death　for　peculation　and　the　use　of　a　short　measure　in　issuing　grain。〃

This　appeased　the　discontent。　Next　followed　a　general　order　threatening　death　to　all　manders　if　the　city　was　not　taken　within　three　days。　Cao　Cao　in　person　went　up　to　the　very　walls　to　superintend　the　work　of　filling　up　the　moat。　The　defenders　kept　up　constant　showers　of　stones　and　arrows。　Two　inferior　officers；　who　left　their　stations　in　fear；　were　slain　by　Cao　Cao　himself。　Thereafter　he　went　on　foot　to　work　with　his　soldiers　and　to　see　that　work　went　on　continuously　and　no　one　dared　be　a　laggard。　Thus　encouraged；　the　army　became　invincible；　and　no　defense　could　withstand　their　onslaught。　In　a　very　short　time　the　walls　were　scaled；　the　gates　battered　in；　and　the　besiegers　were　in　possession。　The　officers　of　the　garrison………Li　Deng；　Yue　Jiu；　Liang　Gang；　and　Chen　Ji………were　captured　alive　and　were　executed　in　the　market　place。　All　the　paraphernalia　of　imperial　state　were　burned；　and　the　whole　city　wrecked。

When　the　question　of　crossing　the　river　in　pursuit　of　Yuan　Shu　came　up；　Xun　Yu　opposed　it；　saying；　〃The　country　has　suffered　from　short　crops　for　years；　and　we　should　be　unable　to　get　grain。　An　advance　would　weary　the　army；　harm　the　people；　and　possibly　end　in　disaster。　I　advise　a　return　to　the　capital　to　wait　there　till　the　spring　wheat　shall　have　been　harvested　and　we　have　plenty　of　food。〃

Cao　Cao　hesitated。

Before　he　had　made　up　his　mind；　there　came　an　urgent　message：　〃Zhang　Xiu；　with　the　support　of　Liu　Biao；　was　ravaging　the　country　all　round。　There　were　rebellions　in　Nanyang　and　Jiangling；　and　Cao　Hong　could　not　cope　with　it。　Cao　Hong　had　been　worsted　already　in　several　engagements　and　was　in　sore　straits。〃

Cao　Cao　at　once　wrote　to　Sun　Ce　to　mand　the　Great　River　so　as　to　prevent　any　move　on　the　part　of　Liu　Biao；　while　he　prepared　his　army　to　go　to　deal　with　Zhang　Xiu。　Before　marching　Cao　Cao　directed　Liu　Bei　to　station　at　Xiaopei；　as　he　and　Lu　Bu　being　as　brothers　might　help　each　other。

When　Lu　Bu　had　left　for　Xuzhou；　Cao　Cao　said　secretly　to　Liu　Bei；　〃I　am　leaving　you　at　Xiaopei　to　dig　a　pitfall　for　the　tiger。　You　will　only　take　advice　from　Chen　Deng　and　Chen　Gui；　and　there　can　be　no　mishap。　You　will　find　so…and…so　your　ally　when　needed。〃

So　Cao　Cao　marched　to　Xuchang　where　he　heard　that　Duan　Wei　had　slain　Li　Jue　and　Wu　Xi　killed　Guo　Si；　and　they　presented　the　heads　of　these　two。　Beside　the　whole　clan　of　Li　Jue；　more　than　two　hundred；　had　been　arrested　and　brought　to　the　capital。　They　were　all　put　to　death　at　various　gates　and　their　heads　exposed　as　warning。　The　people　cheered　the　end　of　those　two　rebels。

In　the　Emperors　palace　a　large　number　of　officials　were　assembled　at　a　peace　banquet。　The　Emperor　rewarded　the　two　successful　leaders；　Duan　Wei　with　the　title　of　General　Who　Destroys　Rebellion　and　Wu　Xi　General　Who　Wrecks　Villainy；　and　sent　to　guard　Changan。　They　came　to　audience　to　express　their　gratitude　and　marched　away。

Then　Cao　Cao　sent　in　a　memorial　that　Zhang　Xiu　was　in　rebellion；　and　an　army　must　be　sent　against　him。　The　Emperor　in　person　arranged　the　chariot　and　escorted　Cao　Cao　out　of　the　city　when　he　went　to　take　mand　of　the　expedition。　It　was　the　summer；　the　fourth　month　of　the　third　year　of　Rebuilt　Tranquillity　（AD　198）。　Xun　Yu　was　in　chief　military　mand　in　Xuchang。

The　army　marched　away。　In　the　course　of　the　march　they　passed　through　a　wheat　region；　and　the　grain　was　ready　for　harvesting　but　the　peasants　had　fled　for　fear；　and　the　corn　was　uncut。　Cao　Cao　sent　proclamations　to　all　villages　and　towns：

〃I　am　sent　on　the　expedition　by　mand　of　the　Emperor　to　capture　a　rebel　and　save　the　people。　I　cannot　avoid　moving　in　the　harvest　season；　but　if　anyone　trample　down　the　corn；　he　shall　be　put　to　death。　Military　law　is　strict　without　exception；　and　the　people　need　fear　no　damage。〃

The　people　were　very　pleased　and　lined　the　road；　wishing　success　to　the　expedition。　When　the　soldiers　passed　wheat　fields；　they　dismounted　and　pushed　aside　the　stalks　so　that　none　were　trampled　down。

One　day；　when　Cao　Cao　was　riding　through　the　fields；　a　dove　suddenly　got　up；　startling　the　horse　so　that　it　swerved　into　the　standing　grain；　and　a　large　patch　was　trampled　down。　Cao　Cao　at　once　called　the　Provost　Marshal　and　bade　him　decree　the　sentence　for　the　crime　of　trampling　down　corn。

〃How　can　I　deal　with　your　crime？〃　asked　the　Provost　Marshal。

〃I　made　the　rule；　and　I　have　broken　it。　Can　I　otherwise　satisfy　public　opinion？〃

Cao　Cao　laid　hold　of　the　sword　by　his　side　and　made　to　take　his　own　life。　All　hastened　to　prevent　him。

Guo　Jia　said；　〃In　ancient　days；　the　days　of　the　Spring　and　Autumn　history；　the