三国演义英文版-第303部分

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　Bo　got　together　about　three　hundred；　and　this　little　force　marched　out　to　the　beating　of　a　drum　as　escort　to　a　small　carriage；　in　which　sat　the　Ruler　of　Wei　gripping　his　sword。　They　proceeded　south。
Wang　Jing　stepped　to　the　front　and　prayed　Cao　Mao　to　stay　his　steps　and　not　go。
〃To　go　against　Sima　Zhao　with　such　a　force　is　driving　the　sheep　into　the　tiger's　jaws。　To　die　such　a　death　is　a　vain　sacrifice。　Not　that　I　want　to　live；　but　this　can　do　nothing；〃　said　Wang　Jing。
〃Do　not　hinder　me。　I　have　made　up　my　mind；〃　replied　the　Ruler　of　Wei；　heading　toward　the　Dragon　Gate。
Presently　Jia　Chong　came　in　sight。　He　was　armed　and　mounted　on　a　fine　horse。　Beside　him　rode　two　generals；　Cheng　Zu　and　Cheng　Ji；　and　behind　him　followed　a　body　of　mail…clad　guards；　who　shouted　one　to　another　as　they　rode。
Then　Cao　Mao　held　up　his　sword　and　cried；　〃I　am　the　Son　of　God。　Who　are　you　thus　breaking　into　the　Forbidden　City？　Are　you　e　to　murder　your　lawful　ruler？〃
The　soldiers　suddenly　stopped；　for　they　were　Palace　guards。
Then　Jia　Chong　shouted　to　Cheng　Ji；　saying；　〃What　did　Duke　Sima　Zhao　train　you　for　if　not　for　this　day's　work？〃
Cheng　Ji　took　his　halberd　and　turned　to　Jia　Chong；　saying；　〃Death　or　capture？〃
〃Duke　Sima　Zhao　said　the　man　had　to　die；〃　replied　Jia　Chong。
Cheng　Ji　rushed　toward　the　carriage。
〃Fool！　How　dare　you？〃　cried　the　Ruler　of　Wei。
But　the　shout　was　cut　short　by　a　thrust　from　the　halberd　full　in　the　breast；　another　thrust；　and　the　point　came　out　at　the　back；　so　that　Cao　Mao　lay　there　dead　beside　his　carriage。　Jiao　Bo　ing　up　to　strike　a　blow　in　defense　was　also　slain；　and　the　little　escort　scattered。
Wang　Jing；　who　had　followed；　upbraided　Jia　Chong；　shouting；　〃Rebel　and　traitor！　How　dare　you　kill　the　Emperor？〃
Jia　Chong　got　angry　and　bade　his　lictors　arrest　Wang　Jing　and　stop　his　tongue。
When　they　told　Sima　Zhao；　he　went　into　the　Palace；　but　the　Emperor　was　dead。　He　assumed　an　air　of　being　greatly　shocked　and　beat　his　head　against　the　carriage；　weeping　and　lamenting　the　while。　He　sent　to　tell　all　the　officials　of　high　rank。
When　Imperial　Guardian　Sima　Fu　saw　the　dead　body　of　the　Emperor；　he　threw　himself　beside　it；　his　head　resting　thereon；　and　wept；　saying；　〃It　is　my　fault　that　they　slew　Your　Majesty！〃
Sima　Fu　had　a　coffin　brought；　and　the　remains　were　laid　therein　and　borne　to　the　West　Hall。　Therein　Sima　Zhao　entered　and　summoned　the　chief　officers　to　a　council。　They　came；　all　but　Minister　Chen　Tai。　Sima　Zhao　noticed　his　absence　and　sent　the　Chair　of　the　Secretariat　Xun　Yi；　his　uncle；　to　call　him。
Chen　Tai　wept　aloud；　saying；　〃Gossips　often　class　me　and　my　uncle　together。　Yet　today　is　my　uncle　less　virtuous　than　I。〃
However；　Chen　Tai　obeyed　the　summons　and　came；　dressed　in　the　coarse　white　cloth　of　mourning；　and　prostrated　himself　before　the　bier。　Sima　Zhao　feigned　to　be　grieved　also。
〃How　can　this　day's　work　be　judged？〃　said　Sima　Zhao。
〃If　only　Jia　Chong　be　put　to　death；　that　will　only　be　a　slight　atonement　to　satisfy　the　empire；〃　replied　Chen　Tai。
Sima　Zhao　was　silent　and　thought　long　before　he　spoke。　Then　he　said；　〃How　about　a　little　less　severe？〃
〃That　is　only　the　beginning。　I　know　not　other　punishments　less　severe。〃
〃Cheng　Ji　is　the　ungodly　rebel　and　actual　criminal。　He　should　suffer　the　death　of　shame………and　his　family；　too；〃　said　Sima　Zhao。
Thereupon　Cheng　Ji　broke　out　into　abuse　of　Sima　Zhao　and　reviled　him；　saying；　〃It　was　not　my　crime：　It　was　Jia　Chong　who　passed　on　your　own　orders！〃
Sima　Zhao　bade　them　cut　out　his　tongue　and　put　him　to　death。　They　did　so；　and　Cheng　Ji　and　his　brother　Cheng　Zu　were　both　put　to　death　in　the　market　place；　and　their　families　were　exterminated。

〃The　Emperor　must　die；〃　thus　spoke　Sima　Zhao　full　plain
In　Jia　Chong's　hearing；　and　the　Emperor　was　slain。
Although　they　killed　Cheng　Ji；　who　dealt　the　blow；
The　author　of　the　crime　we　all　well　know。

Wang　Jing's　whole　household　were　imprisoned。　He　himself　was　standing　in　the　courthouse　when　he　saw　his　mother；　Lady　Zhao；　being　brought　up　a　prisoner。
He　knocked　his　head　on　the　ground　and　wept；　saying；　〃O　unfilial　son　to　bring　distress　upon　a　gentle　mother！〃
But　his　mother　laughed。
〃Who　does　not　die？〃　cried　she。　〃The　only　thing　to　be　feared　is　not　dying　the　proper　death。　Who　would　regret　dying　like　this？〃
When　next　day　the　family　were　led　out　to　execution；　both　mother　and　son　smiled　as　they　went　past。　But　the　whole　city　wept　tears　of　sorrow。

Mother　Yuan　was　famous　at　the　rise　of　Han；
Mother　Zhao　was　distinguished　at　the　end　of　Wei；
With　purest　virtue　and　unfaltering　heart；
With　resolution　stern　she　played　her　part。
Her　fortitude　was　great　as　Taishan　Mountains；
Her　life　but　as　the　floating　down　did　count；
Like　mother　like　son；　their　fame　never　will　die；
So　long　as　shall　endure　the　earth　and　sky。

Imperial　Guardian　Sima　Fu　proposed　that　the　body　of　the　late　Emperor　should　receive　a　royal　funeral；　and　Sima　Zhao　consented。　Jia　Chong　and　those　of　his　party　urged　Sima　Zhao　to　assume　the　Throne　and　replace　Wei；　but　he　refused。
〃Formerly　King　Wen　had　two…thirds　of　the　empire；　and　yet　he　supported　and　served　the　state　of　Yin　to　its　end。　Wherefore　Confucius　called　him　'plete　of　Virtue'。　Emperor　Cao　of　Wei　would　not　replace　the　Hans；　nor　will　I　accept　an　abdication　of　Wei。〃
Those　who　heard　this　felt　that　in　these　words　was　an　implication　that　he　intended　to　place　his　own　son　Sima　Yan　on　the　throne；　and　they　ceased　to　urge　him　to　act。
In　the　sixth　month　of　that　year；　Cao　Huang；　Duke　of　Changdao；　was　raised　to　the　throne　as　Emperor；　the　period…style　being　changed　to　Wonderful　Beginning；　the　first　year　（AD　260）。　Cao　Huang　was　a　son　of　Cao　Yu；　Prince　of　Yan；　and　a　great　grandson　of　Cao　Cao。

＇e＇　Jin　state　occupied　the　western　part　of　the　empire；　in　the　mountainous　area　north　of　the　Yellow　River。　During　the　Spring　and　Autumn　period；　under　the　leadership　of　Duke　Wen　and　his　successors；　Jin　grew　into　a　very　large　state；　which　broke　into　three　states　in　the　Warring　States　period。　。。。。。
Sima　Zhao　was　made　Prime　Minister　and　Duke　of　Jin*。　Beside；　he　received　gifts　of　one　hundred　thousand　gold　coins　and　ten　thousand　rolls　of　silk。　All　the　officers　were　promoted　or　received　honors。
When　these　doings　in　Wei　were　told　in　Shu；　Jiang　Wei　seized　upon　them　as　pretext　for　another　war；　to　punish　Wei　for　the　deposition　of　its　ruler。　So　letters　were　written　calling　upon　Wu　to　help；　and　a　memorial　was　sent　to　the　Throne。　The　army　raised　was　one　hundred　fifty　thousand；　and　there　were　many　carts　with　boxes　made　to　fit　them。　Liao　Hua　and　Zhang　Yi　were　the　Leaders　of　the　Van。　Liao　Hua　was　to　march　to　the　Ziwu　Valley；　and　Zhang　Yi　to　the　Luo　Valley；　while　Jiang　Wei　took　the　Xie　Valley　road。　They　marched　at　the　same　time　and　hastened　toward　Qishan。
Deng　Ai　was　still　on　the　Qishan　Mountains　training　the　Wei　soldiers　when　he　heard　that　the　Shu　armies　were　once　more　on　the　war　path。　He　called　his　officers　together。
And　Adviser　Wang　Guan　said；　〃I　have　a　plan　to　propose；　but　I　will　not　tell　it　openly。　However；　I　have　written　it　down　for　your　consideration。〃
Deng　Ai　took　the　envelop；　opened；　and　read　it。
〃Though　excellent；　I　fear　it　is　not　enough　to　beguile　the　leader　of　Shu；〃　said　Deng　Ai　as　he　finished　reading。
〃I　am　willing　to　stake　my　life　on　it；〃　said　Wang　Guan；　〃and　I　will　lead　the　way。〃
〃Since　you　have　such　confidence　you　may　try。　You　ought　certainly　to　succeed。〃
So　five　thousand　troops　were　put　under　the　leadership　of　Wang　Guan；　and　they　set　out　for　the　Xie　Valley；　where　they　fell　in　with　the　scouts　of　Jiang　Wei's　force。
Seeing　these；　their　leader；　Wang　Guan；　shouted；　〃We　are　deserters。　Tell　your　leader！〃
So　the　scouts　told　Jiang　Wei；　who　replied；　〃Hold　up　the　soldiers；　letting　their　leader　only　e　to　me。〃
Wang　Guan　went　forward　and　kneeled　before　Jiang　Wei；　saying；　〃I　am　a　nephew　of　Wang　Jing；　and　I　hate　Sima　Zhao　for　what　he　has　done　to　the　Emperor　and　my　family；　and　I　wish　to　join　you　and　my　five　thousand　soldiers　with　me。　I　also　desire　to　be　sent　against　the　rebel　army　that　I　may　avenge　my　uncle。〃
Then　said　Jiang　Wei；　〃Since　you　are　sincere　in　your　desertion；　I　must　be　sincere　in　my　treatment　of　you。　The　one　thing　my　army　needs　is　grain。　There　is　plenty　at　the　border　of　the　River　Lands。　If　you　can　transport　it　to　Qishan；　I　can　go　straightway　and　take　the　Qishan　camps　of　Deng　Ai。〃
This　reply　rejoiced　Wang　Guan；　who　saw　that　Jiang　Wei　was　just　going　to　walk　into　the　trap。　So　he　agreed　at　once。
〃But　you　will　not　need　five　thousand　troops　to　see　after　the　transport。　Take　three　thousand　and　leave　two　thousand　as　guides　for　me。〃
Wang　Guan；　thinking　that　suspicions　would　be　raised　if　he　refused；　took　the　three　thousand　of　his　troops　and　marched　away；　and　the　other　two　thousand　were　attached　to　the　army　of　Shu。
Then　Xiahou　Ba　was　announced；　and；　when　he　was　e　in；　he　said；　〃O　mander；　why　have　you　believed　the　tale　of　this　Wang　Guan？　In　Wei　I　never　heard　that　Wang　Guan　was　related　to　Wang　Jing；　though　it　is　true　I　never　made　particular　inquiries。　You　should　look　to　it；　for　there　is　much　pretense　in　his　story。〃
〃I　know　Wang　Guan　is　false；〃　said　Jiang　Wei；　with　a　smile。　〃That　is　why　I　have　taken　away　many　of　his　force。　I　am　meeting　trick　with　trick。〃
〃How　do　you　know　for　certain　he　is　a　false？〃
〃Sima　Zhao　is　as　crafty　as　Cao　Cao。　If　he　slew　all　Wang　Jing's　family；　would　he　have　left　a　nephew　and　sent　that　nephew　to　the　pass　beyond　his　own　reach　with　soldiers？　You　saw　this；　as　did　I。〃
So　Jiang　Wei　did　not　go　out　by　the　Xie　Valley；　but　he　set　an　ambush　there　ready　for　any　move　of　Wang　Guan。　And　indeed；　within　ten　days；　the　ambush　caught　a　man　with　a　letter　from　Wang　Guan　to　Deng　Ai　telling　him　what　had　e　about。　From　the　letter　and　the　bearer　thereof；　Jiang　Wei　learned　that　Wang　Guan　would　divert　a　convoy　of　grain　to　the　Wei　camps　on　the　twentieth　and　Deng　Ai　was　to　send　troops　to　Yunshan　Valley　to　help。
Jiang　Wei　beheaded　the　courier。　Then　he　sent　another　letter　to　Deng　Ai　by　a　man　dressed　as　a　Wei　soldier；　the　date　being　altered　to　the　fifteenth　instead　of　the　twentieth。
As　a　preparation；　Jiang　Wei　ordered　many　wagons　to　be　emptied　of　their　grain　and　laden　with　inflammables；　covered　with　green　cloth。　The　two　thousand　Wei　soldiers　were　ordered　to　show　flags　belonging　to　the　Shu　transport　corps。　Then　Jiang　Wei　and　Xiahou　Ba　went　into　the　val