第203部分(第4/7 页)

ew　nearer　the　Emperor　recognized　Guan　Xing。

Guan　Xing　quickly　leapt　down；　prostrated　himself　and　said；　〃Your　Majesty；　the　fire　is　gaining　all　round；　and　this　place　is　not　safe。　I　request　you　to　try　to　reach　Baidicheng；　and　as　many　as　possible　will　gather　there。〃

〃Who　will　dare　stay　behind　to　keep　off　the　enemy？〃　said　the　First　Ruler。

Fu　Tong　volunteered；　saying；　〃I　will　fight　to　death　to　guard　the　rear！〃

It　was　dusk　when　they　started。　Guan　Xing　led　the　way；　Zhang　Bao　protected　the　First　Ruler；　and　Fu　Tong　guarded　the　rear。　They　got　their　lord　safely　down　the　hill　and　away。　As　soon　as　the　troops　of　Wu　noticed　the　flight；　they　pressed　forward；　each　anxious　to　gain　kudos　by　the　capture　of　the　Emperor's　person。　Great　armies　of　Wu；　blotting　out　the　sky　and　hiding　the　earth；　went　westward　in　pursuit。

The　First　Ruler　ordered　his　soldiers　to　make　fires　of　their　clothing　and　other　things　in　the　road　so　as　to　hinder　pursuit。

Zhu　Ran　marched　up　from　the　river　to　try　to　intercept　the　flight；　and　the　noise　of　his　drums　was　terrifying。

The　First　Ruler　thought　there　was　no　possibility　of　escape　from　this　force；　and　cried；　〃This　is　the　end！〃

His　two　nephews　dashed　to　the　front　to　try　to　cut　a　way　through；　but　returned　wounded　and　bleeding。　And　the　noise　of　the　pursuers　came　constantly　nearer　as　they　found　their　way　along　the　valleys。　About　the　first　glimpse　of　dawn　the　case　seemed　quite　desperate。　But　just　at　the　worst　they　saw　Zhu　Ran's　soldiers　suddenly　begin　to　break　up　and　scatter；　tumbling　into　streams　and　rolling　down　precipices。　Soon　the　reason　was　evident：　A　fearsome　general　leading　a　cohort　came　to　their　relief。

Once　again　the　First　Ruler　was　rescued　from　pressing　danger；　and　this　time　the　rescuer　was　Zhao　Yun。　He