第245部分(第1/7 页)

n　West　Valley　Land　for　his　supply。　You　get　sufficient　troops　to　hold　Qishan；　while　Guo　Huai　and　I　go　to　Tianshui　and　foil　the　enemy's　plan　to　gather　the　wheat。〃

So　Zhang　He　took　forty　thousand　troops　to　hold　Qishan；　and　Sima　Yi　set　out　westwards　to　the　West　Valley　Land。

When　Zhuge　Liang　reached　Qishan　and　had　settled　his　army　in　camp；　he　saw　that　the　bank　of　River　Wei　had　been　fortified　by　his　enemy。

〃That　must　be　the　work　of　Sima　Yi；〃　remarked　Zhuge　Liang　to　his　generals。　〃But　we　have　not　enough　food　in　camp。　I　have　written　to　Li　Yan　to　send　grain；　but　it　has　not　yet　arrived。　The　wheat　in　West　Valley　Land　is　now　just　ripe；　and　we　will　go　and　reap　it。〃

Leaving　Wang　Ping；　Zhang　Ni；　Hu　Ban；　and　Wu　Yi　to　guard　for　the　camps；　Zhuge　Liang；　with　Wei　Yan；　Jiang　Wei；　and　several　other　generals；　went　over　to　Lucheng。　The　Governor　of　that　city　knew　he　could　not　offer　any　real　defense；　so　he　opened　the　gates　and　yielded。

After　calming　the　people；　Zhuge　Liang　asked；　〃Where　is　the　ripe　wheat　to　be　found？〃

The　Governor　replied；　〃Longshang　is　the　place。〃

So　Zhang　Yi　and　Ma　Zheng　were　left　to　guard　the　city；　and　the　remainder　of　the　army　went　to　Longshang。

But　soon　the　leading　body　returned　to　say；　〃Sima　Yi　has　already　occupied　that　city。〃

〃He　guessed　what　I　intended　to　do！〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　taken　aback。

Zhuge　Liang　then　retired；　bathed　and　put　on　another　dress。　Next　he　bade　them　bring　out　three　four…wheeled　chariots；　all　exactly　alike；　that　were　among　the　impedimenta　of　the　army。　They　had　been　built　in　Shu　some　time　before。

Jiang　Wei　was　told　off　to　lead　a　thousand　troops　as　escort　for　one　chariot；　and　five　hundred　drummers　were　appointed　to　acpany　it。　The　chariot　with　its　escort　and　drummers　was　sent　aw