第280部分(第3/7 页)

ently　he　got　clear　with　a　sudden　rush　and　hastened　to　the　great　camp。

Next　came　the　news：　〃Zhong　Hui　has　defeated　the　Yangping　Pass；　Jiang　Shu　has　surrendered；　while　Fu　Qian　has　fallen　in　the　field。　Hanzhong　is　now　in　the　possession　of　Wei。　Wang　Han　of　Yuecheng　and　Jiang　Bin　of　Hancheng　has　also　opened　their　gates　and　yielded　to　the　invaders　at　the　loss　of　Hanzhong。　Hu　Ji　has　gone　to　Chengdu　for　help。〃

This　greatly　troubled　Jiang　Wei；　so　he　broke　camp　and　set　out　for　Hanzhong。　That　night　the　Shu　army　reached　the　Frontier　River　Pass。　An　army　under　Yang　Xin　barred　his　way；　and　again　Jiang　Wei　was　forced　to　fight。　He　rode　out　in　a　great　rage；　and　as　Yang　Xin　fled；　he　shot　at　him　thrice；　but　his　arrows　missed。

Throwing　aside　his　bow；　he　gripped　his　spear　and　set　off　in　pursuit；　but　his　horse　tripped　and　fell；　and　Jiang　Wei　lay　on　the　ground。　Yang　Xin　turned　to　slay　his　enemy　now　that　he　was　on　foot；　but　Jiang　Wei　thrust　Yang　Xin's　horse　in　the　head。　Other　Wei　troops　came　up　rescued　Yang　Xin。

Mounting　another　steed　of　his　follower；　Jiang　Wei　was　just　setting　out　again　in　pursuit　when　they　reported　that　Deng　Ai　was　ing　against　his　rear。　Realizing　that　he　could　not　cope　with　this　new　force；　Jiang　Wei　collected　his　troops　in　order　to　retreat　into　Hanzhong。

However；　the　scouts　reported：　〃Zhuge　Xu；　Imperial　Protector　of　Yongzhou；　is　holding　Yinping　Bridge；　our　retreat　path。〃

So　Jiang　Wei　halted　and　made　a　camp　in　the　mountains。　Advance　and　retreat　seemed　equally　impossible。

He　cried　in　anguish；　〃Heaven　is　destroying　me！〃

Then　said　Ning　Sui；　one　of　his　generals；　〃If　our　enemies　are　blocking　Yinping　Bridge；　they　can　only　have　left　a　weak　force　in　Yongzhou。　We　can　make　believe　to　be　going　thither　through　the　Konghan　Valley　and