第一小说网

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第202部分（第2页）

Lu　Xun　the　hero　of　Wu

At　least　stands　high　as　any。

Lu　Xun　had　already　had　the　plan　whereby　the　Shu　army　was　to　be　crushed；　and　at　this　stage　he　wrote　to　the　Prince　of　Wu　in　full　details；　even　naming　a　day　for　the　victory。

〃We　have　found　another　remarkably　able　leader；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃and　I　have　no　further　anxiety。　They　all　said　he　was　a　useless　pedant；　and　only　I　knew　better。　Reading　this　letter　shows　him　nothing　at　all　of　a　pedant。〃

Then　the　Prince　of　Wu　mustered　the　remainder　of　his　soldiers　to　hold　in　reserve。

Meanwhile　the　First　Ruler　had　sent　orders　to　hasten　the　marines　down　the　river　and　take　up　stations　along　the　banks　deep　in　the　territory　of　Wu。

However；　Huang　Quan　spoke　against　this；　saying；　〃It　is　easy　enough　for　the　ships　to　go　down；　but　how　about　returning？　Let　me　make　the　first　advance；　and　Your　Majesty　may　follow。　That　will　make　it　more　than　probable　that　nothing　will　go　wrong。〃

〃Those　Wu　enemy　are　afraid；〃　objected　the　First　Ruler；　〃and　I　want　to　make　a　dash　at　them。　Where　is　the　difficulty？〃

Though　many　others　had　spoken　against　the　proposal；　the　First　Ruler　did　not　give　up　the　notion　of　going　into　the　forefront　of　the　attack。　Then　dividing　the　army　into　two　portions；　he　placed　Huang　Quan　in　mand　on　the　North　of　the　Great　River；　to　keep　a　watch　on　Wei；　while　he　manded　on　the　South　of　the　Great　River。　They　made　encampments　and　stations　along　the　bank。

The　spies　of　Wei　duly　reported　these　doings　to　the　Ruler　of　Wei：　〃Shu　marches　against　Wu；　erecting　forty　base　camps　along　two　hundred　miles　of　woods　and　hills。　Moreover；　the　Ruler　of　Shu　places　Huang　Quan　in　mand　of　the　North　of　the　Great　River。　Huang　Quans　marines　patrolled　as　far　as　thirty　miles　daily。　We　do　not　know　their　intention。〃

The　Ruler　of　Wei　laughed　aloud　when　he　heard　the　details　of　the　long　line　of　camps　and　the　encampments　among　the　trees　and　all　this。

〃Liu　Bei　is　going　to　be　defeated；〃　said　he。

〃How　do　you　know？〃　asked　his　courtiers。

〃Because　Liu　Bei　does　not　know　how　to　wage　war。　How　can　he　beat　off　an　enemy　along　a　front　of　two　hundred　miles？　The　maxims　of　war　forbid　to　camp　in　open　plains；　among　marshes；　amid　precipitous　heights　and　obstacles。　He　will　be　defeated　at　the　hand　of　Lu　Xun；　and　we　shall　hear　of　it　in　about　ten　days。〃

His　officers　felt　more　than　doubtful　and　entreated　their　master　to　prepare　an　army　to　guard　against　Huang　Quan；　and　to　attack　Shu　if　the　occasion　would　allow。

But　the　Ruler　of　Wei　replied；　〃I　do　not　plan　to　attack　Shu。　If　successful；　Lu　Xun　will　lead　all　his　force　westward　into　West　River　Land；　and　the　South　Land　will　be　defenseless。　I　shall　pretend　to　send　an　army　to　help。　I　shall　send　them　in　three　divisions；　and　I　shall　overe　Wu　easily。〃

They　all　bowed　acquiescence　and　approval。　Then　orders　went　out　appointing　Cao　Ren　to　lead　an　army　out　to　Ruxu；　Cao　Xiu　to　take　a　second　out　to　Dongkou；　and　Cao　Zhen　to　mand　a　third　aiming　at　Nanjun；　and　the　three　armies　were　to　bine　on　a　given　date　for　a　sudden　attack　on　Wu。　The　Ruler　of　Wei　would　himself　bring　up　the　reinforcement　in　this　southern　campaign。

Having　reached　Chengdu；　Ma　Liang　lost　no　time　in　seeing　the　Prime　Minister　and　presenting　the　plan　of　the　armies　as　they　were　in　the　field。

Said　Ma　Liang；　〃Now　the　forces　are　on　both　sides　of　the　Great　River　extending　along　a　front　of　two　hundred　miles；　with　forty　stations；　each　beside　a　mountain　stream　or　in　a　pleasantly　shaded　forest。　At　our　lords　mand；　I　prepared　this　map；　and　he　sent　me　to　ask　your　opinion。〃

〃Who　advised　such　an　arrangement？　He　ought　to　be　put　to　death；　whoever　it　was！〃　cried　Zhuge　Liang；　tapping　the　table　at　his　side。

〃It　is　entirely　our　lords　own　work。　No　other　had　any　hand　in　it；〃　said　Ma　Liang。

〃The　life　and　energy　of　the　Hans　are　done　indeed；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang　sorrowfully。　〃Our　lord　has　mitted　those　very　faults　which　the　rules　of　the　Art　of　War　lay　down　as　to　be　particularly　avoided。　The　camps　are　made　where　free　movement　is　impossible；　and　nothing　can　save　him　if　the　enemy　use　fire。　Beside；　what　defense　is　possible　along　a　two…hundred…mile　front？　Disaster　is　at　hand；　and　Lu　Xun　sees　it　all；　which　explains　his　obstinate　refusal　to　e　out　into　the　open。　Go　back　as　quickly　as　you　can；　and　tell　our　lord　that　this　will　not　do；　that　it　must　be　changed　at　once。〃

〃But　if　I　am　too　late………if　Wu　has　already　attacked　and　won………；　what　then？〃

〃The　enemy　will　not　dare　to　follow　up　their　victory　by　a　march　on　Chengdu。　So　this　capital　is　secure。〃

〃Why　will　they　not？〃

〃Wei　is　behind　their　back：　That　is　why。　Our　lord　will　be　pelled　to　shelter　in　Baidicheng。　I　have　already　placed　ten　thousand　troops　in　hiding　at　Fishbelly　Creek。〃

〃Have　you？　I　have　been　up　and　down　that　creek　three　or　four　times　without　seeing　a　soldier。　I　do　not　see　the　reason　of　telling　lies　to　me；〃　said　Ma　Liang。

〃You　will　see。　Do　not　ask　so　many　questions。〃

With　the　precious　instructions　which　he　had　persuaded　Zhuge　Liang　to　draw　up；　Ma　Liang　hastened　back　to　the　imperial　camp；　while　Zhuge　Liang　went　to　the　capital　to　prepare　a　relief　expedition。

The　soldiers　of　Shu　had　bee　slack　and　idle　and　no　longer　maintained　adequate　defense；　wherefore　Lu　Xun　perceived　that　his　moment　had　arrived；　and　called　his　generals　to　his　tent　to　receive　orders。

〃There　has　been　no　fighting　since　I　received　our　lords　mand。　I　have　spent　the　time　in　acquiring　a　knowledge　of　the　enemy。　As　a　preliminary　operation　I　want　to　capture　a　camp　on　the　south　bank。　Who　volunteers？〃

Out　stepped　Han　Dang　and　Zhou　Tai　and　Ling　Tong；　all　three　at　once；　each　crying　that　he　wanted　to　be　sent。　But　they　were　sent　back。　The　mander…in…Chief　did　not　want　any　of　them。

Then　he　called　up　the　junior　general；　Chunyu　Dan；　and　said；　〃You　will　take　the　fourth　camp　on　the　south　side。　The　mander　of　that　post　is　Fu　Tong。　You　may　have　five　thousand　troops。　I　shall　support　you。〃

Chunyu　Dan　took　the　order　and　was　gone。

Then　Lu　Xun　summoned　Xu　Sheng　and　Ding　Feng　and　said；　〃Each　of　you　will　take　three　thousand　troops　and　bivouac　two　miles　from　the　camp；　so　that　if　Chunyu　Dan　is　repulsed　and　pursued；　you　can　rescue　him。〃

Chunyu　Dan　marched　between　the　lights　and　reached　the　camp　he　was　to　capture　just　after　the　third　watch。　His　drums　rolled；　and　he　attacked　at　once。　The　defenders　came　out　led　by　Fu　Tong；　who；　spear　ready　to　thrust；　rode　straight　toward　the　leader　of　the　attack　and　forced　him　back。　Suddenly　there　arose　the　roll　of　other　drums；　and　a　cohort　under　Zhao　Rong　barred　the　way。　Chunyu　Dan　turned　off　along　another　road；　escap