第280部分(第2/7 页)

ut　to　encounter　them。　Their　leader　was　Wang　Qi；　Governor　of　Tianshui。

When　near　enough；　Wang　Qi　shouted；　〃Our　forces　are　numbered　by　millions；　our　generals　by　thousands。　Two　hundred　thousand　are　marching　against　you；　and　Chengdu　has　already　fallen。　In　spite　of　this　you　do　not　yield；　wherefore　it　is　evident　you　do　not　recognize　the　divine　mand！〃

Jiang　Wei　cut　short　this　tirade　by　galloping　out　with　his　spear　set。　Wang　Qi　stood　three　bouts　and　then　fled。　Jiang　Wei　pursued；　but　seven　miles　away　he　met　a　cohort　drawn　up　across　the　road。　On　the　banner　he　read　Qian　Hong；　Governor　of　Longxi　。

〃Dead　rat！　No　match　for　me；〃　said　Jiang　Wei；　smiling。

Despising　this　antagonist；　he　led　his　army　straight　on；　and　the　enemy　fell　back。　He　drove　them　before　him　for　three　more　miles；　and　then　came　upon　Deng　Ai。　A　battle　at　once　began；　and　the　lust　of　battle　held　out　in　the　breast　of　Jiang　Wei　for　a　score　of　bouts。　But　neither　could　overbear　the　other。　Then　in　the　Shu　rear　arose　the　clang　of　gongs　and　other　signs　of　ing　foes。

Jiang　Wei　retired　the　way　he　had　e；　and　presently　one　came　to　report：　〃The　Governor　of　Jincheng；　Yang　Xin；　has　destroyed　the　camps　at　Gansong。〃

This　was　evil　tidings。　He　bade　his　generals　keep　his　own　standard　flying　and　hold　Deng　Ai　while　he　went　to　try　to　recover　the　camps。　On　the　way　he　met　Yang　Xin；　but　Yang　Xin　had　no　stomach　for　a　fight　with　Jiang　Wei　and　made　for　the　hills。　Jiang　Wei　followed　till　he　came　to　a　precipice　down　which　the　enemy　were　hurling　boulders　and　logs　of　wood　so　that　he　could　not　pass。

Jiang　Wei　turned　to　go　back　to　the　battlefield　he　had　just　left；　but　on　the　way　he　met　the　defeated　Shu　army；　for　Deng　Ai　had　crushed　his　generals。　Jiang　Wei　joined　them　but　was　surrounded　by　the　Wei　forces。　Pres