第124部分(第1/7 页)

Yun　of　Changshan。〃

Zhou　Yu　was　fiercely　angry　and　gave　orders　to　assault　the　city；　but　the　defenders　sent　down　flights　and　flights　of　arrows；　and　his　troops　could　not　stay　near　the　rampart。　So　he　withdrew　and　took　counsel。　In　the　meantime　he　decided　to　send　Gan　Ning　with　a　force　of　several　thousand　to　capture　Jingzhou　City；　and　Ling　Tong　with　another　army　to　take　Xiangyang。　Nanjun　could　be　taken　later。

But　even　as　these　orders　were　being　given；　the　scouts　came　in　hurriedly　to　report；　saying；　〃After　Nanjun　fell；　Zhuge　Liang；　suddenly　forging　a　military　mission；　induced　the　guards　of　Jingzhou　City　to　leave　it　and　go　to　the　rescue　of　Cao　Ren。　Whereupon　Zhang　Fei　occupied　the　capital。〃

Soon　after　another　messenger　came；　saying；　〃Xiahou　Dun；　at　Xiangyang；　received　from　Zhuge　Liang　dispatches；　supported　by　a　mission　in　due　form；　saying　that　Cao　Ren　was　in　danger　and　needed　help；　whereupon　Xiahou　Dun　marched　off；　and　Guan　Yu　seized　that　city。〃

Thus　the　two　cities　that　Zhou　Yu　wanted　had　fallen；　without　the　least　effort；　into　the　hands　of　his　rival　Liu　Bei。

〃How　did　Zhuge　Liang　get　this　military　mission　with　which　he　has　imposed　on　the　generals？〃　asked　Zhou　Yu。

Cheng　Pu　replied；　〃He　seized　that　of　Chen　Jiao　and　so　has　got　all　this　region　into　his　power。〃

Zhou　Yu　uttered　a　great　cry；　for　at　that　moment　his　wound　had　suddenly　burst　open。

A　city　falls；　but　not　to　us　the　gain；

The　guerdon　is　another's；　ours　the　pain。

The　next　chapter　will　say　what　befell　Zhou　Yu。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　52　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　52

Chapter　52

Zhuge　Liang　Negotiates　With　Lu　Su；

Zhao　Yun　Captures　Guiyang。

Zhou　Yu's　anger　at　seeing　that　his　rival；　Zhuge　Li