第121部分(第3/7 页)

ed　by　fate。　Anyone　who　howls　shall　be　put　to　death。〃

The　remnant　of　the　army；　now　divided　into　three；　one　to　march　slowly；　a　second　to　fill　up　the　waterways　and　hollows；　and　a　third　to　escort　Cao　Cao；　gradually　made　its　way　over　the　precipitous　road。　When　the　going　improved　a　little　and　the　path　was　moderately　level；　Cao　Cao　turned　to　look　at　his　following　and　saw　he　had　barely　three　hundred　soldiers。　And　these　lacked　clothing　and　armor　and　were　tattered　and　disordered。

But　he　pressed　on；　and　when　the　officers　told　him　the　horses　were　quite　spent　and　must　rest；　he　replied；　〃Press　on　to　Jingzhou；　and　there　we　shall　find　repose。〃

So　they　pressed　on。　But　they　had　gone　only　one　or　two　miles　when　Cao　Cao　flourished　his　whip　and　broke　once　again　into　loud　laughter。

〃What　is　there　to　laugh　at？〃　asked　the　officers。

〃People　say　those　two；　Zhou　Yu　and　Zhuge　Liang；　are　able　and　crafty。　I　do　not　see　it。　They　are　a　couple　of　incapables。　If　an　ambush　had　been　placed　here；　we　should　all　be　prisoners。〃

Cao　Cao　had　not　finished　this　speech　when　the　explosion　of　a　bomb　broke　the　silence；　and　a　pany　of　five　hundred　troops　with　swords　in　their　hands　appeared　and　barred　the　way。　The　leader　was　Guan　Yu；　holding　his　green…dragon　saber；　bestriding　the　Red　Hare。　At　this　sight；　the　spirits　of　Cao　Cao's　soldiers　left　them；　and　they　gazed　into　each　others'　faces　in　panic。

〃Now　we　have　but　one　course；〃　said　Cao　Cao。　〃We　must　fight　to　the　death。〃

〃How　can　we？〃　said　the　officers。　〃Though　the　leaders　may　have　some　strength　left；　the　horses　are　spent。〃

Cheng　Yu　said；　〃I　have　always　heard　that　Guan　Yu　is　haughty　to　the　proud　but　kindly　to　the　humble；　he　despises　the　strong；　but　is　gentle　with　the　weak。　He　discriminates　between　love　and　hate