That night the wind blew with great force, carrying stones and dirt through the air and uprooting old trees. At dawn the winds died, and envoys came to invite Sun Chen to the palace for the congregation. But when he tried to rise, Sun Chen fell flat as if someone had pushed him over. He lost his composure further as the envoys, who numbered more than ten, crowded into the room. Sun Chen's steward, to dissuade him from going to court, said, "The winds blew all night, and this morning you lost your balance and fell for no reason. These are ominous signs. You should stay home." Sun Chen replied, "My brothers and I control the palace police. Who would dare threaten me? If there is the slightest disturbance, start a fire in my compound as a signal." After giving these instructions, Sun Chen entered the carriage.
The ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, hastened from his throne to receive Sun Chen and invited Chen to sit beside him. After several rounds of wine, the courtiers said in astonishment, "There are flames outside the palace." Sun Chen started to rise, but Sun Xiu stopped him saying, "Remain calm, Prime Minister. With so many troops outside, there is nothing to fear." As he spoke, Zhang Bu, with drawn sword, led thirty armed guards into the hall. Assuming control, Zhang Bu said harshly, "I have an edict to arrest the traitor Sun Chen." Sun Chen tried to leave, but Bu's guards seized him. Bending low and touching his head to the ground, Sun Chen pleaded, "I beg to be exiled to Jiaozhou where I have some land."3 "When did you allow the mercy of exile to your victims—Teng Yin, Lü Ju, Wang Chun?" Sun Xiu asked bitterly and gave the order for execution.
Zhang Bu had Sun Chen dragged down to the east side of the hall and beheaded; not one of his followers dared defend him. Zhang Bu then declaimed the edict: "The crime was Sun Chen's alone. No one else stands accused." The courtiers were relieved. Zhang Bu invited Sun Xiu to ascend the Tower of Five Phoenixes. Ding Feng, Wei Miao, Shi Shuo, and others brought in Sun Chen's brothers under arrest; Sun Xiu ordered all their families executed in public. The members of his paternal clan who were slain numbered in the hundreds. All branches of the clan were exterminated as well, and soldiers were ordered to reopen the tomb of Sun Jun and mutilate and expose his corpse. At the same time Zhuge Ke, Teng Yin, Lü Ju, Wang Chun, and their murdered families were reburied in newly constructed tombs to commemorate their loyalty. Their relatives who had been charged and exiled to remote areas were amnestied and returned to their lands. Ding Feng and those around him received fiefs and handsome rewards.
Mounted Southland couriers carried reports of these developments to Chengdu. In response, Second Emperor Liu Shan sent a congratulatory delegation to Sun Xiu, and Sun Xiu sent his envoy, Xue Xu, to reciprocate the courtesy. When Xue Xu returned from the Riverlands, the ruler of Wu asked him to report on recent developments in that kingdom. Xue Xu told Sun Xiu: "The eunuch Huang Hao has recently acquired great authority, and the majority of the elder lords cater to his demands. In the court not an honest word is heard; throughout the countryside the people look starved. Theirs is a case of 'sparrows in the eaves unaware that the mansion is about to burn down. '" With a sigh Sun Xiu said, "The Martial Lord Zhuge Liang would never have let this happen." The ruler of Wu drew up another official letter to Liu Shan and had it carried to Chengdu. It told of Sima Zhao's imminent usurpation of Wei, the threats to the south and the west that would ensue, and the defensive preparations both kingdoms should make.
No sooner had Jiang Wei learned of the Southland's letter than he promptly submitted a memorial proposing an expedition against the kingdom of Wei. By the calendar of Shu-Han it was winter, the first year of the reign period Jing Yao (a. d. 258-59).4 Supreme Commander Jiang Wei put Liao Hua and Zhang Yi in the vanguard, made Wang Han and Jiang Bin left commanders, and Jiang Shu and Fu Qian right commanders. Hu Ji served as coordinator of the rear; Jiang Wei himself and Xiahou Ba commanded the central army. All told, two hundred thousand were mobilized. The commanders took respectful leave of the Second Emperor and proceeded to Hanzhong.
In consultation over the first place to attack, Xiahou Ba said to Jiang Wei, "The Qishan hills is the place to wage war. Let us advance there. The late prime minister conducted six major offensives from the hills. No other place affords such access to the Guanzhong plain." On this advice Jiang Wei ordered all armies to set out for the hills. They arrived and camped at the entrance to the gorge.
At this time Deng Ai was in his fort in the Qishan hills reviewing the Longyou legions. Suddenly a swift courier arrived and informed him that Riverlands armies had pitched camp at the gorge. Deng Ai climbed to a high point to observe enemy positions; then he returned to his tent and said with delight, "Exactly as I expected!" It happened that after surveying the terrain, Deng Ai had purposely left clear ground for the Riverlands armies to pitch their camps on. Under the ground Deng Ai had had a tunnel dug reaching back to his own position, and he had been waiting for the Riverlands force to arrive so that he could reap the benefit of these preparations.
Jiang Wei came to the gorge and established three positions. The secret tunnel ran through the left position, where Wang Han and Jiang Bin were camped. Deng Ai summoned his son Zhong to lead a strike force of ten thousand parallel to a like force led by Shi Zuan. Deng Ai next ordered Deputy Commander Zheng Lun to have five hundred sappers bore through from the main tunnel to the left camp at the second watch and emerge behind the enemy's command tent.
Wang Han and Jiang Bin, their fortifications still incomplete, were sleeping in full armor for fear the northern troops would strike. Suddenly they heard a great commotion in the center of the camp; swiftly, weapons readied, they took to their horses. From beyond the perimeter Deng Zhong was leading an attack. Caught between the enemy without and within, Wang Han and Jiang Bin fought desperately but failed to hold their ground and fled the camp. In his command tent Jiang Wei heard the disturbance in the left army's camp. Anticipating a coordinated attack, he swiftly mounted and positioned himself in front of his tent. Then he issued a command: "Death to anyone who makes a reckless move. The moment enemy troops come alongside the camp, ask no questions, just shoot them down with bows and crossbows." At the same time he ordered the camp on the right to make no rash moves.
In the event, the northerners made more than ten sallies against the camp; each time the defenders' arrows turned them back. As dawn broke, the northerners still had failed to penetrate the Riverlands position. Finally Deng Ai recalled his troops to camp and said with a sigh, "Jiang Wei has a deep knowledge of Kongming's art. His men got through the night without succumbing to fear; his commanders listened to the upheaval without losing discipline. This shows he is a superb general."
The next day Wang Han and Jiang Bin gathered their defeated troops and presented themselves in front of the main camp, heads to the ground, pleading for forgiveness. Jiang Wei said to them, "Not knowing this terrain was my fault, not yours." Then he assigned forces to the two generals and ordered them to resecure the camp. That done, Jiang Wei had the corpses of his slaughtered soldiers piled up in the tunnel and sealed.
The next day Jiang Wei issued Deng Ai a challenge to battle. Deng Ai responded eagerly. The two forces formed their lines before the Qishan hills. Relying on the eightfold order of battle he had learned from Kongming, Jiang Wei deployed in the pattern of Heaven—Earth—Wind—Cloud—Bird—Snake—Dragon—Tiger. Deng Ai rode forth and, observing that Jiang Wei's array conformed to the eight trigrams, deployed his own in a like formation: left and right, van and rear, the articulation of the units was identical.
Grasping his spear, Jiang Wei galloped forth and shouted, "You mimic my order. But have you mastered its movements?" "Do you think only you can use the eightfold battle plan? If I can deploy, be sure I can maneuver!" Deng Ai retorted with a smile. Then he turned and rode back into his line. There he ordered the control officers to work their semaphore flags and display the sixty-four variations into which the eight orders could be maneuvered. Then Deng Ai reemerged from his line and asked, "What do you think of the maneuvers?"
Jiang Wei replied, "Close to the
mark! All the same, do you think you can encircle my order?" "Why not?" Deng Ai responded. The two armies approached one another marching in formation. Deng Ai directed his force from the central army. The two armies clashed but maintained their formations. Jiang Wei moved to the center of his force and waved his signal flag. At once the Riverlands soldiers assumed the order called "Serpent Coiled on the Ground," wrapping themselves around Deng Ai and shouting mightily. Deng Ai did not recognize the formation and began to panic. The Riverlands soldiers slowly closed in. Deng Ai led an attempt to break out, but he failed. All the northerners heard was "Surrender at once, Deng Ai!" Deng Ai looked to Heaven and said, "I momentarily flaunted my ability, and now Jiang Wei has trapped me."
Suddenly from the northwest a band of soldiers attacked. Recognizing his own men, Deng Ai came out fighting, coordinating with his opportune rescuer, Sima Wang. But by the time Wang had brought Deng Ai to safety, the Riverlands troops had seized all nine of Ai's northern positions in the Qishan hills. Deng Ai retreated in defeat and pitched camp south of the River Wei. Deng Ai said to Sima Wang, "How were you able to rescue me out of his encircling formation?" Sima Wang answered, "As a youth I traveled to Jingzhou and became friends with Cui Zhouping and Shi Guangyuan, who once explained the formation to me.5 The position Jiang Wei used, 'Serpent Coiled on the Ground, ' is vulnerable at only one point. I noticed its 'head' in the northwest and attacked it. It broke apart easily." Gratefully Deng Ai said, "Although I have studied the orders of battle, I don't really understand their transformations. Since you do, my lord, could you use the maneuver to retake our positions in the Qishan hills?" "What I know couldn't fool Jiang Wei," Sima Wang replied. Deng Ai went on, "Then tomorrow pit your line against his, and I will surprise them in the Qishan hills from the rear. A brief battle should win back our camps for us."
And so Deng Ai sent Zheng Lun out as the vanguard while he slipped into the Qishan hills behind the enemy. Simultaneously Deng Ai sent a letter challenging Jiang Wei to a contest of the orders of battle.
Jiang Wei accepted the challenge and said to his commanders, "According to secret texts I have received from the Martial Lord Kongming, this deployment has three hundred and sixty-five transformations following the days of the year. Deng Ai's calling me to battle is a case of 'flaunting one's prowess before one's master. ' Nonetheless, the northerners have set a trap in all this. Can you see it?" Liao Hua said, "They mean to surprise the rear while luring us into the contest." With a smile Jiang Wei said, "Exactly." He sent Zhang Yi and Liao Hua with ten thousand men into ambush behind the hills.
The next day Jiang Wei pulled up all nine camps and deployed his men in front of the Qishan hills. Sima Wang led his soldiers forward to the hills some distance from the river; then he rode forth to speak with Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei said, "You proposed the contest. You demonstrate first." Sima Wang deployed in the order of the eight trigrams. Jiang Wei smiled and said, " That is the same order I used. You are merely copying me. We're not impressed." Sima Wang answered, "You have stolen the methods of someone else yourself." Jiang Wei asked, "How many maneuvers in this order?" "If I can deploy, be sure I can maneuver. There are eighty-one maneuvers to the formation." "Then try," Jiang Wei retorted.
Sima Wang returned to his line and performed several maneuvers; then he reemerged and demanded, "Do you recognize them?" Jiang Wei smiled and said, "My orders of battle have three hundred and sixty-five maneuvers following the cycle of days. You are the proverbial frog in the well who sees but a corner of the sky. What would you know of the arcana of formations and maneuvers?" Sima Wang knew well enough that he had not mastered the maneuver, but with forced bravado he said, "I do not believe it. Try and perform the maneuvers." Jiang Wei answered, "Have Deng Ai come forth and I will show him." "General Deng has his own sound tactics; orders of battle do not interest him," Sima Wang said. Jiang Wei laughed and said, "What sound tactics? Having you lure me into deploying here while he raids my rear?" Astonished, Sima Wang was about to advance and engage when Jiang Wei, with a flick of his whip handle, called forth his two wing forces. They did battle with the northerners who fled for dear life, leaving behind their armor and weapons.
Meanwhile, Deng Ai was pressing the vanguard leader Zheng Lun to surprise the westerners from behind. Zheng Lun had just come around a hill when a bombard sounded and the call of horns rent the air. Troops came out from ambush, their leader Liao Hua. Before the two commanders could exchange words, the horses closed and Liao Hua cut Zheng Lun down with a single sword stroke. Deng Ai panicked and fled; Zhang Yi came in for the kill. Caught in a double attack, the Wei troops were badly defeated. Deng Ai dashed ahead to save his life, four arrows stuck in him. As he reached his camp at the River Wei, Sima Wang arrived, and the two generals worked out a plan for withdrawing the army. Sima Wang said, "Recently the ruler of Shu, Liu Shan, made the palace eunuch Huang Hao his favorite, and now Shan spends all his time in drink and dalliance. We should be able to sow dissension in Shu and get Jiang Wei recalled. That would end our difficulties."
Deng Ai put the proposal to his counselors: "Who will go into the Riverlands and open a channel to Huang Hao?" As he was speaking, a man responded, "I volunteer." Deng Ai studied the man, Dang Jun of Xiangyang. Well pleased, Deng Ai ordered Dang Jun to carry gold, pearls, and precious articles to Chengdu and open relations with Huang Hao; at the same time Dang Jun was to spread the rumor that Jiang Wei felt so wronged by the Riverlands Emperor that he would shortly enter the service of Wei. As a result of Dang Jun's mission, people all over Chengdu were soon repeating the false rumor. Huang Hao petitioned the Second Emperor to summon Jiang Wei home at once.
Jiang Wei had been issuing daily calls to battle, but Deng Ai maintained his defense and would not respond. Jiang Wei wondered what was wrong when the envoy from Chengdu arrived with the edict commanding him to return to court. Puzzled, he had no choice but to bring the army home to the capital. Deng Ai and Sima Wang realized that Jiang Wei had been deceived, so they roused their troops to harry the retreating western army. Indeed:
Yue Yi was dealt many a check in Qi;
And Yue Fei was slandered after defeating the foe.6
Which side would win, which would lose?
Read on.
114
Cao Mao Is Slaughtered in His Carriage at South Capital Gateway;
Jiang Wei Sacrifices Grain to Defeat the Wei Army
Jiang Wei had given the order to retreat, but Liao Hua argued, "'A commander in the field may ignore the king's command. ' Edict or no edict, we should not move. '' Zhang Yi responded," Long, hard years our Riverlands men have been fighting for their supreme commander, and each has his tale of woe. After such a victory we should bring the army home and comfort the people while we plan for another day. "" Agreed, " Jiang Wei said and ordered the units to withdraw in proper order. Jiang Wei commanded Liao Hua and Zhang Yi to secure the rear against a raid by the Wei army.
Meanwhile, Deng Ai had started out in hot pursuit. But at the sight of the flags and ensigns in perfect array as the Riverland forces made their slow and orderly retreat, he said with a sigh, "Jiang Wei has learned well the tricks of the late Martial Lord." Deng Ai broke off the chase and took his troops back to the Qishan camps.
By this time Jiang Wei had reached Chengdu. He entered the presence of the Second Emperor and asked the reason for his recall. The Emperor said, "So long a stint at the front without home leave wearies the men—no other reason." Jiang Wei said, "I had already taken the enemy positions in the Qishan hills. Victory stood within sight. It makes no sense to have to stop mid-course—unless some discord-sowing deception of Deng Ai's is the cause." The Second Emperor kept silent. Jiang Wei addressed the Emperor again: "Your vassal is sworn to suppress the traitors and requite the dynasty's love. Let Your Majesty give no further heed to the purposes of opportunists who sow mistrust and anxiety." After a good while the Second Emperor said, "I do not mistrust you. You may return to Hanzhong. Remain vigilant for any favorable change in the Wei go
vernment; then attack." With a long sigh Jiang Wei left the court and headed for Hanzhong.
Dang Jun reported these events back to the Qishan camp; Deng Ai said to Sima Wang, "These divisions in the west between liege and vassal foretell a coup." Deng Ai ordered Dang Jun to Luoyang to inform Sima Zhao, who, delighted by the troubles in the Riverlands, began planning its conquest. Zhao asked Jia Chong, commissioner of the Central Army, "What do you think of attacking the Riverlands?" Jia Chong replied, " It is not yet time. Your Lordship has yet to win the Son of Heaven's full trust. To go to war with insufficient preparation will give your enemies at court the upper hand. Some years ago a yellow dragon was twice observed in the well by Ningling. All the vassals congratulated the Emperor, supposing it to be a favorable omen. But the Son of Heaven said, 'It is not auspicious. The dragon signifies the liege. If the liege is not in the heavens and not in the fields but trapped in a well instead, it signifies eclipse and confinement. ' So saying, the Emperor composed the 'Ode on the Submerged Dragon. ' The intent of the poem clearly points to you, my lord. It goes:
Weep for the dragon when he's ta'en,
And cannot prance beneath the waves,
Nor mount up on the Milky Way,
Three Kingdoms Page 150
