Authors: Luo Guanzhong
“Brother, you know the laws of Wei,” replied Hao Zhao.
“I have received favor from my country and I will never betray it.
Say no more, but go back quickly to your chief and tell him to come and attack.
I’m not afraid.”
Jin Xiang had to return and report his failure.
“He would not even let me speak.”
“Try again,” said Zhuge Liang.
“Tell him what is at stake.”
Jin Xiang soon found himself once more at the foot of the wall.
Hao Zhao presently appeared on the tower, and Jin Xiang shouted up to him, “My worthy brother, please listen to my sincere advice.
Here you are in this isolated city; how can you oppose a massive army of 100,000?
If you don’t yield now, you’ll be sorry when it’s too late.
Instead of serving the great Han, you bow your head to the treacherous Wei.
How can you fail to recognize the decree of Heaven, and distinguish between the clear and the foul?
Think over this.”
Hao Zhao began to get really angry.
He fitted an arrow to his bow and called out, “I have already made myself clear.
Say no more but go quickly.
I won’t shoot you.”
Again Jin Xiang returned and reported his failure to Zhuge Liang.
“How impudent that fool is!” cried Zhuge Liang in fury.
“Does he think I have no means to take his city?”
He called in some local inhabitants to whom he asked, “How many troops are there in the city?”
They answered, “We do not know the exact number but there are about three thousand.”
“I don’t think such a small force can stop me,” said Zhuge Liang with a smile.
“Let’s attack quickly before any reinforcements can arrive.”
Thereupon he ordered his men to bring up a hundred scaling ladders, upon each of which could stand more than a dozen men.
These were surrounded by planks as protection.
Soldiers, carrying short ladders and ropes, listened for the beating of the drum to scale the walls.
In his watch tower Hao Zhao, seeing the ladders being brought up, posted his men at the four corners and told them to shoot fire-arrows at the ladders at short ranges.
Zhuge Liang had not expected this.
Assuming the city was not well defended, he had prepared the scaling ladders and ordered the soldiers to press on amid loud shouting and beating of drums. He was greatly chagrined when the fire-arrows set his ladders in flames and burned many of his men to death.
As arrows and stones rained down from the wall, the men of Shu were forced to retreat.
Zhuge Liang was wrathful.
“So he burns my ladders—then I will use battering rams!”
So that night they prepared the rams.
The next day these were placed against the walls and again the signal was given to begin the assault.
But the defenders brought up great stones suspended from ropes, which they swung down at the battering rams and so broke them to pieces.
Next the besiegers set to work to bring up earth to fill the moat, while 3,000 men were sent to excavate a tunnel at night to try to burrow into the city.
But Hao Zhao dug a counter-trench inside the city and that device also came to naught.
So the attack went on day and night for nearly a month, and still the men of Shu could find no means to take the city.
One day Zhuge Liang was in his camp pondering over this when scouts reported the approach of an enemy relief force, the flag of which bore the name of Wang Shuang.
He asked for a volunteer to go out and fight the newcomer and Wei Yan offered himself.
Zhuge Liang said, “You are the van leader, a major general.
You must not risk yourself so rashly.”
Then a lesser officer called Xie Xiong stood forth and he was given 3,000 soldiers.
After he had gone, Zhuge Liang decided to send a second force of 3,000 men, which Gong Qi volunteered to command.
Then, fearing lest there would be a sortie from the city to aid the relief force, he led off the army twenty
li
and made a camp there.
The first body sent to combat Wang Shuang was not successful—its leader fell almost immediately under the great warrior’s sword.
The men fled and Wang Shuang pursued, and so ran into Gong Qi, who had come to support his comrade.
He was slain in the third bout.
When he learned about this, Zhuge Liang was greatly alarmed and sent Liao Hua, Wang Ping, and Zhang Ni to go out to halt the enemy.
The two sides drew up in formal battle array, and then Zhang Ni rode to the front while the other two officers guarded the lines.
Wang Shuang rode to meet him, and they fought several bouts.
Then Wang Shuang feigned defeat and Zhang Ni followed.
Wang Ping, who saw his colleague falling into a trap, called out to Zhang Ni to stop.
Zhang Ni hastened to turn back, but Wang Shuang’s meteor hammer whizzed through the air and hit him in the back.
He collapsed over his saddle but still rode on to get away.
Wang Shuang turned to pursue but was checked by the other two Shu officers, who rescued Zhang Ni.
Then
Wang Shuang’s whole force came on and slew many of the men of Shu.
Zhang Ni was wounded and vomited blood.
He said to Zhuge Liang, “Wang Shuang is too terrible for anyone to stand up to.
He and his 20,000 men are now encamped outside the city with double fences all around and a deep moat to maintain a firm defense.”
Seeing that two officers had died and a third was wounded, Zhuge Liang summoned Jiang Wei for council.
“We can’t proceed this way—can you suggest another plan?”
Jiang Wei replied, “This place has very strong fortifications and Hao Zhao’s defense is faultless. Now there is also Wang Shuang to aid him.
It is really impossible to take the city.
I think it is better to send a general to establish a strong camp at some suitable site and another to hold the crucial road to prevent
attack from Jieting, while the major force leaves for Qishan.
I will try some ruse to capture Cao Zhen.”
Zhuge Liang agreed.
He sent Wang Ping and Li Hui to hold the by-road to Jieting, and Wei Yan
to guard the way to Chencang.
And then the army marched out of the Ye Valley by some narrow road and headed for Qishan, with Ma Dai as van leader and Guan Xing and Zhang Bao leading the relief squadron of the front and rear forces.
Now Cao Zhen still remembered bitterly that in the last campaign Sima Yi had stolen from him the credit he had hoped to obtain.
So when he reached Luoyang he transferred Guo Huai and Sun Li to
positions in the east and west.
Later he heard that Chencang was threatened, so he sent Wang Shuang to relieve the city.
And he was overjoyed to learn about his lieutenant’s success.
He placed Fei Yao in command of the front division and stationed other officers at various strategic points.
One day he was told that a spy had been caught in a valley.
Cao Zhen had the man brought before him and questioned.
The man knelt down and said, “I am not a spy.
I have a secret message for you, General, but I was caught by mistake by your men in an ambush.
Pray send away your attendants.”
The man’s bonds were loosened and the attendants dismissed.
The captive said, “I am a confidant of Jiang Wei, who has entrusted me with a secret letter.”
“Where is the letter?”
The man took it from inside his underwear and presented it to Cao Zhen. It read:
I, Jiang Wei, the guilty officer, make a hundred prostrations to Commander Cao: I have never forgotten that my family has always received the bounty of Wei and I myself was employed in the defense of a frontier town. But though I have enjoyed kind favors, I have never been able to repay them. Lately I fell victim to Zhuge Liang’s wiles and so became trapped in his snare. But my longing for my old country has never ceased for a single day. Fortunately, the army of Shu has now marched westward and Zhuge Liang trusts me. I suggest that you lead an army this way in person. If you meet with resistance, just simulate defeat, and I will light a blaze in their rear as a signal. Then I will set fire to their stores, whereupon you will face about and attack. Zhuge Liang ought to fall into your hands. In doing so I am not trying to seek merit for myself but only to atone for my former crime. If this should be deemed worthy of your attention, then send me your commands without delay.
The letter pleased Cao Zhen very much.
“Heaven is helping me to succeed!”
He rewarded the man handsomely and told him to return to say that he would meet Jiang Wei at a pre-arranged time.
Then he took council with Fei Yao and related to him Jiang Wei’s scheme.
But Fei Yao warned him.
“Zhuge Liang is most crafty and Jiang Wei very resourceful.
What if Zhuge Liang has planned all this?
We might fall into a snare.”
“But Jiang Wei is originally a man of Wei, forced to surrender.
Why are you suspicious?”
“Commander, you must not venture out but remain here on guard.
Let me go and reinforce Jiang Wei.
If I succeed, the credit will be yours.
And if there is a trick I will deal with it.”
Delighted, Cao Zhen gave him 50,000 men to move toward Ye Valley.
Fei Yao and his army set out.
After progressing for some time they encamped and sent out scouts to reconnoiter.
Late in the afternoon scouts reported that the Shu army was coming through the valley.
Fei Yao at once advanced, but the men of Shu retreated without even engaging in combat.
Fei Yao pursued.
Then the men of Shu came on again.
Just as Fei Yao was deploying his troops for battle the Shu army retreated again.
This maneuver was repeated thrice, and a whole day and night passed without any repose for the Wei army.
At length rest became imperative. But just as they were on the point of entrenching themselves to prepare food a great hubbub arose all around, and with beating of drums and blaring of trumpets the whole country was filled with the men of Shu.
As the great standard was unfurled, out came a four-wheeled chariot carrying Zhuge Liang, who sent an envoy to ask the Wei commander to a parley.
Fei Yao rode out and, seeing Zhuge Liang, he secretly rejoiced.
Turning to those about him, he told them to retreat if the men of Shu came on.
But if they saw a blaze behind the hill they were to turn round and attack, for they would be reinforced.
Then he rode to the front and shouted, “You were beaten last time—how dare you come again?”
Zhuge Liang replied, “Go and tell Cao Zhen to come and talk with me.”
“Commander Cao is of the royal family.
Do you think he will talk with a rebel?”
Zhuge Liang angrily waved his fan, and from two sides rushed forth Ma Dai and Zhang Ni and their men.
The Wei army retreated.
But ‘ere they had gone far they saw a blaze in the rear of the advancing host of Shu, accompanied by a great shouting.
Believing that this was the signal he was looking for, Fei Yao faced about to attack.
Their opponents retreated.
Sword in hand, Fei Yao led the pursuit, hastening towards where the shouting came.
When he got near the signal fire, suddenly the drums beat louder than ever and the shouting shook the earth.
Then out charged two troops, one under Guan Xing and the other under Zhang Bao, while arrows and stones rained down from the surrounding hills.
The Wei men could not stand it and they realized that they had been tricked into a trap.
Fei Yao tried to withdraw his men into the shelter of the valley, but Guan Xing led his fresh force onward, plunging the weary men of Wei
into utter confusion.
Trampling upon each other, many fell into the gully and were drowned.
Fei Yao could do nothing but flee for his life.
Just as he was passing by a steep hill there appeared a force led by Jiang Wei.
Fei Yao began to abuse him for his treachery.
Jiang Wei smiled.
“I meant to capture Cao Zhen but trapped you by mistake.
Yield quickly.”
But Fei Yao only tried to dash away toward a ravine.
As he rode he saw towering flames rise at the entrance of the ravine, while close behind him came the pursuers.
There being no way of escape Fei Yao slew himself with his own sword.
All his men surrendered.
Zhuge Liang led the Shu army through Qishan, outside of which they made a camp.
There, the army regrouped.
Jiang Wei received a rich reward, but he was chagrined that Cao Zhen had not been captured.
“My regret is that I did not slay Cao Zhen,” he said.
“Indeed, yes,” said Zhuge Liang.
“It’s a pity that our great scheme should have been wasted on a small operation.”