三国演义英文版-第234章

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arquis。　They　had　silver　seals　with　tortoise　ornaments　on　the　back　and　black　ribbons。　There　were　five　classes　of　Minister　with　three　grades　in　each　class。　These　had　brass　seals；　with　chain　ornaments　and　ribbons。　And　with　all　these　various　gradations　of　ranks　and　nobility　reorganized；　the　court　was　entirely　reformed。　There　were　new　ranks　and　new　people　in　office。
Cao　Cao　then　remembered　the　warning　about　a　conflagration　in　the　capital　and　wished　to　reward　Guan　Lu　for　his　prescience；　but　he　would　receive　nothing。
Meanwhile；　in　East　River　Land；　Cao　Hong　with　an　army　of　fifty　thousand　went　into　Hanzhong。　He　placed　Xiahou　Yuan　and　Zhang　He　in　mand　at　points　of　importance；　while　he　went　on　to　the　attack。　At　that　time　Zhang　Fei　and　Lei　Tong　were　holding　Baxi。　Ma　Chao　marched　to　Xiabian　and　sent　Wu　Lan　out　as　Van　Leader　to　reconnoiter。　He　fell　in　with　Cao　Hong；　and　Wu　Lan　was　going　to　retire。　But　General　Ren　Kui　advised　against　this。
Said　Ren　Kui；　〃The　enemy　are　newly　arrived。　Why　not　fight　and　take　the　keen　edge　off　their　pride？　If　we　do　not　fight；　how　can　we　look　our　chief　in　the　face　when　we　return？〃
So　it　was　decided　to　offer　battle；　and　Ren　Kui　rode　out　and　challenged　Cao　Hong。　The　challenge　was　accepted；　and　the　warriors　advanced。　Cao　Hong　cut　Ren　Kui　down　in　the　third　encounter　and　pressed　the　advantage；　and　Wu　Lan　was　beaten　off。　When　Wu　Lan　returned　and　told　Ma　Chao；　he　was　blamed。
〃Why　did　you　attack　without　orders　and　bring　about　this　defeat？〃
〃It　was　the　fault　of　Ren　Kui；　who　disobeyed　orders。〃
〃Defend　the　Pass　most　carefully。　Do　not　engage；〃　said　Ma　Chao。
Ma　Chao　sent　a　report　to　Capital　Chengdu　and　awaited　orders　for　a　further　action。　Cao　Hong　suspected　some　ruse　when　Ma　Chao　remained　so　long　inactive；　and　retired　to　Nanzheng。
Here　he　was　visited　by　Zhang　He；　who　asked；　〃General；　why　did　you　retire　after　the　successful　attack　and　slaughter　of　one　of　the　enemy　leaders？〃
〃Seeing　that　Ma　Chao　declined　to　e　out　to　fight；　I　suspected　some　ruse；〃　replied　Cao　Hong。　〃Beside；　when　I　was　at　Yejun　that　wonderful　soothsayer；　Guan　Lu；　foretold　the　loss　of　a　leader　here。　I　heeded　what　he　said　and　so　was　careful。〃
Zhang　He　laughed；　〃You　have　been　a　leader　of　soldiers　for　half　your　life；　and　yet　you　heed　the　sayings　of　a　soothsayer！　I　may　be　of　small　wit；　but　I　would　take　Baxi　with　my　own　troops；　and　the　possession　of　Baxi　would　be　the　key　to　the　whole　of　Shu。〃
〃The　defender　of　Baxi　is　Zhang　Fei；〃　said　Cao　Hong。　〃He　is　no　ordinary　man　to　meet。　One　must　be　careful。〃
〃All　of　you　fear　this　Zhang　Fei；　but　I　do　not。　I　look　upon　him　as　a　mere　nobody。　I　shall　have　to　capture　him　this　time。〃
〃But　if　you　fail；　what　then？〃
〃Then　I　shall　be　content　to　pay　the　penalty　according　to　military　rules。〃
Cao　Hong　made　him　put　his　undertaking　in　writing；　and　then　Zhang　He　marched　to　the　attack。

The　proud　are　often　defeat；
Lightsome　attacks　oft　fail。

The　following　chapter　will　tell　how　Zhang　He　fared。
　Main　Next　to　Chapter　70　》》

　　　Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　70
　Chapter　70
Zhang　Fei　Takes　Wakou　Pass　With　Tactics；
Huang　Zhong　Captures　Tiandang　Mountain　By　Stratagem。
Zhang　He's　army；　with　which　he　felt　so　sure　of　victory；　consisted　of　thirty　thousand　troops；　and　they　were　in　three　camps………Camp　Dangqu；　Camp　Mengtou；　and　Camp　Dangshi………which　were　protected　by　the　hills。　When　Zhang　He　marched；　he　left　half　the　soldiers　in　each　camp　as　defenders。
The　news　soon　reached　Baxi；　and　Zhang　Fei　called　in　his　colleague　Lei　Tong　to　give　his　opinion。
Lei　Tong　said；　〃The　country　is　bad　and　the　hills　full　of　danger　in　the　area　of　Langzhong。　Let　us　lay　an　ambush。　You；　General；　go　out　to　give　battle；　and　I　will　help　you　by　a　sudden；　unexpected　attack。　We　ought　to　get　Zhang　He。〃
Whereupon　Zhang　Fei　gave　five　thousand　troops　to　Lei　Tong；　and　himself　led　out　ten　thousand　troops　to　a　point　ten　miles　from　Langzhong。　Having　set　them　in　order；　he　rode　out　and　challenge　Zhang　He　to　single　bat。　Zhang　He　galloped　out　to　meet　him。
After　the　thirtieth　or　so　bout；　Zhang　He's　ranks　suddenly　began　to　shout　and　soon　showed　signs　of　confusion。　The　reason　was　the　appearance　of　the　banners　of　Shu　from　the　cover　of　some　hills。　Zhang　He　dared　not　continue　to　fight；　and　he　fled。　Zhang　Fei　pursued　him。　Lei　Tong　also　appeared　in　his　road　and　attacked；　and　so；　with　enemies　on　both　sides；　Zhang　He　forced　his　way　out　and　lost　the　day。　Both　Zhang　Fei　and　Lei　Tong　continued　to　smite　him；　even　into　the　night；　till　he　got　back　to　his　camp　at　Dangqu。
Zhang　He　reverted　to　his　old　plan　of　defending　the　three　camps；　rolling　down　logs　and　hurling　stones。　But　he　remained　behind　his　defenses。　Zhang　Fei　made　a　camp　three　miles　off。
Next　day　Zhang　Fei　went　forth　and　offered　battle；　but　Zhang　He　took　no　notice。　Zhang　He　ascended　to　the　summit　of　the　hill　and　drank　wine　to　the　acpaniment　of　trumpets　and　drums；　but　he　would　not　fight。　Zhang　Fei　bade　his　soldiers　shout　insults；　but　these　had　no　effect。　Lei　Tong　was　sent　up　the　hill；　but　the　rolling　logs　and　hurtling　stones　forced　him　to　retire。　Then　the　defenders　of　the　other　two　camps　came　out　to　the　attack；　and　Lei　Tong　was　disfited。
Next　day　Zhang　Fei　again　offered　battle；　but　there　was　no　response。　Again　the　soldiers　yelled　every　form　of　insult；　but　Zhang　He　from　the　hill　top　only　replied　by　similar　abuse。　Zhang　Fei　was　at　his　wits'　ends；　and　this　game　was　played　for　more　than　fifty　days。
Then　Zhang　Fei　made　a　strong　stockade　just　in　front　of　the　hill；　and　therein　he　sat　day　after　day　drinking　till　he　became　half　drunk。　And　when　he　was　so；　he　reviled　his　opponent。
About　this　time　Liu　Bei　sent　gifts　to　the　army；　and　when　the　messenger　went　back；　he　told　Liu　Bei　that　his　brother　was　giving　himself　over　to　wine。　This　made　Liu　Bei　anxious；　so　he　lost　no　time　in　asking　advice　from　Zhuge　Liang。
Zhuge　Liang　was　jocular；　saying；　〃Since　that　is　so；　let　us　send　him　fifty　vessels　of　the　best　brew　of　Chengdu。　He　probably　has　but　poor　stuff　in　the　camp。〃
〃But　he　has　always　had　a　weakness　for　wine；　and　he　has　failed　because　of　it。　Yet　you　would　encourage　him　to　drink　by　sending　him　more　wine？〃
〃My　lord；　is　it　that　you　do　not　understand　your　brother　even　after　all　these　years？　He　is　brave　and　steady；　yet　when　we　first　invaded　West　River　Land；　he　released　Yan　Yan；　which　was　not　what　a　mere　brave　would　have　done。　He　is　face　to　face　with　Zhang　He；　and　has　been　for　nearly　two　months；　and　day　after　day　he　drinks　and　rages　and　insults　his　enemy　openly。　He　treats　Zhang　He　with　most　perfect　contempt。　But　this　is　not　only　the　wine　cup；　it　is　a　deep　plan　to　get　the　better　of　Zhang　He。〃
〃This　may　be　so；〃　replied　Liu　Bei；　〃but　let　us　not　rely　upon　it　too　much。　Let　Wei　Yan　go　to　help　him。〃
Zhuge　Liang　sent　Wei　Yan　with　the　wine；　and　the　carts　set　out；　each　flying　a　yellow　flag　with　a　writing　in　large　characters：　Fine　Wine　for　the　Frontier　Army　。
When　Wei　Yan　reached　the　army；　he　handed　over　the　wine；　which　he　said　was　a　gift　from　the　Lord　of　Shu。　And　Zhang　Fei　received　it　with　due　respect。
Zhang　Fei　told　Wei　Yan　and　Lei　Tong　each　to　take　a　thousand　troops　and　move　out　on　the　two　wings；　ready　to　act　when　they　saw　a　red　flag　displayed。　And　then　he　had　the　wine　laid　out　and　called　up　some　soldiers　to　drink　with　a　great　display　of　flags　and　a　rolling　of　drums。
The　spies　reported　all　these　doings　on　the　hill…top；　and　Zhang　He　came　out　to　look　for　himself。　There　he　saw　his　opponent　drinking；　and　two　of　the　soldiers　were　boxing　before　Zhang　Fei　for　his　amusement。
〃He　despises　me　too　much；〃　said　Zhang　He。
And　Zhang　He　gave　orders　to　prepare　for　a　night　attack　on　the　enemy　camp。　His　own　troops　in　Camp　Dangqu　should　do　the　raiding；　and　those　from　Camp　Mengtou　and　Camp　Dangshi　were　to　support　them。
There　was　little　moon　that　night；　and　Zhang　He　took　advantage　of　the　obscurity　to　steal　down　the　side　of　the　hill。　He　got　quite　close　to　the　enemy　camp　and　stood　for　a　time　looking　at　Zhang　Fei　sitting　amid　a　blaze　of　lamps　and　drinking。　Suddenly　Zhang　He　dashed　forward　with　a　yell；　and　at　the　same　moment　his　drums　on　the　hill…top　rolled　out　their　defiance。　Zhang　Fei　never　stirred。　Zhang　He　rushed　at　him　and　delivered　a　mighty　thrust　with　his　spear。　Zhang　Fei　toppled　over………it　was　a　Zhang　Fei　of　straw。　Zhang　He　checked　and　turned　his　steed。