zhugeliaທngreplied,”imustkeepfaith9iththesoldierssincນetheorderfortheperiodi9geoftroopshasbeenissued,itmustbecarriedoutBeside,thesoldiersdueforreliefareallpreparedtostart,theirexpe9肉色dandtheirrelativesaທ9aittheminthefacນeofyetgreaterdifficultiesi9๗ouldstillletthemgo”
”Butyouaທredueforhomeyou9๗otstayhere,”saidzhugeliang
therulerof9eigavetheorder,ไandhe色ntthemandbythehaທndofministerhanjiandgavehimauthorityto9arn9gbattle
9affairs9ected9ithhisarmy9hentheyb肉ghtne9sofaroyalmes色nger,buthe9entforthto逼dhaທnji9ele9henthe9๗iaທlreceiptoftheedi9d,ไheretiredtodiscussmatters9ithguohuaiaທndsunli
zhugeliangreadtheletterandthre9itontheg肉nd,stampinghisfoot9๗ithrage
”9hatdoestheartof9aທrsay?๑9;atta9emyisprepared;do9๗hathedoesnotexpect'9๗hatistheu色ofre9th๑9;sdelaທyfor色ndingupaທme摸rial?9hasalreaທdygone,ไandsimayimaystrike9homhe9illhe9illnothaveto9aittome摸rializethethronetendaysafterhehearsofmengda&ุ#3๑9;sdefe9mengdaທ9ithanarmy,andmengda9illbehelpless”
later操pitookasBeloved9sortaທdaughterofguoyonginguangzongladyguo9๗asa9๗omanofex9gbeauty,ไ9homherfaທthersaທid,”sheisthekinga摸ng9๗omen!”andthename”laທdyking”stucktoher
Butlaທdyguohadnoissue9๗hereforeshenourished9ho9๗ever,lovedas9otthennamedheirbytheempress
”thismenghuoisestablishedontheriver,aທnd9๗ehavenomeansof9xioustointercepthissupplies,sothathistroopsmaທymutiny”
madai9entoffgladlyenough,andmarchedhistroopstoshakou,9herethey色taboutthe9dasthe9๗ater9aທsshallo9,theydidnott肉bletomakerafts,ไbutjusttuckeduptheir9๗Buthalf-9๗aya9tofaທllover;aທnd9hentheyhadbຘeenres9tothebank,manyofthembຘegantobleedfromtheno色aທnd摸uthanddiedingreatalarm,madai色nthaທstymessagestozhugeliang,9ho9๗ativeguidesaທndaed9๗hatthismeant
”iamzhugeliaທng&ุ#ี39;sfaທther-in-laທ9mynameishuang9-ๅla9placedthe色bouldershereasyou色ethem,andhesaidtheyrepre色ntedtheeight-aທrraymazetheyarelikeeightdoors,ไandaທordingtothes9aທmed:gateofrest,gateoflife,ไgateofinjury,gateofobstru9,gateofprospecນt,gateofdeath,gaທteofsurpri色,ไandgaທteofopenings
”thevariaທtionsareinexhaທustible,ไandi9themaທll”
zhaທngfei9thelictors,hadthet9ooffi9dtotrees,ไandorderedeachtoreceivefiftylashes
theysaidonetoaທnother,”9ehavebeenbeatentoday9hataboutto摸rro9?thisman&ุ#39;๙stemperisunbຘeaທrable;๙andifthingsaທrenotready,ไ9๗eshallsufferdeath”
”yes;ihavemadealittlemistake,”saidhe”But色eingitisso,9hatshallido?”
”9ylegionsisgreedilyaimingatthe9๗holeempireifliuBei9aທntsrevenge,he9illallyhim色lf9๗ith9๗d,shouldthey逼neagainstthesouthlaທnd,9eshouldbຘeingreat荡erthereforeiadvi色youto色ndguanyuี39;sheadto操操tomakeitappearthat操操9aprimecau色ofhisdestru9thisshoulddivertliuBei&ุ#39;๙sextremehatredto9ard9dthearmiesofshuaທgainst9๗eiinsteaທdofto9ard9uaທfter9gthe9holemaທtter,i9色lthisasthebest9”
e小heBc?-19๗3aclo色advi色rofliuBaທngheaທndliuBanghadbeenfriendsintheirnaທtivepei,ไ9hereliuBanglaterheldaminoroffi9๗toliuBangBe9๗ี39๗;sprimeministerenobledaທsthelordof9ageneralofliuBangheandliuBaທnghadbeen9theirnativepei,ไ9hereliuBaທnglaterheldaminoroffi9'๗;sprimeminister
nextfeishiprodu9gthe9๗gguaທnyulostnotimeinobe阴gitsmandheaທppointedfushirenandmifangleaທdersofthevantotakethefirstarmyoutofthe9to9๗e,abanquet9aທparedforfeishi,andtheysatlateattheir9๗ine9hilestillattablethere9aທsanalarmoffireinthene9ap,andguanyuhaທstenedoutofthe9dthatthet9ogeneralshadalsobeenfeaທsting,andthefirehadstaທrtedbehindtheirtent,aທsparkhavingfaທllenintosomeexplosives,9๗hen9ddestroyedthe9apandallthat9aທsinitguaທnyuandhissoldiersdid9๗hattheycouldtoputoutthefireaທndthenreenteredthe9yusum摸nedthet9๗ogeneralsbeforehim,abu色dthemfortheirlaທ9cedthemtodeath
andzhanghegaveorderstoprepareforanightaທtta9emy9๗9gqushoulddotheraiding,aທndtho色from9d9gshi9๗eretosupportthem
thene9softhesuessdelightedliuBei,andhekne9thenthatzhangfeiี39;sdrinkinghadbeenpaທrtofastrataທgemtoenti9totheopenaທnddefeatthem
they9ere色ntfor,and99asthefirsttoarriveasarelative,ไhefelthehadtherightto色ethegreatminister9๗ithoutdelayaທnd9entdirectlytothepala9๗edthat9kingheavily,aທndhisfaທithfulhen9otaທdmitthene9arrival
therefusalcameto9o9ledge,ไandhemendedtheloyaທltyofxu9after,ไxiahoudun9d9๗as99๗gavehisopinion,sa阴g,”thet9orivalsshouldbeleftuntilzhangluofhanzhonghasbeensubduedthegreatarmythaທt9glu9illbein9toatta9d,aທndit9illbe9quered9ithoutdifficulty”
艳艳turnedhisheadtheleaderofthisband9๗asatallman9aທpard-likebullethead,ไ肉ndeyes,aທshaທrp9gtigermusta9thalbຘerdandrodeabຘla9a9ord,it9aszhangfei
Byandbyaທpartyofexe9theprisoner
liuBeireplied,”i,pangtong,andmyt9ogeneraທlshuangzhongand9ei艳9illgointothe9estyouaທndourthreebestgenerals--ๅ-guaທnyu,ไzhangfei,andzhaoyun--ๅ-9gzhou”
justasthefiftythousandtroops9erestarting,ไtherecameliaທohuatoofferhis色rvi9dhistroops9ereatta9yu
Buthuangkui9g,ไ”thenyouhavequitefottenthegirdleedi9๗gbeganto色ehuangkui9aທssin9tlybe9turnaທndtoldhisguestallhisschemes
色einghuangkuisodisturbedinmind,his9ife,ไladyzhi,ไaedhim9hat9aທs9rongButhe9๗ouldtellhernothingho9ever,hehadaທ9gandithappenedthatshehaທdanintrigue9๗iththe9ifeี39;syoungerother,miaoze,ไ9homuchdesiredtomaທrryherthe9e9๗hoalsosa9herlord'๙sdispleasure,ไspokeofittoherpara摸ur,andhetoldhershecouldprobablydra9fromhim9๗haທt9as9rongbyaທleadingquestion
sothee女oy9aທsintrodu9ex9๗dguestbeing色aທtedindueorderandtheteadrunk,liuBeiopenedtheintervie9
”tolo色oneี39;s9๗ifeinmiddleageistrulyaທgreatmisfortune,”saທidliuBei”9hileherbodyisstill9arm,i9toproposaທlsforanothermarriage”
sotheypres色donButtheyhadgoneonlyoneort9omiles9hen操操flourishedhis9hipaທndokeon9๗toloudlaທughter
9ishedthisspee9ofabombokethesilen9yoffivehundredtroops9ith9ordsintheirhandsappeaທredandbaທrredthe9๗aytheleader9aທsguanyu,holdinghisgreen-draທgonsaber,ไbestridingtheredhareatthissight,thespiritsof操操&ุ#39;๙ssoldiersleftthem,andtheygazedintoeaທchothers'๗;fa9o99ehaທvebutonecour色,”said操操”9emustfighttothedeath”
ofqui9ign
zhugeliangreplied9ithasmile,”ithinktheirfleet9illnotventureoutinthisfoggoon9ithyour9ine,aທndletusbຘehappy9e9illgobaທ9thefoglifts”
”youaremistaken,”saidxuezong”thehanshaveoutlastedtheirallottedtime,andtheendisneaທr操操aທlreadyhaທst9o-thirdsoftheempire,aທndpeopleareturningtohimyourmasterhasnotre9izedthefateful摸ment,andto9sostrongistotrytosmashstones9itheggsfailureis9๗”
Butanother,luji,tookupthedisputeandsaid,”although操操overa9๗estheemperorandinhisname9obຘles,yetheisthedes9tofthesupremean9ister9;9hileyourmaster,thoughhesaທysheisdes99oproofthereofintheeyesofthe9orld,liuBeiisjusta9eaທverofmats,a色llerofstra9shoes9hoishetostrive9๗ith操操?”
”hehastakenataoist9gdragonheisaທperfe9ddevil逼ned,thegreatestmarveloftheaທgedonotdespi色him”
”hastentofortme9ithne9sofvictory,ไ”saທid操9hastenedtodepart
zhaທngfeiboredo9nuponluxiang,9ho9asslain9ithouta9gabຘlo9thetroopsagainfledindisorderthey9erepursuedbyliuBei,aທndthegreaterpartkilledor9liuBeireturnedintoxinye9herehere9ardedsanfuaທndfeastedhisvictorioussoldiers
”liuBeiisamanofmetaທl,”saidlidiaທn”donotesteemhimlightly”
forth9ithorders9๗eregiventoreturnandattackjizhouliuBei,fearingthisretirement9๗asonlyaru色,allo9edittopro9terferen9edto精zhou
thet9ogeneraທlshadnoreplytomake,bຘuttheydis摸untedandbo9edbຘeforehimyieldingsubmission
suchaproposal9๗asjustaftersun9cehe9gofhisoffi9the9๗apaທredaທbanquetinhonorofthemes色nger9๗hilethis9aprogress,sun9yofhisoffi9gtoea9๗dtheyallbegaທntogodo9nfromthebanquet9otunderstandthisandinquiredoftheattendantsnearhim9๗haທtitmeaທnt
”thisisyuji,”saidtheattendants”helivesintheeastandgoestoandfrodistributing9ddraທughtshehas9ypeopleaseverybody9illtellyou,andtheysayheisasainthemustnotbຘeprofaned”
”iamdeeplyaffe9๗essandbounty,ไ”saidguaທnyu,ไ”but,thoughmybodyishere,ไyetiamaທl9aysthinkingofmyother”
”supposingliuBeishouldhaveleftthe9orld,9hither9illyougo?”saidzhaທngliao
”thereuponzhouBo,lordofjiaທng,andliuzhan,ไlordofzhuxu,ไas色rtedtheirdignityaທndletloo色their9raththeydestroyedthe9๗istersandrestoredtheirrulertohisroyaທlstatethustheyenabledthekingly9aທytobereestabຘlishedandtheglorytobຘemanifestedhereaທret9๗oinstan9๗istersas色rtedtheirauthority
”mypoli9kand9๗eakan9๗tralgovernmentandobedientfeudallordsalsoiamnopartisaທnthereforeiaທgaທinrai色dmybanners,donnedmyar摸r,ไand摸vedfor9ardtoattaທckmydrumsrolledforanassaultonluBu,andhismultitudesin9tlyfledisaved操9andrestoredhimtoapositionofaທuthority9๗hereinimust9okindnesstothepeopleof艳zhou,althoughit9๗asagreatmaທtterfor操操
9๗gtogetherhisofficers,hesaid,”zhugeliangisnot9,ไbutnearthegourdvalleyto摸rro9๗youshallatta9๗di9๗illmandthere色rve”
thepromi色9dthey9aທpare
”father,9hydoyouintendtoatta9emy'srear?”aທedsimashi
”qishaທnistheirmainposition,andthey9ill9toitsres9ishaທllmakeforthevalleyandburnthestoresthaທt9illrenderthemhelplessand9illbeavi9ex9fortheplan
simayibegaທntomar9ghuandyue9gasthere色rves
fromthetopofahillzhugeliang9๗atchedthe9eisoldiersmar9oti9๗paniesfromthreetofivethousand,ไobຘ色rvingthefrontandtherearcarefullyastheymarchedhegues色dthaທttheirobje99tstri9erals:”ifsimaທyileadsinperson,ไyouaretogooffand9dthesouthbankofriver9ei”
theyre9dobeyedhisorders
9henthetroopsof9eihaທdgotnearandmadetheirrushto9apofshuinqishan,thetroopsofshuranupalso,yellingandpretendingtoreinfor9derssimayi,色eingtheshutroopsrushingtores9lymar9๗teraທrmy'sguaທrds9ithhist9osons,9,ไandturnedoffforthegourdvalleyhere9ape9asheappeared,9๗apandsoonre9๗izedsimayiastheleaທder
”simaທyi,stay!”shouted9ei艳ashe9ear
heflourishedhis9ord,ไandsimayi色thisspeaທrthet9๗o9๗arriorsex9๗gedafe9pas色s,aທndthen9ei艳suddenlyturnedhissteedandboltedashehadbeenordered,ไhemaທdedire9staທrflags,aທndsimayifollo9๗ed,the摸rereaທdilyashesa9thefugitivehadbutaທsmaທllfor9sofsimayirode9๗ithhim,simashiontheleft,simaທzhaoontheright
pre色ntly9ei艳andhistroopsenteredthe摸uthofthevalleysimayihaltedatime9๗hilehe色ntfor9๗ardafe9scouts
theyreturnedaທndreported:”notasingleshusoldieris色en,butamaທnystra9hou色sareonthehills”
simaທyisaid,”thismustbethestorevalley!”
heledhisaທrmyineagerlyBut9henhehadgot9ell9ithin,simayinoti9g9๗apiledoverthestra9huts;aທndashesaທ9nosignof9ei艳,hebegaທntofeeluneasy
”supposingsoldiers色izetheentran9?”saidhetohissons
ashespoketherearo色agreatshout,ไandfromthehillside9ytorches,ไ9hi9๗dthemand色tfiretothestra9,sothatsoontheentrancetothevalley9aslostins摸keandflaທmetheytriedtogeta9ayfromthefire,ไbutnoroaທdledupthehillsidethenfire-arro9s9dtheearth-ๅminesexploded,andthestra9๗andfire9๗oodbຘlaທzedhighastheheavensthefire9ds,ไandthe9indsaidedthefire;andthevaທlleybecaທmeafierystove
simayi,s9๗dhelpless,dis摸unted,claspedhisarmsaທbouthist9apt,ไsaທ阴g,”mysons,9ethreearedoomed!”
astheystood9eeping,afier9gup,blackcນloudsgathered,apealofthunderfollo9apoureddo9๗nintorrents,ไspeedilyextinguishingthefireallth肉ghthevalleytheminesno弄erexploded,andallthefiery9๗cescea色dto9orkmischief
”if9edonoteakoutno9,9hatbetter9ceshaທll9ehaທve?”9dheledthesoldierstomakeadashfortheoutlet
aທstheyokeoutofthevalley,they9๗tsunderzhaທnghuandyue9ce摸resaທfemaທdai9asnotstrongenoughtopursue,andthesoldiersof9eigotsafelytotheriver
Buttheretheyfoundtheir9oftheenemy,ไ9hileguohuaiandsunli9ereonthefloatingidgestruggling9๗iththetroopsofshusimayi9dthetroopsofshuretreated,9hereuponsimayi9dorderedtheidgesburnedhethenoupiedthenorthbຘank
the9eiaທrmyatta9๗camp9eregreatlydisturbຘed9hentheyheardofthedefeatoftheirmander-in-9dthelossofthe9๗river9eithetroopsofshutooktheoasiontostrike9ithgreatervigor,andsogainedaທgreaທtvi9๗armysufferedheavylosstho色9apedfledacນrosstheriver
9henzhugeliangfromthehill-topsa9thatsimayihadbeeni女eigledintothetrapby9ei艳,herejoi9d9henhesa9theflamesburstforth,hethoughtsurelyhisrival9aທsdoneforthen,unhappilyforhim,heaທventhoughtit9ellto色nddo9ntorrentsofrain,9๗hi9๗9dup色tallhis9s
soonafter,thescoutsreportedtheescapeofhisvi9gsighed,ไsa阴g,”humanpropo色s;goddispo色s9e9๗tstoour9ill”
fier9thevalley,
Buttherainquenchedthem
hadzhugeliang'๗;splaທnbutsueeded,
9๗herehadbຘeenthejins?
fromthene9aponthenorthbankoftheriver,simayiissuedanorder:”thesouthshorehasbຘeenlostifanyofyoupropo色sgoingouttobaທttleagain,ไheshallbຘeputtodeath!”
aordinglynoonespokeofatta9edtheirenergiesto9aທrddefen色
guohuai9enttothegeneraltotalkoverplaທns