The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation (43 page)

“Don’t you remember what the
Art of War
says? ‘Attack before the enemy is prepared; do what the enemy does not expect.’ How can he expect to have a month’s delay? Since he has received Cao Rui’s commission, Sima Yi has the authority to strike wherever there is rebellion. He will not have to wait to submit a memorial. Ten days after he learns of Meng Da’s defection his army will be upon him, and Meng Da will be caught unprepared.”

His words convinced Ma Su and the others of the graveness of the situation.

Zhuge Liang at once dispatched the messenger back with an urgent message to Meng Da: “If no action has been taken, do not let any of your colleagues know about your plan. Otherwise, it will fail.”

In his idle retreat in Wancheng, Sima Yi heard of the many battles the Wei army had lost to the men of Shu, and the news saddened him. He lifted up his eyes to Heaven and heaved a deep sigh.

He had two sons, Shi and Zhao, both ambitious, and both earnest students of books of war. On that occasion they were standing in attendance beside their father. The elder son asked, “Why do you sigh, Father?”

“What would you young people understand about important matters?”

“Is it because the lord of Wei does not use you?” asked Sima Shi.

“But they will send for you presently,” said Sima Zhao, smiling.

The prophecy was not long in fulfillment, for even as he spoke the bearer of the imperial edict was announced.

The edict was duly read to Sima Yi, who immediately set about mobilizing the troops in his own city. Soon afterwards there came a messenger from the Prefect of Jincheng with a secret message for him. Sima Yi took the man into a private chamber and was told in detail of Meng Da’s plan to defect. This information had been further verified by the confession of one of Meng Da’s confidants, named Li Fu, and his nephew, Deng Xian.

Sima Yi smote his forehead in relief.

“This is the Emperor’s great good fortune, high as Heaven itself. Zhuge Liang’s victories at Qishan have terrorized all and forced the Emperor to go on an expedition to Chang’an. Should he have failed to use me now, both capitals would be lost when Meng Da strikes. This fellow is surely in league with Zhuge Liang, and if I can seize him before he makes any move, Zhuge Liang will be disheartened and he will retreat.”

His elder son urged him to send in a memorial to the Emperor without delay.

“No, that would take a month,” replied his father, “and delay would mean failure.”

So he gave orders for the army to be ready to advance by double march at once and threatened to punish by death any loiterers. In order to avert suspicion, he first dispatched a messenger with his letter to Meng Da in Xincheng, telling him to prepare his forces to join the expedition against the men of Shu.

Sima Yi quickly departed. After two days’ march, the army came across Xu Huang emerging from behind a hill with his men.

Seeing his comrade, Xu Huang said, “The Emperor has arrived at Chang’an to command the battle against Shu. Where are you going, Commander?”

Sima Yi replied in a low voice, “Meng Da is plotting a rebellion, and I’m going to seize him.”

“Let me be your van leader.”

So the two forces merged, with Xu Huang in the vanguard, Sima Yi in the center, and his two sons bringing up the rear.

Two days later, scouts from the vanguard captured Meng Da’s confidential messenger, and found on him Zhuge Liang’s letter. Sima Yi promised to spare the man’s life if he would tell all he knew. The man had no alternative but to confess. He told Sima Yi everything about the letters and messages he had passed from one to the other.

Then Sima Yi read Zhuge Liang’s letter. Startled by its content, he said, “All able men see things in the same light. Zhuge Liang has already foreseen my tactic. Thanks to the good fortune of the Emperor, his letter has fallen into my hands. Now Meng Da will be helpless.”

The army pressed on still more rapidly.

Meng Da had arranged with the prefects of the two cities of Jincheng and Shangyong to strike the blow on a certain date. But these two were only pretending to abet him. Every day they busied themselves training and drilling their men to keep up appearances, while secretly waiting for the arrival of Sima Yi, to whom they would render help. To Meng Da they said falsely that they dared not fix a date for the military action as they needed more time to prepare arms and supplies. And he believed them.

Just then Sima Yi’s messenger came, and when he had been welcomed into the city, he delivered Sima Yi’s order and said, “Commander Sima has received the edict of the Emperor to call in all the forces in this district, and he has sent me to direct you to hold your men in readiness to march to Chang’an.”

“On what day will the commander start?” asked Meng Da.

“He is just about starting for Chang’an now,” replied the messenger.

Meng Da smiled inwardly, for, this being so, he foresaw success. He gave a banquet to treat the messenger and then escorted him out of the city. When he returned he at once sent the two prefects an urgent message: “Tomorrow we will take the field. Change the banners of Wei to those of Han. We will seize Luoyang straight away.”

Suddenly it was reported that a great cloud of dust was seen in the distance and an army seemed to have come from nowhere. Meng Da was surprised and went up the wall to see for himself. To his great alarm he found the army carrying the banner of General Xu Huang. He at once ordered his men to raise the drawbridge. Xu Huang failed to rein in his horse, which still rushed on and finally carried his master to the edge of the moat.

There he called out, “Yield quickly, Meng Da! You traitor!”

Meng Da, in a rage, drew his bow and shot Xu Huang in the head. He was rescued by his colleagues. Then many more arrows were shot from the wall, forcing the men of Wei to retreat. Meng Da was just going to open the gate and pursue when the whole of Sima Yi’s army appeared, and their banners stood so thick on every side that they dimmed the sunlight.

Meng Da, looking up to Heaven, sighed in deep remorse, “Just as Zhuge Liang had warned me!”

Then the gates were closed and a firm defense ensued.

Meanwhile the wounded general, Xu Huang, had been borne to his tent, where the arrow head was extracted and the physician was summoned to attend to him. But that night he died. He was fifty-nine years old. His remains were put in a coffin and sent to Luoyang for burial.

The next day, when Meng Da mounted the wall, he saw the city surrounded as tightly as a barrel bound by iron hoops. He was greatly perturbed and did not know what to do. Suddenly, however, he saw two bodies of troops coming up, their banners bearing the names of the two prefects. Thinking that they had come to help, he opened the gate and led his own men out to join them in battle.

But the two shouted to him, “Stay and be slain quickly, you rebel!”

Realizing that they had been false, he turned back toward the city, but from the wall came a flight of arrows, and the two who had betrayed him, Li Fu and Deng Xian, began to abuse him.

“We have already yielded the city,” they cried.

Meng Da fought his way out and fled. But he was pursued, and as he and his horse were both exhausted he was soon overtaken and slain. He was beheaded, and his soldiers submitted. Sima Yi was welcomed into the city. After pacifying the people and rewarding the soldiers he sent a report of the victory to Cao Rui.

Pleased, Cao Rui ordered the head of Meng Da to be exposed in the city of Luoyang, and he promoted the two prefects and assigned them posts in Sima Yi’s army. The two men who had betrayed Meng Da were given command of the cities of Xincheng and Shangyong.

Then Sima Yi marched to Chang’an, where he camped his army outside the city while he himself went inside to see the Emperor.

Cao Rui said, “For a while I was confused in mind and I fell victim to the enemy’s plot to discredit you. But it is too late to regret now. Had it not been for you suppressing Meng Da’s revolt, the two capitals would have been lost.”

Sima Yi replied, “When I got the information of his intended revolt, I had meant to obtain Your Majesty’s permission first. Since that would mean a long delay, I did not await Your Majesty’s order but set forth at once. Otherwise I would have fallen for Zhuge Liang’s trick.”

Then he produced Zhuge Liang’s letter to Meng Da. After reading it, the Emperor praised him as being more knowledgeable than the two greatest strategists of old, Sun Tsu and Wu Qi. He also gave him a pair of gold axes, with the power to take immediate actions in important matters without first obtaining sanction. Then he ordered him to lead his men out of the pass to repel the men of Shu.

Sima Yi said, “I would like to recommend a general to be the van leader.”

The Emperor asked him who he meant.

“Zhang He.”

“Just the man I wished to appoint for the post,” said Cao Rui, smiling.

And Zhang He was assigned the job and left Chang’an with Sima Yi to combat the army of Shu.

By strategy the leader shows his skill;
He needs bold fighting men to work his will.

Which side would win the battle will be told in the next chapter.

CHAPTER NINETY-FIVE

Ignoring Wang Ping’s Advice, Ma Su Loses Jieting

Playing the Lute, Zhuge Liang Repulses Sima Yi

A
fter
appointing Zhang He as van leader of Sima Yi’s army and sending them off, Cao Rui also dispatched two other officers, Xin Pi and Sun Li, with 50,000 men to assist Cao Zhen.

Sima Yi and his 200,000-strong army marched out of the pass and made a camp. Then he sent someone to invite Zhang He to his tent and said to him, “Zhuge Liang is a man of caution. He never acts rashly. If I were in his place I would advance through the Meridian Valley to capture Hangan and so save much time. It is not that he is unskillful, but he fears lest that plan might miscarry, and he won’t take risks. Therefore he’ll certainly come through Ye Valley to seize Meicheng. To do that, he will divide his force into two, one part to take Meicheng and the other to take the Ji Valley. I have sent a message to Cao Zhen telling him to hold Meicheng at any cost and not to go out and give battle. I have also ordered Sun Li and Xin Pi to block the pass to Ji Valley, and should the enemy come they are to make a sudden raid.”

“By what road will you advance, General?” asked Zhang He.

“I have known all along that west of Qinling Hills is a road called Jieting. Close by stands the city of Lieliu. These two places are the very throat of Hanzhong. Zhuge Liang will expect Cao Zhen to be unprepared and will certainly cut through by that road. You and I will go straight to seize Jieting, from where it is but a short distance to Yangping Pass; when Zhuge Liang hears that the route through Jieting is sealed and his supplies cut off, he will know that the area around Longxi is in danger, and will hasten back to Hanzhong. The moment he starts to withdraw, I will intercept him on some byroads, and thus gain a complete victory. If he doesn’t retreat, then I will post troops to close all the byroads, and so cut his supply route. A month’s starvation will kill all the men of Shu, and Zhuge Liang will be my prisoner.”

Zhang He considered the scheme and, bowing to the ground, he expressed his admiration for his chief’s wonderful prevision.

Sima Yi continued, “However, it is not to be forgotten that Zhuge Liang is quite different from Meng Da, and you, as leader of the van, will have to advance with utmost discretion. You must impress upon your officers the importance of reconnoitering a long way ahead and only advancing when they are sure there is no ambush. Any laxity will make you the victim of some ruse of Zhuge Liang’s.”