第15部分(第1/7 页)

is　colleague's　foresight。　He　set　out　his　troops　in　fighting　order。

Cao　Cao　rode　forward；　crying；　〃Rebels；　abductors；　drovers　of　the　people；　where　are　you　going？〃

Lu　Bu　replied；　〃Treacherous　simpleton；　what　mad　words　are　these？〃

Then　from　Cao　Cao　army　rode　forth　Xiahou　Dun　with　his　spear　set；　and　Lu　Bu　and　Xiahou　Dun　engaged。　The　bat　had　hardly　begun　when　Li　Ru　with　a　cohort　came　in　from　the　left。　Cao　Cao　bade　Xiahou　Yuan　meet　this　onslaught。　However；　on　the　other　side　appeared　Guo　Si　and　his　pany。　Cao　Cao　sent　Cao　Ren　against　Guo　Si。　The　onrush　on　three　sides　was　too　much　to　withstand；　and　Lu　Bu's　army　was　overwhelming；　so　Xiahou　Dun　had　to　retire　to　the　main　line。　Thereupon　Lu　Bu's　armored　troops　attacked　and　pleted　the　defeat。　The　beaten　army　of　Cao　Cao　turned　toward　Yingyang。

They　got　as　far　as　the　foot　of　a　hill　in　the　evening　about　the　second　watch；　and　the　moon　made　it　as　light　as　day。　Here　they　halted　to　reform。　Just　as　they　were　burying　the　boilers　to　prepare　a　meal；　there　arose　a　great　noise　of　shouting　on　all　sides　and　out　came　the　troops　of　Governor　Xu　Rong　from　the　ambush　fresh　to　attack。

Cao　Cao；　thrown　into　a　flurry；　mounted　and　fled。　He　ran　right　in　the　way　of　the　waiting　Xu　Rong。　Then　he　dashed　off　in　another　direction；　but　Xu　Rong　shot　an　arrow　after　him　which　struck　him　in　the　shoulder。　The　arrow　still　in　the　wound；　Cao　Cao　fled　for　his　life。　As　he　went　over　the　hill；　two　soldiers　lying　in　wait　among　the　grass　suddenly　dashed　out　and　wounded　his　horse；　which　fell　and　rolled　over。　And　as　he　slipped　from　the　saddle；　he　was　seized　and　made　prisoner。

Just　then　a　horseman　came；　riding　at　full　speed　and　whirling　his　sword　up；　cut　down　both　the　captors；　and　rescued　Cao　Cao。　It　was　Cao　Hong。

Cao　Cao　said；　〃I