121小说

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第46部分（第2页）

So　Lu　Bu　tore　it　open　and　read：

〃I　have　received　your　mands　concerning　the　destruction　of　Lu　Bu；　and　dare　I　for　a　moment　venture　to　disregard　them？　But　my　force　is　weak　and　I　must　act　with　extreme　circumspection。　If　you　move　your　main　body；　then　I　will　hasten　forward；　and　in　the　meantime　my　army　shall　be　got　ready　and　weapons　prepared。　I　await　your　mand。〃

Lu　Bu　was　really　alarmed。

〃The　wretches！〃　cried　he。　〃To　dare　to　act　thus！〃

The　unhappy　messenger　was　put　to　death　and　countermoves　planned。　Chen　Gong　and　Zang　Ba　went　to　enlist　the　help　of　the　Taishan　Mountains　bandits………Sun　Guan；　Wu　Dun；　Yin　Li；　and　Chang　Xi………so　that　they　would　take　Yanzhou　in　the　East　of　Huashang　Mountains。　Gao　Shun　and　Zhang　Liao　went　to　attack　Liu　Bei　in　Xiaopei。　Song　Xian　and　Wei　Xu　went　west　to　attack　Runan　and　Yingchuan。　And　Lu　Bu　took　mand　of　a　large　body　of　troops　ready　to　afford　help　wherever　needed。

The　departure　of　the　army　under　Gao　Shun　against　Xiaopei　was　reported　to　Liu　Bei；　who　assembled　his　officers　at　a　council。

Sun　Qian　advised　sending　a　message　to　the　capital　to　inform　Cao　Cao　of　their　danger。　In　response　to　the　chiefs　call；　Jian　Yong；　a　fellow　townsman　of　Liu　Bei；　offered　to　take　the　message。　Up　to　that　moment　Jian　Yong　had　served　as　a　secretary。　So　a　letter　was　written；　and　Jian　Yong　set　out　at　once　on　his　journey。

Then　preparations　were　made　for　defense：　Liu　Bei　manding　at　the　south　gate；　Sun　Qian　at　the　north　gate；　Guan　Yu　at　the　west　gate；　and　Zhang　Fei　at　the　east　gate。　Mi　Zhu　and　his　brother　Mi　Fang　manded　the　family　guard　in　the　center。

The　two　Mis　were　put　in　mand　of　the　house　guard　because　they　were　Liu　Beis　brothers…in…law；　Liu　Bei　had　taken　a　sister　of　Mi　Zhu　as　a　second　wife。　Hence　they　were　suitable　men　to　guard　the　family。

In　due　course　Gao　Shun　came　to　the　south　gate。　Liu　Bei　ascended　the　tower　and　said；　〃I　have　no　quarrel　with　your　master；　why　do　you　e　here　with　an　army？〃

〃You　have　plotted　with　Cao　Cao　to　injure　my　master　as　we　know　now：　Why　should　I　not　bind　you？〃

So　saying　Gao　Shun　gave　the　signal　to　attack。　But　Liu　Bei　did　not　go　out　to　repulse　Gao　Shun；　he　only　kept　the　gate　fast　closed。

Soon　after；　Zhang　Liao　led　an　attack　on　the　west　gate；　then　kept　by　Guan　Yu；　who　addressed　Zhang　Liao　from　the　wall。

〃You　are　too　good　a　man　to　waste　yourself　on　rebels；〃　said　Guan　Yu。

Zhang　Liao　hung　his　head　and　made　no　reply。　Guan　Yu　knew　that　Zhang　Liao　had　a　sound　heart　and　high　principles　and　said　no　more；　as　he　was　unwilling　to　wound　Zhang　Liao。　Nor　did　he　go　out　to　attack。

Zhang　Liao　then　drew　off　and　proceeded　to　the　east　gate；　and　Zhang　Fei　went　out　to　give　battle。　Soon　it　was　told　Guan　Yu；　who　came　over　quickly。　He　saw　Zhang　Fei　going　out；　but　Zhang　Liao　was　already　withdrawing。　Zhang　Fei　wished　to　pursue；　but　his　brother　held　him　back。

〃He　is　afraid　and　so　has　gone　away。　It　would　be　best　to　pursue；〃　said　Zhang　Fei。

〃No；〃　said　Guan　Yu。　〃As　a　warrior　he　is　not　inferior　to　either　of　us；　but　I　have　spoken　a　few　straight　words；　and　he　has　sunk　deep。　He　is　repentant　and　that　is　why　he　will　not　meet　us。〃

So　Zhang　Fei　understood；　and　the　gates　were　shut　and　orders　given　for　careful　defense。　When　Jian　Yong；　Liu　Beis　messenger；　reached　the　capital；　he　saw　Cao　Cao　and　told　him　what　had　happened。　The　advisers　were　called　to　discuss　a　plan。

Cao　Cao　said；　〃I　wish　to　attack　Lu　Bu。　I　fear　not　Yuan　Shao；　but　Liu　Biao　and　Zhang　Xiu　may　attack　me　in　the　rear。〃

Xun　You；　the　nephew　of　Xun　Yu；　replied；　〃Both　these　latter　have　been　too　recently　defeated　to　do　anything　so　rash。　But　Lu　Bu　is　a　bold　fighting　man；　and　if　he　joined　forces　with　Yuan　Shu　and　they　set　themselves　to　conquer　River　Huai　and　River　Si；　the　problem　would　he　difficult。〃

Then　spoke　Guo　Jia；　〃Let　us　take　advantage　of　the　moment　before　they　have　fully　made　up　their　mind。　Smite　before　they　are　fully　prepared。〃

And　Cao　Cao　did　so。　An　army　of　fifty　thousand　were　sent　in　advance　with　four　manders………Xiahou　Dun；　Xiahou　Yuan；　Lu　Qian；　and　Li　Dian。　Cao　Cao　manded　the　Center　Army；　which　marched　by　divisions；　and　Jian　Yong　brought　up　the　rear。

Soon　the　scouts　informed　Gao　Shun。　He　sent　flying　messengers　to　Lu　Bu；　who　detached　two　hundred　horse　with　Hou　Cheng；　Cao　Xing；　and　He　Meng　to　assist　him。　Gao　Shun　posted　this　reinforcement　and　his　army　about　ten　miles　from　Xiaopei　to　meet　Cao　Caos　army。　Lu　Bu　and　the　main　army　also　followed　close。

When　Liu　Bei　saw　the　enemy　retiring　from　the　city；　he　knew　Cao　Caos　army　was　close　at　hand。　So；　making　arrangements　for　guarding　the　city　within；　he　and　his　two　brothers　marched　their　troops　out　of　the　city　and　made　a　camp；　that　they　might　be　ready　to　assist。

Now　the　division　of　Cao　Caos　army　under　Xiahou　Dun；　having　marched　out　in　advance；　first　came　into　touch　with　Gao　Shun。　Xiahou　Dun　at　once　rode　out　with　spear　set　and　offered　a　challenge。　It　was　accepted　and　the　two　leaders　fought　half　a　hundred　bouts。　Then　Gao　Shun　began　to　weaken　and　had　to　turn　back。　He　rode　round　to　the　rear　of　h

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