迪文小说

第230部分（第2页）

〃By　what　road　will　you　advance？〃　asked　Zhang　He。

〃I　know　a　road　west　of　Qinling　Mountains　called　Jieting；　on　which　stands　the　city　Liliu。　These　two　places　are　the　throat　of　Hanzhong。　Zhuge　Liang　will　take　advantage　of　the　unpreparedness　of　Cao　Zhen　and　will　certainly　e　in　by　this　way。　You　and　I　will　go　to　Jieting；　whence　it　is　a　short　distance　to　Yangping　Pass。　When　Zhuge　Liang　hears　that　the　road　through　Jieting　is　blocked　and　his　supplies　cut　off；　he　will　know　that　all　the　lands　of　West　Valley　Land　is　impossible　to　keep；　and　will　retire　without　losing　a　moment　into　Hanzhong。　I　shall　smite　him　on　the　march；　and　I　ought　to　gain　a　plete　victory。　If　he　should　not　retire；　then　I　shall　block　all　the　smaller　roads　and　so　stop　his　supplies。　A　months　starvation　will　kill　off　the　soldiers　of　Shu；　and　Zhuge　Liang　will　be　my　prisoner。〃

Zhang　He　took　in　the　scheme　and　expressed　his　admiration；　saying；　〃O　mander；　your　calculation　exceeds　human！〃

Sima　Yi　continued；　〃However；　it　is　not　to　be　forgotten　that　Zhuge　Liang　is　quite　different　from　Meng　Da。　You；　as　Leader　of　the　Van；　will　have　to　advance　with　the　utmost　care。　You　must　impress　upon　your　generals　the　importance　of　reconnoitering　a　long　way　ahead　and　only　advancing　when　they　are　sure　there　is　no　ambush。　The　least　remissness　will　make　you　the　victim　of　some　ruse　of　the　enemy。〃

Zhang　He；　having　received　his　instructions；　marched　away。

Meanwhile　spies　had　e　to　Zhuge　Liang　in　Qishan　with　news　of　the　destruction　of　Meng　Da　and　the　failure　of　his　conspiracy。

They　said；　〃Sima　Yi　marched　rapidly　in　eight　days　to　Xincheng。　He　had　Shen　Yi；　Shen　Dan；　Li　Gu；　and　Deng　Xian　plot　against　Meng　Da　from　within。　Meng　Da　had　not　been　able　to　do　anything　and　was　killed。　Now　Sima　Yi　has　gone　to　Changan；　when　he　has　marched　through　the　pass　with　Zhang　He。〃

Zhuge　Liang　was　distressed。

〃Meng　Das　destruction　was　certain；〃　said　he。　〃Such　a　scheme　could　not　remain　secret。　Now　Sima　Yi　will　try　for　Jieting　and　block　the　one　road　essential　to　us。〃

So　Jieting　had　to　be　defended；　and　Zhuge　Liang　asked　who　would　go。　Ma　Su　offered　himself　instantly。

Zhuge　Liang　urged　upon　him　the　importance　of　his　task。

〃The　place　is　small；　but　of　very　great　importance；　for　its　loss　would　involve　the　loss　of　the　whole　army。　You　are　deeply　read　in　all　the　rules　of　strategy；　but　the　defense　of　this　place　is　difficult；　since　it　has　no　wall　and　no　natural　defenses。〃

〃I　have　studied　the　books　of　war　since　I　was　a　boy；　and　I　may　say　I　know　a　little　of　the　art　of　war；〃　Ma　Su　replied。　〃Why　alone　is　Jieting　so　difficult　to　hold？〃

〃Because　Sima　Yi　is　an　exceptional　man；　and　also　he　has　a　famous　second　in　Zhang　He　as　Leader　of　the　Van。　I　fear　you　may　not　be　a　match　for　him。〃

Ma　Su　replied；　〃To　say　nothing　of　these　two；　I　would　not　mind　if　Cao　Rui　himself　came　against　me。　If　I　fail；　then　I　beg　you　to　behead　my　whole　family。〃

〃There　is　no　jesting　in　war；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

〃I　will　give　a　written　pledge。〃

Zhuge　Liang　agreed；　and　a　written　pledge　was　given　and　placed　on　record。

Zhuge　Liang　continued；　〃I　shall　give　you　twenty…five　thousand　veterans　and　also　send　an　officer　of　rank　to　assist　you。〃

Next　he　summoned　Wang　Ping　and　said　to　him；　〃As　you　are　a　careful　and　cautious　man；　I　am　giving　you　a　very　responsible　position。　You　are　to　hold　Jieting　with　the　utmost　tenacity。　Camp　there　in　the　most　manding　position　so　that　the　enemy　cannot　steal　by。　When　your　arrangements　are　plete；　draw　a　plan　of　them　and　a　map　of　the　local　topography；　and　let　me　see　it。　All　my　dispositions　have　been　carefully　thought　out　and　are　not　to　be　changed。　If　you　can　hold　this　successfully；　it　will　be　of　the　first　service　in　the　capture　of　Changan。　So　be　very；　very　careful。〃

After　Ma　Su　and　Wang　Ping　had　gone　and　Zhuge　Liang　had　reflected　for　a　long　time；　it　occurred　to　him　that　there　might　be　some　slip　between　his　two　leaders。

So　he　called　Gao　Xiang　to　him　and　said；　〃Northeast　of　Jieting　is　a　city　named　Liliu；　and　near　it　an　unfrequented　hill　path。　There　you　are　to　camp　and　make　a　stockade。　I　will　give　you　ten　thousand　troops　for　this　task。　If　Jieting　should　be　threatened；　you　may　go　to　the　rescue。〃

After　Gao　Xiang　had　left；　and　as　Zhuge　Liang　thought　Gao　Xiang　was　not　a　match　for　his　opponent　Zhang　He；　he　decided　there　ought　to　be　additional　strength　on　the　west　in　order　to　make　Jieting　safe。　So　he　summoned　Wei　Yan　and　bade　him　lead　his　army　to　the　rear　of　Jieting　and　camp　there。

But　Wei　Yan　thought　this　rather　a　slight；　and　said；　〃As　Leader　of　the　Van；　I　should　go　first　against　the　enemy。　Why　am　I　sent　to　a　place　where　there　is　nothing　to　do？〃

〃The　leadership　of　the　van　is　really　a　second…rate　task。　Now　I　am　sending　you　to　support　Jieting　and　take　post　on　the　most　dangerous　road　to　Yangping　Pass。　You　are　the　chief　keeper　of　the　throat　of　Hanzhong。　It　is　a　very　responsible　post　and　not　at　all　an　idle　one。　Do　not　so　regard　it　and　spoil　my　whole　plan。　Be　particularly　careful。〃

Wei　Yan；　satisfied　now　that　he　was　not　being　slighted；　went　his　way。

Zhuge　Liangs　mind　was　at　rest；　and　he　called　up　Zhao　Yun　and　Deng　Zhi；　to　whom　he　said；　〃Now　that　Sima　Yi　is　in　mand　of　the　army；　the　whole　outlook　is　different。　Each　of　you　will　lead　a　force　out　to　Gu　Valley　and　move　about　so　as　to　mislead　the　enemy。　Whether　you　meet　and　engage　them　or　not；　you　will　certainly　cause　them　uneasiness。　I　am　going　to　lead　the　main　army　through　the　Xie　Valley　to　Meicheng。　If　I　can　capture　that；　Changan　will　fall。〃

Zhao　Yun　and　Deng　Zhi　took　the　orders　and　went　off。

Zhuge　Liang　appointed　Jiang　Wei　as　Leader　of　the　Van；　and　they　marched　to　the　Xie　Valley。

When　Ma　Su　and　Wang　Ping　had　reached　Jieting　and　saw　what　manner　of　place　it　was；　Ma　Su　smiled；　saying；　〃Why　was　the　Prime　Minister　so　extremely　anxious？　How　would　the　Wei　armies　dare　to　e　to　such　a　hilly　place　as　this？〃

Wang　Ping　replied；　〃Though　they　might　not　dare　to　e；　we　should　set　our　camp　at　this　meeting　of　many　roads。〃

So　Wang　Ping　ordered　his　soldiers　to　fell　trees　and　build