第276部分(第5/7 页)

housand　ounces　of　gold　for　anyone　who　captures　Deng　Ai；　and　a　lordship　of　ten　thousand　households　as　well！〃

Terrified；　Deng　Ai　dropped　his　arms；　threw　aside　his　armor；　slipped　from　his　steed；　mingled　with　the　footmen；　and　with　them　scrambled　up　the　hills。　The　generals　of　Shu　only　looked　for　him　among　the　mounted　leaders；　never　guessing　that　he　had　got　away　among　the　mon　soldiers。　So　he　was　not　captured。

Jiang　Wei　gathered　in　his　victorious　army　and　went　to　meet　Wang　Guan　and　his　convoy。

Having　made　all　arrangements；　as　he　thought；　plete；　Wang　Guan　was　patiently　awaiting　the　development　of　his　scheme。

But　suddenly　a　trusted　subordinate　came　and　told　him；　〃The　ruse　has　been　discovered；　and　Deng　Ai　has　already　suffered　defeat！〃

Wang　Guan　sent　out　some　scouts；　and　the　report　was　confirmed；　with　the　addition　that　the　Shu　armies　were　ing　against　him。　Moreover；　clouds　of　dust　were　rising。　There　was　no　way　of　escape；　so　Wang　Guan　ordered　his　troops　to　set　fire　to　the　convoy；　and　soon　huge　flames　were　rising　high　into　the　air。

〃The　case　is　desperate；〃　cried　Wang　Guan。　〃It　is　a　fight　to　the　death！〃

He　led　his　force　westward；　but　the　army　of　Shu　came　in　pursuit。　Jiang　Wei　thought　Wang　Guan　would　try　at　all　costs　to　get　back　to　his　own　side；　but　instead；　Wang　Guan　went　on　toward　Hanzhong。　As　his　troops　were　too　few　to　risk　a　battle；　Wang　Guan　ordered　them　to　burn　and　destroy　all　military　stations　and　even　the　Plank　Trail　as　he　went。　Fearing　the　loss　of　Hanzhong；　Jiang　Wei　made　all　haste　along　the　by…roads　after　Wang　Guan。　Surrounded　on　all　sides；　Wang　Guan　jumped　into　the　Black　Dragon　River　and　so　died。　Those　of　his　soldiers　who　survived　were　slain　by　Jiang　Wei。

Though　a　victory　had　been　won　and　Wang　Guan　killed；　it　was　costly