第274部分(第5/7 页)

at　the　back　of　the　hills　with　ten　thousand　troops。

Next　day　Jiang　Wei　led　all　the　troops　from　the　nine　camps　out　and　drawn　up　in　front　of　the　hills。　Sima　Wang　came　out　on　the　other　side　and　presently　rode　to　the　front　to　parley。

〃You　have　challenged　me　to　a　contest。　Now　draw　up　your　army　for　me　to　see；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。

Sima　Wang　did　so　and　arrayed　the　eight　diagrams。

〃That　is　what　we　know　as　the　Octagon；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃But　it　is　nothing　wonderful；　only　a　sort　of　array　fit　for　a　brigand's　raid。〃

〃You　also　have　only　stolen　another　man's　tactics；〃　replied　his　adversary。

〃How　many　modifications　of　this　are　there？〃　asked　Jiang　Wei。

〃Since　I　have　arranged　this；　naturally　I　know　the　variations；　of　which　there　are　nine　nines；　making　eighty…one。〃

〃Try　them。〃

Sima　Wang　returned　to　his　array　and　evolved　many；　finally　riding　out　and　asking　his　opponent　if　he　recognized　them。

〃My　formation　admits　of　three　hundred　and　sixty…five　variations。　You　are　but　a　frog　in　a　well　and　know　nothing　of　the　deeper　mysteries。〃

Now　Sima　Wang　knew　that　so　many　variations　were　possible；　but　had　not　studied　them。　However；　he　put　on　a　bold　air　and　said　contemptuously；　〃I　do　not　believe　you。　Prove　it！〃

〃Go　and　call　Deng　Ai；〃　replied　Jiang　Wei。　〃I　will　display　them　to　him。〃

〃General　Deng　Ai　has　excellent　plans　and　does　not　think　much　of　such　tactics。〃

〃What　plans？　I　suppose　you　mean　a　plan　to　keep　me　here　while　he　tries　a　surprise　attack　in　the　rear。〃

Sima　Wang　was　aghast。　He　made　a　sudden　dash　forward；　and　a　melee　began。　Jiang　Wei　made　a　signal　with　his　whip；　and　his　force　poured　in　from　both　wings。　The　troops　of　Wei　were　seized　with　sudden　panic；　threw　down　their　weapons　and　fled。

Now　Deng　A