第248部分(第1/7 页)

ers　from　left　and　right。　Wei　Yan　and　Ma　Dai　fought　desperately　to　extricate　themselves；　but　many　of　the　soldiers　of　Shu　fell　into　the　river　and　drowned。　The　others　scattered。　However；　Wu　Yi　came　up　and　rescued　the　force　from　entire　destruction；　and　moved　across　the　river　to　make　camp。

Hu　Ban　set　half　his　troops　to　navigate　the　rafts　down　the　river　to　the　bridges。　But　Zhang　Hu　and　Yue　Chen　stationed　near　the　bridges　shot　clouds　of　arrows　at　them；　and　the　Shu　leader；　Hu　Ban；　was　wounded。　He　fell　into　the　river　and　was　drowned。　The　crews　of　the　rafts　jumped　into　the　water　and　got　away。　The　rafts　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　soldiers　of　Wei。

At　this　time　the　front　division　under　Wang　Ping　and　Zhang　Ni　were　ignorant　of　the　defeat　of　their　Beiyuan　army；　and　they　went　straight　for　the　camps　of　Wei。　They　arrived　in　the　second　watch。

They　heard　loud　shouting；　and　Wang　Ping　said　to　Zhang　Ni；　〃We　do　not　know　whether　the　cavalry　sent　to　Beiyuan　has　been　successful　or　not。　It　is　strange　that　we　do　not　see　a　single　soldier　of　the　enemy。　Surely　Sima　Yi　has　found　out　the　plan　and　prepared　to　frustrate　the　attack。　Let　us　wait　here　till　the　bridges　have　been　set　on　fire　and　we　see　the　flames。〃

So　they　halted。　Soon　after；　a　mounted　messenger　came　up　with　orders：　〃The　Prime　Minister　bade　you　retire　immediately；　as　the　attack　on　the　bridges　has　failed。〃

Wang　Ping　and　Zhang　Ni　attempted　to　withdraw；　but　a　bomb　exploded　and　the　troops　of　Wei；　who　had　taken　a　by…road　to　their　rear；　at　once　attacked。　A　great　fire　started　also。　A　disorderly　battle　ensued；　from　which　Wang　Ping　and　Zhang　Ni　eventually　forced　their　ways　out；　but　only　with　great　loss。

And　when　Zhuge　Liang　collected　his　army　at　Qishan　once　more　he　found；　to　his　sorrow；　that　he　had　lost　more