第268部分(第2/7 页)

ust　died；　his　brother；　Sima　Zhao；　who　succeeds；　will　be　unable　to　leave　Luoyang　until　he　has　consolidated　his　position。　Wherefore　I　crave　permission　to　attack　Wei。〃

The　Latter　Ruler　agreed　and　bade　him　raise　an　army。　So　he　went　into　Hanzhong　to　prepare　for　the　expedition。

However；　Zhang　Yi；　General　Who　Conquers　the　West；　was　opposed　to　the　expedition　and　said；　〃Shu　is　not　a　big　country；　and　its　resources　are　not　too　abundant。　Thus　a　far　expedition　should　be　avoided。　The　state　policy　should　rather　be　the　improvement　of　conditions　at　home。　Thinking　well　for　the　soldiers　and　the　people　is　the　way　to　preserve　the　country。〃

〃You　are　mistaken；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃Before　our　great　Minister　Zhuge　Liang　emerged　from　his　reed　hut　in　the　wilds　and　undertook　the　affairs　of　a　state；　the　three　kingdoms　were　already　a　fact。　Six　times　he　led　armies　to　try　to　gain　the　northern　portion　of　the　empire；　but　failed　to　attain　his　desire。　Unhappily　he　died　leaving　his　design　unacplished。　But　he　bequeathed　to　me　the　legacy　of　his　intention；　and　I　must　be　a　loyal　and　worthy　executor。　If　I　die　in　the　attempt；　I　will　perish　without　regret。　Now　is　our　opportunity；　and　if　we　miss　it；　shall　we　find　a　better？〃

〃What　you　say　is　the　real　truth；〃　said　Xiahou　Ba。　〃Let　us　send　first　some　light　horse　out　by　Baohan　to　capture　Nanan　and　thereby　settle　that　county。〃

Then　said　Zhang　Yi；　〃Procrastination　and　delay　have　been　hitherto　the　causes　of　our　failure。　We　ought　to　obey　the　precepts　of　the　books　of　war；　strike　where　the　enemy　is　unprepared　and　appear　where　he　does　not　expect　us。　A　rapid　march　and　a　sudden　blow　will　find　Wei　unready；　and　we　shall　succeed。〃

So　Jiang　Wei　led　an　army　of　fifty　thousand　troops　out　by　Baohan。　When　he　reached　River　Yao；　the　spies　reported　hi