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第138部分（第1页）

Her　lord；　still　rather　intoxicated；　said；　〃You　are　not　an　official；　still　you　know　right　from　wrong　as　well　as　I。　My　enemy；　and　the　man　I　would　slay　if　I　could；　is　Cao　Cao。〃

〃But　why？　And　if　you　wish　to　slay　him；　why　do　you　not　do　something？〃　said　she。

〃I　have　done　something。　I　have　settled　with　General　Ma　Teng　to　assassinate　Cao　Cao　at　the　review。〃

Li　Chunxiang　of　course　told　her　paramour；　who　told　Cao　Cao；　and　Cao　Cao　made　his　arrangements　to　defeat　the　scheme。　He　called　up　his　trusty　generals　and　gave　them　orders　for　the　morrow　and；　this　done；　he　arrested　Huang　Kui　and　all　his　household。

Next　day；　as　arranged；　Ma　Teng　and　his　western　troops　came　close　up　to　the　wall；　and　among　the　flags　and　banners　he　discerned　that　of　the　Prime　Minister　himself；　whereby　he　knew　that　Cao　Cao　would　hold　the　review　in　person。

So　Ma　Teng　rode　forward。　Suddenly　a　bomb　exploded；　and　at　this　signal　there　appeared　bodies　of　armed　troops　in　four　directions：　Right　and　left；　front　and　rear；　led　by　Xu　Chu；　Xiahou　Yuan；　Cao　Hong；　and　Xu　Huang。　The　western　forces　were　quite　hemmed　in。　Ma　Teng　then　saw　the　mistake　he　had　made；　and　he　and　his　two　sons　fought　valiantly　to　free　themselves　from　the　trap。　The　youngest　son………Ma　Tie………soon　fell　in　the　volleys　of　arrows。　Father　and　son　rode　this　way　and　that；　seeking　a　way　out；　but　failed　on　every　side。　Both　were　sorely　wounded；　and　when　their　steeds　fell　from　their　many　arrow　wounds；　both　were　captured。

Ma　Teng；　Ma　Xiu；　and　the　miserable　Huang　Kui　who　could　not　keep　his　counsel；　were　brought　before　Cao　Cao。　Huang　Kui　loudly　protested　his　innocence。　Cao　Cao　then　called　in　the　witness　Miao　Ze。

〃That　worthless　scoundrel　has　spoiled　all　my　plans！〃　cried　Ma　Teng　against　Huang　Kui。　〃Now　I　cannot　slay　the　rebel　and　purge　my　country。　But　it　is　the　will　of　God！〃

Father　and　son　were　dragged　forth；　the　father　uttering　volleys　of　abuse　all　the　time。　And　so　three　men　were　executed　in　this　adventure。

The　sons　and　father　share　one　niche　of　fame；

For　purest　loyalty　their　praise　the　same。

To　their　own　hurt　the　rebels　they　withstood；

Content　to　die　to　make　their　pledges　good。

In　blood　the　solemn　oath　they　did　indite

To　slay　the　wicked　and　preserve　the　right。

A　worthy　fathers　worthy　sons　by　western　bride；

Old　Waves　Quellers　name　his　grandson　glorified。

〃I　desire　no　other　reward　than　Li　Chunxiang　as　wife；〃　said　the　betrayer；　Miao　Ze。

Cao　Cao　smiled　and　said；　〃For　her　sake　then　you　have　brought　a　whole　household　to　death。　What　advantage　would　there　be　in　preserving　such　a　miscreant？〃

So　Cao　Cao　bade　the　executioners　put　both　the　traitor　and　the　woman　to　death；　with　Huang　Kuis　household。　Those　who　saw　the　fearful　vengeance　sighed　at　its　cruelty。

Through　passion　base　a　loyal　man　was　slain；

And　she　who　shared　his　passion　shared　his　fate；

The　man　they　served　was　pitiless　in　hate；

And　thus　a　mean　mans　treachery　was　vain。

Cao　Cao　did　not　desire　to　rouse　the　rancor　of　the　army　of　Xiliang；　wherefore　he　proclaimed　to　them；　〃The　intended　treachery　of　your　leaders　was　theirs　alone。〃

However；　he　sent　to　secure　the　passes　so　that　Ma　Dai　should　not　escape。

As　has　been　said；　Ma　Dai　led　the　rearguard。　Before　long　the　fugitives　from　the　main　army　came　and　told　him　what　had　occurred　at　the　capital。　This　frightened　him　so　much　that　he　abandoned　his　army　and　escaped　disguised　as　a　trader。

Having　slain　Ma　Teng；　Cao　Cao　decided　to　set　out　on　his　expedition　to　the　south。　But　then　came　the　disquieting　news　of　the　military　preparations　of　Liu　Bei；　whose　objective　was　said　to　be　the　west。

This　caused　Cao　Cao　alarm；　for　he　said；　〃The　birds　wings　will　be　fully　grown　if　he　obtains　possession　of　the　West　River　Land。〃

As　Cao　Cao　recognized　the　difficulty；　from　among　his　counselors　there　arose　one　who　said；　〃I　know　how　to　prevent　Liu　Bei　and　Sun　Quan　from　helping　each　other；　and　both　the　south　and　the　west　will　be　yours。〃

Chill　death　struck　down　the　heroes　of　the　west；

Calamity　approached　the　bold　leaders　of　the　south。

The　next　chapter　will　unfold　the　scheme。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　58　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　58