第一小说网

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第242部分（第2页）

Cao　Zhen　was　not　convinced。

〃Why　do　you　doubt？〃　asked　Sima　Yi。　〃I　think　Zhuge　Liang　will　certainly　advance　by　way　of　the　two　valleys；　and　you　and　I　should　guard　the　entrances。　I　give　them　ten　days；　and　if　they　do　not　appear；　I　will　e　to　your　camp　painted　in　the　face　to　own　my　mistake。〃

〃If　the　army　of　Shu　do　appear；　I　will　give　you　the　girdle　and　the　steed　that　the　Emperor　gave　me；〃　replied　Cao　Zhen。

And　they　split　their　force；　Cao　Zhen　taking　up　his　station　on　the　west　of　Qishan　in　the　Xie　Valley；　and　Sima　Yi　going　to　the　east　in　the　Gu　Valley。

As　soon　as　the　camp　was　settled；　Sima　Yi　led　a　cohort　into　hiding　in　the　valley。　The　remainder　of　the　force　was　placed　in　detachments　on　the　chief　roads。

Sima　Yi　disguised　himself　as　a　soldier　and　went　among　the　soldiers　to　get　a　private　survey　of　all　the　camps。

In　one　of　them　he　happened　upon　a　junior　officer　who　was　plaining；　saying；　〃The　rain　has　drenched　us　for　days；　and　they　would　not　retire。　Now　they　have　camped　here　for　a　wager。　They　have　no　pity　for　us　soldiers。〃

Sima　Yi　returned　to　his　tent　and　assembled　his　officers。

Hauling　out　the　grumbler；　Sima　Yi　said　to　him；　angrily；　〃The　state　feeds　and　trains　soldiers　a　thousand　days　for　one　hours　service。　How　dare　you　give　vent　to　your　spleen　to　the　detriment　of　discipline？〃

The　man　would　not　confess；　so　his　rades　were　called　to　bear　witness。　Still　he　would　not　own　up。

〃I　am　not　here　for　a　wager；　but　to　overe　Shu；〃　said　Sima　Yi。　〃Now　you　all　have　done　well　and　are　going　home；　but　only　this　fellow　plains　and　is　guilty　of　mutinous　conduct。〃

Sima　Yi　ordered　the　lictors　to　put　him　to　death；　and　in　a　short　time　they　produced　his　head。

The　others　were　terrified；　but　Sima　Yi　said；　〃All　you　must　do　your　utmost　to　guard　against　the　enemy。　When　you　hear　a　bomb　explode；　rush　out　on　all　sides　and　attack。〃

With　this　order　they　retired。

Now　Wei　Yan；　Zhang　Ni；　Chen　Shi；　and　Du　Qiong；　with　twenty　thousand　troops；　entered　the　Gu　Valley。　As　they　were　marching；　Adviser　Deng　Zhi　came。

〃I　bear　an　order　from　the　Prime　Minister。　As　you　go　out　of　the　valley；　beware　of　the　enemy；〃　said　Deng　Zhi。

Chen　Shi　said；　〃Why　is　the　Prime　Minister　so　full　of　doubts？　We　know　the　soldiers　of　Wei　have　suffered　severely　from　the　rain　and　must　hasten　home。　They　will　not　lay　any　ambush。　We　are　doing　double　marches　and　shall　gain　a　great　victory。　Why　are　we　to　delay？〃

Deng　Zhi　replied；　〃You　know　the　Prime　Ministers　plans　always　succeed。　How　dare　you　disobey　his　orders？〃

Chen　Shi　smiled；　saying；　〃If　he　was　really　so　resourceful；　we　should　not　have　lost　Jieting。〃

Wei　Yan；　recalling　that　Zhuge　Liang　had　rejected　his　plan；　also　laughed；　and　said；　〃If　he　had　listened　to　me　and　gone　out　through　Ziwu　Valley；　not　only　Changan　but　Luoyang　too　would　be　ours。　Now　he　is　bent　on　taking　Qishan。　What　is　the　good　of　it？　He　gave　us　the　order　to　advance　and　now　he　stops　us。　Truly　the　orders　are　confusing。〃

Then　said　Chen　Shi；　〃I　will　tell　you　what　I　will　do。　I　shall　take　only　five　thousand　troops；　get　through　the　Gu　Valley；　and　camp　at　Qishan。　Then　you　will　see　how　ashamed　the　Prime　Minister　will　look。〃

Deng　Zhi　argued　and　persuaded；　but　to　no　avail：　The　willful　leader　hurried　on　to　get　out　of　the　valley。　Deng　Zhi　could　only　return　as　quickly　as　possible　and　report。

Chen　Shi　proceeded。　He　had　gone　a　few　miles　when　he　heard　a　bomb；　and　he　was　in　an　ambush。　He　tried　to　withdraw；　but　the　valley　was　full　of　the　enemy　and　he　was　surrounded　as　in　an　iron　cask。　All　his　efforts　to　get　out　failed。　Then　there　was　a　shout；　and　Wei　Yan　came　to　the　rescue。　Wei　Yan　saved　his　rade；　but　Chen　Shis　five　thousand　troops　was　reduced　to　about　five　hundred；　and　these　wounded。　The　Wei　soldiers　pursued；　but　two　other　divisions　of　Zhang　Ni　and　Du　Qiong　prevented　the　pursuit；　and　finally　the　army　of　Wei　retired。

Chen　Shi　and　Wei　Yan　who　had　criticized　Zhuge　Liangs　powers　of　prevision　no　longer　doubted　that　he　saw　very　clearly。　They　regretted　their　own　shortsightedness。

When　Deng　Zhi　told　his　chief　of　the　bad　behavior　of　Chen　Shi　and　Wei　Yan；　Zhuge　Liang　only　laughed。

Said　he；　〃Wei　Yan　has　been　disposed　to　disobey　and　resent。　However；　I　value　his　valor；　and　so　I　have　employed　him。　But　he　will　do　real　harm　some　day。〃

Then　came　a　messenger；　who　reported；　〃Chen　Shi　had　fallen　into　an　ambush　and　lost　more　than　four　thousand　troops。　He　has　led　his　remained　five　hundred　horse　back　to　the　gorge。〃

Zhuge　Liang　sent　Deng　Zhi　back　again　to　Gu　Valley　to　console　with　Chen　Shi　and　so　keep　him　from　actual　mutiny。

Then　Zhuge　Liang　called　to　his　tent　Ma　Dai　and　Wang　Ping；　and　said；　〃If　there　are　any　troops　of　Wei　in　the　Xie　Valley；　you　are　to　go　across　the　mountains；　marching　by　night　and　concealing　yourselves　by　day；　and　make　for　the　east　of　Qishan。　When　you　arrive；　make　a　fire　as　a　signal。〃

Next　he　gave　orders　to　Ma　Zheng　and　Zhang　Ni；　saying；　〃You　are　to　follow　the　by…roads　to　the　west　of　Qishan。　You　are　also　to　march　by　night　and　conceal　by　day。　Then　you　are　to　join　up　with　Ma　Dai　and　Wang　Ping。　The　four　of　you　shall　make　a　joint　attack　on　Cao　Zhens　camp。　I　shall　lead　the　army　through　the　valley　and　attack　the　camp　in　the　center。〃

After　the　four　Generals　left；　Guan　Xing　and　Liao　Hua　also　received　secret　orders。

The　armies　marched　rapidly。　Not　long　after　starting；　two　other　detachments　led　by　Hu　Ban　and　Wu　Yi　received　secret　orders　and　left　the　main　body。

The　doubts　about　the　ing　of　the　Shu　army　made　Cao　Zhen　careless；　and　he　allowed　his　soldiers　to　bee　slack　and　rest。　He　only　thought　of　getting　through　the　allotted　ten　days；　when　he　would　have　the　laugh　against　his　colleague。

Seven　of　the　days　had　passed；　when　a　scout　reported　a　few　odd　men　of　Shu　in　the　valley。　Cao　Zhen　sent　Qin　Liang　with　five　thousand　troops　to　reconnoiter　and　keep　them　at　a　distance。

Qin　Liang　he　led　his　troops　to　the　entrance　of　the　valley。　As　soon　as　he　arrived；　the　enemy　retired。　Qin　Liang　went　after　them；　but　they　had　disappeared。　He　was　perplexed　and　puzzled；　and　while　trying　to　decide；　he　told　the　troops　to　dismount　and　rest。

But　almost　immediately　he　heard　a　shout；　and　ambushing　troops　appeared　in　front　of　him。　He　jumped　on