迪文小说

第274部分（第2页）

〃Tomorrow　you　shall　contend　with　him；　and　while　his　attention　is　engaged；　I　will　attack　the　rear　of　Qishan；　and　we　will　recover　our　camps。〃

So　a　force　was　prepared　to　attack　on　the　morrow；　and　Deng　Ai　sent　a　letter　of　challenge　to　a　contest　in　tactics　for　the　same　day。　Jiang　Wei　marked　in　to　accept。

Jiang　Wei　said　to　his　officers；　〃In　the　secret　book　that　I　received　from　the　Prime　Minister；　the　variations　of　the　formation　are　three　hundred　and　sixty…five；　corresponding　to　the　circuit　of　the　heavens。　This　challenge　from　them　is　as　one　going　to　teach　hewing　to　the　God　of　Carpenters。　I　think　some　ruse　lies　behind　this。　Can　you　guess　what　it　is？〃

Liao　Hua　replied；　〃While　they　engage　your　attention　in　this　petition；　they　intend　to　attack　our　rear。〃

〃Just　so；　that　is　also　my　opinion；〃　replied　Jiang　Wei。

So　he　prepared　a　counter…stroke　by　sending　Liao　Hua　and　Zhang　Yi　to　lie　in　wait　at　the　back　of　the　hills　with　ten　thousand　troops。

Next　day　Jiang　Wei　led　all　the　troops　from　the　nine　camps　out　and　drawn　up　in　front　of　the　hills。　Sima　Wang　came　out　on　the　other　side　and　presently　rode　to　the　front　to　parley。

〃You　have　challenged　me　to　a　contest。　Now　draw　up　your　army　for　me　to　see；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。

Sima　Wang　did　so　and　arrayed　the　eight　diagrams。

〃That　is　what　we　know　as　the　Octagon；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃But　it　is　nothing　wonderful；　only　a　sort　of　array　fit　for　a　brigands　raid。〃

〃You　also　have　only　stolen　another　mans　tactics；〃　replied　his　adversary。

〃How　many　modifications　of　this　are　there？〃　asked　Jiang　Wei。

〃Since　I　have　arranged　this；　naturally　I　know　the　variations；　of　which　there　are　nine　nines；　making　eighty…one。〃

〃Try　them。〃

Sima　Wang　returned　to　his　array　and　evolved　many；　finally　riding　out　and　asking　his　opponent　if　he　recognized　them。

〃My　formation　admits　of　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　variations。　You　are　but　a　frog　in　a　well　and　know　nothing　of　the　deeper　mysteries。〃

Now　Sima　Wang　knew　that　so　many　variations　were　possible；　but　had　not　studied　them。　However；　he　put　on　a　bold　air　and　said　contemptuously；　〃I　do　not　believe　you。　Prove　it！〃

〃Go　and　call　Deng　Ai；〃　replied　Jiang　Wei。　〃I　will　display　them　to　him。〃

〃General　Deng　Ai　has　excellent　plans　and　does　not　think　much　of　such　tactics。〃

〃What　plans？　I　suppose　you　mean　a　plan　to　keep　me　here　while　he　tries　a　surprise　attack　in　the　rear。〃

Sima　Wang　was　aghast。　He　made　a　sudden　dash　forward；　and　a　melee　began。　Jiang　Wei　made　a　signal　with　his　whip；　and　his　force　poured　in　from　both　wings。　The　troops　of　Wei　were　seized　with　sudden　panic；　threw　down　their　weapons　and　fled。

Now　Deng　Ai　had　hurried　on　Zheng　Lun　to　make　the　first　attack。　As　Zheng　Lun　turned　the　corner　of　the　hill；　a　bomb　exploded。　At　once　the　drums　rolled　and　an　ambush　discovered　itself。　Liao　Hua　was　in　mand。　Neither　side　stayed　to　parley；　and　the　leaders　engaged　in　single　bat。　In　the　first　encounter　Liao　Hua　cut　Zheng　Lun　down。

Deng　Ai　had　not　expected　such　preparation；　and　he　hastened　to　withdraw。　Then　Zhang　Yi　came　forth　and　attacked　on　the　other　side。　The　army　of　Wei　was　worsted。　Deng　Ai　fought　his　way　out；　but　he　bore　four　arrow　wounds　upon　his　body。　He　got　to　the　river；　where　he　found　Sima　Wang；　and　they　discussed　how　to　get　away。

But　Sima　Wang　proposed　another　form　of　attack。

〃Recently　the　Ruler　of　Shu　has　had　a　favorite；　Eunuch　Huang　Hao；　in　whom　he　places　all　his　trust　and　with　whom　he　spends　his　time　in　one　round　of　pleasure。　Let　us　use　the　eunuch　to　sow　distrust　between　the　Emperor　and　his　general　and　so　get　Jiang　Wei　recalled。　In　that　way　we　shall　retrieve　our　defeat。〃

So　Deng　Ai　assembled　his　advisers　and　asked　who　could　go　into　Shu　and　get　into　munication　with　Huang　Hao。

Dang　Jun　volunteered　at　once。　Deng　Ai　entrusted　gold　and　pearls　and　precious　things　to　him；　and　sent　him　into　Shu　to　win　the　treacherous　alliance　of　the　eunuch。　As　Dang　Jun　went；　he　also　disseminated　reports　that　Jiang　Wei　was　angry　and　intended　to　go　over　to　Wei。

These　rumors　became　the　mon　talk　in　Chengdu；　and　everyone　believed　them。　Huang　Hao　carried　them　to　the　Emperor；　and　a　messenger　was　sent　to　call　the　general　to　the　capital。

Meanwhile　Jiang　Wei　tried　every　day　to　bring　the　enemy　to　give　battle；　but　they　remained　obstinately　behind　their　defenses。　Jiang　Wei　began　to　think　some　evil　scheme　was　afoot；　when　suddenly　he　was　recalled　by　Imperial　Edict。　Although　ignorant　of　the　reason；　he　could　not　disobey；　and　when　he　began　the　retreat；　Deng　Ai　and　Sima　Wang　knew　that　their　plot　had　succeeded。　They　broke　camp　and　set　out　to　attack　the　retreating　army。

＇e＇　Yue　Yi　was　a　general　of　Yan。　Yue　Yi　helped　Yan　overe　Qi；　which　was　a　dominant　state　during　the　Warring　States　period。　But　he　fell　victim　to　court　slanderers。　。。。。。

＇e＇　Yue　Fei　（AD　1103…1142）　a　great　general　during　the　Song　Dynasty。　During　his　time；　northern　China　was　invaded　by　the　Jin　（northeast）　armies。　Yue　Fei；　as　mander　of　the　northern　expedition；　was　winning　victories；　when　the　emperor　recalled　him　because　the　emperor　feared　Yue　Feis　growing　power　and　that　Jin　would　release　his　father　and　brother　（both　former　emperors）。　Yue　Fei　was　later　executed　due　to　false　charges。　。。。。。

Because　of　court　intrigues

Yue　Yi*　and　Yue　Fei*　failed。

How　matters　went　will　be　told　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　114　》》