第281部分(第2/7 页)

u；　although　his　words　were　fair　enough。〃

〃He　thinks　I　cannot　take　Chengdu。　So　I　shall　take　it！〃

He　was　received　at　his　own　camp　by　Shi　Zuan　and　his　son　Deng　Zhong；　and　a　party　of　others　of　his　generals；　and　they　asked　what　the　conversation　had　been　about。

〃I　told　Zhong　Hui　simple　truth；　but　he　thinks　I　am　just　a　mon　person　of　no　ability　to　speak　of。　He　regards　the　capture　of　Hanzhong　as　an　inparable　feat　of　arms。　Where　would　he　have　been　if　I　had　not　held　up　Jiang　Wei　at　Tazhong？　But　I　think　the　capture　of　Chengdu　will　beat　that　of　Hanzhong。〃

That　night　the　camp　was　broken　up；　and　Deng　Ai　set　his　army　out　upon　a　long　march　along　the　mountainous　paths。　At　twenty　miles　from　Saber　Pass　they　made　a　camp。　The　scouts　told　Zhong　Hui　of　his　movement；　and　Zhong　Hui　laughed　at　the　attempt。

From　his　camp　Deng　Ai　sent　a　letter　to　Sima　Zhao。

Then　he　called　his　officers　to　his　tent　and　asked　them；　saying；　〃I　am　going　to　make　a　dash　for　Chengdu　while　it　is　still　undefended；　and　success　will　mean　unfading　glory　for　us　all。　Will　you　follow　me？〃

〃We　will　follow　you　and　obey　your　orders；〃　cried　they　all。

So　the　final　dispositions　were　made。　Deng　Zhong　and　three　thousand　troops　went　first　to　improve　the　road。　His　troops　wore　no　armor；　but　they　had　axes　and　boring　tools。　They　were　to　level　roads　and　build　bridges。

Next　went　thirty　thousand　troops　furnished　with　dry　grain　and　ropes。　At　every　one　hundred　miles　they　were　to　make　a　post　of　three　thousand。

In　autumn　of　that　year；　they　left　Yinping；　and　in　the　tenth　month　they　were　in　most　precipitous　country　of　the　Yinping　Mountains。　They　had　taken　twenty　days　to　travel　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles。　They　were　in　an　uninhabited　country。　After　garrisoning　the　various　posts　on　the