第269部分(第2/7 页)

trate　on　any　point　we　wish；　and　they　will　find　it　difficult　to　bring　up　reinforcements。　If　we　miss　this　chance；　can　we　hope　for　a　better？〃

Xiahou　Ba　said；　〃Deng　Ai　is　young；　but　he　is　deep　and　crafty。　He　has　certainly　taken　great　pains　to　secure　the　regions　under　his　charge　as　General　Who　Pacifies　the　West。　Victory　will　not　be　so　easy　as　it　was　before。〃

〃Why　should　I　fear　him？〃　cried　Jiang　Wei；　angrily。　〃You　should　not　laud　the　spirit　of　the　enemy　and　belittle　that　of　our　own　soldiers。　But　in　any　case　I　have　made　up　my　mind　and　shall　take　West　Valley　Land。〃

No　one　dared　to　offer　any　further　opposition。　Jiang　Wei　himself　led　the　first　army；　the　others　followed　in　due　order；　and　thus　the　soldiers　of　Shu　marched　out　of　Zhongti　to　Qishan。

Before　they　could　reach　Qishan；　the　scouts　reported　the　hills　already　occupied　by　the　armies　of　Wei。　Jiang　Wei　rode　forward　to　verify　this；　and；　surely　enough；　he　saw　the　Wei　camps；　nine　in　number；　stretching　over　the　hills　like　a　huge　serpent；　and　all　arranged　to　give　each　other　support。

〃Xiahou　Ba　spoke　only　too　well；〃　said　he。　〃The　plan　of　those　camps　is　excellent　and　only　our　Zhuge　Liang　could　have　laid　them　out　with　equal　skill。〃

Returning　to　his　own　army；　he　said　to　his　officers；　〃They　must　have　known　of　my　ing；　and　I　think　Deng　Ai　is　here　too。　Now　from　this　as　base　you　are　to　send　out　daily　small　reconnoitering　parties　showing　my　banner；　but　different　flags　and　uniforms；　blue；　yellow；　red；　white；　and　black；　in　turns。　While　you　are　thus　distracting　attention；　I　will　lead　the　main　army　by　Dongting　to　attack　Nanan。〃

Bao　Su　was　sent　to　camp　at　the　mouth　of　the　Qishan　Mountains　Valley　while　the　main　army　marched。

As　soon　as　Deng　Ai　had　heard　that　the　enemy　would　e　out　at　Qishan；　he