三国演义英文版-第391章

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ia　Chong　to　lead　an　expedition　into　the　Xie　Valley；　he　ordered　Zhong　Hui　to　arrest　Deng　Ai；　and　he　himself　directing　a　great　march　under　the　leadership　of　the　Ruler　of　Wei；　Cao　Huang；　whom　he　pelled　to　go　with　him。
Then　said　Shao　Ti；　〃Zhong　Hui's　army　outnumbers　that　of　Deng　Ai　by　six　to　one。　You　need　not　go。　You　need　only　order　Zhong　Hui　to　arrest　Deng　Ai。〃
〃Have　you　forgotten？〃　said　Sima　Zhao；　smiling。　〃You　said　Zhong　Hui　was　a　danger。　I　am　not　really　going　against　Deng　Ai；　but　against　the　other。〃
〃I　feared　lest　you　had　forgotten；〃　said　Shao　Ti。　〃I　ventured　to　remind　you；　but　the　matter　must　be　kept　secret。〃
The　expedition　set　out。
By　this　time　Zhong　Hui's　attitude　had　aroused　Jia　Chong's　suspicions；　and　he　spoke　of　it　to　Sima　Zhao；　who　replied；　〃I　have　sent　you：　Should　I　have　doubts　about　you；　too？　However；　e　to　Changan　and　things　will　clear　up。〃
The　dispatch　of　the　army　under　Sima　Zhao　was　reported　to　Zhong　Hui；　who　wondered　what　it　might　mean。　He　at　once　called　in　Jiang　Wei　to　consult　about　the　seizure　of　Deng　Ai。

Lo！　He　is　victor　here；　a　king　must　yield；
And　there　a　threatening　army　takes　the　field。

The　next　chapter　will　relate　the　plan　to　arrest　Deng　Ai。
　Main　Next　to　Chapter　119　》》

　　　Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　119
　Chapter　119
The　False　Surrender：　A　Wit　Scheme　Bees　A　Vain　Plan；
The　Abdication：　Later　Seeds　Learns　From　The　Ancient。
Asked　to　say　what　was　the　best　plan　to　secure　the　arrest　of　Deng　Ai；　Jiang　Wei　said；　〃Send　Wei　Guan。　If　Deng　Ai　tries　to　kill　Wei　Guan；　he　will　manifest　the　desire　of　his　heart。　Then　you　can　destroy　him　as　a　traitor。〃
Hence　Wei　Guan　was　sent；　with　some　thirty　men；　to　effect　the　arrest。
Wei　Guan's　own　people　saw　the　danger　of　the　enterprise　and　urged　him　not　to　go；　saying；　〃Zhong　Hui　clearly　wants　Deng　Ai　to　kill　you　to　prove　his　point！〃
But　Wei　Guan　said；　〃Do　not　worry。　I　have　a　scheme　prepared。〃
Wei　Guan　first　wrote　a　score　or　two　of　letters；　all　in　the　same　terms；　saying：
〃Wei　Guan　has　orders　to　arrest　Deng　Ai；　but　no　other　persons　will　be　dealt　with　providing　they　submit　quickly。　Rewards　await　those　who　obey　the　Imperial　mand。　However；　the　punishment　for　laggards　and　those　who　are　contumacious　will　be　death　to　the　whole　family。〃
Wei　Guan　sent　these　letters　to　various　officers　who　were　serving　under　Deng　Ai。　He　also　prepared　two　cage　carts。
Wei　Guan　and　his　small　party　reached　Chengdu　about　cockcrow　and　found　waiting　for　him　most　of　the　officers　to　whom　he　had　written。　They　at　once　yielded。　Deng　Ai　was　still　asleep　when　the　party　reached　his　palace；　but　Wei　Guan　entered　and　forced　his　way　into　Deng　Ai's　chamber。
He　roared　out：　〃I　serve　the　Son　of　Heaven's　mand　to　arrest　Deng　Ai　and　his　son！〃
The　noise　awakened　the　sleeper；　who　tumbled　off　his　couch　in　alarm。　But　before　Deng　Ai　could　do　anything　to　defend　himself；　he　was　seized；　securely　bound；　and　huddled　into　one　of　the　carts。　Deng　Ai's　son；　Deng　Zhong；　rushed　in　at　the　noise；　but　was　also　made　prisoner　and　thrust　into　the　other　cart。　Many　generals　and　attendants　in　the　Palace　want　to　attempt　a　rescue；　but　before　they　had　prepared；　they　saw　dust　arose　outside；　and　Zhong　Hui　with　an　army　was　close　at　hand；　thus　they　scattered。
Zhong　Hui　and　Jiang　Wei　dismounted　at　the　Palace　gates　and　entered。
Zhong　Hui；　seeing　both　the　Dengs　prisoners；　struck　the　elder　about　the　head　and　face　with　his　whip　and　insulted　him；　saying；　〃Vile　cattle　breeder！　How　dare　you　have　your　own　scheme？〃
Nor　was　Jiang　Wei　backward。　〃You　fool！　See　what　your　good　luck　has　brought　you　today！〃　cried　he。
And　Deng　Ai　replied　in　kind。　Zhong　Hui　at　once　sent　off　both　the　prisoners　to　Luoyang；　and　then　entered　Chengdu　in　state。　He　added　all　Deng　Ai's　army　to　his　own　forces；　so　that　he　became　very　formidable。
〃Today　I　have　attained　the　one　desire　of　my　life！〃　cried　Zhong　Hui。

＇e＇　Han　Xin　was　suspected　of　rebellion　and　was　arrested　by　Liu　Bang。　However；　Han　Xin　said；　〃When　the　birds　have　vanished；　the　good　bows　are　stored。〃　Liu　Bang　absolved　him　due　to　his　merits。　But　Xiao　He　and　Empress　Lu　executed　him　when　Liu　Bang　was　absent。　。。。。。
＇e＇　After　Yue　conquered　Wu；　Fan　Li　gave　up　politics　and　traveled。　But　his　collegue　Wen　Zhong　stayed　to　continue　serving　King　Gou　Jian　loyally。　Wen　Zhong　later　was　put　to　death　due　to　slanders。　Meanwhile；　it　is　said　that　Fan　Li；　together　with　the　beauty　Xi　Shi；　had　bee　a　wealthy　merchant　and　was　doing　charity　works。　。。。。。
＇e＇　Emei　Mountain　one　of　the　most　renowned　Buddhist　and　Daoist　（Taoist）　sanctuaries　in　China。　The　mountain　is　located　in　the　basin　of　Sichuan　Province。　The　beautiful　majesty　of　this　mountain　has　caused　it　to　be　named　Emei；　〃the　most　beautiful　mountain　under　heaven〃。　Visitors　of　this　mountain　are　treated　to　several　peaks；　bubbling　springs；　cascading　waterfalls；　tall　ancient　trees　and　abundant　flowers　along　the　many　mountain　paths　leading　to　the　many　scenic　spots　and　temples　that　dot　the　mountain　side　from　the　base　to　the　summit。　。。。。。
Jiang　Wei　replied；　〃At　the　beginning　of　Han；　Han　Xin　hearkened　not　to　Kuai　Tong　to　establish　his　own　kingdom；　and　so　blundered　into　trouble　at　the　Weiyang　Palace；　where　he　met　his　fate*。　In　Yue；　High　Minister　Wen　Zhong　would　not　follow　Fan　Li　into　retirement　on　the　lakes；　and　so　fell　victim　to　a　sword*。　No　one　would　say　these　two………Han　Xin　and　Wen　Zhong………were　not　brilliant；　but　they　did　not　scent　danger　early　enough。　Now；　Sir；　your　merit　is　great　and　your　prestige　overwhelming　that　of　your　prince；　but　why　do　you　risk　future　dangers？　Why　not　sail　off　in　a　boat　leaving　no　trace　of　your　going？　Why　not　go　to　Emei　Mountain*　and　wander　free　with　Master　Red　Pine？〃
Zhong　Hui　smiled。
〃I　do　not　think　your　advice　much　to　the　point。　I　am　a　young　man；　not　forty　yet；　and　think　rather　of　going　on　than　halting。　I　could　not　take　up　a　do…nothing　hermit's　life。〃
〃If　you　do　not；　then　take　heed　and　prepare　for　dangers。　Think　out　a　careful　course；　as　you　are　well　able　to　do。　You　need　not　trouble　any　old　fool　for　advice。〃
Zhong　Hui　laughed　loud　and　rubbed　his　hands　together　with　glee。
〃How　well　you　know　my　thoughts；　my　friend！〃　said　Zhong　Hui。
They　two　became　absorbed　in　the　plans　for　their　grand　scheme。
But　Jiang　Wei　wrote　a　secret　letter　to　the　Latter　Ruler；　saying：
〃I　pray　Your　Majesty　be　patient　and　put　up　with　humiliations　for　a　season；　for　Jiang　Wei；　your　humble　servant；　will　have　the　country　restored　in　good　time。　The　sun　and　moon　are　all　the　more　glorious　when　they　burst　through　the　dark　clouds。　The　House　of　Han　is　not　yet　done。〃
While　Zhong　Hui　and　Jiang　Wei　were　planning　how　best　to　outwit　each　other；　but　both　being　against　Wei；　there　suddenly　arrived　a　letter　from　Sima　Zhao：
〃I　am　at　Changan　with　an　army　lest　there　should　be　any　difficulty　in　disposing　of　Deng　Ai。　I　need　you　to　e　to　discuss　state　affairs。〃
Zhong　Hui　divined　the　real　purport　at　once。
〃He　suspects；〃　said　Zhong　Hui。　〃He　knows　quite　well　that　my　army　outnumbers　that　of　Deng　Ai　many　times　and　I　could　do　what　he　wishes　easily。　There　is　more　than　that　in　his　ing。〃
He　consulted　Jiang　Wei；　who　said；　〃When　the　prince　suspects　a　minister；　that　minister　dies。　Have　we　not　seen　Deng　Ai？〃
〃This　decides　me；〃　replied　Zhong　Hui。　〃Success；　and　the　empire　is　mine；　failure；　and　I　go　west　into　Shu　to　be　another　Liu　Bei；　but　without　his　mistakes。〃
Jiang　Wei　said；　〃Empress　Guo　of　Wei　has　just　died。　You　can　pretend　she　left　you　a　mand　to　destroy　Sima　Zhao；　the　real　murderer　of　the　Emperor。　Your　talents　are　quite　sufficient　to　conquer　the　empire。〃
〃Will　you　lead　the　van？〃　said　Zhong　Hui。　〃When　success　is　ours；　we　will　share　the　spoil。〃
〃The　little　I　can　do；　I　will　do　most　willingly；〃　said　Jiang　Wei。　〃But　I　am　not　sure　of　the　support　of　all　our　subordinates。〃
〃Tomorrow　is　the　fifteenth　day　of　the　month；　a　Feast　of　Lanterns　will　be　held。　We　can　gather　in　the　Palace　for　the　congratulations。　There　will　be　grand　illuminations；　and　we　will　prepare　a　banquet　for　the　officers；　whereat　we　can　kill　all　those　who　will　not　follow　us。〃
At　this；　the　heart　of　Jiang　Wei　leapt　with　joy。　Invitations　were　sent　out　in　the　joint　names　of　the　two　conspirators；　and　the　feast　began。　After　several　courses；　suddenly　Zhong　Hui　lifted　his　cup　and　broke　into　wailing。
Everyone　asked　what　was　the　cause　of　this　grief；　and　Zhong