第18部分(第1/7 页)

So　Cai　Mao　was　placed　in　mand　of　ten　thousand　troops　and　went　out　to　the　Xian　Hills　where　he　drew　up　his　battle　line。　Sun　Jian　led　the　invaders；　now　flushed　with　success。

When　Cai　Mao　approached；　Sun　Jian　looked　at　him　and　said；　〃He　is　brother…in…law　to　Liu　Biao。　Who　will　capture　him？〃

Cheng　Pu　set　his　iron…spined　lance　and　rode　out。　After　a　few　bouts　Cai　Mao　turned　and　fled。　Sun　Jian's　army　rode　in　and　slaughtered　till　corpses　filled　the　countryside；　and　Cai　Mao　took　refuge　in　Xiangyang。

Kuai　Liang　said；　〃Cai　Mao　ought　to　be　put　to　death　by　military　law。　This　defeat　was　due　to　his　obstinacy。〃

But　Liu　Biao　was　unwilling　to　punish　the　brother　of　his　newly　wedded　wife。

Sun　Jian　surrounded　Xiangyang　and　assailed　the　walls　daily。　One　day　a　fierce　gale　sprang　up；　and　the　pole　bearing　his　standard　was　broken。

〃Very　inauspicious！〃　said　Han　Dang。　〃We　ought　to　go　back。〃

Sun　Jian　said；　〃I　have　won　every　battle　and　the　city　is　on　the　point　of　falling。　Shall　I　return　because　the　wind　felled　a　flagstaff？〃

He　flouted　the　advice　and　attacked　the　walls　still　more　vigorously。

Within　the　city　the　defenders　had　seen　an　omen。　Kuai　Liang　told　Liu　Biao；　〃Last　night　I　saw　that　a　great　star　fall　into　the　sky　corresponding　to　Sun　Jian's　territory。　I　calculated　that　it　inferred　the　fall　of　Sun　Jian。〃

Then　Kuai　Liang　advised　Liu　Biao　to　seek　help　from　Yuan　Shao　as　quickly　as　possible。

So　Liu　Biao　wrote。　Then　he　asked　who　would　undertake　to　fight　his　way　through　the　blockade　with　the　letter。　One　Lu　Gong；　a　warrior　of　great　strength；　offered　himself　for　this　service。

Kuai　Liang　said；　〃If　you　undertake　this　service；　listen　to　my　advice。　You　will　have　five　hundred　soldiers：　Choose　good　bowmen。　Dash　through　the　ene