第一小说网

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第82部分（第2页）

Cao　Cao　inquired　for　any　wise　and　reputable　people　who　were　known　to　be　living　in　the　region　and　was　told：　〃mander　Cui　Yan；　of　Dongwu；　who　had　on　many　occasions　given　valuable　advice　to　Yuan　Shao。　As　the　advice　was　not　followed；　he　had　pleaded　indisposition　and　remained　at　home。〃

Cao　Cao　sent　for　this　man；　gave　him　an　office　and　said　to　him；　〃According　to　the　former　registers；　there　are　three　hundred　thousand　households　in　the　region　so　that　one　may　well　call　it　a　major　region。〃

Cui　Yan　replied；　〃The　empire　is　rent；　and　the　country　is　torn；　the　Yuan　brothers　are　at　war；　and　the　people　have　been　stripped　naked。　Yet；　Sir；　you　do　not　hasten　to　inquire　after　local　conditions　and　how　to　rescue　the　people　from　misery；　but　first　pute　the　possibilities　of　taxation。　Can　you　expect　to　gain　the　support　of　our　people　by　such　means？〃

Cao　Cao　accepted　the　rebuke；　changed　the　policy；　thanked　him；　and　treated　him　all　the　better　for　it。

As　soon　as　Jizhou　was　settled；　Cao　Cao　sent　to　find　out　the　movements　of　Yuan　Tan。　He　heard　Yuan　Tan　was　ravaging　Ganling；　Anping；　Bohai；　and　Hejian。　Moreover；　the　scouts　brought　the　news　that　Yuan　Shang　had　fled　to　Zhongshan；　and　Yuan　Tan　led　an　expedition　against　him；　but　Yuan　Shang　would　not　face　a　battle。　He　had　gone　away　to　Youzhou　to　his　brother　Yuan　Xi。　Yuan　Tan；　having　gathered　Yuan　Shangs　troops；　prepared　for　another　attempt　on　Jizhou。

Whereupon　Cao　Cao　summoned　him。　Yuan　Tan　refused　to　e；　and　Cao　Cao　sent　letters　breaking　off　the　marriage　between　Yuan　Tan　and　his　daughter。　Soon　after　Cao　Cao　led　an　expedition　against　Yuan　Tan　and　marched　to　Pingyuan；　whereupon　Yuan　Tan　sent　to　Liu　Biao　to　beg　assistance。　Liu　Biao　sent　for　Liu　Bei　to　consult　about　this。

Liu　Bei　said；　〃Cao　Cao　is　very　strong　now　that　he　has　overe　Jizhou；　and　the　Yuans　will　be　unable　to　hold　out　for　long。　Nothing　is　to　be　gained　by　helping　Yuan　Tan；　and　it　may　give　Cao　Cao　the　loophole　he　is　always　looking　for　to　attack　this　place。　My　advice　is　to　keep　the　army　in　condition　and　devote　all　our　energies　to　defense。〃

〃Agreed；　but　what　shall　we　say？〃　said　Liu　Biao。

〃Write　to　both　the　brothers　as　peacemaker　in　gracious　terms。〃

Accordingly　Liu　Biao　wrote　thus　to　Yuan　Tan：

〃When　the　superior　person　would　escape　danger；　that　person　does　not　go　to　an　enemy　state。　I　heard　recently　that　you　had　crooked　the　knee　to　Cao　Cao；　which　was　ignoring　the　enmity　between　him　and　your　father；　rejecting　the　duties　of　brotherhood；　and　leaving　behind　you　the　shame　of　an　alliance　with　the　enemy。　If　your　brother；　the　successor　to　Jizhou；　has　acted　unfraternally；　your　duty　was　to　bend　your　inclination　to　follow　him　and　wait　till　the　state　of　affairs　had　settled。　Would　it　not　have　been　very　noble　to　bring　about　the　redress　of　wrongs？〃

And　to　Yuan　Shang；　Liu　Biao　wrote：

〃Your　brother；　the　ruler　of　Qingzhou；　is　of　an　impulsive　temperament　and　confuses　right　with　wrong。　You　ought　first　to　have　destroyed　Cao　Cao　in　order　to　put　an　end　to　the　hatred　which　your　father　bore　him　and；　when　the　situation　had　bee　settled；　to　have　endeavored　to　redress　the　wrongs。　Would　not　that　have　been　well？　If　you　persist　in　following　this　mistaken　course；　remember　the　hound　and　the　hare；　both　so　wearied　that　the　peasant　got　them　all。〃

From　this　letter　Yuan　Tan　saw　that　Liu　Biao　had　no　intention　of　helping　him；　and　feeling　he　alone　could　not　withstand　Cao　Cao。　He　abandoned　Pingyuan　and　fled　to　Nanpi；　whither　Cao　Cao　pursued　him。

The　weather　was　very　cold　and　the　river　was　frozen；　so　that　the　grain　boats　could　not　move。　Wherefore　Cao　Cao　ordered　the　inhabitants　to　break　the　ice　and　tow　the　boats。　When　the　peasants　heard　the　order　they　ran　away。　Cao　Cao　angrily　wished　to　arrest　and　behead　them。　When　they　heard　this；　they　went　to　his　camp　in　a　body　and　offered　their　heads　to　the　sword。

〃If　I　do　not　kill　you；　my　order　will　not　be　obeyed；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃Yet　supposing　I　cut　off　your　heads；　but　I　cannot　bear　to　do　that　severity。　Quickly　flee　to　the　hills　and　hide　so　that　my　soldiers　do　not　capture　you。〃

The　peasants　left　weeping。

Then　Yuan　Tan　led　out　his　army　against　Cao　Cao。　When　both　sides　were　arrayed；　Cao　Cao　rode　to　the　front。

Pointing　with　his　whip　at　his　opponent；　Cao　Cao　railed　at　him；　saying；　〃I　treated　you　well。　Why　then　have　you　turned　against　me？〃

Yuan　Tan　replied；　〃You　have　invaded　my　land；　captured　my　cities；　and　broken　off　my　marriage。　Yet　you　accuse　me　of　turning　against　you！〃

Cao　Cao　ordered　Xu　Huang　to　go　out　and　give　battle。　Yuan　Tan　bade　Peng　An　accept　the　challenge。　After　a　few　bouts　Peng　An　was　slain；　and　Yuan　Tan；　having　lost；　fled　and　went　into　Nanpi；　where　he　was　besieged。　Yuan　Tan；　panic…stricken；　sent　Xin　Ping　to　see　Cao　Cao　and　arrange　surrender。

〃He　is　nothing　but　a　tickle…minded　child；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃He　is　never　of　the　same　mind　two　days　running；　and　I　cannot　depend　upon　what　he　says。　Now　your　brother　Xin　Pi　is　in　my　employ　and　has　a　post　of　importance；　you　had　better　remain　here　also。〃

〃Sir　Prime　Minister；　you　are　in　error；〃　said　Xin　Ping。　〃It　is　said　that　the　lords　honor　is　the　servants　glory；　the　lords　sadness　is　the　servants　shame。　How　can　I　turn　my　back　on　the　family　I　have　so　long　served？〃

Cao　Cao　felt　he　could　not　be　persuaded　and　sent　him　back。　Xin　Ping　returned　and　told　Yuan　Tan　the　surrender　could　not　be　arranged。

Yuan　Tan　turned　on　him　angrily；　saying；　〃Your　brother　is　with　Cao　Cao；　and　you　want　to　betray　me　also！〃

At　this　unmerited　reproach　such　a　huge　wave　of　anger　welled　up　in　Xin　Pings　breast　that　he　was　overe　and　fell　in　a　swoon。　They　carried　him　out；　but　the　shock　had　been　too　severe；　and　soon　after　he　died。　Yuan　Tan　regretted　his　conduct　when　it　was　too　late。

Then　Guo　Tu　said；　〃Tomorrow　when　we　go　out　to　battle；　we　will　drive　the　people　out　in　front　as　a　screen　for　the　soldiers；　and　we　must　fight　a　winning　battle。〃

That　night　they　assembled　all　the　mon　people　of　the　place　and　forced　into　their　hands　swords　and　spears。　At　daylight　they　opened　the　four　gates；　and　a　huge　party　with　much　shouting　came　out　at　each；　peasantry　carrying　arms　in　front；　and　soldiers　behind　them。　They　pushed　on　toward　Cao　Caos　camps；　and　a　melee　began　lasted　till　near　midday。　But　this　was　quite　indecisive；　although　heaps　of　dead　lay　everywhere。

Seeing　that　success　was　at　best　only　partial；　Cao　Cao　rode　out　to　the　hills　near　and　thence　had　the　drums　beaten　for　a　new　attack　under　his　own　eye。　His　officers　and　troops；　seeing　that　he　could　observe　them　in　person；　exerted　themselves　to　the　utmost；　and　Yuan　Tans　army　was　severely　defeated。　Of　the　peasantry　driven　into　the　battlefield；　multitudes　were　slain。

Cao　Hong；　who　displayed　very　great　valor；　burst　into　the　press　of　battle　and　met　Yuan　Tan　face　to　face。　The　two　slashed　an