第226部分 (第1/7页)

〃What　do　you　mean　talking　thus　after　writing　me　a　letter　telling　me　to　surrender？　You　want　to　secure　your　own　safety　by　involving　me。　But　I　have　surrendered；　and　as　I　am　a　superior　general　in　their　service　now；　I　see　no　sense　in　returning　to　Wei。〃

So　saying；　he　urged　the　soldiers　on　to　the　attack。　The　assault　continued　till　dawn；　when　the　besiegers　drew　off。

Now　the　appearance　of　Jiang　Wei　in　this　fashion　was　but　a　ruse。　Zhuge　Liang　had　found　among　his　men　one　who　resembled　Jiang　Wei　and　had　disguised　him　so　that　Jiang　Wei　appeared　to　be　leading　the　attack　on　the　ramparts。　In　the　smoke　and　fire　during　the　night　no　one　could　penetrate　the　disguise。

Zhuge　Liang　then　led　the　army　to　attack　Jicheng。　The　grain　in　the　city　was　insufficient　to　feed　the　people。　From　the　wall　Jiang　Wei　saw　wagons　of　grain　and　forage　being　driven　into　the　Shu　camp；　and　he　determined　to　try　to　secure　some。　So　he　led　three　thousand　troops　out　of　the　city　to　attack　the　train　of　wagons。　As　soon　as　he　appeared；　the　convoy　abandoned　the　carts　and　fled。　Jiang　Wei　seized　them；　and　was　taking　them　into　the　city；　when　he　was　met　by　a　cohort　under　the　mand　of　Zhang　Yi。　They　plunged　into　battle。　After　a　short　time　Wang　Ping　came　to　reinforce　Zhang　Yi；　so　that　Jiang　Wei　was　attacked　on　two　sides。　All　Jiang　Wei's　efforts　were　vain；　and　he　had　to　abandon　the　spoil　and　try　to　reenter　the　city。

But　as　he　drew　near；　he　saw　the　walls　were　decorated　with　Shu　ensigns；　for　Wei　Yan　had　captured　the　place　and　was　in　possession。　By　desperate　fighting　Jiang　Wei　got　clear　and　set　off　for　Tianshui。　But　he　only　had　a　few　score　horsemen　left。　Presently　the　small　force　fell　in　with　Zhang　Bao；　and　at　the　end　of　this　engagement　Jiang　Wei　found　himself　alone；　a　single　horseman。　He　reached　Tianshui