第一小说网

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第236部分（第2页）

〃Try　again；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃Go　and　really　talk　to　him。〃

So　the　go…between　soon　found　himself　once　more　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。

Hao　Zhao　presently　appeared　on　the　tower；　and　Jin　Xiang　shouted　to　him；　〃My　worthy　brother；　please　listen　to　my　words　while　I　explain　clearly。　Here　you　are　holding　one　single　city。　How　can　you　think　of　opposing　one　hundred　thousand　troops？　If　you　do　not　yield；　you　will　be　sorry　when　it　is　too　late。　Instead　of　serving　the　Great　Han；　you　are　serving　a　depraved　country　called　Wei。　Why　do　you　not　recognize　the　decree　of　Heaven？　Why　do　you　not　distinguish　between　the　pure　and　the　foul？　Think　over　it。〃

Then　Hao　Zhao　began　to　get　really　angry。　He　fitted　an　arrow　to　his　bow　and　he　called　out；　〃Go！　Or　I　will　shoot。　I　meant　what　I　said　at　first；　and　I　will　say　no　more。〃

Again　Jin　Xiang　returned　and　reported　failure　to　Zhuge　Liang。

〃The　fool　is　very　ill…mannered；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃Does　he　think　he　can　beguile　me　into　sparing　the　city？〃

He　called　up　some　of　the　local　people　and　asked　about　the　forces　in　the　city。　They　told　him　about　three　thousand。

〃I　do　not　think　such　a　small　place　can　beat　me；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。　〃Attack　quickly　before　any　reinforcements　can　arrive。〃

Thereupon　the　assailants　brought　up　scaling　ladders；　upon　the　platforms　of　which　ten　or　more　men　could　stand。　These　were　surrounded　by　planks　as　protection。　The　other　soldiers　had　short　ladders　and　ropes；　and；　at　the　beat　of　the　drum；　they　attempted　to　scale　the　walls。

But　when　Hao　Zhao　saw　the　ladders　being　brought　up；　he　made　his　soldiers　shoot　fire…arrows　at　them。　Zhuge　Liang　did　not　expect　this。　He　knew　the　city　was　not　well　prepared　for　defense；　and　he　had　had　the　great　ladders　brought　up　and　bade　the　soldiers　take　the　wall　with　a　rush。　He　was　greatly　chagrined　when　the　fire　arrows　set　his　ladders　on　fire　and　so　many　of　his　soldiers　were　burned。　And　as　the　arrows　and　stones　rained　down　from　the　wall；　the　soldiers　of　Shu　were　forced　to　retire。

Zhuge　Liang　angrily　said；　〃So　you　burn　my　ladders！　Then　I　will　use　battering　rams。〃

So　the　rams　were　brought　and　placed　against　the　walls　and　again　the　signal　given　for　assault。　But　the　defenders　brought　up　great　stones　suspended　by　ropes；　which　they　swung　down　at　the　battering　rams　and　so　broke　them　to　pieces。

Next　the　besiegers　set　to　work　to　bring　up　earth　and　fill　the　moat；　and　Liao　Hua　led　three　thousand　soldiers　to　excavate　a　tunnel　under　the　ramparts。　But　Hao　Zhao　cut　a　counter…trench　within　the　city　and　turned　that　device。

So　the　struggle　went　on　for　near　a　month；　and　still　the　city　was　not　taken。　Zhuge　Liang　was　very　depressed。

That　was　not　all。　The　scouts　reported：　〃From　the　east　there　is　ing　a　relief　force　of　Wei；　the　flags　of　which　bears　the　name　Wei　Van　Leader；　General　Wang　Shuang　。〃

Zhuge　Liang　asked；　〃Who　wants　to　go　out　and　oppose　this　force？〃

Wei　Yan　offered　himself。

〃No；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　〃you　are　too　valuable　as　Leader　of　the　Van。〃

General　Xie　Xiong　offered　his　services。　They　were　accepted；　and　Xie　Xiong　was　given　three　thousand　troops。　After　he　had　gone；　Zhuge　Liang　decided　to　send　a　second　force；　and　for　mand　of　this　General　Gong　Qi　volunteered　and　was　accepted。　Gong　Qi　also　had　three　thousand　troops。

Then　Zhuge　Liang　feared　lest　there　would　be　a　sortie　from　the　city　to　aid　the　relief　force　just　arriving；　so　he　led　off　the　army　seven　miles　and　made　a　camp。

The　first　body　sent　against　Wang　Shuang　had　no　success：　Xie　Xiong　fell　almost　immediately　under　Wang　Shuangs　great　sword。　The　men　fled　and　Wang　Shuang　pursued；　and　so　came　upon　Gong　Qi；　who　had　e　to　support　his　colleague。　Gong　Qi　met　a　similar　fate；　being　slain　in　the　third　bout。

When　the　defeated　parties　returned；　Zhuge　Liang　was　anxious　and　called　up　Liao　Hua；　Wang　Ping；　and　Zhang　Ni　to　go　out　to　check　this　Wang　Shuang；　They　went　and　drew　up　in　formal　array；　and　then　Zhang　Ni　rode　to　the　front。　Wang　Shuang　rode　to　meet　him；　and　they　two　fought　several　bouts。　Then　Wang　Shuang　ran　away　and　Zhang　Ni　followed。

His　colleague；　Wang　Ping；　suspected　this　flight　was　but　a　ruse；　so　he　called　to　Zhang　Ni；　〃Do　not　follow　the　fleeing　general！〃

Zhang　Ni　then　turned；　but　Wang　Shuang　turned　also　and　hurled　one　of　his　meteor　hammers；　which　hit　Zhang　Ni　in　the　back；　so　that　he　fell　forward　and　lay　over　the　saddle。　Wang　Shuang　rode　on　to　follow　up　this　advantage；　but　Liao　Hua　and　Wang　Ping　poured　out　and　checked　him。　Wang　Shuangs　whole　force　then　came　on　and　slew　many　of　the　troops　of　Shu。

Zhang　Ni　was　hurt　internally　and　vomited　blood　at　times。　He　came　back　and　told　Zhuge　Liang；　saying；　〃Wang　Shuang　is　very　terrible　and　no　one　can　stand　up　to　him。　He　camps　outside　Chencang；　building　a　strong　stockade；　and　so　making　the　city　with　double　walls　and　a　deep　moat。〃

Having　lost　two　generals；　and　a　third　being　wounded；　Zhuge　Liang　called　up　Jiang　Wei　and　said；　〃We　are　stopped　this　way。　Can　you　suggest　another　road？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃Chencang　is　too　well　protected　and；　with　Hao　Zhao　as　defender　and　Wang　Shuang　as　supporter；　cannot　be　taken。　I　would　propose　to　check　Chencang　by　leaving　a　general　here；　who　shall　make　a　strong　camp　with　the　support　of　the　hills。　Then　try　to　hold　the　roads　so　that　the　attack　from　Jieting　may　be　prevented。　Then　if　you　will　send　a　strong　force　against　Qishan；　I　can　do　something　which　will　capture　Cao　Zhen。〃

Zhuge　Liang　agreed。　He　sent　Wang　Ping　and　Li　Hui　to　hold　the　narrow　road　to　Jieting；　and　Wei　Yan　was　sent　to　guard　the　way　from　Chencang。　And　then　the　army　marched　out　of　the　Xie　Valley　by　a　small　road　and　made　for　Qishan。

Now　Cao　Zhen　still　remembered　bitterly　that　in　the　last　campaign　Sima　Yi　had　filched　from　him　the　credit　he　hoped　to　obtain。　So　when　he　received　the　mission　of　defending　the　capit