第45部分(第2/7 页)

out。　Thence　Zhang　Xiu's　troops　fled　and　were　pursued　to　the　very　walls　of　Nanyang；　only　managing　to　get　within　just　before　the　pursuit　came　up。　The　city　was　then　closely　besieged。

Seeing　the　moat　was　so　wide　and　deep　that　approach　to　the　wall　would　be　difficult；　Cao　Cao's　manders　began　to　fill　up　the　ditch　with　earth。　Then　with　sand　bags；　brushwood；　and　bundles　of　grass　they　built　a　great　mound　near　the　wall　and　on　this　erected　steps　so　that　they　could　look　over　into　the　city。

Cao　Cao　rode　round　the　city　closely　inspecting　the　defenses。　Three　days　later　he　issued　an　order　to　make　a　mound　of　earth　and　brushwood　at　the　northwest　corner；　as　he　would　mount　the　walls　at　that　point。　He　was　observed　from　within　the　city　by　Jia　Xu。

Jia　Xu　went　to　Zhang　Xiu　and　said；　〃I　know　what　Cao　Cao　intends；　and　I　can　defeat　him　by　a　countermove。〃

Even　amongst　the　very　foremost

There　is　one　who　leads　the　way；

Someone　sees　through　your　devices；

Be　as　crafty　as　ye　may。

What　the　counter…move　was　will　be　told　in　the　next　chapter。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　18　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　18

Chapter　18

Giving　Counsels；　Jia　Xu　Directs　A　Great　Victory；

Braving　Battlefield；　Xiahou　Dun　Loses　An　Eye。

Jia　Xu；　as　he　had　guessed　the　enemy's　intention；　had　also　devised　a　countermove。　So　he　went　to　his　chief　and　said；　〃I　saw　Cao　Cao　very　carefully　reconnoitering　round　about　the　city。　He　certainly　noticed　that　the　southeast　corner　of　the　wall　had　been　lately　restored　with　mud　bricks　of　a　different　kind；　and　that　the　fencing　barrier　is　badly　out　of　repair。　He　will　try　to　effect　an　entrance　there。　Wherefore　he　is　making　a　feint　attack　at　the　opposite　point。　He　is　piling　up　straw　and　making