第25部分(第1/7 页)

west　end　of　the　temple。　His　brother；　Cao　De；　drawing　his　sword；　went　out　to　see　what　it　was　about；　and　Cao　De　was　at　once　cut　down。　Cao　Song　seized　one　of　the　concubines　by　the　hand；　rushed　with　her　through　the　passage　toward　the　back　of　the　temple　so　that　they　might　escape。　But　the　lady　was　stout　and　could　not　get　through　the　narrow　doors；　so　the　two　hid　in　one　of　the　small　outhouses　at　the　side。　However；　they　were　seen　and　slain。

The　unhappy　Governor　Ying　Shao　fled　for　his　life　to　Yuan　Shao。　The　murderers　fled　into　the　South　of　River　Huai　with　their　plunder　after　having　set　fire　to　the　old　temple。

Cao　Cao；　whom　the　ages　praise；

Slew　his　hosts　on　his　former　flight；

Nemesis　never　turns　aside；

Murdered　too　his　family　died。

Some　of　the　escort　escaped　and　took　the　evil　tidings　to　Cao　Cao。　When　he　heard　it　he　fell　to　the　earth　with　a　great　cry。　They　raised　him。

With　set　teeth　he　muttered；　〃Tao　Qian's　people　have　slain　my　father：　No　longer　can　the　same　sky　cover　us。　I　will　sweep　Xuzhou　off　the　face　of　the　earth。　Only　thus　can　I　satisfy　my　vengeance。〃

Cao　Cao　left　one　small　army　of　thirty　thousand　under　Xun　Yu　and　Cheng　Yu　to　guard　the　east　headquarters　and　the　three　counties　of　Juancheng；　Fanxia；　and　Dongjun。　Then　he　set　forth　with　all　the　remainder　to　destroy　Xuzhou　and　avenge　his　father。　Xiahou　Dun；　Yu　Jin；　and　Dian　Wei　were　Van　Leaders　with　Cao　Cao's　orders　to　slaughter　all　the　inhabitants　of　each　captured　city。

Now　the　Governor　of　Jiujiang；　Bian　Rang；　was　a　close　friend　of　Tao　Qian。　Hearing　Xuzhou　was　threatened；　Bian　Rang　set　out　with　five　thousand　troops　to　his　friend's　aid。　Angered　by　this　move；　Cao　Cao　sent　Xiahou　Dun　to　stop　and　kill　Bian　Rang　while　still　on　the　march。

＇e＇　Chen　Gong　is　the　mag