迪文小说

第203部分（第1页）

g　barred　the　way。　Chunyu　Dan　turned　off　along　another　road；　escaping　with　loss　of　many　troops。

But　he　was　not　yet　safe。　Some　distance　farther　he　ran　against　the　Mang　tribesmen　leader　Shamo　Ke。　However；　Chunyu　Dan　avoided　him　also　and　went　on　his　way；　pursued　now　by　three　parties。　Soon　he　reached　the　spot　two　miles　from　the　camp；　and　here　the　two　leaders　of　Shu………Xu　Sheng　and　Ding　Feng………；　who　had　been　placed　ready　to　afford　succor；　came　out　and　stopped　the　pursuit。　When　the　enemy　had　retired；　Chunyu　Dan　was　escorted　back　to　camp。

He　was　wounded；　and　with　the　arrow　still　undrawn　he　appeared　before　Lu　Xun　and　apologized　for　his　failure。

〃It　was　no　fault　of　yours；〃　said　the　mander…in…Chief。　〃I　wanted　to　test　the　force　of　our　enemy。　My　plan　of　attack　is　quite　ready。〃

〃The　enemy　is　very　strong　and　will　not　be　easily　overe；〃　said　Xu　Sheng　and　Ding　Feng。　〃We　have　now　suffered　great　loss　to　no　purpose。〃

〃This　plan　of　mine　would　not　hoodwink　Zhuge　Liang；　but　happily　he　is　not　here。　His　absence　will　allow　me　to　score　a　great　success。〃

Then　he　summoned　his　generals　to　receive　orders：　〃Zhu　Ran　is　to　lead　the　marine　force。　He　is　to　advance　next　day　afternoon；　when　the　southeast　wind　will　serve。　His　ships　are　laden　with　reeds　and　straw；　which　are　to　be　used　as　ordered。　Han　Dang　is　to　attack　the　north　bank；　Zhou　Tai　the　south。　Each　soldier；　in　addition　to　his　weapons；　is　to　carry　a　bundle　of　straw　or　reeds；　with　sulfur　and　saltpeter　hidden　therein；　and　each　has　a　piece　of　tinder。　They　are　to　advance；　and；　when　they　reach　the　Shu　camps；　they　are　to　start　a　conflagration。　But　they　are　to　burn　only　alternate　camps；　twenty　in　all；　leaving　the　others　untouched。　They　are　to　advance　and　pursue　the　enemy　until　they　capture　Liu　Bei。〃

The　leaders　received　the　orders　and　so　set　out。

The　First　Ruler　was　in　his　own　camp；　pondering　over　a　plan　to　destroy　the　armies　of　Wu；　when　suddenly　the　staff　that　bore　the　great　standard　in　front　of　his　own　tent　fell　over　and　lay　on　the　ground。　There　was　no　wind　to　account　for　this；　so　he　turned　to　Cheng　Jin　and　asked　what　it　might　portend。

〃It　means　only　one　thing：　The　troops　of　Wu　will　raid　the　camp　tonight；〃　said　Cheng　Jin。

〃They　will　not　dare　after　the　slaughter　of　yesterday。〃

〃But　suppose　that　was　only　a　reconnaissance。　What　then？〃

Just　then　a　report　came　in　that　some　troops　of　Wu　could　be　seen；　very　far　off；　going　along　the　hills　eastward。

〃They　are　soldiers　meant　to　put　us　in　confusion；〃　said　the　First　Ruler。　〃Tell　the　generals　not　to　move；　but　let　Guan　Xing　and　Zhang　Bao；　with　a　small　mounted　force；　go　out　to　reconnoiter。〃

It　was　dusk　when　these　two　returned；　and　they　then　reported：　〃Fire　is　seen　among　the　camps　on　the　north　bank。〃

The　Emperor　hastily　bade　Guan　Xing　go　to　rescue　the　north　camps　and　Zhang　Bao　to　the　south　to　find　out　what　was　really　happening。　And　they　started。

About　the　middle　of　the　first　watch　the　wind　got　up　and　blew　strong　from　the　east。　Then　fire　arose　from　the　camp　on　the　left　of　the　First　Rulers　own。　He　was　starting　to　extinguish　this　flame　when　another　fire　began　in　the　camp　on　his　right。　With　the　aid　of　the　strong　breeze　both　fires　became　fierce；　and　soon　the　trees　caught。　A　confused　roar　showed　the　gathering　strength　of　the　fire。　The　soldiers　of　the　burning　camps　were　rushing　into　the　First　Rulers　own　camp　to　escape　the　fire；　and　in　their　confusion　they　trampled　on　each　other；　so　that　many　died。

Behind　them　came　the　troops　of　Wu　bent　on　slaughter。　Ignorant　of　how　many　they　might　be；　the　First　Ruler　mounted　and　dashed　for　Feng　Xis　camp；　but　that　also　was　in　flames；　which　seemed　to　rise　to　the　very　sky。　By　this　time　flames　were　rising　from　both　sides　of　the　river；　so　that　everything　was　as　visible　as　by　day。

Feng　Xi　leaped　to　his　horse　and　fled；　followed　by　a　band　of　his　mounted　troops。　This　small　force　ran　against　the　soldiers　of　Wu　under　Xu　Sheng。　A　melee　ensued；　thereupon　the　First　Ruler　turned　and　galloped　west。　Xu　Sheng　then　left　Feng　Xi　and　went　in　pursuit。　Presently　the　Emperor　saw　a　party　of　soldiers　in　the　way　and　became　greatly　alarmed。

This　was　Ding　Fengs　army；　and　the　First　Ruler　was　between　two　foes。　In　his　terror　he　saw　no　possibility　of　safety；　no　road　was　open。　Just　at　this　moment　another　cohort　broke　through　to　his　side　and　rescued　him。　The　leader　was　Zhang　Bao；　and　he　led　the　Imperial　Guards；　who　fled；　taking　the　First　Ruler　with　them。　As　they　marched　along；　they　fell　in　with　another　force　of　Shu；　the　leader　was　Fu　Tong；　and　he　joined　up　with　them。　The　Wu　army　was　still　following　when　the　fugitives　reached　Saddle　Hill。　The　two　leaders；　Zhang　Bao　and　Fu　Tong；　were　urging　their　lord　to　go　to　the　top　of　this　and　out　of　immediate　danger。　Soon　Lu　Xun　arrived　with　his　army　and　began　to　surround　the　hill。　Zhang　Bao　and　Fu　Tong　held　the　road　up　the　hill　and　kept　the　enemy　from　ascending。　From　the　summit　could　be　seen　flames　all　around；　and　the　First　Ruler　witnessed　the　corpses　of　his　soldiers　lay　about　in　heaps　or　floated　in　the　streams。

Next　day；　the　soldiers　of　Wu　set　themselves　to　firing　the　hill。　The　First　Rulers　remaining　escort　fled　for　their　lives　like　rats；　and　their　lord　was　in　despair。　Suddenly　he　saw　a　general　followed　by　a　dozen　horsemen　cutting　an　alley　through　and　ing　up　the　hill。　As　he　drew　nearer　the　Emperor　recognized　Guan　Xing。

Guan　Xing　quickly　leapt　down；　prostrated　himself　and　said；　〃Your　Majesty；　the　fire　is　gaining　all　round；　and　this　place　is　not　safe。　I　request　you　to　try　to　reach　Baidicheng；　and　as　many　as　possible　will　gather　there。〃

〃Who　will　dare　stay　behind　to　keep　off　the　enemy？〃　said　the　First　Ruler。

Fu　Tong　volunteered；　saying；　〃I　will　fight　to　death　to　guard　the　rear！〃

It　was　dusk　when　they　started。　Guan　Xing　led　the　way；　Zhang　Bao　protected　the　First　Ruler；　and　Fu　Tong　guarded　the　rear。　They　got　their　lord　safely　down　the　hill　and　away。　As　soon　as　the　troops　of　Wu　noticed　the　flight；　they　pressed　forward；　each　anxious　to　gain　kudos　by　the　capture　of　the　Emperors　person。　Great　armies　of　Wu；　blotting　out　the　sky　and　hiding　the　earth；　went　westward　in　pursuit。

The　First　Ruler　ordered　his　soldiers　to　make　fires　of　their　clothing　and　other　things　in　the　road　so　as　to　hinder　pursuit。

Zhu　Ran　marched　up　from　the　river　to　try　to　intercept　the　flight；　and　the　noise　of　his　drums　was　terrifying。

The　First　Ruler　thought　there　was　no　possibility　of　escape　from　this　force；　and　cried；　〃This　is　the　end！〃

His　two　nephews　dashed　to　the　front　to　try　to　cut　a　way　through；　but　returned　wounded　and　bleeding。　And　the　noise　of　the　pursuers　came　constantly　nearer　as　they　found　their　way　along　the　valleys。　About　the　first　glimpse　of　dawn　the　case　seemed　quite　desperate。　But　just　at　the　worst　they　saw　Zhu　Rans　soldiers　suddenly　begin　to　break　up　and　scatter；　tumbling　into　streams　and　rolling　down　precipices。　Soon　the　reason　was　evident：　A　fearsome　general　leading　a　cohort　came　to　their　relief。

Once　again　the　First　Ruler　was　rescued　from　pressing　danger；　and　this　time　the　rescuer　was　Zhao　Yun。　He　had　been　in　Jiangzhou；　and　news　of　the　straits　of　his　lord　had　reached　him　there。　He　had　set　out　forthwith。　Then　he　had　seen　the　glow　of　the　burnings　and　had　marched　toward　it。　And　thus　he　had　arrived　just　at　the　moment　to　save　his　master　when　danger　was　most　imminent。

As　soon　as　Lu　Xun　heard　that　Zhao　Yun　had　appeared；　he　ordered　his　troops　to　stop　pursuit　and　retire。　Zhao　Yun　happening　upon　Zhu　Ran；　engaged　him　forthwith　and　in　the　first　encounter　slew　Zhu　Ran　with　a　spear　thrust。　And　so　the　army　of　Wu　were　dispersed　and　retired；　and　the　First　Ruler　got　safely　to　the　wall　of　Baidicheng。

But　on　the　way　thither　his　thoughts　went　back　to　his　panions　in　misfortune；　and　he　inquired　after　them　anxiously。

〃Though　I　am　safe；　how　about　the　other　generals　and　soldiers？〃　asked　the　First　Ruler。

〃The　pursuers　are　close　upon　us；　and　we　cannot　wait　for　anything；〃　said　Zhao　Yun。　〃I　wish　Your　Majesty　to　get　into　the　city　as　quickly　as　possible。　While　you　are　reposing　yourself；　we　may　try　to　rescue　some　of　the　leaders。〃