第172部分(第3/7 页)

　before。　And　they　had　advanced　seven　miles　further。　Then　they　called　upon　Zhang　He　to　protect　the　rear　camp。　When　Zhang　He　came　up；　he　dissuaded　them　from　continuing。

〃Huang　Zhong　has　retreated　before　you　for　two　days。　There　is　some　deep　stratagem　behind　this；〃　said　Zhang　He。

Xiahou　Shang　scoffed　at　him；　saying；　〃You　are　such　a　coward　that　you　have　been　defeated　many　times。　Now　say　no　more；　but　let　us　acplish　something。〃

Zhang　He　retired　much　mortified　and　shamed。　Next　day　the　two　generals　again　went　out　to　battle；　and　again　Huang　Zhong　fled　from　them　for　seven　miles。　The　two　generals　pursued　as　quickly　as　they　could。　The　day　after；　Huang　Zhong　fled　without　any　pretense　of　showing　fight；　except　at　short　intervals。　He　got　to　Jiameng　Pass　and　went　on　the　defensive。　The　pursuers　knocked　at　the　very　gate　of　the　Pass　and　made　a　camp　close　by。

Then　Meng　Da　secretly　wrote　to　Liu　Bei　that　Huang　Zhong　had　been　repeatedly　defeated　and　now　was　in　the　Pass　and　unable　to　go　out。

Liu　Bei　became　alarmed　and　consulted　Zhuge　Liang；　who　said；　〃The　old　general　is　making　the　enemy　over…confident………to　their　ultimate　destruction。〃

But　Zhao　Yun　did　not　share　this　opinion；　nor　did　many　others；　and　Liu　Bei　decided　to　send　Liu　Feng　to　reinforce　his　aged　general。

The　young　man　came　to　the　Pass　and　saw　Huang　Zhong；　who　asked　him；　〃General；　what　makes　you　e　here？〃

〃My　father　heard　that　you　have　sustained　several　defeats；　and　he　has　sent　me；〃　said　Liu　Feng。

〃But　I　am　only　employing　the　ruse　of　leading　on　the　enemy；〃　said　Huang　Zhong；　smiling。　〃You　will　see　tonight　that　in　one　battle　I　shall　regain　all　the　camps　and　capture　their　supplies　and　many　horses。　I　have　only　lent　the　camps　to　them　to　store　their　supplies。　Tonight　I　shall　leave　Hu