第170部分(第1/7 页)

All　was　simple　gaiety。

That　night　the　mander　of　the　Imperial　Guards；　Wang　Bi；　and　his　officers　had　a　feast　in　their　camp。　Just　after　the　second　watch　had　begun；　they　heard　a　great　shouting　in　the　camp；　and　someone　came　in　to　say　that　a　fire　had　started　in　the　rear。　Wang　Bi　hurriedly　left　the　table　and　went　outside。　He　saw　flames　leaping　up　and　rolling　by　and　heard　shouts　of　〃Kill！〃　rising　on　every　side　and　echoing　to　the　very　sky。　He　thought　the　camp　had　certainly　mutinied；　and；　jumping　on　his　horse；　went　out　at　the　south　gate。　Just　outside　he　ran　against　Geng　Ji；　who　loosed　an　arrow　which　struck　him　in　the　shoulder。　He　nearly　fell　with　the　shock；　but　he　got　away　toward　the　west　gate。　He　found　he　was　pursued　by　armed　men；　so　he　got　flurried；　dismounted；　and　went　on　foot。　Presently　he　came　to　the　house　of　Jin　Yi　and　hammered　at　the　door。

Now　the　fire　that　had　created　such　a　scare　had　been　raised　by　Jin　Yi's　own　people　sent　for　that　purpose；　and　Jin　Yi　had　followed　them　to　fight　when　the　time　came。　Hence　there　was　no　one　but　the　woman　folks　left　in　his　house。　When　the　women　heard　the　clamor　at　the　door；　they　thought　Jin　Yi　had　e　back。

Jin　Yi's　wife；　from　the　door　of　the　women's　quarter；　called　out；　〃Have　you　killed　Wang　Bi？〃

This　was　a　shock；　but　it　told　Wang　Bi　that　his　quondam　friend　was　now　an　enemy。

Wherefore　Wang　Bi　fled　further　to　the　house　of　Cao　Xiu　and　told　him；　〃Geng　Ji　and　Jin　Yi　have　raised　a　disturbance。〃

Cao　Xiu　immediately　armed　himself；　got　to　horse；　and　led　out　a　thousand　troops。　He　found　fires　on　all　sides；　and　the　Tower　of　the　Five　Phoenixes　was　in　flames。　The　Emperor　had　fled　into　the　recesses　of　the　Palace；　but　Cao　Cao's　friends　and　partisans　were　defending　the　Palace　gates　like　grim　death。

In　the　c