第225部分(第1/7 页)

t　another　messenger　to　reinforce　the　ruse。　I　also　sent　them　to　Tianshui　to　repeat　the　plan；　but　nothing　has　happened　yet。　I　do　not　know　the　reason。　We　will　take　this　opportunity　to　capture　that　place。〃

It　was　decided　to　take　Tianshui　next；　and　thither　they　moved。　Wu　Yi　and　Liu　Yang　were　to　guard　Nanan　and　Anding。　Wei　Yan　was　ordered　to　move　toward　Tianshui。

When　Ma　Zun；　Governor　of　Tianshui；　heard　of　Xiahou　Mao's　being　besieged　in　Nanan；　he　called　a　council　at　which　one　party………headed　by　Yin　Shang　and　Liang　Xu………were　strongly　of　opinion　that　a　rescue　should　be　attempted。

〃If　anything　sinister　happens　to　the　Imperial　Son…in…Law；　'golden　branch　and　jade　leaf'　as　he　is；　we　shall　be　held　guilty　of　having　made　no　attempt　to　save　him。　Wherefore；　O　Governor；　you　must　march　all　the　forces　you　have　to　his　rescue；〃　said　Yin　Shang　and　Liang　Xu。

Ma　Zun　found　decision　difficult；　and　while　thinking　over　what　was　best　to　do；　the　arrival　of　Pei　Xu；　a　messenger　from　Xiahou　Mao；　was　announced。　Pei　Xu　was　taken　to　the　Governor's　residence　and　there　produced　his　dispatch　and　asked　for　aid。　Soon　came　another　man　saying　that　the　Anding　troops　had　set　out　and　calling　upon　Ma　Zun　to　hasten。　This　decided　him；　and　he　prepared　his　army。

Then　an　outsider　came　in　and　said；　〃O　Governor；　you　are　the　sport　of　one　of　Zhuge　Liang's　wiles。〃

All　looked　at　him　with　surprise。　He　was　one　Jiang　Wei。　His　father　was　Jiang　Jiong；　a　former　local　official　who　had　died　in　the　court's　service　while　quelling　one　of　the　Qiang　rebellions。　Jiang　Wei　was　well　up　in　books；　seeming　to　have　read　everything；　and　was　also　skilled　in　all　warlike　exercises。　He　had　studied　books　on　war。　He　was　a　very　filial　son　and　much　esteemed。　He　held　military　rank　of　General。

Jiang　Wei　sai