第一小说网

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第13部分（第1页）

〃Who　is　he？〃　asked　Yuan　Shao。

Gongsun　Zan　told　them　it　was　Guan　Yu；　brother　of　Liu　Bei。

〃And　what　is　he？〃　asked　Yuan　Shao。

〃He　is　in　the　train　of　Liu　Bei　as　a　mounted　archer。〃

〃What！　An　insult　to　us　all！〃　roared　Yuan　Shu　from　his　place。　〃Have　we　no　leader？　How　dare　an　archer　speak　thus　before　us？　Let　us　beat　him　forth！〃

But　Cao　Cao　intervened。　〃Peace；　O　Yuan　Shu！　Since　this　man　speaks　great　words；　he　is　certainly　valiant。　Let　him　try。　If　he　fails；　then　we　may　reproach　him。〃

〃Hua　Xiong　will　laugh　at　us　if　we　send　a　mere　archer　to　fight　him；〃　said　Yuan　Shao。

〃This　man　looks　no　mon　person。　And　how　can　the　enemy　know　he　is　but　a　bowman？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

〃If　I　fail；　then　can　you　take　my　head；〃　spoke　Guan　Yu。

Cao　Cao　bade　them　heat　some　wine　and　offered　a　cup　to　Guan　Yu　as　he　went　out。

〃Pour　it　out；〃　said　Guan　Yu。　〃I　shall　return　in　a　little　space。〃

Guan　Yu　went　with　his　weapon　in　his　hand　and　vaulted　into　the　saddle。　Those　in　the　tent　heard　the　fierce　roll　of　the　drums　and　then　a　mighty　sound　as　if　skies　were　falling　and　earth　rising；　hills　trembling　and　mountains　tearing　asunder。　And　they　were　sore　afraid。　And　while　they　were　listening　with　ears　intent；　lo！　the　gentle　tinkle　of　horse　bells；　and　Guan　Yu　returned；　throwing　at　their　feet　the　head　of　the　slain　leader；　their　enemy　Hua　Xiong。

The　wine　was　still　warm！

This　doughty　deed　has　been　celebrated　in　verse：

The　power　of　the　man　stands　first　in　all　the　world；

At　the　gate　of　the　camp　was　heard　the　rolling　of　the　battle　drums；

Then　Guan　Yu　set　aside　the　wine　cup　till　he　should　have　displayed　his　valor；

And　the　wine　was　still　warm　when　Hua　Xiong　had　been　slain。

Cao　Cao　was　greatly　excited　at　this　success。

But　Zhang　Feis　voice　was　heard；　shouting；　〃My　brother　has　slain　Hua　Xiong。　What　are　we　waiting　for？　Why　not　break　through　the　Pass　and　seize　Dong　Zhuo？　Could　there　have　been　a　better　time？〃

Again　arose　the　angry　voice　of　Yuan　Shu；　〃We　high　officials　are　too　meek　and　yielding。　Here　is　the　petty　follower　of　a　small　magistrate　daring　to　flaunt　his　prowess　before　us！　Expel　him　from　the　tent；　I　say。〃

But　again　Cao　Cao　interposed；　〃Shall　we　consider　the　station　of　him　who　has　done　a　great　service？〃

〃If　you　hold　a　mere　magistrate　in　such　honor；　then　I　simply　withdraw；〃　said　Yuan　Shu。

〃Is　a　word　enough　to　defeat　a　grand　enterprise？〃　said　Cao　Cao。

Then　he　told　Gongsun　Zan　to　lead　the　three　brothers　back　to　their　own　camp；　and　the　other　chiefs　then　dispersed。　That　night　Cao　Cao　secretly　sent　presents　of　meat　and　wine　to　soothe　the　three　after　this　adventure。

When　Hua　Xiongs　troops　straggled　back　and　told　the　story　of　defeat　and　death；　Li　Ru　was　greatly　distressed。　He　wrote　urgent　letters　to　his　master　who　called　in　his　trusted　advisers　to　a　council。

Li　Ru　summed　up　the　situation；　saying；　〃We　have　lost　our　best　leader；　and　the　rebel　power　has　thereby　bee　very　great。　Yuan　Shao　is　at　the　head　of　this　confederacy；　and　his　uncle；　Yuan　Wei；　is　holder　of　the　office　of　Imperial　Guardianship。　If　those　in　the　capital　bine　with　those　in　the　country；　we　may　suffer。　Therefore　we　must　remove　them。　So　I　request　you；　Sir　Prime　Minister；　to　place　yourself　at　the　head　of　your　army　and　break　this　confederation。〃

Dong　Zhuo　agreed　and　at　once　ordered　his　two　generals；　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si；　to　take　five　hundred　troops　and　surround　the　residence　of　Imperial　Guardian　Yuan　Wei；　slay　every　soul　regardless　of　age；　and　hang　the　head　of　Yuan　Wei　outside　the　gate　as　trophy。　And　Dong　Zhuo　manded　two　hundred　thousand　troops　to　advance　in　two　armies。　The　first　fifty　thousand　were　under　Li　Jue　and　Guo　Si；　and　they　were　to　hold　River　Si　Pass。　They　should　not　necessarily　fight。　The　other　one　hundred　fifty　thousand　under　Dong　Zhuo　himself　went　to　Tiger　Trap　Pass。　His　counselors　and　manders………Li　Ru；　Lu　Bu；　Fan　Chou；　Zhang　Ji；　and　others………marched　with　the　main　army。

Tiger　Trap　Pass　is　fifteen　miles　from　Capital　Luoyang。　As　soon　as　they　arrived；　Dong　Zhuo　bade　Lu　Bu　take　thirty　thousand　soldiers　and　make　a　strong　stockade　on　the　outside　of　the　Pass。　The　main　body　with　Dong　Zhuo　would　occupy　the　Pass。

News　of　this　movement　reaching　the　confederate　lords。　Yuan　Shao　summoned　a　council。

Said　Cao　Cao；　〃The　occupation　of　the　Pass　would　cut　our　armies　in　two；　therefore；　we　must　oppose　Dong　Zhuos　army　on　the　way。〃

So　eight　of　the　manders………Wang　Kuang；　Qiao　Mao；　Bao　Xin；　Yuan　Yi；　Kong　Rong；　Zhang　Yang；　Tao　Qian；　and　Gongsun　Zan………were　ordered　to　go　in　the　direction　of　the　Tiger　Trap　Pass　to　oppose　their　enemy。　Cao　Cao　and　his　troops　moved　among　them　as　reserve　to　render　help　where　needed。

Of　the　eight；　Wang　Kuang；　the　Governor　of　Henei；　was　the　first　to　arrive；　and　Lu　Bu　went　to　give　battle　with　three　thousand　armored　horsemen。　When　Wang　Kuang　had　ordered　his　army；　horse　and　foot；　in　battle　array；　he　took　his　station　under　the　great　banner　and　looked　over　at　his　foe。

Lu　Bu　was　a　conspicuous　figure　in　front　of　the　line。　On　his　head　was　a　triple　curved　headdress　of　ruddy　gold　with　pheasant　tails。　He　wore　a　warring　velvet…red　robe　of　Xichuan　silk　embroidered　with　thousand　flowers；　which　was　overlapped　by　golden　mail　adorned　with　a　gaping　animals　head；　joined　by　rings　at　the　sides　and　girt　to　his　waist　with　a　belt　fastened　by　a　beautiful　lion…head　clasp。　His　bow　and　arrows　were　slung　on　his　shoulders；　and　he　carried　a　long　heavy　trident　halberd。　He　was　seated　on　his　snorting　steed　Red　Hare。　Indeed　Lu　Bu　was　the　man　among　humans；　as　Red　Hare　was　the　horse　among　horses。

〃Who　dares　go　out　to　fight　him？〃　asked　Wang　Kuang　turning　to　those　behind　him。

In　response　a　valiant　general　from　Henei　named　Fang　Yue　spurred　to　the　front；　his　spear　set　ready　for　battle。　Lu　Bu　and　Fang　Yue　met：　Before　the　fifth　bout　Fang　Yue　fell　under　a　thrust　of　the　trident　halberd；　and　Lu　Bu　dashed　forward。　Wang　Kuangs　troops　could　not　stand　and　scattered　in　all　directions。　Lu　Bu　went　to　and　fro　slaying　all　he　met。　He　was　irresistible。