Three Kingdoms Romance

by Guanzhong Luo

  Said Jiang Wei, “When our army were defeated not long ago, they still desired to overrun the whole north. Now our opponents have been overcome, and that has broken the spirit of their army, and this city can be easily captured. Do not damp the spirit of my soldiers.”

  So it was decided to attack Didao.

  Chen Tai, General Who Conquers the West and Commander of Yongzhou, was just about to set out to avenge the defeat of Wang Jing when Deng Ai, Imperial Protector of Yanzhou, arrived with his army. Chen Tai welcomed him, and when Deng Ai had said he had come by imperial edict to assist to defeat the army of Shu, Chen Tai asked his plans.

  Deng Ai replied, “They are victors on River Yao. If they enlist the aid of the Qiangs to cause a diversion in Longyou and Guanzhong and also obtain the support of the four counties, it will be a misfortune for us. If they do not think of that, but try to take Didao, they will only fritter away their energies against a place too strongly

  fortified for them to capture. Let us now array our force along the Xiangling Mountain, and then we can advance and smite them. We shall get a victory.”

  “That is well said!” cried Chen Tai.

  Then twenty cohorts of fifty soldiers each were told off to find their way secretly to the southeast of Didao and there hide in the valleys. They were then to display many ensigns and sound trumpets as if they were a very large force, and make huge fires at night, so as to cause anxiety among the enemy. And thus they waited for the troops of Shu to come, while Chen Tai and Deng Ai marched with forty thousand troops against the Shu army.

  The army of Shu had marched to Didao and begun the siege around the whole circuit of the walls. At the end of many days the fall of the city seemed no nearer, and Jiang Wei began to fret. He could think of no plan likely to succeed. One eventide a horseman came in to report the approach of two armies, and the names on the banners were Chen Tai and Deng Ai.

  Jiang Wei called in his colleague Xiahou Ba, who said, “I have spoken to you of Deng Ai many times. He is perspicacious, valiant, resourceful, and has always delighted in the study of military topography. As he is coming, we shall have to put forth all our energies.”

  Jiang Wei replied, “We will attack before he can get a foothold and while his soldiers are fatigued with the march.”

  So Zhang Yi was left to carry on the siege while the two leaders went out to meet the new armies. Jiang Wei went against Deng Ai, and Xiahou Ba against Chen Tai.

  Before Jiang Wei had marched far, the stillness was broken by the roar of a bomb, and at once all about the Shu army arose the rolling of drums and the blare of trumpets, soon followed by flames that shot up to the very sky. Jiang Wei rode to the front and saw the ensigns of Wei all about him.

  “I have fallen into a trap set by Deng Ai!” cried he.

  He sent orders to Xiahou Ba and Zhang Yi to withdraw immediately while he would cover their retreat. When they had retired, he followed them into Hanzhong, harassed all along the road by the sounds of marching soldiers and glimpses of enemy banners. But these enemies never attacked; and it was only after the army had retreated to Saber Pass that Jiang Wei knew all this was make-believe.

  He camped in Zhongti. For his services and success on River Yao, Jiang Wei was rewarded with the rank of Regent Marshal. As soon as the ceremonies connected with his promotion were ended, he began again to talk of an expedition against Wei.

  Remember enough is as good as a feast,

  Having sketched a good snake don't add legs to the beast;

  And in fighting remember that others are bold,

  And tigers have claws though their teeth may be old.

  The result of the new expedition will be told in the next chapter.

  CHAPTER 111. Deng Ai Outwits Jiang Wei;Zhuge Dan Rises Up Against Sima Zhao.

  Jiang Wei camped at Zhongti. The army of Wei camped outside Didao. Wang Jing welcomed Chen Tai and Deng Ai and prepared a banquet to celebrate the raising of the siege and also rewarded the army with gifts. Then Chen Tai sent up a memorial to the Ruler of Wei, Cao Mao, eulogizing the magnificent services of Deng Ai, who was rewarded with the title General Who Pacifies the West. For the time, Deng Ai was left in the west. He and Chen Tai placed their men in cantonments in Yongzhou, Xizhou, and the counties round about.

  After Deng Ai had rendered his thanks to the Emperor, Chen Tai spread a great feast in his honor, and in congratulating his guest, said, “Jiang Wei slipped off in the night because he was broken, and he will never dare to return.”

  “I think he will,” replied Deng Ai, smiling. “I can give five reasons why he should.”

  “What are they?”

  “First, although the soldiers of Shu have retired, they have the self-possessed and confident look of holding the victory; our soldiers are really weak and broken. Second, the soldiers of Shu were trained and inspirited by Zhuge Liang and are easy to mobilize; our generals are all of different periods of service, and our army indifferently trained. Third, the Shu soldiers often use boats for traveling; ours do all their journeys on land, so that while one army moves at leisure and the troops arrive fresh, those of the other arrive fatigued with marching. Fourth, again, Didao, Longxi, Nanan, and Qishan are all places suitable for defense or use as battle fields, and thus the army of Shu can conceal their intentions and strike where they will; we have to remain on guard at many points, thus dividing our forces. When they concentrate, they have only to reckon with a part of our force. And fifth, if they come out by way of Longxi and Nanan, they have the grain of the Qiangs to depend upon; and if they choose Qishan, they have the wheat there. These are the five reasons why they should make another expedition.”

  Chen Tai was overcome with the clear vision of his new colleague.

  “Sir, your foresight is godlike. I think we need feel no anxiety about what the enemy can achieve.”

  The two leaders became the best of friends in spite of the difference of age. Deng Ai spent his time in training the army, and garrisons were placed at all points where surprise attacks seemed possible.

  There was feasting also at Zhongti, and the occasion was taken to discuss a new attack on Wei.

  But Fan Jian opposed. “General, your expeditions have partly failed many times; you have never scored a complete victory. But now on River Yao the army of Wei recognize your superiority, and why should you try again? There is small chance of success, and you risk all you have gained.”

  Jiang Wei replied, “You all regard only the largeness and population of Wei and the time necessary for conquest, but you do not see five reasons for victory.”

  The assembly asked what these were.

  “First, the fighting spirit of the soldiers of Wei has been badly broken on River Yao, while that of our soldiers, although we retired, is unimpaired. If we attack, we shall certainly succeed. Second, our soldiers can travel in boats and so will not be wearied with marching; their soldiers have to march to meet us. Third, our soldiers are thoroughly trained; theirs are recruits, a mere flock of crows, quite undisciplined. Fourth, when we go out by Qishan, we can seize upon the autumn wheat for food. Finally, they are scattered, having to defend various points, while we can concentrate on any point we wish, and they will find it difficult to bring up reinforcements. If we miss this chance, can we hope for a better?”

  Xiahou Ba said, “Deng Ai is young, but he is deep and crafty. He has certainly taken great pains to secure the regions under his charge as General Who Pacifies the West. Victory will not be so easy as it was before.”

  “Why should I fear him?” cried Jiang Wei, angrily. “You should not laud the spirit of the enemy and belittle that of our own soldiers. But in any case I have made up my mind and shall take Longxi.”

  No one dared to offer any further opposition. Jiang Wei himself led the first army; the others followed in due order, and thus the soldiers of Shu marched out of Zhongti to Qishan.

  Before they could reach Qishan, the scouts reported the hills already occupied by the armies of Wei. Jiang Wei rode forw
ard to verify this, and, surely enough, he saw the Wei camps, nine in number, stretching over the hills like a huge serpent, and all arranged to give each other support.

  “Xiahou Ba spoke only too well,” said he. “The plan of those camps is excellent and only our Zhuge Liang could have laid them out with equal skill.”

  Returning to his own army, he said to his officers, “They must have known of my coming, and I think Deng Ai is here too. Now from this as base you are to send out daily small reconnoitering parties showing my banner, but different flags and uniforms, blue, yellow, red, white, and black, in turns. While you are thus distracting attention, I will lead the main army by Dongting to attack Nanan.”

  Bao Su was sent to camp at the mouth of the Qishan Mountain Valley while the main army marched.

  As soon as Deng Ai had heard that the enemy would come out at Qishan, he had camped there with his colleague Chen Tai. But when days had passed without anyone coming to fling a challenge, he sent out spies to find out where the Shu army was lurking. They could find nothing, and so Deng Ai went to the summit of a hill to look around.

  He came to the conclusion, saying, “Jiang Wei must not be in this camp. He must be on his way to capture Nanan. Those soldiers in the Shu camp were nothing but a feint, accentuated by the daily change of uniform. Going to and fro for days, the horses look tired, and their leaders are certainly none of the ablest. Therefore, General, I advise an attack here. If that succeeds, the Dongting road can be occupied, and Jiang Wei will be unable to retreat. I think I ought to try to relieve Nanan. I will go by the Wucheng Mountain, and if I occupy that, the enemy will try to take Shanggui. Near that place is a narrow and precipitous valley called Block Valley, just the place for an ambush, where I shall lie in wait till Jiang Wei comes to take the Wucheng Mountain.”

  Chen Tai replied, “I have been here over twenty years and have never known so much of the military possibilities of the place. You are very wonderful and must carry out your plan.”

  So Deng Ai marched toward Nanan by double marches. Soon they came to the Wucheng Mountain, where they camped without opposition. He sent his son Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan, each leading five thousand troops, to lie in wait in the Block Valley and not to betray their presence.

  In the meantime Jiang Wei was marching between Dongting and Nanan.

  Near the Wucheng Mountain, he turned to Xiahou Ba and said, “That hill is our point, and Nanan is close. I fear lest the artful Deng Ai may seize and fortify it.”

  They hastened, anxious to reach the hill before the enemy. But it was not to be. Presently they heard the roar of bombs and the beating of drums, and then flags and banners appeared, all of Wei. And among them fluttered the leader's standard, bearing the name “Deng Ai.”

  This was a sad disappointment. The army of Shu halted, and veteran soldiers of Wei came rushing down from various points on the hill, too many for the troops of Shu to drive back. So the advance guard was defeated. Jiang Wei went to their help with his central body, but when he got near, the soldiers of Wei had retreated up to the hill.

  Jiang Wei went on to the foot of the hill and challenged, but no one came out to accept. The soldiers of Shu began to shout abuse, and kept it up till late in the day, but they failed to provoke a fight. As the army of Shu began to retire, the Wei drums beat furiously, yet no one appeared. Jiang Wei turned about to ascend the hill, but its defenders prevented that by stones thrown from above. He hung on till the third watch, when he tried again. But he failed. Thereupon he went down the hill and halted, bidding his soldiers build a barricade of wood and boulders. The troops of Wei came on again, and the Shu troops scrambled to run to the old camp.

  Next day Jiang Wei brought up many transport wagons and placed them on the slope as the nucleus of a camp. But in the night a number of Wei troops came down with torches and set fire to them. A fight ensued, which lasted till dawn.

  Seeing that a camp could not be made there, Jiang Wei retired to consider new plans with Xiahou Ba.

  “Since we cannot take Nanan, our next best plan is to try for Shanggui, which is the storehouse of Nanan.”

  Leaving Xiahou Ba on the hill, Jiang Wei led a force of veteran soldiers and bold officers along the road toward Shanggui. They marched all night, and dawn found them in a deep valley, which the guides said was Block Valley.

  “That sounds too much like 'Cut-off Valley,'“ said Jiang Wei. “And if a force held the mouth, we should be in sorry straits.”

  While hesitating whether to advance farther or not, the leading troops came back to say they had seen a cloud of dust beyond the hills, which seemed to indicate a body of soldiers in hiding. So the order was given to retire.

  At that moment the armies under Shi Zuan and Deng Zhong came out and attacked. Jiang Wei, alternately fighting and retreating, tried to get away. Then Deng Ai himself appeared, and the Shu army had enemies on three sides. They were in grave danger, but Xiahou Ba came to their rescue, and so Jiang Wei escaped.

  Jiang Wei proposed to return to Qishan, but Xiahou Ba said, “We cannot go thither, for Chen Tai has destroyed the force under Bao Su, and he himself was killed. All that was left of that army has gone back into Hanzhong.”

  It was no longer a question of taking the Dongting road. Jiang Wei sought out by-roads to march along. Deng Ai came in pursuit, and as he pressed hard on the rear, Jiang Wei sent the others on ahead while he covered the retreat.

  Soon Chen Tai came out from the hills, and Jiang Wei was surrounded by a shouting body of the enemy. He fought all directions, but could not clear the way. He and his horse were very weary when Zhang Ni, who had heard of his straits, came to his rescue with a body of cavalry. Zhang Ni cut his way in, and Jiang Wei immediately broke the siege and got out. Zhang Ni saved his general, but lost his own life in the melee. Finally Jiang Wei got back into Hanzhong.

  From Hanzhong the death of Zhang Ni in battle was reported to the Latter Ruler, who bestowed suitable honors upon his family. The Shu people blamed Jiang Wei for the serious loss of life of their relatives in the military operations that had just failed, and Jiang Wei, following the precedent in Jieting of the late Lord of Wuxiang, asked that he himself should be degraded in rank, retaining, however, the command. He was put back to General of the Rear Army.

  The country being now cleared of the enemy, Chen Tai and Deng Ai prepared a banquet in honor of victory and gave rewards to the soldiers who had fought. Chen Tai sent a memorial to the capital upon the services of Deng Ai, and a special commission of Sima Zhao brought Deng Ai higher rank; the title of lordship was given to his son, Deng Zhong.

  At this time the style of the reign in Wei was changed from Right Origin, the third year, to Gentle Dew, the first year (AD 256). Sima Zhao commanded all the military forces and made himself Empire Commander-in-Chief. He assumed great pomp, and whenever he moved outside his palace, he was escorted by three thousand mail-clad guards, beside squadrons of cavalry. All power lay in his hands, and he decided all questions so that the court was rather in his palace than in that of the Emperor.

  Plans for taking the final step constantly occupied his thoughts. The question of mounting the throne was openly mooted by Jia Chong, a confidant, who was a son of Commander Jia Kui.

  Jia Chong said, “Sir, all real authority is in your hands, and the country is not tranquil. The only remedy is for you to become actual ruler, and you should find out who are your supporters.”

  Sima Zhao replied, “This has been in my thoughts a long time. You might be my emissary to the east to find out the feeling there. You can pretend you go to thank the soldiers who took part in the late campaign. That would be a good pretext.”

  Accordingly Jia Chong traveled into the South of River Huai, where he saw Zhuge Dan, General Who Guards the East. This officer was from Nanyang and a cousin of the late Lord of Wuxiang, Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Dan had gone to Wei for employment, but had received no significant office while Zhuge Liang was the Prime minister of Shu. After Zhuge Liang's death, Zhuge Dan's prom
otion was rapid. He was now Lord of Gaoping and Commander of the south and east of River Huai.

  Jia Chong went to Zhuge Dan to ask him to convey to the army the appreciation of the soldiers' services. Jia Chong was received courteously, and at a banquet, when host and guest were both mellow with wine, Jia Chong set himself to discover Zhuge Dan's feelings.

  Jia Chong said, “Lately in Luoyang there has been much talk of the weakness and lack of ability of the Emperor and his unfitness to rule. Now General Sima Zhao comes of a family noted for state service for three generations. His own services and virtues are high as the heavens, and he is the man best fitted to take the rulership of Wei. Is this not your opinion?”

  But Zhuge Dan did not favor the suggestion. On the contrary, he broke out angrily, “You are a son of Jia Kui of Yuzhou, and your family have received the bounty of Wei. Yet you dare speak of rebellion!”

  Jia Chong said, “I only repeat what people have said.”

  Zhuge Dan said, “If the state is in difficulty, then one ought to stand up for it even to the death.”

  Jia Chong said no more. He soon returned and told Sima Zhao what had been said.

  “The rat!” cried Sima Zhao, angrily.

  “Zhuge Dan is exceedingly popular there in the South of River Huai; and if he is left too long, he will do harm.”

  Sima Zhao began to take measures. He wrote privately to Yue Chen, Imperial Protector of Yangzhou, and sent a messenger to Zhuge Dan with an edict making him Minister of Works. This meant that Zhuge Dan had to come to the capital.

  But Zhuge Dan knew that Jia Chong had done him mischief, and he interrogated the messenger, who told him that Yue Chen knew all about the matter.

  “How does he know?”

  “General Sima Zhao sent him a private letter.”

  The messenger was condemned to death. Then Zhuge Dan placed himself at the head of his personal guard and marched to Yangzhou. The city gates were closed and the drawbridge raised. He summoned the gate, but no one answered.