第271部分(第2/7 页)

　them　angrily。

〃Why　do　you　tell　me　to　fight　when　I　am　set　on　holding　out　to　the　very　last？　If　you　say　that　again；　you　shall　die　as　traitors！〃

〃He　is　lost！〃　said　they；　going　away。　〃We　can　do　no　other　than　surrender　or　we　shall　die　too。〃

That　night　Jiang　Ban　and　Jiao　Yi　slipped　over　the　wall　and　surrendered。　Both　were　given　employment。

Of　those　left　in　the　city　some　were　for　fighting；　but　no　one　dared　say　so。

Meanwhile　Zhuge　Dan　saw　the　Wei　troops　build　earth　walls　to　anticipate　the　expected　floods　of　River　Huai。　This　flood　had　been　the　only　hope　of　Zhuge　Dan；　who　had　trusted　to　be　able　to　smite　the　besiegers　when　it　came　to　destroy　the　earth　wall。　However；　that　autumn　was　dry；　and　the　river　did　not　swell。

Within　the　besieged　city　the　food　diminished　rapidly；　and　soon　starvation　stared　them　in　the　face。　Wen　Qin　and　his　sons　were　defending　the　citadel；　and　they　saw　their　soldiers　sinking　one　by　one　for　lack　of　food　till　the　sight　became　unbearable。

Wen　Qin　went　to　Zhuge　Dan　with　a　proposal；　saying；　〃The　northern　troops　should　be　sent　away　in　order　to　save　food。〃

His　suggestion　called　forth　an　outburst　of　fierce　wrath　of　Zhuge　Dan。

〃Do　you　want　to　kill　me　that　you　propose　to　send　the　northern　soldiers　away？〃

Wen　Qin　suffered　death。　His　two　sons；　Wen　Yang　and　Wen　Hu；　ran　amok　with　rage。　Armed　with　short　swords；　they　attacked　all　they　met　and　slew　many　scores　in　their　desperate　anger。　The　fit　over；　they　dropped　down　the　wall　and　deserted　to　the　Wei　camp。

However；　Sima　Zhao　had　not　forgotten　that　Wen　Yang　had　defied　and　held　at　bay　his　whole　army　once。　At　first　Sima　Zhao　thought　to　put　Wen　Yang　to　death；　but　Zhong　Hui　interposed。

〃The　real　offender　was　his　father；　Wen　Qin；〃　said　Zhong　Hui；　〃but