多多读书

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第267部分（第2页）

Sima　Shi　became　much　troubled。　His　heart　burned　within　him；　and　the　excitement　caused　the　wound　to　open；　so　that　the　eyeball　protruded　and　blood　flowed　freely。　The　pain　became　intense；　nearly　unbearable。　In　his　agony　and　alarm　lest　his　army　should　be　thrown　into　confusion；　he　lay　gnawing　the　bed　clothes　till　they　were　in　rags。

Wen　Yangs　force　lost　no　time；　but　attacked　as　soon　as　it　arrived。　He　dashed　into　the　camp；　slashing　and　thrusting　right　and　left；　and　everyone　gave　way　before　him。　If　anyone　stayed　to　oppose；　the　sharp　spear　or　the　terrible　whip　did　its　work；　and　that　one　fell。　But　after　a　time；　seeing　no　sign　of　his　father；　Wen　Yang　grew　anxious。　And　he　had　to　retire　several　times　before　the　fierce　flights　of　arrows　and　crossbow　bolts　as　he　tried　to　reach　the　main　tent。

About　daylight　he　heard　shouts　and　thought　they　must　mean　the　arrival　of　his　father　with　help。　But　the　shouting　came　from　the　north；　and　his　father　was　to　arrive　by　the　south　road。　He　galloped　out　to　get　a　clearer　view；　and　saw　a　force　sweeping　down　like　a　gale　of　wind。

It　was　not　his　father；　but　a　body　of　the　enemy；　and　the　leader　was　Deng　Ai。

Deng　Ai　rode　forward　shouting；　〃Rebel；　flee　not！〃

Wen　Yang　had　no　intention　to　flee。　Setting　his　spear；　he　rode　savagely　toward　his　opponent。　They　engaged　and　fought　half　a　hundred　bouts　without　either　gaining　the　advantage。　Then；　the　duel　still　raging；　the　Wei　army　attacked　in　full　force；　and　Wen　Yangs　troops　began　to　give　way　and　run；　so　that　soon　he　found　himself　alone。

However；　he　got　clear　of　the　fight　and　went　away　south。　But　he　was　pursued；　for　more　than　a　hundred　Wei　generals　plucked　up　courage　to　follow　when　he　ran　away。　They　pressed　on　his　heels　till　near　the　Lojia　Bridge；　when　it　seemed　that　they　must　catch　him。　Then　he　suddenly　pulled　up　his　steed；　turned　and　rode　in　among　them；　flogging　with　the　terrible　steel　whip；　and　wherever　it　struck　there　lay　warriors　and　horses　in　confused　heaps。　So　they　left　him；　and　he　retook　his　way　in　peace。

Then　the　Wei　generals　met　and　said；　〃Lo！　Here　is　a　man　who　has　driven　us　all　backward。　But　we　are　many　and　may　not　suffer　that。〃

Wherefore　they　reformed　and　once　again　took　up　pursuit。

〃You　fools？〃　cried　Wen　Yang；　as　he　saw　them　ing　on。　〃Have　you　then　no　regard　for　your　lives？〃

Again　he　fell　upon　them　with　the　steel　whip　and　slew　many；　so　that　the　survivors　retreated。　But　yet　again　they　found　courage　to　e　on；　and　yet　again；　but　they　had　to　fall　back　before　the　lash　of　that　terrible　whip。

Defiance　hurled　at　Cao　Caos　mighty　host

Arrayed　near　Long　Slope　proclaimed　Zhao　Yun；

A　valiant　man；　and　peerless　stood　he　till。

At　Lojia　another　hero　faced；

Alone；　another　host；　and　Wen　Yangs　name

Was　added　to　the　roll　of　famous　people。

Wen　Qin　never　reached　the　appointed　rendezvous。　In　the　darkness　he　lost　his　way　among　the　precipices　and　gullies；　whence　he　only　got　out　as　day　dawned。　He　saw　all　the　signs　of　a　fight　and　a　victory　for　Wei；　but　could　not　discover　whither　his　son　had　gone。　So　he　returned　without　fighting；　and　in　spite　of　pursuit；　made　his　way　safely　to　Shouchun。

Now　mander　Yin　Damu　had　acpanied　Sima　Shi　on　his　expedition；　but　was　no　friend　of　his。　He　had　been　of　the　Cao　Shuangs　party　and　bitterly　resented　the　death　of　his　patron。　He　was　watching　for　a　chance　to　avenge　him。　Seeing　that　Sima　Shi　was　ill；　he　thought　to　secure　his　end　by　making　friends　with　Wen　Qin。

So　he　went　in　to　see　the　sick　Sima　Shi；　and　said；　〃Wen　Qin　had　no　sincere　intention　to　rebel；　but　was　led　astray　by　Guanqiu　Jian。　If　you　will　let　me　go　and　speak　with　him；　he　will　e　over　to　you　at　once。〃

Sima　Shi　said　he　might　go　to　try；　and　Yin　Damu　put　on　his　armor　and　rode　after　Wen　Qin。　By　and　by　he　got　near　enough　to　shout。

〃Do　you　not　recognize　me？　I　am　Yin　Damu。〃

Wen　Qin　stopped　and　looked　back。

Yin　Damu　removed　his　helmet　that　his　face　might　be　clearly　seen；　and　said；　〃O　Imperial　Protector；　why　can　you　not　bear　up　for　a　few　days？〃

Yin　Damu　implied　that　Sima　Shi　was　very　near　death；　and　he　wished　Wen　Qin　to　remain　at　hand。　But　Wen　Qin　did　not　understand。　He　abused　Yin　Damu　and　even　threatened　that　the　bowmen　should　shoot；　and　Yin　Damu　could　only　sorrowfully　turn　away。

When　Wen　Qin　reached　Shouchun　and　found　it　occupied　by　Zhuge　Dan；　he　tried　for　Xiangcheng。　But　three　armies　under　Hu　Zun；　Wang　Ji；　and　Deng　Ai　came　up　and　attacked　at　once　so　that　it　seemed　impossible　that　his　army　could　hold　out　long。　So　he　decided　to　flee　to　Wu　and　serve　Sun　Jun。

Guanqiu　Jian；　then　behind　the　walls　of　Xiangcheng；　heard　that　Shouchun　had　fallen；　that　his　fellow…conspirator　Wen　Qin　had　failed　and；　with　three　armies　against　his　city；　knew　that　his　case　was　desperate。　He　mustered　all　the　forces　in　the　city　and　marched　out　to　try　his　fortune。

As　he　went　forth；　he　fell　in　with　Deng　Ai。　He　bade　Ge　Yong　go　out　to　fight；　but　Ge　Yong　fell　in　the　first　encounter；　cut　down　by　Deng　Ai　himself。　The　enemy　came　on　in　force。　Guanqiu　Jian　fought　gallantly；　but　his　army　fell　into　confusion。　Then　two　other　armies　under　Wang　Ji　and　Hu　Zun　came　up；　and　he　was　pletely　surrounded。　Nothing　could　be　done；　and　he　fled　from　the　field　with　a　dozen　riders　and　made　for　Shenxian。

Here　Governor　Song　Bai　received　him　kindly　and　forted　him　with　a　feast。　At　the　banquet　Guanqiu　Jian　drowned　his　sorrows　in　the　wine　cup　till　he　was　helpless；　when　he　was　slain　by　his　host。　His　head　was　sent　to　the　Wei　army　as　proof　of　his　death；　and　the　rising　came　to　an　end。　Peace　was　restored　in　the　South　of　River　Huai。

Sima　Shi　grew　worse。　Recovery　being　hopeless；　he　called　Zhuge　Dan　to　his　tent　and　gave　him　a　seal　and　conferred　upon　him　the　title　of　General　Who　Conquers　the　East；　with　mand　of　all　the　forces　in　Yangzhou；　and　soon　after　the　army　marched　back　to　Xuchang。

The　sick　man　began　to　have　visions。　Night　after　night　he　was　troubled　by　the　apparitions　of　the　three　courtiers………Zhang　Qi；　Li　Feng；　and　Xiahou　Xuan………he　had　put　to　death；　and　he　knew　that　his　end　was　near。　He　sent　for　his　brother；　Sima　Zhao；　who　came　and　wept　by　his　couch　while　he　listened　to　his　elder　brothers　last　mands。

Said　Sima　Shi；　〃The　responsibility　o