Seeing that the valleys were filled with Riverlands soldiers, Sima Yi did not dare come out on the main road but retreated to Jieting. By this time Cao Zhen had learned of Kongming's retreat and gave eager chase. But behind a nearby hill bombards sounded, and Riverlands troops spread over the terrain: their leaders, Jiang Wei and Ma Dai. Cao Zhen, surprised, quickly withdrew; his vanguard commander, Chen Zao, had already been slain by Ma Dai. Cao Zhen led his army in a race for safety; and the Riverlands troops hurried back that night without halt to Hanzhong.
When Zhao Zilong and Deng Zhi, waiting in ambush along the roads of Winnow Basket Gorge, received Kongming's orders to retreat, Zilong said to Deng Zhi, "If the Wei army knows of this, they will give chase. I am going to move a company into ambush to the rear; you retreat slowly and show my flag. I will protect you step by step."
Meanwhile, Guo Huai had taken Wei troops back into Winnow Basket Gorge and commanded his vanguard Su Yong: "There is no general braver than Zhao Zilong. Keep up your guard. If he retreats, it means a trap." Su Yong answered with enthusiasm, "Field Marshal, if you will back me up, I can take him alive." He rushed ahead with a force of three thousand into Winnow Basket Gorge and was soon bidding to overtake the Riverlands troops. But when he saw red banners inscribed in white with the words "Zhao Zilong" appear from behind a slope, Su Yong quickly recalled his men. He had withdrawn only a few li before a band of men charged at him, all noise and war cries. The leader, a great figure of a general, hoisted his spear and urged his horse forward, shouting, "Do you know me or not? I am Zhao Zilong!" The astonished Su Yong said, "How could you be here as well?" Before he could defend himself, Zhao Zilong had dropped him from the saddle with a thrust of his spear. Su Yong's men scattered, and Zilong pressed forward.
Behind Zilong another Wei commander appeared, Wan Zheng, a lieutenant of Guo Huai. Seeing the Wei forces draw near, Zilong halted and raised his spear, ready to engage Wan Zheng. (By now, the Riverlands troops were already thirty li away. ) But Wan Zheng recognized Zhao Zilong and would not go forward. Zilong waited until the sky had darkened; then he turned his horse round again and withdrew with studied slowness.
Guo Huai arrived, and Wan Zheng protested that he could not advance against a Zhao Zilong as formidable now as ever. But on Guo Huai's direct order Wan Zheng pursued with several hundred cavaliers. Reaching a broad wood, the cavaliers heard a hearty shout behind them: "Zhao Zilong stands here!" More than a hundred of them fell in panic from their saddles; the rest fled over a hill. Wan Zheng rashly confronted Zilong, whose arrow grazed the straps of Wan Zheng's helmet, causing him to stumble into a nearby stream. Aiming his spear, Zilong said, "I shall spare you. Go and tell Guo Huai to come after us!" Wan Zheng escaped with his life. Zhao Zilong continued to protect the retreating Riverlands forces, and they headed back toward Hanzhong without incident. Cao Zhen and Guo Huai claimed full credit for recapturing the three districts Nan'an, Tianshui, and Anding.
Meanwhile, Sima Yi was advancing with a fresh detachment; but the Riverlands army had already completed its return to Hanzhong. So Sima Yi led the detachment back to Xicheng, where he learned from the few remaining residents and some mountain recluses that Kongming had had only twenty-five hundred men in the city, no commanders, a few civil officials, and of course no ambush in readiness. And at the Wugong Hills the commoners told him, "Guan Xing and Zhang Bao had only three thousand men each. They came round the hill yelling and drumming to frighten off pursuers, but they had no other forces and no intention of engaging in battle." Sima Yi looked ruefully into the heavens and said with a sigh, "Kongming's the better man!" After attending to the interests of the officials and inhabitants in the various areas where his army had been, he withdrew directly to Chang'an.
Cao Rui received him and said, "Thanks to you alone we have recovered the districts of Longxi." Sima Yi addressed the Wei ruler, saying, "The Riverlands army, now in Hanzhong, must be rooted out. Your vassal appeals for a large force to capture the Riverlands in gratitude for Your Majesty's generosity." Cao Rui was delighted and gave the order for Sima Yi to mobilize. But suddenly someone stepped forward from the ranks and said to the Wei ruler, "This vassal has a different plan for conquering the Riverlands and winning the submission of the Southland." Indeed:
The Riverlands commanders and advisers had barely gone home,
When the ruler and vassals of Wei were proffering fresh schemes.2
Who proposed the plan?
Read on.
96
Shedding Tears, Kongming Executes Ma Su;
Cutting Hair, Zhou Fang Deceives Cao Xiu
The chief of the Secretariat, Sun Zi, offered a plan. "What good counsel have you got for us?" Cao Rui asked. Sun Zi replied, "Many years ago, your great ancestor Cao Cao, the August Emperor Wu, regained Hanzhong from Zhang Lu—but he paid a heavy price. Describing the experience later, he would say, 'Nanzheng is harder to enter than a prison designed by Heaven itself. ' Along the Ye Gorge trail you'll find rock caves for five hundred li; it's no place to wage war. If we commit all the imperial armies to the attack on the Riverlands, the Southland will raid our territory. A better course would be to direct your main commanders to hold the crucial passes to the west with troops already in the field while we rebuild our fighting strength at home. In a few years, after the north is flourishing once more, Shu and Wu should be mortal enemies again; that will be the time to aim for Shu. It is for Your Majesty to decide."
Turning to Sima Yi, Cao Rui asked, "And what is your view?" Sima Yi voiced agreement, and the ruler of Wei approved Sun Zi's suggestion. He deployed several commanders to the passes and assigned Guo Huai and Zheng He to defend Chang'an. Then, after providing generously for the army, Cao Rui returned to Luoyang.
Kongming reached Hanzhong and tallied up his forces. He was distressed to find Zhao Zilong and Deng Zhi still missing and sent Guan Xing and Zhang Bao off to render aid if needed. But as the two were about to leave, Zhao Zilong and Deng Zhi arrived, their forces and supplies intact. A delighted Kongming led the commanders out to greet them. Zhao Zilong hurriedly dismounted and prostrated himself. "What right has a defeated general," he said, "to be received by Your Excellency like this?" Kongming raised him up and took his hand. "My own poor judgment," he admitted, "caused all this. We have had losses all around. Only you have returned whole. What is the reason?" Deng Zhi explained, "I led my men ahead while Zilong guarded the rear. He took such a toll of the enemy commanders that they shrank from combat, and none of our materiel had to be abandoned." "A true commander!" marveled Kongming, and he presented Zhao Zilong with fifty catties of gold; he also allotted ten thousand rolls of silk to his soldiers. But Zhao Zilong declined the gifts. "My army has accomplished nothing deserving the name of merit. With blame enough to go around, for us to accept such bounty would confuse Your Excellency's standards of reward and punishment. I suggest that the gifts be placed in the treasury for distribution this winter. That will be soon enough." With a sigh Kongming said, "The late Emperor always praised Zilong's virtue—with good reason!" The prime minister felt added respect for Zhao Zilong.
Suddenly the arrival of Ma Su, Wang Ping, Wei Yan, and Gao Xiang was announced. Kongming summoned Wang Ping first and said to him, "I ordered you to help Ma Su defend Jieting. Couldn't you have prevented this loss?" Wang Ping replied, "I pleaded with him over and over to construct an earth wall on the road and to fortify it. But Military Adviser Ma Su refused to listen and only grew angrier, so I led five thousand men off and camped ten li from the mountain. The Wei army came suddenly and surrounded the hill. I made more than ten attempts to break through their line, but without success. The next day our main position fell apart and great numbers surrendered. Unable to maintain my isolated position, I went to Wei Yan for help, but on the way some northern troops trapped me in a valley. I fought for my life and broke free; but the Wei had already taken my camp by the time I got back to it, so I headed for Willow Rows and met Gao Xiang on the way. We subsequently formed three separate un
its—Wei Yan, Gao Xiang, and I—and raided the camp; our goal, to retake Jieting. I was surprised to see no enemy troops lying in wait on the road. This puzzled me, so I climbed a hill and looked around. Lo! Wei Yan and Gao Xiang were already trapped by Wei troops. I plunged through their line and plucked the two commanders to safety; then we reunited with Military Adviser Ma Su. I was afraid that Yangping Pass would be lost next and hurried back to defend it. 1 did all I could to persuade Ma Su. The commanders and lieutenants will bear me out."
Kongming dismissed Wang Ping and summoned Ma Su, who placed ropes around himself and knelt before the prime minister. Kongming, wearing an angry expression, said, "From your youth you have read your fill of military texts and have been thoroughly versed in battle tactics. Time and again I warned you that Jieting was a vital base when you took the responsibility of defending it, pledging the lives of your family. Had you listened to Wang Ping, you could have avoided this disaster. You must bear the blame for our defeated army, our fallen commanders, our abandoned territory, and our lost towns. If military regulations are not clear and correct, how can I discipline the soldiers? Your violation of the rules was no fault of mine. Your family, however, will be provided with a monthly allowance of cash and grain; therefore set your mind at rest." So saying, Kongming ordered Ma Su removed and executed.
Ma Su wept and said, "You have been a father to me, and I a son to you. My punishment is unavoidable. I ask only that Your Excellency remember the legend of Shun, who employed Yu after executing Gun, and I shall bear you no grudge in the netherworld below."1 With that, Ma Su wept loudly. Kongming brushed away his tears, saying, "Brothers could not be closer than we two. Your son will be my son. Say no more."
The guards took Ma Su outside the main gate of the camp and were about to perform their duty, when Military Adviser Jiang Wan arrived from Chengdu. Seeing the execution being prepared, he cried out in alarm, "Spare him!" He went before Kongming and said, "In ancient times the leader of Chu killed General Cheng Dechen after a great defeat and gave Duke Wen of Jin, Chu's enemy, great satisfaction thereby. With the empire so unstable, it is surely a shame to put a wise counselor to death." Weeping freely, Kongming replied, "In ancient times Sunzi was able to impose his control over the empire because his application of the laws was clear and unmistakable. Now strife afflicts every part of the empire, and warfare is constantly breaking out. If the law is set aside, how can we continue the campaign against the rebels? It is necessary to execute Ma Su."
Soon after, the guards presented Ma Su's head to the prime minister's attendants. Kongming wept long and loud. Jiang Wan said to him, "The law has punished Ma Su for his crime. Why do you lament, Your Excellency?" "It's not for Ma Su that I weep," he answered. "I am thinking of the late Emperor—at Baidi when the end was near—warning me not to use this man because his deeds would not match his boasts. The late king's words have proved too true, leaving me now to rue my blindness. I weep to recall it." Senior and junior commanders and officers wept with him. Ma Su died at the age of thirty-nine during the summer, in the fifth month of Jian Xing 6 (a. d. 228). A later poet left these lines:
Ma Su, for losing Jieting—no small crime—
Earned only scorn for his claims of skill
And paid before the camp the law's full due
As tearful Kongming thought, how much the late king knew!
After the execution Kongming had Ma Su's head displayed in all the camps and then sewn back on his corpse that it might be interred whole. Kongming personally prepared the memorial text and the sacrificial offering; he showed Ma Su's family especial concern and provided them with cash and grain each month.
Kongming then wrote a petition for Jiang Wan to present to the Second Emperor requesting his own demotion from the position of prime minister. Jiang Wan returned to Chengdu and presented the document to his lord. It read:
Though a man of commonplace ability, I came to hold a position far beyond my scope. I tried my best to inspire the army as bearer of the imperial battle-axe and flag of command; but I failed to enforce the statutes, to clarify the laws, and to act with prudence. The result was the loss of Jieting, when my command was violated, and of Winnow Basket Gorge, when my warnings were ignored. The fault rests with me for delegating authority so wrongly. Clearly, I did not choose well and made grave mistakes in affairs entrusted to me. In the Spring and Autumn Annals it is the commander who bears responsibility when things go wrong; it is thus fitting that I be demoted three grades to punish my fault. Overcome with shame, this vassal prostrates himself awaiting your decision.
Having read the petition, the Second Emperor said, "Victory and defeat are commonplace to the master of warfare. Why does His Excellency make this statement to us?" Privy Counselor Fei Yi said to the Emperor, "It is this vassal's understanding that in government nothing outweighs reverence for the law. When the law is not applied, authority is not accepted. For the prime minister to demote himself after a grave defeat is entirely appropriate." The Second Emperor accepted Fei Yi's judgment and issued an edict demoting Kongming to general of the Right and acting prime minister but preserving his overall military authority. The Emperor then sent Fei Yi to Hanzhong to deliver the edict.
After Kongming had received the edict, Fei Yi tried to spare the prime minister's feelings by saying in a complimentary tone, " The people of the Riverlands rejoice in Your Excellency's capture of the four northwest counties. "Kongming, visibly angry, replied," What are you saying! To lose what one wins is not to win. This compliment of yours humiliates! "But Fei Yi persisted, saying," And the Son of Heaven rejoiced to hear that Jiang Wei has joined us. "Frankly angered now, Kongming said," The army comes home defeated, not a scrap of land won. The blame is mine. How much of a loss to the enemy is one Jiang Wei? "
Fei Yi went on, "The army Your Excellency commands numbers several hundred thousand; will it be possible to attack the north again?" Kongming answered, "When our forces occupied Qishan and Winnow Basket Gorge, an enemy inferior in numbers defeated us. The problem was not the size of our army but the leadership. My present purpose is to reduce the army's size and relieve some of the commanders, to punish openly those who deserve it while reflecting on our own mistakes, and to revise our tactics for the future. Unless we do this, simply increasing our forces won't help. Henceforth, those of you genuinely concerned for our kingdom's ultimate fate must vigorously attack my errors and hold me responsible for my failures. Then our direction can be set, the rebels destroyed, and an early victory anticipated." Fei Yi and the other commanders accepted this view. Fei Yi returned to Chengdu.
Kongming remained in Hanzhong, where he treated the army and the populace with solicitude and had the troops put through rigorous training. He also arranged for the construction of equipment for laying siege and for crossing rivers; he stockpiled grain and provender; and he readied rafts for battle. Northern spies reported these war preparations to Luoyang.
Apprised of these developments, Cao Rui summoned Sima Yi to plan the conquest of the Riverlands. "It is not the time for an attack," Sima Yi counseled. "Now, at the very height of summer, the Riverlands troops will hold back. And if we go too deeply into their territory while they sit tight in their strongpoints, we will be a long time defeating them." Cao Rui asked, "And what if the Riverlands troops raid our territory?" "I, your vassal," Sima Yi answered, "have already concluded that Zhuge Liang is bound to follow Han Xin's example and secretly aim for Chencang.2 I am recommending someone who can fortify our position there so that there will not be the slightest chance of losing it. He stands nine spans tall and has the powerful arms of a champion marksman as well as a profound understanding of strategy. He will be able to stop Zhuge Liang's invasion."
Delighted, Cao Rui asked the man's name, and Sima Yi responded, "Hao Zhao (styled Bodao) of Taiyuan, presently controlling Hexi as a commander with various titles." In accordance with Sima Yi's recommendation, Cao Rui sent an edict appointing Hao Zhao General Who Controls the West and assigning him to defend
the road to Chencang. At that moment the Wei ruler received an unexpected report from First Field Marshal Cao Xiu, military authority in Yangzhou.3 It said that Zhou Fang, the Southland's governor in Poyang, was offering to surrender his district and that he had sent a secret emissary enumerating seven conditions for breaking the power of the Southland along with his appeal for Wei troops to take over Poyang.
Cao Rui unrolled the document on his platform, and he and Sima Yi examined it. Sima Yi said, "This appeal should be answered. The Southland will be destroyed. Give me a company to assist Cao Xiu." Suddenly someone stepped forward from the assembly's ranks and said, "The men of the Southland always go back on what they say; I wouldn't place much faith in this offer. Zhou Fang is too cunning to be surrendering. It must be a trick to lure our soldiers in." All eyes turned to Jia Kui, General Who Establishes Dynastic Authority. Sima Yi said to him, "This appeal must be heeded lest an opportunity be missed." The ruler of Wei said, "Let both of you, Sima Yi and Jia Kui, assist Cao Xiu." The two generals left to execute the order. Following this, Cao Xiu marched in force directly to the city of Huan; Jia Kui led Forward Commander Man Chong and the governor of Dongwan, Hu Zhi, directly to East Pass to capture Yangcheng; and Sima Yi led his troops to seize Jiangling.4
At this time the ruler of the Southland, Sun Quan, was meeting with his officials at East Pass in Wuchang. He told them, "I have a secret petition from Zhou Fang, governor of Poyang. It states that Wei's governor of Yangzhou, Cao Xiu, plans to invade our district. Zhou Fang has put into action a cunning plan to lure the enemy into a fortified area where we can ambush and capture Cao Xiu. Wei troops—three field armies—are on their way. What are your views?"
Three Kingdoms Page 126
