第100部分(第2/7 頁)

e　was　checked　by　his　brother；　who　said；　〃Do　not　frighten　the　people！〃

Thus　Wei　Yan　let　in　Liu　Bei。　As　soon　as　he　entered；　he　saw　a　general　galloping　up　with　a　few　men。

The　newer　yelled；　〃Wei　Yan；　you　nobody！　How　dare　you　create　trouble？　Do　you　not　know　me；　General　Wen　Ping？〃

Wei　Yan　turned　angrily；　set　his　spear；　and　galloped　forward　to　attack　the　general。　The　soldiers　joined　in　the　fray　and　the　noise　of　battle　rose　to　the　skies。

〃I　wanted　to　preserve　the　people；　and　I　am　only　causing　them　injury；〃　cried　Liu　Bei　distressed。　〃I　do　not　wish　to　enter　the　city。〃

〃Jiangling　is　an　important　point。　We　will　first　take　that　as　a　place　to　dwell　in；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

〃That　pleases　me　greatly；〃　said　Liu　Bei。

So　they　led　the　people　thither　and　away　from　Xiangyang。　Many　of　the　inhabitants　of　that　city　took　advantage　of　the　confusion　to　escape；　and　they　also　joined　themselves　to　Liu　Bei。

Meanwhile；　within　the　inhospitable　city；　Wei　Yan　and　Wen　Ping　fought。　The　battle　continued　for　four　or　five　watches；　all　through　the　middle　of　the　day；　and　nearly　all　the　batants　fell。　Then　Wei　Yan　got　away。　As　he　could　not　find　Liu　Bei；　he　rode　off　to　Changsha　and　sought　an　asylum　with　Governor　Han　Xuan。

Liu　Bei　wandered　away　from　the　city　of　Xiangyang　that　had　refused　shelter。　Soldiers　and　people；　his　following　numbered　more　than　a　hundred　thousand。　The　carts　numbered　scores　of　thousands；　and　the　burden　bearers　were　innumerable。　Their　road　led　them　past　the　tomb　of　Liu　Biao；　and　Liu　Bei　turned　aside　to　bow　at　the　grave。

He　lamented；　saying；　〃Shameful　is　thy　brother；　lacking　both　in　virtue　and　in　talents。　I　refused　to　bear　the　burden　you　wished　to　lay　upon　me；　wherein　I　was　wrong。　But　the　people　mitted　no　sin。　I　pray　your　glorious