The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (50 page)

Cao Zhen was very sad when he heard of the loss of Fei Yao.
He consulted Guo Huai for a new plan to drive back the enemy.

Meanwhile, messengers had gone to the capital with news of Zhuge Liang’s arrival at Qishan and Cao Zhen’s defeat.
Startled, Cao Rui summoned Sima Yi and asked him for advice.

“I have a scheme all prepared, not only to turn back Zhuge Liang, but to do so without any exertion on our part.
They will withdraw of their own accord.”

As Cao Zhen lacked any plans to succeed
Wei could only rely on Sima’s schemes.

Sima Yi’s scheme will be disclosed in the next chapter.

CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT

Pursuing the Shu Army, Wang Shuang Is Slain

Seizing Chencang, Zhuge Liang Wins a Victory

S
ima
Yi said to the Emperor, “I once mentioned to Your Majesty that Zhuge Liang would invade us by way of Chencang, so I sent Hao Zhao to guard it.
Now this has really happened. If Zhuge Liang invades us from that route, he could easily transport his supplies, but fortunately, with Hao Zhao and Wang Shuang on guard there, he will not dare to come that way.
It is very difficult to move supplies via any other route.
I give the invaders a month to exhaust their food supply.
Hence their advantage lies in forcing a battle whereas ours in postponing it as long as possible.
Your Majesty can order Cao Zhen to hold passes and positions tenaciously and on no account to seek open battle.
In a month the enemy will have to withdraw, and that will be our opportunity to capture Zhuge Liang.”

Cao Rui, pleased to hear so succinct an argument, asked, “Since you foresaw all this so clearly, why don’t you lead an army?”

“It is not because I grudge the effort, but I have to keep the army here to guard against Lu Xun of Wu.
Sun Quan will declare himself emperor before long.
If he does, he will make a preemptive attack against us because he is afraid Your Majesty will strike him, and I must be ready for when this happens.”

Just then one of the courtiers announced a dispatch from Cao Zhen on military affairs, and Sima Yi added, “Your Majesty should send someone especially to caution Commander Cao not to pursue the enemy unless he is sure of their real strength, and never to penetrate deep inside a heavily-guarded area.
Only thus can he avoid being tricked by Zhuge Liang.”

Accordingly, the Emperor sent Han Ji bearing a
jie
, or symbol of authority, to take an edict to Cao Zhen warning him against giving battle.
Sima Yi escorted the imperial messenger out of the city. At parting, he said: “I’m giving this opportunity to win glory to Cao Zhen, but don’t tell him the suggestion is mine.
Just say that it’s His Majesty’s idea that defense is the best and that he is not to send any impetuous man to pursue the enemy.”

Cao Zhen was in his tent discussing military affairs with his subordinates when the arrival of an imperial messenger was announced.
He went out to welcome him, and when the ceremony of receiving the edict was over, he retreated inside to consult Guo Huai and Sun Li.

“That’s Sima Yi’s idea,” said Guo Huai with a laugh.

“But is the idea good?” asked Cao Zhen.

“He seems to understand perfectly Zhuge Liang’s tactics in warfare.
Eventually it is he who will be able to guard our country against Shu.”

“But if the Shu army holds its ground?”

“We can secretly order Wang Shuang to reconnoiter along the byroads to intimidate them from
bringing up supplies that way.
They must retreat when they have run out of food, and we will pursue them then.
Our total victory is guaranteed.”

Here Sun Li offered a ruse.
“Let me go out to Qishan and pretend to be escorting a convoy of supplies, only the carts will be laden with combustibles instead of grain.
We will sprinkle sulfur and niter over wood and reeds.
Then we will spread the rumor that our supplies are being transported from Longxi.
If the men of Shu are short of grain, they will surely try to seize the convoy and when they come we will set fire to the carts.
At the same time, our hidden men will also rush out to ambush them.
We will beat them.”

“An excellent plan indeed,” exclaimed Cao Zhen in joy, and he authorized Sun Li to carry out his plan.
Subsequently he issued orders for Wang Shuang to patrol the byroads, Guo Huai to hold command in Qi Valley and Jieting, and other officers to hold various points of vantage.
Two officers, Zhang Hu, son of Zhang Liao, and Yue Lin, son of Yue Jin, were respectively appointed leader and deputy leader of the van to guard the outermost camp and ordered not to engage in battle with the enemy.

Now at Qishan Zhuge Liang sought to bring on a battle, and daily sent out officers to provoke a combat.
But the men of Wei would not come out.

Zhuge Liang called Jiang Wei and the others to him and said, “Presumably they think we are short of food so they refuse to fight.
Now our supply route through Chencang is blocked, and all the other roads are too narrow to pass.
I reckon the grain we brought with us will not last a month.
What is to be done?”

While thus preoccupied, there came a report that their enemy in Longxi had transported several thousand carts of grain to the west of Qishan. The convoy was commanded by Sun Li.

“What sort of man is he?” asked Zhuge Liang.

A man from Wei replied, “He is a man of courage.
Once he was with the Wei ruler on a hunting expedition on Great Rock Hill, when suddenly a tiger rushed toward the Emperor.
Sun Li jumped off his horse and killed the beast with his sword.
He was created a general as a reward.
He is one of Cao Zhen’s confidants.”

Zhuge Liang smiled.
“This is a ruse.
They know we are short of food, so they try to tempt us with those carts, which are undoubtedly laden with combustibles.
How can they dream of deceiving me by this ruse of fire when I have attacked by fire all my life?
They must have also planned to raid our camp if
we go to seize the convoy of carts.
But I will let them perish at their own game.”

Turning to Ma Dai, he said: “Take 3,000 soldiers and go to the enemy’s supply camp.
Don’t enter it, but only
start a fire windward.
When the grain catches fire, the soldiers of Wei will come to surround our camp.”

Then he sent Ma Zhong and Zhang Ni to wait outside the camp with 5,000 men each so that the enemy would be routed from both within and without.

After the three officers departed, he called in Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, to whom he said: “The outermost camp of Wei stands at an intersection of roads.
Tonight, when the enemy sees a blaze among the western hills, they will come to attack our camp, so you two are to lie in wait on the two sides of their camp and seize it when they have left.”

Next he summoned Wu Ban and Wu Yi.
“You’re to take one thousand men each and lie in wait outside the camp.
When they come to raid us, you’re to cut off their way of retreat.”

Having made these arrangements, Zhuge Liang took a seat high in the mountains to watch the results.

Scouts of Wei learned that their enemies were coming to seize the grain convoy and ran to tell Sun Li, who sent on the news to Cao Zhen.
The commander immediately alerted his two van leaders of this and ordered them to move out their men when they saw a blaze in the western hills, as that would mean that the men of Shu had arrived.
Following this instruction the two posted sentinels in the watchtower to look out for the expected blaze.

Meanwhile, Sun Li had hidden his men in the western hills to await the coming of the men of Shu.
That night, at the second watch, Ma Dai came very quietly with his 3,000 soldiers, the men muted with gags, the horses with a lashing round their muzzles.
They saw tier after tier of carts on the hills, making an enclosure like a walled camp, and on the carts were planted some flags for show.

They waited.
Presently a southwesterly wind blew up, and the fire was started.
Soon all the carts were in a blaze that lit up the sky.
Seeing the fire, Sun Li concluded that the men of Shu had arrived and that this was the signal to attack, so he dashed forward.
But soon two parties of soldiers were heard behind him, closing in.
These were Ma Zhong and Zhang Ni, who soon had Sun Li cornered.
Then he heard more ominous shouting, which heralded the approach of Ma Dai from the direction of the blaze.

Under these attacks the men of Wei quailed and gave way.
As the wind blew stronger the fire grew fiercer.
Men ran and horses stampeded, and the dead were too many to count.
Sun Li, leading the wounded, made a dash through the smoke and fire of the battle and got away.

When the two van leaders of Wei saw the fire, they threw open the gates of their camp and sallied forth to seize the Shu camp.
But when they reached there they found the place empty.
So they hastened to return.
At that moment Wu Ban and Wu Yi appeared and blocked their way of retreat.
After a desperate fight they succeeded in breaking through.
But when, at length, they returned to their own camp they were met by arrows flying thick as locusts—for Guan Xing and Zhang Bao had taken possession in their absence.

They could only set out for headquarters to report their mishap.
As they neared Cao Zhen’s camp they met another party of beaten men.
These were Sun Li and his men, and the three officers went into camp together and told their chief how they had been tricked.
Cao Zhen thereafter reinforced his camp and did not venture out to give battle.

The victorious men of Shu went back to see Zhuge Liang, who at once dispatched secret directions to Wei Yan.
Then he gave orders to break camp and retreat.
Surprised at this move, Yang Yi asked him why he wanted to withdraw after a victory so damaging to the enemy.

“Because we’re short of food,” explained Zhuge Liang, “and our success lies in a swift victory. But the enemy will not fight, and thus they weaken us day by day.
Though we have worsted them now they will soon be reinforced.
If they send their light cavalry to raid our provision routes, we won’t be able to retreat, even if we want to.
Now that they have been recently smitten and dare not confront us, we must take this occasion to do what they do not expect, and withdraw.
My only concern is Wei Yan, who is on the Chencang road holding off Wang Shuang, and cannot get away so easily.
But I have sent him a secret order to slay Wang Shuang, and then the men of Wei won’t dare to pursue.”

So the rear force retreated first, but to deceive the enemy the watchmen were left in the empty camp to beat the gongs through the night.
The whole army withdrew during the night.

Cao Zhen was depressed at his recent misfortune.
Suddenly he was told that Zhang He had arrived with troops.
Presently he entered the tent and said to Cao Zhen, “His Majesty has sent me here to receive your commands.”