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第272部分（第2页）

Jiang　Wei　sent　a　messenger　to　the　Wei　camp　to　deliver　a　letter　of　battle；　the　contest　to　take　place　the　next　day。　Deng　Ai　openly　accepted。　But　when　morning　came　and　Jiang　Wei　had　arrayed　his　troops；　his　enemy　had　not　appeared　on　the　field。　Nor　was　there　any　sign　of　giving　battle；　no　display　of　flags　or　rolling　of　drums　all　day。

At　nightfall　the　army　of　Shu　returned　to　camp；　and　Jiang　Wei　sent　a　letter　reproaching　his　opponent　with　his　failure　to　keep　his　word。

Deng　Ai　treated　the　bearer　of　the　letter　with　great　courtesy　and　explained；　saying；　〃I　have　been　indisposed　today；　but　will　certainly　fight　on　the　morrow。〃

But　the　next　day　passed　also　without　any　move　on　the　part　of　Wei；　and　the　same　thing　went　on　for　five　days。

Then　said　Fu　Qian　to　his　chief；　〃There　is　some　knavery　afoot；　and　we　must　be　on　our　guard。〃

〃They　must　be　waiting　for　reinforcements　from　Within　the　Passes　that　they　may　attack　on　three　sides；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃But　now　will　I　send　into　Wu　and　get　Sun　Chen　to　strike　at　the　same　time　as　I。〃

Just　then　scouts　came　to　give　the　news　of　the　rout　of　the　army　of　Wu：　〃Sima　Zhao　has　defeated　Shouchun　and　killed　Zhuge　Dan。　Many　in　the　Wu　army　have　gone　over　to　Wei。　Sima　Zhao　has　gone　to　Luoyang　and　is　planning　to　march　an　army　to　attack　Changcheng。〃

〃So　our　attack　on　Wei　is　but　a　sham！〃　said　Jiang　Wei；　bitterly。　〃It　is　only　a　picture　of　a　cake。〃

Four　times　he　missed！　He　hailed

The　fifth　occasion　joyfully；　and　failed。

The　next　chapter　will　tell　the　story　of　the　retreat。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　113　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　113

Chapter　113

Ding　Feng　Makes　A　Plan　To　Slay　Sun　Chen；

Jiang　Wei　Arrays　A　Battle　To　Defeat　Deng　Ai。

Fearing　lest　reinforcements　would　strengthen　his　enemy　beyond　his　own　power　of　resistance；　Jiang　Wei　decided　to　retreat　while　he　could。　He　sent　all　his　stores　and　baggage　away　first　with　the　footmen；　and　kept　the　cavalry　to　cover　the　retirement。

The　spies　reported　his　movements　to　Deng　Ai；　who　said；　〃He　has　gone　because　he　knew　that　the　main　army　would　soon　be　upon　him。　Let　him　go；　and　do　not　follow。　If　we　pursue；　he　will　play　us　some　evil　trick。〃

Scouts　were　sent　to　keep　in　touch　with　the　retreating　army；　and　when　they　returned　they　reported　that　preparations　of　dry　woods　and　straws　had　been　made　in　the　Luo　Valley　to　check　any　pursuit　with　fire。

The　officers　praised　the　prescience　of　Deng　Ai；　〃General；　your　calculation　is　superhuman！〃

When　Deng　Ai　reported　these　matters　to　the　capital；　Sima　Zhao　was　very　pleased　and　confer　more　rewards。

The　Prime　Minister　of　Wu；　Sun　Chen；　was　greatly　angered　by　the　desertion　of　so　many　of　his　soldiers　and　officers　to　Wei；　and　revenged　himself　by　putting　their　families　to　death。　The　Ruler　of　Wu；　Sun　Liang；　disapproved　of　these　acts　of　cruelty；　but　he　was　powerless。

The　young　Emperor　was　of　an　ingenious　turn　of　mind。　One　day　he　went　to　the　West　Park　to　eat　of　the　newly　ripened　plums。　He　bade　one　of　the　eunuchs　bring　some　honey。　It　was　brought；　but　there　were　mouse　droppings　in　it。　The　Ruler　of　Wu　called　the　storekeeper　and　blamed　him　for　carelessness。

The　storekeeper　said；　〃We　are　very　careful　to　keep　the　stores　in　good　order；　and　the　honey　cannot　not　possibly　have　been　fouled　in　the　storehouse。〃

〃Has　anyone　asked　you　for　honey　lately？〃　asked　the　Ruler　of　Wu。

〃One　of　the　eunuchs　asked　for　some　a　few　days　ago。　I　refused　him。〃

The　Ruler　of　Wu　called　the　named　eunuch　and　said；　〃You　defiled　the　honey　out　of　spite。〃

The　man　denied　it。

〃It　is　very　easy　to　tell；〃　said　the　Ruler　of　Wu。　〃If　the　dirt　has　been　lying　in　the　honey　for　some　time　it　will　be　wet　all　through。〃

Then　the　Ruler　of　Wu　ordered　them　to　cut　one　of　the　lumps；　and　it　was　quite　dry　inside。　The　eunuch　then　confessed。

This　shows　the　Ruler　of　Wu　was　quick…witted。　But　clever　as　he　was；　he　could　not　control　his　Prime　Minister；　whose　relatives　were　in　mand　of　all　the　garrisons　and　armies；　so　that　he　was　unassailable。　His　four　brothers　all　had　high　offices：　Sun　Ju　was　General　Who　Terrifies　Distant　Regions　and　mander　of　Imperial　Guards；　Sun　En；　General　Who　Shows　Prowess；　Sun　Gan；　Imperial　mander；　and　Sun　Kan；　mander　of　Changshui。

One　day　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　musing　over　his　sorrows　and　feeling　very　miserable；　began　to　weep。　The　officer　in　charge　of　the　eunuchs；　who　was　an　Imperial　Brother…in…Law；　stood　by。

〃Sun　Chen　holds　all　real　power　and　does　as　he　wishes；　while　I　am　despised；〃　said　the　Ruler　of