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第245部分（第1页）

n　West　Valley　Land　for　his　supply。　You　get　sufficient　troops　to　hold　Qishan；　while　Guo　Huai　and　I　go　to　Tianshui　and　foil　the　enemys　plan　to　gather　the　wheat。〃

So　Zhang　He　took　forty　thousand　troops　to　hold　Qishan；　and　Sima　Yi　set　out　westwards　to　the　West　Valley　Land。

When　Zhuge　Liang　reached　Qishan　and　had　settled　his　army　in　camp；　he　saw　that　the　bank　of　River　Wei　had　been　fortified　by　his　enemy。

〃That　must　be　the　work　of　Sima　Yi；〃　remarked　Zhuge　Liang　to　his　generals。　〃But　we　have　not　enough　food　in　camp。　I　have　written　to　Li　Yan　to　send　grain；　but　it　has　not　yet　arrived。　The　wheat　in　West　Valley　Land　is　now　just　ripe；　and　we　will　go　and　reap　it。〃

Leaving　Wang　Ping；　Zhang　Ni；　Hu　Ban；　and　Wu　Yi　to　guard　for　the　camps；　Zhuge　Liang；　with　Wei　Yan；　Jiang　Wei；　and　several　other　generals；　went　over　to　Lucheng。　The　Governor　of　that　city　knew　he　could　not　offer　any　real　defense；　so　he　opened　the　gates　and　yielded。

After　calming　the　people；　Zhuge　Liang　asked；　〃Where　is　the　ripe　wheat　to　be　found？〃

The　Governor　replied；　〃Longshang　is　the　place。〃

So　Zhang　Yi　and　Ma　Zheng　were　left　to　guard　the　city；　and　the　remainder　of　the　army　went　to　Longshang。

But　soon　the　leading　body　returned　to　say；　〃Sima　Yi　has　already　occupied　that　city。〃

〃He　guessed　what　I　intended　to　do！〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　taken　aback。

Zhuge　Liang　then　retired；　bathed　and　put　on　another　dress。　Next　he　bade　them　bring　out　three　four…wheeled　chariots；　all　exactly　alike；　that　were　among　the　impedimenta　of　the　army。　They　had　been　built　in　Shu　some　time　before。

Jiang　Wei　was　told　off　to　lead　a　thousand　troops　as　escort　for　one　chariot；　and　five　hundred　drummers　were　appointed　to　acpany　it。　The　chariot　with　its　escort　and　drummers　was　sent　away　behind　the　city。　In　like　manner　two　other　chariots　were　equipped　and　sent　east　and　west　of　the　city　under　Ma　Dai　and　Wei　Yan。　Each　chariot　was　propelled　by　a　team　of　twenty…four　men；　all　dressed　in　black；　barefooted　and　with　loosened　hair。　Each　one　of　the　team　also　had　in　hand　a　sword　and　a　black　seven…starred　flag。

While　the　chariots　were　taking　up　their　positions；　thirty　thousand　soldiers　were　ordered　to　prepare　wagons　and　sickles　to　cut　and　carry　away　the　grain。

Next　Zhuge　Liang　selected　twenty…four　good　soldiers；　whom　he　dressed　and　armed　like　those　sent　away　with　the　three　chariots。　These　were　to　push　his　own　chariot。　Guan　Xing　was　told　to　dress　up　as　the　God　of　Clouds　and　to　walk　in　front　of　Zhuge　Liangs　chariot　holding　a　black　seven…starred　flag。　These　preparations　plete；　Zhuge　Liang　mounted；　and　the　chariot　took　the　road　toward　the　Wei　camp。

The　appearance　of　a　chariot　with　such　attendants　more　than　startled　the　enemys　scouts；　who　did　not　know　whether　the　apparition　was　that　of　a　human　or　a　demon。　They　hastened　to　their　mander　and　told　him。

Sima　Yi　came　out　himself　and　saw　the　cavalcade；　and　its　central　figure　being　Zhuge　Liang；　dressed　as　a　Taoist　mystic；　with　headdress；　white　robe；　and　a　feather　fan。　Around　the　chariot　were　twenty…four　hair…loosened　beings；　each　with　a　sword　in　hand；　and　leading　was　a　being　as　a　heaven…sent　god　with　the　seven…starred　flag。

〃Some　of　Zhuge　Liangs　odd　doings；〃　said　he。

And　Sima　Yi　ordered　two　thousand　troops；　saying；　〃Chase　as　fast　as　you　can；　and　bring　in　the　chariot；　escort；　and　the　seated　figure。〃

The　soldiers　went　out　to　do　their　bidding。　But　as　soon　as　they　appeared；　the　chariot　retired　and　took　a　road　leading　to　the　Shu　camp。　Although　the　Wei　soldiers　were　mounted；　they　could　not　e　up　with　the　cavalcade。　What　they　did　meet　with　was　a　chilly　breeze　and　a　cold　mist　that　rolled　about　them。

They　found　it　uncanny　and　halted；　saying　one　to　another；　〃How　extraordinary　it　is　that　we　have　been　pressing　on　and　yet　we　got　no　nearer。　What　does　it　mean？〃

When　Zhuge　Liang　saw　that　the　pursuit　had　ceased；　he　had　his　chariot　pushed　out　again　to　the　front　and　passed　within　sight　of　the　halted　troops。　At　first　they　hesitated；　but　presently　took　up　the　pursuit　once　more。　Whereupon　the　chariot　again　retired；　proceeding　slowly；　but　always　keeping　out　of　reach。　And　thus　more　than　seven　miles　were　covered　and　the　chariot　was　still　not　captured。

Again　the　soldiers　halted；　puzzled　and　perplexed　at　this　inprehensible　chase。　But　as　soon　as　they　stopped；　the　chariot　came　again　toward　them　and　they　retook　pursuit。

Sima　Yi　now　came　up　with　a　strong　force。　But　he　also　halted；　and　said　to　his　generals；　〃This　Zhuge　Liang　is　a　master　in　the　arts　of　necromancy　and　juggling　and　Eight　Gates　and　knows　how　to　call　up　the　Deities　of　Six　Layers　to　his　aid。　I　know　this　trick　of　his：　It　is　the　Ground　Rolling　in　the　Book　of　Six　Layers　Deities；　and　it　is　vain　to　pursue。〃

So　they　ceased　following。　But　then　a　roll　of　drums　came　from　the　left　side　as　if　a　body　of　troops　were　approaching。　Sima　Yi　told　off　some　panies　to　repel　them；　but　there　only　came　into　view　a　small　force；　and　in　their　midst　was　a　party　of　men　dressed　in　black；　the　exact　counterpart　of　the　cavalcade　he　had　first　sent　to　pursue。　In　the　chariot　sat　another　Zhuge　Liang　just　like　the　one　that　had　just　disappeared。

〃But　just　now　he　was　sitting　in　that　other　chariot；　which　we　chased　for　fifteen　miles。　How　can　he　be　here？〃　said　Sima　Yi。

Shortly　after　they　heard　another　roll　of　the　drums；　and　as　the　sound　died　away　there　appeared　another　body　of　men；　with　a　chariot　in　the　midst；　exactly　like　the　last　and　also　carrying　a　sitting　figure　of　Zhuge　Liang。

〃They　must　be　heaven…sent　soldiers；〃　said　Sima　Yi。

The　soldiers　were　now　feeling　the　strain　of　these　weird　appearances　and　began　to　get　out　of　hand。　They　dared　not　stay　to　fight　such　beings；　and　some　ran　away。　But　before　they　had　gone　far；　lo！　another　roll　of　drums；　another　cohort　and　another　chariot　with　a　similar　figure　seated　therein。

The　soldiers　of　Wei　were　now　thoroughly　frightened；　and　even　Sima　Yi　himself　began　to　feel　doubtful　whether　these　appearances　should　be　ascribed　to　humans　or　devils。　He　realized；　however；　that　he　was　in　the　midst　of　dangers　as　he　did　not　know　the　number　of　the　Shu　soldiers；　and　he　and　his　troops　ran　away　helter…skelter；　never　stopping　till　they　reached　Shanggui。　They　entered　the　city　and　closed　the　gates。

Having　thus　driven　off　the　Wei　soldiers；　Zhuge　Liang　proceeded　to　reap　and　gather　the　wheat　in　Longshang；　which　was　carried　into　Lucheng　and　laid　out　to　dry。