第233部分(第3/7 页)

e　leaders　Ma　Su；　Wang　Ping；　Wei　Yan；　and　Gao　Xiang　to　render　account。　Wang　Ping　was　called　to　the　mander…in…Chief's　tent　and　rebuked。

〃I　ordered　you　and　Ma　Su　to　guard　Jieting。　Why　did　you　not　remonstrate　with　him　and　prevent　this　great　loss？〃

〃I　did　remonstrate　many　times。　I　wished　to　build　a　rampart　down　in　the　road　and　construct　a　solid　camp；　but　the　Counselor　would　not　agree　and　showed　ill　temper。　So　I　led　five　thousand　troops　and　camped　some　three　miles　off。　When　the　army　of　Wei　came　in　crowds　and　surrounded　my　colleague；　I　led　my　army　to　attack　them　a　score　of　times。　But　I　could　not　penetrate；　and　the　catastrophe　came　quickly。　Many　of　our　troops　surrendered；　and　mine　were　too　few　to　stand。　Wherefore　I　went　to　friend　Wei　Yan　for　help。　Then　we　were　intercepted　and　imprisoned　in　a　valley　and　only　got　out　by　fighting　most　desperately。　We　got　back　to　my　camp　to　find　the　enemy　in　possession；　and　so　we　set　out　for　Liliu。　On　the　road　I　met　Gao　Xiang；　and　we　three　tried　to　raid　the　enemy's　camp；　hoping　to　recover　Jieting。　But　as　there　was　no　one　soldier　there；　I　grew　suspicious。　From　a　hill　I　saw　Wei　Yan　and　Gao　Xiang　had　been　hemmed　in　by　the　soldiers　of　Wei；　so　I　went　to　rescue　them。　Thence　we　hastened　to　Yangping　Pass　to　try　to　prevent　that　from　falling。　It　was　not　that　I　failed　to　remonstrate。　And　you；　O　Prime　Minister；　can　get　confirmation　of　my　words　from　any　of　the　officers。〃

Zhuge　Liang　bade　him　retire；　and　sent　for　Ma　Su。　He　came；　bound　himself；　and　threw　himself　on　the　earth　at　the　tent　door。

Zhuge　Liang　got　angry；　saying；　〃You　have　filled　yourself　with　the　study　of　the　books　on　war　ever　since　you　were　a　boy。　You　know　them　thoroughly。　I　enjoined　upon　you　that　Jieting　was　most　important；　and　you　pledged　yourself　and　all　your　family　to　d