Nanzheng。　If　we　could　get　Dingjun　Mountain；　we　could　be　quite　easy　about　the　whole　region　of　Hanzhong。　Think　you　that　you　are　equal　to　taking　Dingjun　Mountain？〃

To　this　harangue　of　Liu　Bei；　the　veteran　nobly　answered　that　he　was　willing　to　try　and　was　ready　to　start　when　they　would。

Said　Zhuge　Liang　hastily；　〃Do　not　be　hasty。　You　are　brave　enough；　General；　but　Xiahou　Yuan　is　a　man　of　different　stamp　from　Zhang　He。　Xiahou　Yuan　is　a　real　strategist　and　tactician；　so　much　so　that　Cao　Cao　relies　upon　him　as　his　defense　against　Xiliang。　It　was　he　who　was　set　to　defend　Changan　when　threatened　by　Ma　Chao。　Now　he　is　in　Hanzhong；　and　Cao　Cao　puts　his　whole　confidence　in　him　and　his　skill　as　a　leader。　You　have　overe　Zhang　He；　but　it　is　not　certain　you　will　conquer　this　man。　I　think　I　must　send　down　to　Jingzhou　for　Guan　Yu　for　this　task。〃

＇e＇　Lian　Po　was　the　mander…in…chief　of　Zhao；　who　made　Zhao　a　powerful　state。　Liu　Xiangru；　the　Prime　Minister；　was　his　good　friend。　。。。。。

Huang　Zhong　hotly　replied；　〃Old　Lian　Po*　was　eighty　years　old　and　yet　he　ate　a　bushel　of　rice　and　ten　pounds　of　flesh；　so　that　his　vigor　frightened　the　nobles　and　not　one　dared　encroach　upon　the　borders　of　the　state　of　Zhao。　I　am　not　yet　seventy。　You　call　me　old；　O　Instructor；　then　I　will　not　take　any　helper；　but　go　out　simply　with　my　own　three　thousand　troops；　and　we　will　lay　Xiahou　Yuan's　head　at　your　feet。〃

Zhuge　Liang　refused　to　allow　him　to　go；　Huang　Zhong　insisted。　At　last　Zhuge　Liang　consented；　but　said　he　would　send　an　overseer。

They　put　upon　his　mettle　the　man　who　was　to　go；

Youth's　vigor　may　be　lesser　worth　than　age's　powers；　we　know。

The　next　chapter　will　tell　who　the　overseer　was。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　71　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kin