Meanwhile, Kongming had again come out of the hills and had established five positions: left, right, center, forward, and rear. In addition, he had fourteen camps placed between Ye Gorge and Saber Gateway as a long-term defense measure; all positions were well patrolled. When reports came that Guo Huai and Sun Li had led Longxi troops to Beiyuan and encamped there, Kongming said to his commanders, "The reason Wei has occupied Beiyuan is that they fear we will take the road and close the Longshan trail. Now I intend to stage a decoy raid on Beiyuan to divert them while I attack the bank of the River Wei. Have your men lash together a hundred or more wooden rafts and load them with sheaves of hay; choose five thousand seasoned sailors as pilots. My night attack on Beiyuan will bring Sima Yi to the rescue. If the enemy gives way at all, I will move our rear army to the opposite shore and the forward army onto the rafts. Troops on the rafts will have orders not to go ashore but to float down to the pontoon bridges and burn them, thereby hitting the enemy's escape route. I myself will lead a company to the entrance of their forward camp. If I can get to the south shore of the Wei, it should not be difficult to advance." The commanders went to carry out their orders.
Patrols soon brought Sima Yi word of Kongming's maneuvers. Sima Yi called his commanders together and said, "There's a scheme hiding in all of Kongming's arrangements. His move toward Beiyuan is a cover for an attack downstream, where he will burn our pontoon bridges and disorganize our rear—while he attacks our forward camp." Sima Yi thereupon transmitted orders to Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Wei: "If you hear an outcry at Beiyuan, take your troops at once to the hills south of the River Wei and wait for the Riverlands army to strike." Next, he ordered Zhang Hu and Yue Chen to lead two thousand bowmen into ambush position on the north shore by the pontoon bridges, saying, "If Riverlands troops come downstream on rafts, shoot en masse; keep them away from the bridges." Sima Yi then instructed Guo Huai and Sun Li: "Kongming is coming to Beiyuan to slip across the river. Your camps are newly established, your forces few. Put all your men in ambush halfway down the road. If the Riverlands troops cross the river in the afternoon, they will attack you by evening. Feign defeat and flee. If they pursue, use your archers. I will be coming by land and by water. If the enemy attacks in force, watch for my signal to tell you when to strike." When the various positions had received their orders, Sima Yi had his two sons, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, reinforce the forward camp. Then Sima Yi took his relief force to Beiyuan.
Kongming had Wei Yan and Ma Dai lead their men across the Wei and attack Beiyuan; at the same time he had Wu Ban and Wu Yi lead sailors downstream on the rafts to burn the enemy's bridges. Next, Kongming had Wang Ping and Zhang Ni (forward squad), Jiang Wei and Ma Zhong (middle squad), and Liao Hua and Zhang Yi (rear squad) separately attack the enemy's shore camps. At midday Kongming's force decamped and crossed the River Wei; then it re-formed itself and advanced steadily.
Wei Yan and Ma Dai neared Beiyuan at the close of day. As soon as Sun Li detected their approach, he abandoned his position. Wei Yan knew the enemy was prepared and swiftly withdrew, but an earthshaking clamor broke out on all sides of him: from left and right Sima Yi and Guo Huai were moving in for the kill. Wei Yan and Ma Dai strove to fight their way clear; most of the Riverlands soldiers, having no means of escape, tumbled into the water. Fortunately for the Riverlands, Wu Yi fought his way through to the beaten troops, saw them safely across, and secured the shore.
Wu Ban punted downriver with half his contingent to set fire to the pontoon bridges, but Zhang Hu and Yue Chen checked them with showers of arrows. One struck Wu Ban, who plunged to his death; his men leaped into the river to save themselves, and the Wei troops seized the rafts.
At this point Wang Ping and Zhang Ni, unaware that Riverlands troops had suffered defeat at Beiyuan, rushed on toward the enemy camps on the south shore of the River Wei. It was already the second watch when they heard warlike shouts on all sides; Wang Ping said to Zhang Ni, "We do not know how the attack on Beiyuan went, and there isn't a single enemy soldier in the camps just ahead. Why? Can Sima Yi be waiting for us? We'd better wait until we see the bridges in flames before we advance." The two men reined in. Suddenly a lone rider came up from behind and announced: "The prime minister wants you to withdraw at once. Both the Beiyuan force and the bridge-burning force have suffered defeat."
Astonished, Wang Ping and Zhang Ni swiftly withdrew, but Wei troops surprised them from behind. A bombard rang out, and a well-coordinated attack began as flames rose upward. Wang Ping and Zhang Ni fought strenuously against the northerners, but in the melee most of their men were killed or wounded. Kongming, meanwhile, had returned to his main camp in the Qishan hills and collected his defeated forces: he had lost more than ten thousand. Anxiety and gloom filled his heart.
Kongming received Fei Yi, who had arrived from Chengdu. After the formalities Kongming said, "I would trouble you to carry a letter to the Southland, if you are willing." "I am Your Excellency's to command," Fei Yi replied. Kongming entrusted the message to Fei Yi, who took it straight to Jianye and submitted it to the lord of Wu, Sun Quan. It said:
The house of Han has fallen on evil times; its imperial bonds have weakened; the traitorous Caos continue to hold sway. Charged by the August Emperor Zhao Lie to further his cause, I, Liang, to prove my devotion and loyalty, have marshaled a grand army at the Qishan hills: the northern aggressors will shortly meet their doom at the River Wei. I humbly hope Your Majesty will remain faithful to our covenant and order an expedition against the north so that we may jointly recover the heartland and divide the empire between us. No letter can fully convey all I feel. I earnestly pray for your sage consideration.
Delighted by Kongming's letter, Sun Quan said to Fei Yi, "We have long desired to take the field but have had no opportunity to coordinate forces with Kongming. On the strength of this letter we will personally lead an expedition into Juchao this very day and capture the northern city of Xincheng. Then we will command Lu Xun, Zhuge Jin, and others to position troops in Jiangxia and Miankou for the capture of Xiangyang. Sun Shao, Zhang Cheng, and others will move their forces out from Guangling to take Huai-yang and other points. This three-pronged advance of three hundred thousand troops will be set in motion on a specified day." Fei Yi prostrated himself in gratitude and said, "If this is done, the north will fall."
Sun Quan entertained Fei Yi lavishly. During the banquet Sun Quan asked him, "Who is leading the forward army for His Excellency?" "Wei Yan," was Fei Yi's reply. Sun Quan smiled and said, "The man has courage to spare, but he is not altogether reliable and will cause trouble when Kongming is gone, though Kongming must know that." Fei Yi responded, "Your Majesty is quite right. When I return, I shall report this to him."
Fei Yi took leave of Sun Quan and returned to Qishan. He presented himself to Kongming and reported that the lord of the Southland was mustering three hundred thousand under his personal command for a three-pronged attack. "Did His Lordship say anything else?" Kongming inquired. Fei Yi relayed Sun Quan's judgment of Wei Yan. Kongming sighed and said, "An intelligent ruler. It's not that I don't know Wei Yan, but I cannot do without such a valiant warrior. That's the only reason I keep him." Fei Yi answered, "It would behoove Your Excellency to provide for the future." "I have my ways," Kongming responded. Fei Yi took his leave and returned to Chengdu.
Kongming was in council with his commanders, when the surrender of a Wei soldier was reported. Kongming summoned him for questioning. He said, "I am Zheng Wen, a lieutenant commander for the kingdom of Wei. Recently, Qin Lang and I have had a joint command under Sima Yi. To my surprise, Sima Yi—out of sheer favoritism—made Qin Lang general of the Forward Army; but he treated me like chaff. Rather than bear this injustice, I have come to surrender and pray to be accepted in your service." That very moment it was announced that Qin Lang had come to challenge Zheng Wen to single combat. Kongming asked Zheng Wen, "How does he compare to you in martial arts?" "I could cut him down in a matter of moments," he replied. "It would relieve me of
all doubts if you killed him," Kongming said. Zheng Wen mounted eagerly and went forth to fight. Kongming followed to observe. He saw before him Qin Lang, raising his spear and shouting, "Turncoat traitor! Return my horses that you made off with." So saying, Qin Lang charged. Zheng Wen met him with dancing blade and dropped him at the first pass-at-arms. Qin Lang's followers fled, and Zheng Wen carried the severed head back to camp.
Kongming returned to his command tent and summoned Zheng Wen. As Zheng Wen entered, Kongming exploded in a fury and ordered him removed and beheaded. "What is my crime?" Zheng Wen protested. Kongming answered, "I used to know Qin Lang. That wasn't him you killed! Did you expect to fool me?" Zheng Wen prostrated himself and said, "In fact, it was Qin Ming, Lang's younger brother." Kongming smiled and said, "Sima Yi had you feign surrender to see what might be gained. How could you put that over on me? The truth, or you die!" Forced to admit the deception, Zheng Wen pleaded tearfully for his life. "If you want to live," Kongming responded, "write a letter asking Sima Yi to raid this camp himself. If I capture him, the credit is yours. And you will be well used thereafter."
Compelled to comply, Zheng Wen wrote the letter; after submitting it, he was placed in custody. Fan Jian asked Kongming, "How did Your Excellency know the surrender was false?" Kongming answered, "Sima Yi is careful in selecting men. He would only appoint an exceptional warrior to his vanguard. But Zheng Wen's opponent fell at the first pass— surely he was not Qin Lang. I knew then it had to be a ruse." The assembly humbly voiced its admiration for Kongming's powers.
Kongming next selected a military envoy known for his skill as a spokesman and confided certain instructions to him. The envoy bore a document to Sima Yi's camp and sought audience. Sima Yi summoned the envoy and, after reading his message, asked, "Who are you?" "I come from the north," the man replied, "but my wanderings took me to the west. My village was also home to Zheng Wen, whom Kongming has recently honored with a vanguard command in recognition of his service. It is Zheng Wen who sends me with this letter. He requests that the field marshal raid Kongming's camp tomorrow evening at the signal of fire; he will cooperate from within." Sima Yi interrogated the bearer carefully and scrutinized the letter. It proved genuine, so he ordered food and wine for the envoy and told him, "No later than the second watch tonight I will go forth and raid the Riverlands camp. It this action succeeds, you will be well used for it." The envoy prostrated himself and then returned to Kongming's camp.
With the aid of his sword, Kongming performed the mystic Dance of Yu, tracing the star pattern of the Northern Dipper.5 His incantation complete, Kongming summoned Wang Ping and Zhang Ni, to whom he confided certain instructions. Next, he called for Wei Yan and gave him his instructions. Finally, Kongming took a few dozen followers to a seat atop a high hill from where he could direct the battle.
On the strength of Zheng Wen's letter, Sima Yi wanted to lead his two sons and a large force in an immediate attack on the Riverlands position. But the elder, Sima Shi, objected. "Father," he said, "why go into an enemy strongpoint on the strength of a scrap of paper? What if something unforeseen happens? Better have a subordinate commander go first while you support from the rear." Sima Yi approved and accordingly ordered Qin Lang to take ten thousand men and sack the Riverlands position while he followed, ready to assist when needed.
At the first watch the moon shone on a clear night. As the second watch neared, clouds formed suddenly on every side and darkness enclosed the sky, shrouding from sight even those facing one another. Delighted, Sima Yi said, "Heaven favors my success!" He had the men gagged and the horses bitted for the final advance. Qin Lang led the charge of ten thousand directly into the Riverlands camp, where he found not a single man. Realizing he had been trapped, Qin Lang tried to order a rapid retreat, but torches surrounded him and war cries shook the ground. Two forces closed in for the kill—to the left Wang Ping and Zhang Ni, to the right Ma Dai and Ma Zhong. Qin Lang fought fiercely but could not break free.
To the rear Sima Yi watched flames shooting skyward from the Riverlands camp and heard the ceaseless cries of war. Unable to tell who had the victory, he pressed hotly into the fray, urging his men toward the fire. Suddenly, a shout—drums and horns resounded, fiery missiles rocked the earth: on the left Wei Yan closed in, on the right Jiang Wei. The Wei army lost eight or nine men of every ten; they scattered for safety. Qin Lang's ten thousand had been ringed in by the Riverlands troops, who sent their arrows whizzing in like locusts. Qin Lang perished in the chaos of battle. Sima Yi managed to flee back to his camp with his beaten soldiers.
When the third watch ended, the sky cleared again. From his hilltop Kongming sounded the gong to recall his troops. What had happened was that during the second watch Kongming had used the "Taboo Days" technique to cause the sky to cloud over; and after his troops were safely returned, he had used the Six Ding goddesses and the Six Jia gods to clear away the clouds.6
Kongming returned victorious to camp, where he immediately ordered Zheng Wen executed. He then resumed discussions on the capture of the south shore of the River Wei. He sent troops to provoke battle each day, but the Wei army declined to engage. Kongming rode to the front of the Qishan hills in his little chariot to make a complete study of the terrain east and west of the river. There he happened upon a gourd-shaped gorge capable of holding more than one thousand men; and there was another gorge nearby, formed by converging hills, that was capable of holding four or five hundred— cavalry or infantry would have had to pass single file behind it where the hills overlapped. Delighted with his discovery, Kongming asked his guide, "What is the name of this place?" "Shangfang Gorge. Others call it Gourd Gorge," was the reply.
Kongming returned to his tent and summoned two lieutenant commanders, Du Rui and Hu Zhong, for secret instructions. Then he called together all carpenters and craftsmen assigned to the army and sent them into Gourd Gorge to make "wooden bulls" and "gliding horses" to transport grain. Kongming also sent Ma Dai to guard the entrance to the gorge with these instructions: "Keep the craftsmen in and the outsiders out. I'll be coming by myself to check on their progress. This is my one hope for defeating Sima Yi. The work must be kept absolutely secret." Ma Dai left to carry out his assignment. Du Rui and Hu Zhong, the lieutenants, remained in the gorge to make sure that work proceeded according to plan. Every day Kongming went to the gorge to supervise.
One day Senior Adviser Yang Yi entered Kongming's tent and said, "At this moment all the grain for the army is at Saber Gateway. The porters and pack animals will have a hard time transporting it. What are we to do?" "I have been working on this problem for a long time," Kongming said with a smile. "I am having workmen manufacture 'wooden bulls' and 'gliding horses, ' using wood previously stored up and lumber requisitioned in the Riverlands. These bulls and horses neither eat nor drink, but they can carry supplies day and night." Kongming's council was amazed. "We have never heard of such things," the members exclaimed. "What ingenious design does Your Excellency have for such incredible inventions?" Kongming answered, "They are being built to plan at this moment. Let me show you—I'll write out the specifications." Kongming wrote out the technique of construction, and his followers excitedly gathered round to examine his description:
The wooden bull has a square belly and curved neck, one wheel in the center and four legs. The head fits into a collar, and a braking lever, its tongue, connects to the belly [two bins around the wheel]. The heavier the load, the shorter its range. A single machine can go dozens of li per day; but large groups can make only twenty li.7 The curved part forms the bull's head; the paired parts on either side, its legs; the transverse bar, its neck; the wheel, its feet; the top, its back; the square bins, its belly; the pendulum, it tongue; the bent strips, its ribs; the incisions, its teeth; those erect pieces, its horns; those slender straps, its halter; that leader, its reins. The bull is guided from between two shafts. For every six spans the porters advance, the bull advances four paces. Each bull holds a month's grain for ten men.8 Th
e porters will not tire; the bulls will require neither food nor water.9
Kongming then showed the council members the dimensions for the gliding horse.10 "Your Excellency is more than human!" they cried as they prostrated themselves in admiration.
Several days later the transport machines were finished; utterly lifelike, they handled easily, moving uphill or down. The soldiers rejoiced. Kongming ordered General of the Right Gao Xiang to take a thousand men and haul the mechanical beasts, loaded with grain for the Riverlands army, from Saber Gateway to his camp in the Qishan hills. A poet of later times has left this verse in admiration of the invention:
The gliding mules cleared Saber's steepest grades;
The wooden bulls took the gorge's sharp-pitched slopes.
Had later times such engines to employ,
Supply would never armies much annoy.
Sima Yi was despondent when a scout reported to him, "The Riverlands army is moving in supplies on wooden bulls and gliding horses. The porters don't tire out, and the engines don't need any food." Astonished, Sima Yi said, "The sole purpose of my fixed defense was to wait for a food shortage to destroy them. This new development means rethinking our tactics since they have no intention of withdrawing. What to do?" He called for Zhang Hu and Yue Chen and instructed them: "Take five hundred men each and slip over to Ye Gorge by the side paths. Wait there for the enemy to move all the animals past you, then attack and bring back four or five of them; don't bother seizing a great number."
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