The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (39 page)

Then he left two officers to guard the newly taken cities of Nanan and Anding, while Wei Yan and his men were to capture Tianshui.

Now let us look back and find out what was happening in Tianshui. When Ma Zun, Prefect of Tianshui, heard of the besieging of Nanan and Xiahou Mao’s predicament, he called a council to discuss the matter. Several of his subordinates strongly advised him to send a rescue force without delay.

“If anything should happen to the imperial son-in-law we will be held guilty of having made no attempt to save him,” they argued. “Why not dispatch our entire force to his rescue?”

Ma Zun was still pondering over what was best to do when it was announced that Xiahou Mao’s trusty officer, Pei Xu, had arrived. The messenger was summoned before the prefect, to whom he showed the document and said, “The general wishes the two districts of Tianshui and Anding to dispatch rescue forces immediately.” Then he hurriedly went away. The next day came another messenger who said that the Anding men had set out and urged Ma Zun to lead his men to join them. The prefect then decided to take action.

But just then a man suddenly walked in and said, “Sir, you have fallen into Zhuge Liang’s trap.”

The speaker was Jiang Wei, son of a former local official who had died in the Emperor’s service during a riot of the Qiang tribesmen. Since childhood Jiang Wei had read very widely, and was also skilled in martial arts and military strategies. His filial piety to his mother won him much esteem from his fellow men. Later he was employed in the local government and held a military rank.

Jiang Wei said to the prefect, “I hear Zhuge Liang has defeated General Xiahou, who is now so completely besieged in Nanan that even a single drop of water cannot escape. How then can this messenger have got out? Secondly, none of us has heard the name Pei Xu, let alone met him. And thirdly, this other messenger from Anding did not have any official document. Judging from these facts I think the men must be impostors sent to beguile you into leaving the city undefended. And they must have placed an ambush near here. After you set out, they will come to capture the city.”

The prefect began to understand. “I would have fallen into their vile trick if not for you.”

Jiang Wei said with a smile, “But do not be anxious—I have a scheme by which we can capture Zhuge Liang and relieve Nanan.”

However cleverly one may scheme and design,
An unexpected rival comes to spoil your plan.

Jiang Wei’s strategy will be disclosed in the next chapter.

CHAPTER NINETY-THREE

Jiang Wei Submits to Zhuge Liang

Zhuge Liang Reviles Wang Lang to Death

J
iang
Wei explained his scheme to the prefect in the following way: “Zhuge Liang must have placed an ambush somewhere near and, after our soldiers are inveigled into leaving our city, his men will take the advantage to seize it. Now give me 3,000 veterans, and I will place them in ambush at a key point. Then you, sir, can lead your men out, but do not go far. Turn back after thirty
li
. When you see the signal fire I raise, join me in attacking the enemy from the front and the rear. If Zhuge Liang is there we will capture him.”

The prefect adopted this plan and gave the required number of men to Jiang Wei, who departed at once. Then he and an officer, named Liang Qian, led the remaining soldiers out to wait for the agreed signal. Only two civil officials, Liang Xu and Yin Shang, were left to guard the city.

Just as Jiang Wei had predicted, Zhuge Liang had sent Zhao Yun to lie in ambush among some hills to wait till the Tianshui men left the city to capture it. That day his spies reported the departure of the prefect. Greatly pleased, Zhao Yun at once sent on the news to two of his colleagues, Zhang Yi and Gao Xiang, and told them to intercept Ma Zun. These two officers had been lying in wait for that purpose at the order of Zhuge Liang.

Zhao Yun and his 5,000 men then quickly marched to the city wall and called out, “I am Zhao Zi-long of Changshan. You have fallen into our trap, you know. Surrender quickly, and you may save your lives.”

But instead of being alarmed Liang Xu laughed loudly, saying, “On the contrary, you have fallen into our trap—only you do not know it yet.”

Zhao Yun was about to begin the attack on the city when suddenly a tremendous shouting broke out and roaring flames shot up all around. And there appeared a youthful officer on a bucking steed, armed with a spear.

“Jiang Wei of Tianshui is here!” he cried.

Zhao Yun raised his spear and rode directly at him. After a few bouts Jiang Wei seemed to fight with redoubled strength, and Zhao Yun, very much surprised, thought to himself, “Why, I never expected to find such a warrior here in Tianshui!” As the combat went on, the prefect and Liang Qian came back to join in the battle. Zhao Yun, finding himself caught in between enemy forces, set to cut his way through and led off his defeated men. He was pursued, but the timely intervention of his two colleagues helped him get away safely.

When Zhuge Liang heard of what had happened he was surprised. “Who is this person that has discovered my secret plan?”

A man from Nanan, who happened to be present, told him Jiang Wei’s name, his devotion to his mother, his courage and his wisdom, and his mastery in both books of learning and martial arts, concluding that he was the real hero of the day. Zhao Yun also praised him for his skill with the spear, which he said was quite different from any other warrior’s.

“I want to take Tianshui now,” said Zhuge Liang, “but I did not expect it to be guarded by such a man.” Then he marched his great army toward the city.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wei had gone back to see the prefect and said, “Zhao Yun’s defeat will bring Zhuge Liang here with the main body. He will expect us to be in the city. Therefore we can divide our force into four groups. I will lead one group to go into hiding on the east and intercept them when they come. You, with Liang Qian and Yin Shang, can prepare two ambushes outside the city. Leave Liang Xu and the common people to go up on the wall and defend the city.”

His plan was adopted and the arrangements made.

Now Zhuge Liang, concerned about Jiang Wei, took command of the advance guard himself and proceeded toward Tianshui. As the army drew near the city he gave the order to attack at once. He said, “The best policy to seize a city is to encourage the men to attack it on the day of arrival, accompanied by loud shouting and heavy rolling of drums. Any delay will wear down the men’s fighting spirit and spoil everything.”

So the army went straight to the city wall, where they saw an orderly display of flags and banners and they dared not attack at once but waited. At midnight, however, fires suddenly started up all around and a great shouting was heard. The men of Shu were wondering where the enemy had come from when they noticed that there were answering shouts from above the wall. Frightened, they began to run away. Zhuge Liang hastened to mount his horse and, with Guan Xing and Zhang Bao as escort, escaped from the danger. Looking behind, they saw a troop in the east, each man carrying a torch, winding along like a huge serpent. Zhuge Liang bade Guan Xing find out who they were, and when he heard that these were Jiang Wei’s men, he said with a sigh, “An army owes more to how it is commanded than to its number. This Jiang Wei really has the making of a great general.”

He led his army back to camp, where he mused for a long time. Then he summoned a native of Anding and asked, “Where does Jiang Wei’s mother live?”

“She lives in Jixian,” the man replied.

Zhuge Liang called in Wei Yan and said to him, “Take a troop and spread the tale that you are going to take Jixian. If Jiang Wei turns up, let him enter the city.”

“What is the most important place in this region?” asked Zhuge Liang of the Anding man again.

The man replied, “The money and grain of Tianshui are stored in Shanggui—if that place is taken, the supplies will be cut off.”

This was good news, so Zhao Yun was sent to attack Shanggui while Zhuge Liang made a camp some thirty
li
south of the city.

Spies took the news of the movements of these three forces into Tianshui. When Jiang Wei heard that one body of the enemy army was to attack Jixian he pleaded with the prefect to let him go to its defense, so that he might also protect his aged mother at the same time. The prefect granted his wish and he was given command of the defence of his hometown with 3,000 soldiers. At the same time Liang Qian was sent to defend Shanggui.

When Jiang Wei came to Jixian he encountered a cohort under Wei Yan. The two of them engaged in combat but after a few passes Wei Yan feigned defeat and ran away. Jiang Wei entered the city, where he closed the gates and prepared to maintain a strong defense. Then he went home to see his mother.

In the same way Zhao Yun allowed Liang Qian to enter Shanggui.

Then Zhuge Liang sent for his prisoner, Xiahou Mao, and, when he was brought to his tent, asked suddenly. “Are you afraid of death?”

Xiahou Mao prostrated himself and begged for his life.

“Well, Jiang Wei of Tianshui, who is now guarding Jixian, has sent a letter to say that he would surrender if only that would secure your safety. Now I am going to let you go if you agree to induce Jiang Wei to come over to me. Do you accept the condition?”

“I am willing to do that for you,” said Xiahou Mao.

Zhuge Liang then gave his prisoner clothing and a saddled horse, but let him ride away all by himself.

Having been set free, Xiahou Mao tried to get back to his own people but he did not know the way. Presently he came across some townsfolk, apparently in flight, and he questioned them.

“We are Jixian people,” they said. “Jiang Wei has surrendered the city to Zhuge Liang. The men of Shu are looting and burning, and we have escaped. We are going to Shanggui.”

“Do you know who is holding Tianshui?”

“Prefect Ma Zun,” they answered.

Hearing this, Xiahou Mao rode quickly toward Tianshui. On the way he met more people, leading sons and carrying daughters, who told him the same story. By and by he arrived at Tianshui, and, as he was recognized, the wardens hastened to open the gate for him, and the prefect came to greet him and asked in surprise of his adventure. He told him what Zhuge Liang had said about Jiang Wei and what he had heard from the fugitives.

“Well, I never thought Jiang Wei would have gone over to Shu,” said the prefect sadly.

“It seems he was only pretending to surrender in order to save you, General,” said Liang Xu. “But he has surrendered,” said Xiahou Mao. “How could it be just a pretense?”

They were all perplexed. At the first watch the men of Shu came to attack again. By the light of the flames, the men on the wall saw Jiang Wei underneath, armed with his spear and reining in his horse. He called out for Xiahou Mao.

Xiahou Mao and the prefect ascended the wall, where they saw Jiang Wei swaggering to and fro. Seeing them, he cried out, “I surrendered for your sake, General—why have you gone back on your word?”

“You have received Wei’s bounty—why did you surrender to Shu?” reproached Xiahou Mao. “And what do you mean by saying that I have gone back on my word?”

“How can you talk like that? Was it not you who sent me a letter telling me to surrender? To secure your own safety you have sacrificed me. But I have surrendered to Shu and now I am a general of a high rank. I see no sense in returning to Wei.”

So saying, he urged his men to attack the city and did not withdraw till dawn. (In fact, this Jiang Wei was but a Shu soldier in disguise. It was Zhuge Liang’s ruse to let it appear as if Jiang Wei had been leading the attack on the city. In the fire during the night no one could detect the disguise.)