第一小说网

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第74部分（第2页）

Liu　Ye　spoke　up；　saying；　〃Let　us　make　catapults　and　so　destroy　them。〃

Cao　Cao　at　once　had　models　brought　and　set　cunning　workers　to　make　these　stone…throwing　machines。　They　soon　constructed　some　hundreds　and　placed　them　along　the　walls　of　the　camp　inside；　just　opposite　the　high　ladders　on　the　enemys　mounds。

Then　Cao　Caos　troops　watched　for　Yuan　Shaos　archers　to　ascend　the　towers。　As　soon　as　the　archers　began　to　shoot；　all　the　catapults　began　to　heave　stone　balls　into　the　skies　and　they　wrought　great　havoc。　There　was　no　shelter　from　the　falling　stones；　and　enormous　numbers　of　the　archers　were　killed。　Yuan　Shaos　troops　called　these　machines　〃Rumblers；〃　and　after　their　appearance　the　archers　dared　not　ascend　the　mounds　to　shoot。

Then　Shen　Pei；　the　strategist；　thought　out　another　plan。　He　set　troops　to　tunnel　under　the　walls　into　the　midst　of　Cao　Caos　camp　and　called　this　corps　〃The　Sappers〃。　Cao　Caos　soldiers　saw　the　enemy　digging　out　pits　behind　the　mounds　and　told　the　chief；　who　at　once　sought　a　counter　plan　from　Liu　Ye。

〃As　Yuan　Shao　can　no　longer　attack　openly；　he　is　attacking　secretly　and　is　tunneling　a　road　under　ground　into　the　midst　of　our　camp；〃　said　Liu　Ye。

〃But　how　to　meet　it？〃

〃We　can　surround　the　camp　with　a　deep　moat　which　renders　their　tunnel　useless。〃

So　a　deep　moat　was　dug　as　quickly　as　possible；　and　when　the　enemy　sappers　arrived　thereat；　lo！　their　labor　had　been　in　vain　and　the　sap　was　useless。

Cao　Cao　held　Guandu　throughout　the　eighth　and　ninth　months　when；　his　army　being　worn　out　and　provisions　failing；　he　began　to　think　of　giving　up　and　returning　to　the　capital。　As　he　could　not　make　up　his　mind；　he　referred　his　difficulties　by　letter　to　Xun　Yu；　whom　he　had　left　to　guard　Xuchang。　The　reply　he　got　was　to　this　effect：

〃I　have　received　your　mand　to　decide　whether　to　continue　the　campaign　or　retire。　It　appears　to　me　that　Yuan　Shao　assembled　such　large　forces　at　Guandu　with　the　expectation　of　winning　a　decision。　You；　Sir；　are　very　weak　while　he　is　very　strong。　If　you　cannot　get　the　better　of　him；　he　will　be　able　to　work　his　will　on　you；　and　this　will　be　a　crisis　of　the　empire。　Your　opponents　are　indeed　numerous；　but　their　leader　knows　not　how　to　use　them。　With　your　military　genius　and　discernment；　where　are　you　not　sure　to　succeed？　Now　though　your　numbers　are　small；　your　situation　is　still　brighter　than　Liu　Bangs　when　he　faced　against　Xiang　Yu　in　Jungyang　and　Chenggao。　You　are　securely　entrenched　with　your　hands　on　Yuan　Shaos　throat；　and　even　if　you　cannot　advance；　that　state　of　things　cannot　endure　forever　but　must　change。　This　is　the　time　to　play　some　unexpected　move；　and　you　must　not　miss　it。　The　device　I　leave　to　your　illustrious　ingenuity。〃

This　letter　greatly　pleased　Cao　Cao；　and　he　urged　upon　his　troops　to　use　every　effort　to　maintain　the　position。

Yuan　Shao　then　retired　some　ten　miles；　and　Cao　Cao　sent　out　scouts　to　ascertain　his　new　dispositions。　One　of　Xu　Huangs　officers；　Shi　Huan；　captured　an　enemy　spy　and　sent　him　to　his　chief。　Xu　Huang　interrogated　him　and　found　out　that　a　convoy　of　supplies　was　expected　and　that　this　spy　and　others　had　been　sent　to　find　out　what　the　risks　of　the　route　were。　Xu　Huang　went　at　once　to　tell　Cao　Cao。

When　Xun　You　heard　that　the　mander　of　the　convoy　was　Han　Meng；　he　said；　〃That　fellow　is　a　valiant　fool。　A　few　thousand　light　horse　sent　to　intercept　him　can　capture　the　whole　train　and　cause　much　trouble　in　the　enemys　camp。〃

〃Whom　should　I　send？〃　asked　Cao　Cao。

〃You　might　send　Xu　Huang。　He　is　capable　of　such　a　task。〃

So　Xu　Huang　was　deputed；　and　he　took　with　him　Shi　Huan；　who　had　captured　the　spy；　and　his　pany。　And　this　party　was　supported　by　Zhang　Liao　and　Xu　Chu。

It　was　night　when　the　missariat　train　of　many　thousands　of　wagons　drew　near　Yuan　Shaos　camp。　As　they　passed　through　a　defile；　Xu　Huang　and　Shi　Huan　came　out　and　stopped　the　train。　Han　Meng　galloped　up　to　give　battle　but　was　soon　overe。　The　guard　was　scattered；　and　soon　the　whole　train　was　in　flames。　The　escort　and　their　leader　fled　away。

The　glow　of　the　flames　seen　from　Yuan　Shaos　camp　caused　great　consternation；　which　became　fear　when　the　escaped　soldiers　rode　in　and　told　their　tale。

Yuan　Shao　sent　out　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan　to　try　to　intercept　the　raiders；　and　they　came　upon　Xu　Huang　and　his　pany。　Just　as　Zhang　He　and　Gao　Lan　were　attacking；　reinforcements　from　Zhang　Liao　and　Xu　Chu　came　up；　and　the　Yuan　Shaos　troops　were　between　two　fires。　They　were　cut　to　pieces　and　the　successful　generals　of　Cao　Cao　rode　back　to　Guandu；　where　they　were　richly　rewarded。

As　an　additional　safeguard；　Cao　Cao　made　a　supporting　outpost　in　front　of　the　main　camp　to　be　the　apex　of　a　triangle　of　defense。

When　Han　Meng　returned　with　his　woeful　tidings；　Yuan　Shao　was　angry　and　threatened　to　put　him　to　death。　His　colleagues　begged　him　off。

Then　said　Shen　Pei；　〃Food　is　very　important　for　an　army　in　the　field　and　must　be　defended　with　the　greatest　diligence。　Wuchao　is　our　main　depot　and　must　be　carefully　guarded。〃

〃My　plans　being　plete；〃　said　Yuan　Shao。　〃You　may　as　well　return　to　Capital　Yejun　of　Jizhou　and　undertake　the　control　of　the　supplies。　Let　there　be　no　shortage。〃

So　Shen　Pei　left　the　army。　Then　a　force　of　twenty　thousand　troops　was