第一小说网

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第276部分（第1页）

〃Formerly　King　Wen　had　two…thirds　of　the　empire；　and　yet　he　supported　and　served　the　state　of　Yin　to　its　end。　Wherefore　Confucius　called　him　plete　of　Virtue。　Emperor　Cao　of　Wei　would　not　replace　the　Hans；　nor　will　I　accept　an　abdication　of　Wei。〃

Those　who　heard　this　felt　that　in　these　words　was　an　implication　that　he　intended　to　place　his　own　son　Sima　Yan　on　the　throne；　and　they　ceased　to　urge　him　to　act。

In　the　sixth　month　of　that　year；　Cao　Huang；　Duke　of　Changdao；　was　raised　to　the　throne　as　Emperor；　the　period…style　being　changed　to　Wonderful　Beginning；　the　first　year　（AD　260）。　Cao　Huang　was　a　son　of　Cao　Yu；　Prince　of　Yan；　and　a　great　grandson　of　Cao　Cao。

＇e＇　Jin　state　occupied　the　western　part　of　the　empire；　in　the　mountainous　area　north　of　the　Yellow　River。　During　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period；　under　the　leadership　of　Duke　Wen　and　his　successors；　Jin　grew　into　a　very　large　state；　which　broke　into　three　states　in　the　Warring　States　period。　。。。。。

Sima　Zhao　was　made　Prime　Minister　and　Duke　of　Jin*。　Beside；　he　received　gifts　of　one　hundred　thousand　gold　coins　and　ten　thousand　rolls　of　silk。　All　the　officers　were　promoted　or　received　honors。

When　these　doings　in　Wei　were　told　in　Shu；　Jiang　Wei　seized　upon　them　as　pretext　for　another　war；　to　punish　Wei　for　the　deposition　of　its　ruler。　So　letters　were　written　calling　upon　Wu　to　help；　and　a　memorial　was　sent　to　the　Throne。　The　army　raised　was　one　hundred　fifty　thousand；　and　there　were　many　carts　with　boxes　made　to　fit　them。　Liao　Hua　and　Zhang　Yi　were　the　Leaders　of　the　Van。　Liao　Hua　was　to　march　to　the　Ziwu　Valley；　and　Zhang　Yi　to　the　Luo　Valley；　while　Jiang　Wei　took　the　Xie　Valley　road。　They　marched　at　the　same　time　and　hastened　toward　Qishan。

Deng　Ai　was　still　on　the　Qishan　Mountains　training　the　Wei　soldiers　when　he　heard　that　the　Shu　armies　were　once　more　on　the　war　path。　He　called　his　officers　together。

And　Adviser　Wang　Guan　said；　〃I　have　a　plan　to　propose；　but　I　will　not　tell　it　openly。　However；　I　have　written　it　down　for　your　consideration。〃

Deng　Ai　took　the　envelop；　opened；　and　read　it。

〃Though　excellent；　I　fear　it　is　not　enough　to　beguile　the　leader　of　Shu；〃　said　Deng　Ai　as　he　finished　reading。

〃I　am　willing　to　stake　my　life　on　it；〃　said　Wang　Guan；　〃and　I　will　lead　the　way。〃

〃Since　you　have　such　confidence　you　may　try。　You　ought　certainly　to　succeed。〃

So　five　thousand　troops　were　put　under　the　leadership　of　Wang　Guan；　and　they　set　out　for　the　Xie　Valley；　where　they　fell　in　with　the　scouts　of　Jiang　Weis　force。

Seeing　these；　their　leader；　Wang　Guan；　shouted；　〃We　are　deserters。　Tell　your　leader！〃

So　the　scouts　told　Jiang　Wei；　who　replied；　〃Hold　up　the　soldiers；　letting　their　leader　only　e　to　me。〃

Wang　Guan　went　forward　and　kneeled　before　Jiang　Wei；　saying；　〃I　am　a　nephew　of　Wang　Jing；　and　I　hate　Sima　Zhao　for　what　he　has　done　to　the　Emperor　and　my　family；　and　I　wish　to　join　you　and　my　five　thousand　soldiers　with　me。　I　also　desire　to　be　sent　against　the　rebel　army　that　I　may　avenge　my　uncle。〃

Then　said　Jiang　Wei；　〃Since　you　are　sincere　in　your　desertion；　I　must　be　sincere　in　my　treatment　of　you。　The　one　thing　my　army　needs　is　grain。　There　is　plenty　at　the　border　of　the　River　Lands。　If　you　can　transport　it　to　Qishan；　I　can　go　straightway　and　take　the　Qishan　camps　of　Deng　Ai。〃

This　reply　rejoiced　Wang　Guan；　who　saw　that　Jiang　Wei　was　just　going　to　walk　into　the　trap。　So　he　agreed　at　once。

〃But　you　will　not　need　five　thousand　troops　to　see　after　the　transport。　Take　three　thousand　and　leave　two　thousand　as　guides　for　me。〃

Wang　Guan；　thinking　that　suspicions　would　be　raised　if　he　refused；　took　the　three　thousand　of　his　troops　and　marched　away；　and　the　other　two　thousand　were　attached　to　the　army　of　Shu。

Then　Xiahou　Ba　was　announced；　and；　when　he　was　e　in；　he　said；　〃O　mander；　why　have　you　believed　the　tale　of　this　Wang　Guan？　In　Wei　I　never　heard　that　Wang　Guan　was　related　to　Wang　Jing；　though　it　is　true　I　never　made　particular　inquiries。　You　should　look　to　it；　for　there　is　much　pretense　in　his　story。〃

〃I　know　Wang　Guan　is　false；〃　said　Jiang　Wei；　with　a　smile。　〃That　is　why　I　have　taken　away　many　of　his　force。　I　am　meeting　trick　with　trick。〃

〃How　do　you　know　for　certain　he　is　a　false？〃

〃Sima　Zhao　is　as　crafty　as　Cao　Cao。　If　he　slew　all　Wang　Jings　family；　would　he　have　left　a　nephew　and　sent　that　nephew　to　the　pass　beyond　his　own　reach　with　soldiers？　You　saw　this；　as　did　I。〃

So　Jiang　Wei　did　not　go　out　by　the　Xie　Valley；　but　he　set　an　ambush　there　ready　for　any　move　of　Wang　Guan。　And　indeed；　within　ten　days；　the　ambush　caught　a　man　with　a　letter　from　Wang　Guan　to　Deng　Ai　telling　him　what　had　e　about。　From　the　letter　and　the　bearer　thereof；　Jiang　Wei　learned　that　Wang　Guan　would　divert　a　convoy　of　grain　to　the　Wei　camps　on　the　twentieth　and　Deng　Ai　was　to　send　troops　to　Yunshan　Valley　to　help。

Jiang　Wei　beheaded　the　courier。　Then　he　sent　another　letter　to　Deng　Ai　by　a　man　dressed　as　a　Wei　soldier；　the　date　being　altered　to　the　fifteenth　instead　of　the　twentieth。

As　a　preparation；　Jiang　Wei　ordered　many　wagons　to　be　emptied　of　their　grain　and　laden　with　inflammables；　covered　with　green　cloth。　The　two　thousand　Wei　soldiers　were　ordered　to　show　flags　belonging　to　the　Shu　transport　corps。　Then　Jiang　Wei　and　Xiahou　Ba　went　into　the　valleys　in　ambush；　while　Jiang　Shu　was　ordered　to　march　to　the　Xie　Valley；　and　Liao　Hua　and　Zhang　Yi　were　sent　to　capture　Qishan。

The　letter；　apparently　from　Wang　Guan；　was　sufficient　for　Deng　Ai；　and　he　wrote　back　to　say　it　was　agreed。　So　on　the　fifteenth　day；　Deng　Ai　led　out　fifty　thousand　veteran　troops　and　moved　in　sight　near　Yunshan　Valley。　And　the　scouts　saw　endless　carts　of　grain　and　fodder　in　the　distance　zigzagging　through　the　mountains。　When　Deng　Ai　got　closer；　he　distinguished　the　uniforms　of　Wei。

His　staff　urged　him；　saying；　〃It　is　getting　dark；　O　General。　Hurry　to　help　Wang　Guan　escort　the　convoy　out　of　the　valley！〃

〃The　mountains　ahead　are　hazardous；〃　said　the　general。　〃If　by　any　chance　an　ambush　has　been　laid；　we　could　hardly　escape。　We　will　wait　here。〃

But　just　then　two　horsemen　came　up　at　a　gallop　and　said；　〃Just　as　General　Wang　Guan　was　crossing　the　frontier　with　the　convoy；　he　was　pursued；　and　reinforcements　are　urgently　needed！〃