第99部分(第2/7 页)

　to　be　left　free　for　escape；　but　the　flying　men　are　to　be　smitten　after　passing　the　gate。

〃Mi　Fang　and　Liu　Feng　are　to　take　mand　of　two　thousand　troops；　one　half　with　red　flags　and　the　other　half　with　blue。　They　are　to　go　to　Magpie　Tail　Slope；　about　ten　miles　from　the　city　and　camp。　When　they　see　Cao　Cao's　army　ing　along；　the　red　flags　are　to　move　left　and　the　blue　right　to　confuse　the　enemy　so　that　they　shall　be　afraid　to　advance　further。　Then　an　ambush　is　to　be　laid　to　smite　the　enemy　when　the　fire　in　Xinye　starts。　After　that　Mi　Fang　and　Liu　Feng　are　to　go　to　the　river　to　meet　us。

〃After　the　battle；　all　generals　shall　gather　at　Fancheng。〃

All　the　orders　given；　the　various　leaders　went　their　way　to　take　up　their　positions　and　await　the　burning　of　the　city。　Zhuge　Liang　and　Liu　Bei　went　away　to　an　eminence　whence　they　could　watch　what　happened　and　where　they　would　await　the　reports　of　victory。

Cao　Hong　and　Cao　Ren；　with　their　one　hundred　thousand　troops；　preceded　by　Xu　Chu　leading　three　thousand　of　mailed　men；　marched　toward　Xinye。　They　formed　a　mighty　host　and　reached　Magpie　Tail　Slope　about　noon。　Looking　ahead；　they　saw　what　seemed　a　goodly　army　with　many　blue　and　red　flags。　Xu　Chu　pressed　forward。　As　he　neared；　the　flags　moved　from　side　to　side；　and　he　hesitated。

He　began　to　think；　〃It　could　be　an　ambush。　It　is　unwise　to　advance。〃

Finally　Xu　Chu　decided　to　go　no　farther　and　called　a　halt；　and　he　rode　back　to　the　main　body　to　see　Cao　Ren。

〃Those　troops　are　only　make…believe；〃　said　Cao　Ren。　〃Advance；　there　is　no　ambush。　I　will　hasten　up　the　supports。〃

So　Xu　Chu　rode　to　his　own　mand　again　and　advanced。　When　he　reached　the　wood　where　he　had　seen　the　flags；　he　saw　no　one　at　all。　It　was　then　late　in　the　afternoon　but　h