第一小说网

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第196部分（第1页）

But　having　listened　to　the　memorial；　the　First　Ruler　threw　it　to　the　floor；　saying；　〃I　have　decided；　and　no　remonstrance　should　be　raised！〃

Then　he　appointed　the　Prime　Minister　to　take　care　of　his　son　and　the　two　River　Lands。　Then　the　Generals　of　the　Flying　Cavalry………Ma　Chao　and　Ma　Dai………；　together　with　the　General　Who　Defends　the　North；　Wei　Yan；　were　ordered　to　guard　Hanzhong　against　Wei。　The　Tiger　General　Zhao　Yun　was　to　be　in　reserve　and　to　control　the　supplies；　Huang　Quan　and　Cheng　Jin　were　made　Counselors；　Ma　Liang　and　Chen　Zhen；　Secretaries；　Huang　Zhong；　the　Van　Leader；　assisted　by　the　Marching　Generals　Feng　Xi　and　Zhang　Nan；　Fu　Tong　and　Zhang　Yi；　Marching　manders　of　the　Center　Army；　Zhao　Rong　and　Liao　Chun；　the　rear　guards。　The　whole　army；　including　the　borrowed　foreign　troops；　numbered　seven　hundred　fifty　thousand；　and　high…rank　officials　amounted　several　hundred。　And　the　〃tiger〃　day　of　the　seventh　month　of　the　first　year　of　Manifest　Might　was　selected　as　the　most　propitious　day　for　the　start。

As　soon　as　Zhang　Fei　had　got　back　to　his　post；　he　issued　orders　that　his　soldiers　should　be　ready　to　march　in　three　days　and　the　whole　body　was　to　be　in　mourning；　white　uniforms　and　whitened　arms。

Just　after　the　order　appeared；　two　generals　named　Fan　Jiang　and　Zhang　Da　came　to　their　chief；　saying；　〃The　time　allowed　is　insufficient　to　make　white　flags　and　armors。　Pray　give　us　more　time；　General。〃

〃I　am　hot　to　avenge　my　brother！〃　roared　Zhang　Fei。　〃My　only　regret　is　that　I　cannot　reach　the　miserable　wretchs　country　tomorrow。　Do　you　dare　to　disobey　my　order？〃

Zhang　Fei　called　in　the　lictors；　had　the　two　officers　bound　to　trees；　and　ordered　each　to　receive　fifty　lashes。

At　the　close　of　the　flogging；　he　said；　〃Now　you　will　be　ready　tomorrow。　If　you　are　not；　I　will　put　you　to　death　as　an　example！〃

The　two　generals　returned　to　their　place；　spitting　blood　and　hot　with　anger。

They　said　one　to　another；　〃We　have　been　beaten　today。　What　about　tomorrow？　This　mans　temper　is　unbearable；　and　if　things　are　not　ready；　we　shall　suffer　death。〃

〃Suppose　we　slay　him；〃　suddenly　said　Zhang　Da；　〃since　if　we　do　not；　he　will　kill　us。〃

〃But　how　can　we　get　near　him？〃

〃If　we　are　to　have　a　chance　to　live；　he　will　get　drunk　and　go　to　bed　tonight；　if　we　are　to　die；　he　will　remain　sober。〃

They　made　all　their　arrangements　for　the　crime。

That　day　Zhang　Fei　was　greatly　disturbed　in　his　mind　and　restless。

He　told　some　of　his　subordinates；　saying；　〃I　feel　nervous　and　creepy　and　shivery　and　cannot　not　rest。　What　does　it　mean？〃

〃This　is　due　to　too　much　brooding　over　the　loss　of　your　brother；〃　said　they。

Then　Zhang　Fei　bade　them　bring　in　wine；　and　he　drank　with　his　officers。　Presently　he　became　quite　intoxicated　and　lay　down　on　a　couch　in　his　tent。

Meanwhile　the　two　assassins　had　followed　all　his　doings；　and　when　they　knew　he　was　lying　on　his　couch　intoxicated　and　incapable；　they　went　into　the　tent；　each　armed　with　a　water…sharp　dagger。　They　got　rid　of　the　attendants　by　saying　they　had　confidential　matters　to　talk　about　and　so　got　into　the　inner　rooms。

But　even　then　they　dared　do　nothing；　for　Zhang　Fei　slept　always　with　open　eyelids；　and　he　lay　on　his　couch　as　if　still　awake。　However；　huge　snores　soon　convinced　them　that　their　victim　really　slept；　and　they　crept　to　the　side　of　the　couch。　Then　both　stabbed　simultaneously　deep　into　the　body。　Zhang　Fei　uttered　one　cry　and　lay　still。　So　he　died　at　the　hand　of　assassins　at　the　age　of　fifty…five　years。

He　who　whipped　the　inspector　in　Anxi；

Who　swept　vile　rebels　from　the　land　of　Han；

And　thereby　won　great　glory　for　the　Lius；

Whose　valor　shone　at　Tiger　Trap　Pass；

Who　turned　the　tide　of　victory　at　Long　Slope　Bridge；

Who　freed　Yan　Yan　and　thus　won　a　friend

That　helped　him　and　his　brothers　conquer　Shu；

Whose　wisdom　defeated　Zhang　He　to　get　Hanzhong；

Is　dead；　the　victim　of　assassins　blows。

Not　his　avenge　his　brothers　death　on　Wu；

Langzhong　will　grieve　him　all　the　ages　through。

Having　done　their　victim　to　death；　Fan　Jiang　and　Zhang　Da　hacked　off　his　head；　and　made　off　for　Wu　without　loss　of　time。　Fleeing　with　them　were　a　few　dozen　close　subordinates。　When　the　deed　was　known；　they　had　got　too　far　for　capture。

The　assassination　was　reported　in　a　memorial　by　a　mander　of　Zhang　Fei　named　Hu　Ban；　who　had　left　Jingzhou　to　see　the　First　Ruler　and　then　had　been　sent　to　serve　under　Zhang　Fei。　He　wrote　a　memorial　to　the　First　Ruler　and　bade　the　eldest　son；　Zhang　Bao；　prepare　a　coffin　for　the　remains。　After　the　ceremony；　leaving　his　younger　brother；　Zhang　Shao；　to　hold　Langzhong；　Zhang　Bao　went　to　see　the　Emperor。

The　day　of　departure　had　already　e；　and　the　First　Ruler　had　left　the　capital。　Zhuge　Liang　and　many　officers　had　escorted　him　out　of　the　city　for　three　miles　and　taken　leave。

Returning　to　Chengdu；　Zhuge　Liang　felt　ill　at　ease；　and　he　remarked　to　his　colleagues；　〃If　Fa　Zheng　had　been　alive；　he　would　have　been　able　to　interdict　this　expedition。〃

One　night　the　First　Ruler　felt　nervous　and　shuddered　from　time　to　time。　He　could　not　sleep；　so　he　went　out　of　his　tent　and　looked　up　at　the　stars。　Suddenly　he　saw　a　bright　meteor　fall　in　the　northwest；　and　began　to　wonder　what　the　portent　meant。　He　sent　at　once　to　ask　Zhuge　Liang　to　tell　him。

Zhuge　Liang　sent　back　the　reply：　〃This　means　the　loss　of　a　great　leader；　and　there　will　be　bad　news　in　a　few　days。〃

So　the　army　was　halted　and　did　not　march。　Then　the　arrival　of　a　message　from　Hu　Ban　of　Langzhong　was　announced。

The　First　Rulers　foreboding　increased；　and　he　stamped　his　foot；　saying；　〃Alas！　My　other　brother　is　gone！〃

Opening　the　letter　he　found　it　was　indeed　so。　As　he　read　the　news　of　the　assassination；　he　uttered　a　loud　cry　and　fell　in　a　swoon。　He　was　raised；　and　presently　they　brought　him　back　to　life。