第一小说网

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第76部分（第1页）

From　Yuan　Shaos　camp；　the　flames　of　the　burning　depot　were　seen　away　in　the　north；　and　they　knew　what　they　meant。　Yuan　Shao　hastily　summoned　his　officers　to　a　council　to　send　a　rescue　party。

＇e＇　Sun　Bin　military　strategist；　a　descendant　of　Sun　Zi。　Sun　Bin　served　as　military　counselor　during　the　Warring　States　period　in　Qi。　He　wrote　a　treatise　named　The　Art　of　War　of　Sun　Bin。　。。。。。

＇e＇　In　the　Warring　States　period；　Wei　was　attacking　Zhao　when　Zhao　sent　to　Qi　to　seek　help。　Sun　Bin；　a　strategist　of　Qi；　devised　a　scheme　to　attack　Weis　important　base。　Facing　this　new　threat；　Wei　had　to　withdraw　its　force　to　defend　the　base；　and　thus　Zhao　was　relieved。　Sun　Bin　then　laid　an　ambush　on　Weis　retreat　and　scored　a　victory　for　Qi。

Zhang　He　offered　to　go　with　Gao　Lan；　but　Guo　Tu　said；　〃You　may　not　go。　It　is　certain　that　Cao　Cao　is　there　in　person；　wherefore　his　camp　is　undefended。　Let　loose　our　soldiers　on　the　camp；　and　that　will　speedily　bring　Cao　Cao　back　again。　This　is　how　Sun　Bin*　besieged　Wei　and　thereby　rescued　Zhao*。〃

But　Zhang　He　said；　〃Not　so；　Cao　Cao　is　too　wily　not　to　have　fully　prepared　against　a　chance　attack。　If　we　attack　his　camp　and　fail　and　Chunyu　Qiong　should　be　caught；　we　shall　all　be　captured　too。〃

Guo　Tu　said；　〃Cao　Cao　will　be　too　intent　on　the　destruction　of　the　grain　to　think　of　leaving　a　guard。　I　entreat　you　to　attack　his　camp。〃

So　Yuan　Shao　sent　five　thousand　soldiers　under　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan　to　attack　Cao　Caos　camp；　and　he　sent　ten　thousand　with　Jiang　Qi　to　go　to　recover　the　grain　store。

Now　after　overing　Chunyu　Qiong；　Cao　Caos　troops　dressed　themselves　in　the　armor　and　clothing　of　the　defeated　soldiers　and　put　out　their　emblems；　thus　posing　as　defeated　force　running　back　to　their　own　headquarters。　And　when　they　happened　upon　Jiang　Qis　rescue　body；　they　said　they　had　been　beaten　at　Wuchao　and　were　retreating。　So　Cao　Caos　troops　were　suffered　to　pass　without　molestation　while　Jiang　Qi　hastened　on。　But　soon　Jiang　Qi　came　to　Zhang　Liao　and　Xu　Chu　who　cried　out；　〃Stop！〃

And　before　Jiang　Qi　could　make　any　opposition；　Zhang　Liao　had　cut　him　down。　Soon　his　force　were　killed　or　dispersed；　and　the　victors　sent　false　messengers　to　Yuan　Shaos　camp　to　say　that　Jiang　Qi　had　attacked　and　driven　away　the　attackers　of　the　granaries。　So　no　more　relief　were　sent　that　way。　However；　Yuan　Shao　sent　reinforcements　to　Guandu。

In　due　course；　the　Yuan　Shaos　force　came　down　upon　Cao　Caos　camp　at　Guandu；　and　the　defenders………Xiahou　Dun；　Cao　Ren；　and　Cao　Hong………at　once　came　out　and　fought　them　on　three　sides　so　that　they　were　worsted。　By　the　time　reinforcements　arrived；　Cao　Caos　army；　returning　from　the　raid；　had　also　e；　and　Yuan　Shaos　army　were　attacked　in　the　rear。　So　they　were　quite　surrounded。　However；　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan　managed　to　force　their　way　out　and　got　away。

When　the　remains　of　the　defenders　of　the　grain　stores　reached　their　masters　camp；　they　were　mustered。　Seeing　the　mutilated　state　of　their　one　time　leader；　Yuan　Shao　asked　how　Chunyu　Qiong　had　e　to　betray　his　trust　and　to　suffer　thus。

The　soldiers　told　their　lord；　〃The　General　was　intoxicated　at　the　time　of　the　attack。〃

So　Yuan　Shao　ordered　Chunyu　Qiong　to　be　forthwith　executed。

Guo　Tu；　fearing　lest　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan　would　return　and　testify　the　whole　truth；　began　to　intrigue　against　them。

First　Guo　Tu　went　to　his　lord；　saying；　〃Those　two；　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan；　were　certainly　very　glad　when　your　armies　were　defeated。〃

〃Why　do　you　say　this？〃　asked　Yuan　Shao。

〃O　they　have　long　cherished　a　desire　to　go　over　to　Cao　Cao。　So　when　you　sent　them　on　the　duty　of　destroying　his　camp；　they　did　not　do　their　best　and　so　brought　about　this　disaster。〃

Yuan　Shao　accordingly　sent　to　recall　these　two　to　be　interrogated　as　to　their　faults。　But　Guo　Tu　sent　a　messenger　in　advance　to　warn　them；　as　though　in　friendly　guise；　of　the　adverse　fate　that　awaited　them。

So　when　the　orders　reached　them　to　return　to　answer　for　their　faults；　Gao　Lan　asked；　〃For　what　reason　are　we　recalled？〃

〃Indeed　I　do　not　know；〃　said　the　messenger。

Gao　Lan　drew　his　sword　and　killed　the　messenger。

Zhang　He　was　astonished　at　this　demonstration；　but　Gao　Lan　said；　〃Our　lord　has　allowed　someone　to　malign　us　and　say　we　have　been　bought　by　Cao　Cao。　What　is　the　sense　in　our　sitting　still　and　awaiting　destruction？　Rather　let　us　surrender　to　Cao　Cao　in　reality　and　save　our　lives。〃

〃I　have　been　wanting　to　do　this　for　some　time；〃　replied　Zhang　He。

Wherefore　both；　with　their　panies；　made　their　way　to　Cao　Caos　camp　to　surrender。

When　they　arrived；　Xiahou　Dun　said　to　his　master；　〃These　two　have　e　to　surrender；　but　I　have　doubts　about　them。〃

Cao　Cao　replied；　〃I　will　meet　them　generously　and　win　them　over；　even　if　they　have　treachery　in　their　hearts。〃

＇e＇　The　last　king　of　Shang　Dynasty　was　King　Zhou；　who　was　cruel　and　corrupt。　King　Zhou　had　three　uncles………Bi　Gan；　Qi　Zi；　and　Wei　Zi………who　served　as　ministers。　When　these　three　officials　repeatedly　failed　to　persuade　King　Zhou　to　repent；　Wei　Zi　resigned　his　post；　while　Qi　Zi　pretended　to　be　insane。　Bi　Gan　stayed　and　continued　persuading　the　king；　who　later　executed　Bi　Gan。　Later　the　Duke　of　Zhou　overthrew　Shang　Dynasty　and　enobled　Wei　Zi；　Qi　Zi；　and　the　wife　and　the　son　of　Bi　Gan。　Wei　Zi　became　known　as　the　Duke　of　Song。　Qi　Zi　left　for　Korea　where　he　became　a　ruler。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Before　serving　Han；　Han　Xin　had　been　an　officer　under　Xiang　Yu。　Disappointed　because　his　plans　were　rejected；　Han　Xin　left　Xiang　Yu　and　joined　Liu　Bangs　camp；　where　he　was　made　mander…in…Chief　by　remendations　of　Xiao　He　and　Zhang　Liang。　Enobled　as　King　of　Qi；　then　King　of　Chu。　。。。。。

The　camp　gates　were　opened　to　the　two　officers；　and　they　were　invited　to　enter。　They　laid　down　their　weapons；　removed　their　armor；　and　bowed　to　the　ground　before　Cao　Cao；　who　said；　〃If　Yuan　Shao　had　listened　to　you；　he　would　not　have　suffered　defeat。　Now　you　two　ing　to　surrender　are　like　Wei　Zi*　leaving　the　falling　House　of　Shang　to　go　to　Zhou　and　Han　Xin*　leaving　Xiang　Yu　to　go　over　to　the　rising　House　of　Han。〃

Cao　Cao　made　them　Generals　and　conferred　upon　Zhang　He　the　title　of　Lord　of　Duting　and　upon　Gao　Lan　Lord　of　Donglai；　which　pleased　them　much。

And　so　as　Yuan　Shao　had　formerly　driven　sway　his　adviser；　Xu　You；　so　now　he　had　alienated　two　leaders　and　had　lost　his　stores　at　Wuchao；　and　his　army　was　depressed　and　down…hearted。

When　Xu　You　advised　Cao　Cao　to　attack　Yuan　Shao　as　promptly　as　he　could；　the　two　newly　surrendered　generals　volunteered　to　lead　the　way。　So　Cao　Cao　sent　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan　to　make　a　first　attack　on　the　camp；　and　they　left　in　the　night　with　three　thousand　troops。　The　fighting　went　on　confusedly　all　night　but　stayed　at　dawn。　Yuan　Shao　had　lost　half　of　his　army。