北斗星小说网

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第17部分（第2页）

〃When　Liu　Biao　stopped　you　on　your　way　home；　it　was　at　the　instigation　of　my　brother。　Now　the　same　two　have　planned　to　fall　upon　your　territories　southeast　of　the　Great　River；　wherefore　you　should　at　once　strike　at　Liu　Biao。　I　will　capture　my　brother　for　you　and　both　resentments　will　be　appeased。　You　will　get　Jingzhou；　and　I　shall　have　Jizhou。〃

〃I　cannot　bear　Liu　Biao；〃　said　Sun　Jian　as　he　finished　reading　this　letter。　〃He　certainly　did　bar　my　way　home；　and　I　may　wait　many　years　for　my　revenge　if　I　let　slip　this　chance。〃

He　called　a　council。

〃You　may　not　trust　Yuan　Shu。　He　is　very　deceitful；〃　said　Cheng　Pu。

〃I　want　revenge　on　my　own　part。　What　care　I　for　his　help？〃　said　Sun　Jian。

He　dispatched　Huang　Gai　to　prepare　a　river　fleet；　arm　and　provision　them。　Big　warships　were　to　take　horses　on　board。　The　force　soon　set　out。

News　of　these　preparations　came　to　Liu　Biao；　and　he　hastily　summoned　his　advisers　and　warriors。

Kuai　Liang　told　him　to　be　free　from　anxiety；　and　said；　〃Put　General　Huang　Zu　at　the　head　of　the　Jiangxia　army　to　make　the　first　attack　and　you；　Sir；　support　him　with　the　forces　from　Xiangyang。　Let　Sun　Jian　e　riding　the　rivers　and　straddling　the　lakes：　What　strength　will　he　have　left　after　arriving　here？〃

So　Liu　Biao　bade　Huang　Zu　prepare　to　march；　and　a　great　army　was　assembled。

Here　it　may　be　said　that　Sun　Jian　had　four　sons；　all　the　issue　of　his　wife　who　was　of　the　Wu　family。　Their　names　in　order　were　Sun　Ce；　Sun　Quan；　Sun　Yi；　and　Sun　Kuang。　Sun　Jian　had　a　second　wife　who　was　the　sister　of　his　first　wife。　And　the　second　wife　bore　him　a　son　and　a　daughter；　the　former　called　Sun　Lang；　the　latter　Sun　Ren。　Sun　Jian　had　also　adopted　a　son　from　a　Yu　family　and　named　him　Sun　Hu。　And　he　had　a　younger　brother　named　Sun　Jing。

As　Sun　Jian　was　leaving　on　this　expedition；　his　brother　Sun　Jing　with　all　his　six　sons　stood　in　front　of　Sun　Jians　steed　and　dissuaded　him；　saying；　〃Dong　Zhuo　is　the　real　ruler　of　the　state；　for　the　Emperor　is　a　weakling。　The　whole　country　is　in　rebellion；　everyone　is　scrambling　for　territory。　Our　area　is　paratively　peaceful；　and　it　is　wrong　to　begin　a　war　merely　for　the　sake　of　a　little　resentment。　I　pray　you；　brother；　think　before　you　start。〃

Sun　Jian　replied；　〃Brother；　say　no　more。　I　desire　to　make　my　strength　felt　throughout　the　empire；　and　shall　I　not　avenge　my　injuries？〃

〃Then　father；　if　you　must　go；　let　me　acpany　you；〃　said　the　eldest　son　Sun　Ce。

This　request　was　granted；　and　father　and　son　embarked　to　go　to　ravage　the　city　of　Fankou。

Now　Huang　Zu　had　placed　archers　and　crossbowmen　along　the　river　bank。　When　the　ships　approached；　a　flight　of　arrows　met　them。　Sun　Jian　ordered　his　troops　to　remain　under　cover　in　the　ships；　which　then　sailed　to　and　fro；　drawing　the　fire　for　three　days。　Several　times　the　ships　pretended　to　land；　and　this　drew　showers　of　arrows　from　the　bank。　At　last　the　arrows　of　the　defenders　were　all　shot　away　and　Sun　Jian；　who　collected　them；　found　he　had　many　myriads。　Then　with　a　fair　wind　Sun　Jians　troops　shot　them　back　to　the　enemy。　Those　on　the　bank　were　thrown　into　great　disorder　and　retired。　The　army　then　landed。　Two　divisions　led　by　Cheng　Pu　and　Huang　Gai　set　out　for　Huang　Zus　camp　along　different　roads；　and　between　them　marched　Han　Dang。　Under　this　triple　attack　Huang　Zu　was　worsted。　He　left　Fankou　and　hastened　to　Dengcheng。

Leaving　the　ships　under　the　mand　of　Huang　Gai；　Sun　Jian　led　the　pursuing　force。　Huang　Zu　came　out　of　his　city　and　drew　up　for　battle　in　the　open　country。　When　Sun　Jian　had　disposed　his　army；　he　rode　out　to　the　standard。　Sun　Ce；　clad　in　armor；　placed　himself　beside　his　father。

Huang　Zu　rode　out　with　two　generals………Zhang　Hui　from　Jiangxia　and　Chen　Sheng　from　Xiangyang。

Flourishing　his　whip；　Huang　Zu　abused　his　enemy；　〃You　swarm　of　rebels　from　Changsha！　Why　do　you　invade　the　land　of　a　scion　of　the　ruling　house？〃

Zhang　Hui　challenged　to　bat；　and　Han　Dang　went　out　to　accept。　The　two　champions　fought　thirty　bouts；　and　then　Chen　Sheng；　seeing　his　fellow　general　being　exhausted；　rode　to　his　aid。　Sun　Jian　saw　Chen　Sheng　ing；　laid　aside　his　spear；　reached　for　his　bow；　and　shot　an　arrow　wounding　Chen　Sheng　in　the　face。　He　fell　from　his　horse。　Panic　seized　upon　Zhang　Hui　at　the　fall　of　his　rade；　and　he　could　no　longer　defend　himself。　Then　Han　Dang　with　a　slash　of　his　sword　clove　Zhang　Huis　skull　in　twain。

Both　having　fallen；　Cheng　Pu　galloped　up　to　make　prisoner　of　Huang　Zu；　who　threw　off　his　helmet；　slipped　from　his　steed；　and　mingled　for　safety　among　his　troops。　Sun　Jian　led　on　the　attack　and　drove　the　enemy　to　the　Han　River　where　he　ordered　Huang　Gai　to　move　the　fleet　upriver　and　moor　there。

Huang　Zu　led　his　defeated　troops　back　and　told　Liu　Biao；　saying；　〃Sun　Jian　was　too　strong　for　my　army。〃

Kuai　Liang　was　called　in　to　advise；　and　he　said；　〃Our　newly　defeated　soldiers　have　no　heart　for　fighting　now。　Therefore　we　must　fortify　our　position；　while　we　seek　help　from　Yuan　Shao。　Then　we　can　extricate　ourselves。〃

〃A　stupid　move！〃　said　Cai　Mao。　〃The　enemy　is　at　the　city　gates：　Shall　we　fold　our　hands　and　wait　to　be　slain？　Give　me　troops　and　I　will　go　out　and　fight　to　the　finish。〃

So　Cai　Mao　wa