第一小说网

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第278部分（第2页）

Even　his　chief；　Sima　Zhao；　was　deceived　and　called　him　to　ask：　〃I　manded　you　to　invade　the　Riverlands　by　land　march。　Why　are　you　collecting　ships？〃

Zhong　Hui　replied；　〃If　Shu　hears　that　we　intend　to　attack　the　west；　they　will　ask　assistance　from　Wu。　So　I　pretend　to　attack　Wu；　and　Wu　will　not　dare　to　move　under　a　year。　When　Shu　is　beaten；　the　ships　will　be　ready　and　useful　for　an　expedition　into　the　east。〃

Sima　Zhao　was　pleased。　The　day　chosen　for　the　march　was　the　third　day　of　the　seventh　month　in　the　fourth　year　of　Wonderful　Beginning；　in　Wei　calendar　（AD　264）。　Sima　Zhao　escorted　his　leader　out　of　the　city　for　three　miles　and　then　took　his　leave。

Shao　Ti；　Minister　of　the　Western　Affairs；　whispered　a　word　of　warning。

〃My　lord　has　sent　Zhong　Hui　with　a　large　army　against　Shu。　I　think　he　is　too　ambitious　to　be　trusted　with　such　powers？〃

〃Think　you　I　do　not　know？〃　said　Sima　Zhao。

〃Then　why　have　you　sent　him　alone　and　without　a　colleague？〃

Sima　Zhao　said　a　few　words　to　Shao　Ti　which　put　his　doubts　at　rest。

Zhong　Hui　went　alone；　although　his　master　knew；

Occasion　serving；　he　would　be　untrue。

The　next　chapter　will　tell　the　reader　what　Shao　Ti　heard。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　116　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　116

Chapter　116

On　Hanzhong　Roads；　Zhong　Hui　Divides　The　Army；

In　Dingjun　Mountain；　The　Martial　Lord　Shows　His　Apparition。

The　words　whispered　in　the　ear　of　Shao　Ti　proved　Sima　Zhaos　subtlety。

Said　Sima　Zhao；　〃This　morning　the　officers　all　maintained　that　Shu　should　not　be　attacked；　because　they　are　timid。　If　I　let　them　lead　the　army；　they　would　surely　be　defeated。　You　saw　Zhong　Hui　was　set　upon　his　plan；　and　he　is　not　afraid。　Shu　must　therefore　be　beaten；　and　then　the　Shu　peoples　hearts　will　be　torn。　Beaten　leaders　cannot　boast；　and　the　officers　of　a　broken　state　are　no　fit　guardians　of　its　welfare。　When　Zhong　Hui　turns　against　us；　the　people　of　Shu　cannot　support　him。　Further；　our　troops　being　victors；　they　will　wish　to　return　home　and　will　not　follow　their　leader　into　revolt。　Hence　there　is　nothing　to　be　feared。　I　know　this；　as　you　do；　but　it　must　remain　our　secret。〃

Shao　Ti　showed　his　admiration　for　Sima　Zhao。

In　his　camp；　just　prior　to　his　march；　Zhong　Hui　assembled　his　officers；　among　them　were　Army　Inspector　Wei　Guan；　Assistant　General　Hu　Lie；　Generals　Tian　Xu；　Tian　Zhang；　Yuan　Xing；　Qiu　Jian；　Xiahou　Xian；　Wang　Mai；　Huangfu　Kai；　Gou　Ai；　and　others；　some　eighty　of　them。

〃Firstly　I　want　a　Leader　of　the　Van；〃　said　Zhong　Hui。　〃He　must　be　skilled　in　making　roads　and　repairing　bridges。〃

〃I　will　take　that　post；〃　said　a　voice；　and　the　speaker　was　Xu　Yi；　son　of　the　Tiger　Leader　Xu　Chu。

〃Nobody　is　fitter！〃　cried　all　present。

〃You　shall　have　the　seal；〃　said　Zhong　Hui。　〃You　are　lithe　and　strong　and　have　the　renown　of　your　father　to　maintain。　Beside；　all　your　colleagues　remend　you。　Your　force　shall　be　five　thousand　of　cavalry　and　a　thousand　of　footmen。　You　are　to　march　into　Hanzhong　in　three　divisions；　the　center　you　will　lead　through　the　Xie　Valley；　the　other　two　passing　through　the　Luo　and　Ziwu　Valleys。　You　must　level　and　repair　the　roads；　put　the　bridges　in　order；　bore　tunnels　and　break　away　rocks。　Use　all　diligence；　for　any　delay　will　entail　punishment。〃

Xu　Yi　was　told　to　set　out　immediately；　and　his　chief　would　follow　with　one　hundred　thousand　troops。

In　West　Valley　Land；　as　soon　as　Deng　Ai　received　his　orders　to　attack　Shu；　he　sent　Sima　Wang　to　keep　the　Qiangs　in　check。　Next　he　summoned　Zhuge　Xu；　Imperial　Protector　of　Yongzhou；　Wang　Qi；　Governor　of　Tianshui；　Qian　Hong；　Governor　of　Longxi；　and　Yang　Xin；　Governor　of　Jincheng；　and　soon　soldiers　gathered　in　the　West　Valley　Land　like　clouds。

One　night　Deng　Ai　dreamed　a　dream　wherein　he　was　climbing　a　lofty　mountain　on　the　way　into　Hanzhong。　Suddenly　a　spring　of　water　gushed　out　at　his　feet　and　boiled　up　with　great　force　so　that　he　was　alarmed。

He　awoke　all　in　a　sweat　and　did　not　sleep　again；　but　sat　awaiting　the　dawn。　At　daybreak　he　summoned　his　guard　Shao　Yuan；　who　was　skilled　in　the　Book　of　Changes；　told　him　the　dream　and　asked　the　interpretation。

Shao　Yuan　replied；　〃According　to　the　book；　water　on　a　mountain　signifies　the　diagram　Jian；　whereunder　we　find　that　the　southwest　augurs　well；　but　the　northeast　is　unpropitious。　Confucius　said　of　Jian　that　it　meant　advantage　in　the　southwest；　that　is；　success；　but　the　northeast　spelt　failure；　that　is；　there　was　no　road。　In　this　expedition；　General；　you　will　overe　Shu；　but　you　will　not　have　a　road　to　return。〃

Deng　Ai　listened；　growing　more　and　more　sad　as　the　interpretation　of　his　dream　was　unfolded。

Just　then　came　dispatches　from　Zhong　Hui　asking　him　to　advance　into　Hanzhong　t