第127部分(第3/7 页)

　officers　by　saying；　〃Anyone　who　pleads　for　the　condemned　shall　be　regarded　as　in　the　plot。〃

The　executioners　had　hustled　the　old　man　out　of　the　city　and　the　sword　was　in　the　air　and　on　the　point　of　descending；　when　a　man　suddenly　dashed　in；　cut　down　the　lictor；　and　rescued　Huang　Zhong。

〃Huang　Zhong　is　our　bulwark！〃　shouted　he。　〃To　destroy　him　is　to　destroy　the　Changsha　people。　This　Governor　is　too　fierce　and　cruel；　too　lightly　values　good　people；　and　is　too　arrogant　toward　his　officers。　We　ought　rather　to　kill　him；　and　those　who　will；　let　them　follow　me。〃

All　eyes　turned　toward　this　bold　speaker；　who　was　bronzed　and　had　eyes　like　the　Cowherd's　star。　Some　of　them　knew　him　as　Wei　Yan；　a　native　of　Yiyang。　He　would　have　followed　Liu　Bei　from　Xiangyang　but；　unable　to　e　up　with　him；　had　gone　into　the　service　of　Han　Xuan。　Han　Xuan　took　exception　to　his　arrogant　carriage　and　lack　of　polish　and　neglected　him。　And　so　Wei　Yan　had　remained　in　the　city　without　office。

After　the　rescue　of　Huang　Zhong；　Wei　Yan　called　upon　the　people　to　make　an　end　of　the　Governor。　He　waved　his　arm　and　shouted　to　the　people。　Soon　he　had　a　following　of　several　hundreds。　Huang　Zhong　could　not　stop　them。　In　a　very　short　time；　Wei　Yan　had　dashed　up　on　the　wall；　and　Han　Xuan　lay　dead。　Taking　his　head；　Wei　Yan　rode　off　out　of　the　city　to　lay　the　bloodstained　trophy　at　the　feet　of　Guan　Yu；　who　forthwith　went　into　the　city　to　restore　confidence。

When　the　people　were　all　quiet；　Guan　Yu　sent　to　request　Huang　Zhong　to　e　to　see　him；　but　the　old　general　pleaded　illness。

Next　Guan　Yu　sent　the　good　news　to　his　brother　and　to　Zhuge　Liang　and　asked　them　to　e。

Soon　after　Guan　Yu　had　left　to　capture　Changsha；　Liu　Bei　and　Zhuge　Liang　had　followed　him　up　with　supports　in　ca