三国演义英文版-第367章

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unable　to　dislodge　them。　Let　us　occupy　it。〃
So　the　army　set　out。　But　before　they　drew　near；　the　scouts　reported　a　camp　already　there。　It　was　incredible；　and　Guanqiu　Jian　rode　to　the　front　to　reconnoiter。　He　was　convinced　by　the　sight　of　flags　and　banners　over　all　the　plain；　fluttering　above　an　orderly　array　of　tents　and　huts。　The　sight　disconcerted　him；　and　he　rode　back　to　the　main　body　not　knowing　what　to　do。
Just　then　a　scout　came　in　to　say：　〃Sun　Jun　of　Wu　has　crossed　the　river　to　attack　Shouchun。〃
〃If　we　lose　that　city；　we　shall　have　no　base；〃　cried　Guanqiu　Jian。
That　same　night　he　retreated　upon　Xiangcheng。
Seeing　the　enemy　retreat；　Sima　Shi　called　together　his　officers　to　talk　it　over。
Chair　of　the　Secretariat　Fu　Gu；　who　was　of　the　expedition；　said；　〃The　retirement　to　Xiangcheng　was　obviously　due　to　Wu's　threatened　attack　upon　Shouchun。　General；　you　should　send　three　armies　to　attack　upon　Xiangcheng；　Lojia；　and　Shouchun。　The　Imperial　Protector　of　Yanzhou；　Deng　Ai；　is　a　man　of　tactics；　he　should　be　sent　against　Lojia。　Our　main　army　will　reinforce　them。〃
His　plan　was　acceptable　to　Sima　Shi；　who　sent　letters　to　Yanzhou　telling　Deng　Ai　to　march　against　Lojia；　where　Sima　Shi　himself　would　soon　meet　him。
Camped　at　Xiangcheng；　Guanqiu　Jian　sent　spies　to　Lojia　to　see　what　might　be　happening　there；　for　he　feared　it　would　be　attacked。
When　he　spoke　of　his　fears　to　Wen　Qin；　the　latter　said；　〃General；　you　need　not　be　anxious。　My　son　Wen　Yang　and　I　will　answer　for　its　safety。　Give　us　but　five　thousand　troops。〃
Father　and　son；　with　the　five　thousand　troops；　went　to　Lojia。
Before　the　main　body　arrived；　the　scouts　reported：　〃Wei　banners　are　flying　on　the　west　of　the　city。　There　are　about　ten　thousand　troops。　In　their　midst　are　seen　authority　ensigns　such　as　white　yaks'　tails；　golden　axes；　purple　umbrellas；　and　a　flag　bearing　the　word　mander　。　Perhaps　Sima　Shi　himself　is　at　this　camp。　The　troops　are　pitching　the　camp　rapidly；　but　it　is　not　yet　plete。〃
When　this　was　reported　to　Wen　Qin；　his　son　Wen　Yang；　bearing　his　famous　whip　of　steel；　was　by　his　father's　side。
〃We　should　attack　before　they　have　settled　down　in　camp；　Father；〃　said　he。　〃Let　us　go　quickly　and　attack　on　two　sides。〃
〃When　can　we　start？〃　said　the　father。
〃Tonight　at　dusk。　You　lead　half　the　force　round　by　the　south；　and　I　will　march　the　other　half　round　by　the　north；　and　we　will　meet　in　the　third　watch　at　the　Wei　camp。〃
The　youth　who　propounded　this　plan　was　then　eighteen；　tall　and　strong。　He　wore　plete　armor　and　carried　at　his　waist　a　steel　whip。　When　the　hour　came　to　start；　he　took　his　spear；　swung　himself　into　the　saddle　and　set　out。
That　night　Sima　Shi；　who　had　arrived　and　had　at　once　set　about　settling　into　camp；　lay　on　a　couch　in　his　tent；　for　he　was　still　suffering　pain　from　the　surgery　wound　beneath　his　eye。　The　tent　was　surrounded　by　several　hundred　armored　guards。　Deng　Ai　had　not　arrived。
About　the　third　watch　Sima　Shi　heard　a　great　shouting　and　asked　what　it　was。
One　replied：　〃An　army　has　e　round　from　the　north　and　burst　into　the　lines。　The　leader　is　too　bold　for　anyone　to　face。〃
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　Yang's　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　Yang's　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　Cao's　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　Yang's　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　Shuang's　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　Sh