第78部分(第2/7 页)

he　latter　appeared　under　his　great　standard；　Cao　Cao　pointed　his　whip　at　him　and　railed；　saying；　〃I　treated　you　as　a　guest　of　the　highest　consideration。　Why　then　do　you　turn　your　back　on　righteousness　and　forget　kindness？〃

Liu　Bei　replied；　〃Under　the　name　of　Prime　Minister　you　are　really　a　rebel。　I　am　a　direct　descendant　of　the　family；　and　I　have　a　secret　decree　from　the　Throne　to　take　such　offenders　as　you。〃

As　he　said　these　words；　he　produced　and　recited　the　decree　which　is　known　as　the　〃Girdle　Mandate。〃

Cao　Cao　grew　very　angry　and　ordered　Xu　Chu　to　go　out　to　battle。　As　Liu　Bei's　champion；　out　rode　Zhao　Yun　with　spear　ready　to　thrust。　The　two　warriors　exchanged　thirty　bouts　without　advantage　to　either。　Then　there　arose　an　earth…rending　shout　and　up　came　the　two　brothers；　Guan　Yu　from　the　southeast　and　Zhang　Fei　from　the　southwest。　The　three　armies　then　began　a　great　attack；　which　proved　too　much　for　Cao　Cao's　troops；　fatigued　by　a　long　march；　and　they　were　worsted　and　fled。　Liu　Bei　having　scored　this　victory　returned　to　camp。

Next　day　he　sent　out　Zhao　Yun　again　to　challenge　the　enemy；　but　it　was　not　accepted　and　Cao　Cao's　army　remained　ten　days　without　movement。　Then　Zhang　Fei　offered　a　challenge　which　also　was　not　accepted。　And　Liu　Bei　began　to　feel　anxious。

Then　unexpectedly　came　news　that　the　enemy　had　stopped　a　train　of　supplies　brought　by　Gong　Du；　and　at　once　Zhang　Fei　went　to　the　rescue。　Worse　still　was　the　news　that　followed；　that　an　army　led　by　Xiahou　Dun　had　got　in　behind　to　attack　Runan。

Quite　dismayed；　Liu　Bei　said；　〃If　this　be　true；　I　have　enemies　in　front　and　rear　and　have　no　place　to　go。〃

He　then　sent　Guan　Yu　to　try　to　recover　the　city　and　thus　both　his　brothers　were　absent　from　his　side。　One　day　later　a　h