第284部分(第6/7 页)

estroy　him　as　a　traitor。〃

Hence　Wei　Guan　was　sent；　with　some　thirty　men；　to　effect　the　arrest。

Wei　Guan's　own　people　saw　the　danger　of　the　enterprise　and　urged　him　not　to　go；　saying；　〃Zhong　Hui　clearly　wants　Deng　Ai　to　kill　you　to　prove　his　point！〃

But　Wei　Guan　said；　〃Do　not　worry。　I　have　a　scheme　prepared。〃

Wei　Guan　first　wrote　a　score　or　two　of　letters；　all　in　the　same　terms；　saying：

〃Wei　Guan　has　orders　to　arrest　Deng　Ai；　but　no　other　persons　will　be　dealt　with　providing　they　submit　quickly。　Rewards　await　those　who　obey　the　Imperial　mand。　However；　the　punishment　for　laggards　and　those　who　are　contumacious　will　be　death　to　the　whole　family。〃

Wei　Guan　sent　these　letters　to　various　officers　who　were　serving　under　Deng　Ai。　He　also　prepared　two　cage　carts。

Wei　Guan　and　his　small　party　reached　Chengdu　about　cockcrow　and　found　waiting　for　him　most　of　the　officers　to　whom　he　had　written。　They　at　once　yielded。　Deng　Ai　was　still　asleep　when　the　party　reached　his　palace；　but　Wei　Guan　entered　and　forced　his　way　into　Deng　Ai's　chamber。

He　roared　out：　〃I　serve　the　Son　of　Heaven's　mand　to　arrest　Deng　Ai　and　his　son！〃

The　noise　awakened　the　sleeper；　who　tumbled　off　his　couch　in　alarm。　But　before　Deng　Ai　could　do　anything　to　defend　himself；　he　was　seized；　securely　bound；　and　huddled　into　one　of　the　carts。　Deng　Ai's　son；　Deng　Zhong；　rushed　in　at　the　noise；　but　was　also　made　prisoner　and　thrust　into　the　other　cart。　Many　generals　and　attendants　in　the　Palace　want　to　attempt　a　rescue；　but　before　they　had　prepared；　they　saw　dust　arose　outside；　and　Zhong　Hui　with　an　army　was　close　at　hand；　thus　they　scattered。

Zhong　Hui　and　Jiang　Wei　dismounted　at　the　Palace　gates　and　entered。

Zhong　Hui；　seeing　both　the　Dengs　pris