Meanwhile Gao Xiang returned to camp and reported the loss of five or six of his wooden “oxen and horses.”
“I wanted the enemy to capture some of them,” said Zhuge Liang, much pleased. “I have lost only a few wooden oxen and running horses, but before long I will get some very solid help in exchange.”
“How do you know, sir?” asked his officers.
“Once he sees them Sima Yi will certainly try to make his own, copying my models, and when he has done that I have another scheme ready to play on him.”
Some days later, Zhuge Liang received a report that the northerners had also constructed their own wooden animals and were using these to bring up supplies from Longxi.
“Just as I expected,” said Zhuge Liang joyfully.
He called Wang Ping to him and said, “Take a thousand men and disguise yourselves as men of Wei. Move quickly and secretly past Beiyuan, pretending to be patrol men for the grain convoy, and go to their depot. Once there turn on the guards and scatter them all away. Then drive the wooden animals back past Beiyuan, where you will surely be pursued. When that occurs, turn the tongues of the animals, and they will not move. Leave them where they are and run away. When the men of Wei come up, they will be unable to drag the creatures along, nor will they be able to carry them. Later when you see another troop of ours come, turn back and give the tongues a backward twist and bring the convey here. The enemy will certainly find it supernatural.”
Wang Ping departed to carry out the plan. Next Zhuge Liang called Zhang Ni and said, “Take five hundred men and dress them up as heavenly soldiers with heads of demons and bodies of wild beasts. Let them paint their faces in five colors and assume all kinds of grotesque facial expressions. Let each of them hold a flag in one hand and a sword in the other, and slung across his shoulder is a gourd with combustibles hidden inside. Hide these men among the hills till the grain convoy approaches. Then they are to kindle the flammable material inside the gourds, rush out all at once, driving the wooden animals along. The enemy will think you are supernatural and dare not pursue.”
When he had left, Wei Yan and Jiang Wei were called.
“You two take 10,000 men and leave for the camp in Beiyuan to guard the wooden transport creatures in case there is fighting.”
Then Zhang Yi and Liao Hua, commanding 5,000 men, were sent to check Sima Yi’s route of retreat, and Ma Dai and Ma Zhong, with 2,000 men, were ordered to challenge the enemy on the south bank of the river.
The Wei officer Cen Wei was leading a convoy of wooden animals to transport grain from Longxi. On the way scouts suddenly reported some soldiers ahead, who declared that they were patrol men for the grain convoy. Cen Wei halted and sent his men to inquire. It appeared they were truly men of Wei and so he advanced without suspicion. The newcomers mingled with his own men.
But before they had gone much farther there was a yell, and the newcomers, who were men of Shu in disguise, began to kill, while shouting “General Wang Ping is here!” The Wei soldiers were taken aback and many were killed. Cen Wei rallied around him the remaining troops to resist but was slain by Wang Ping and the others ran away. Then Wang Ping led his men to drive the wooden animals to the Shu camp.
The Wei soldiers ran back to Beiyuan and reported the mishap to Guo Huai, who at once set out to rescue the convoy. When he approached, Wang Ping ordered his men to turn the tongues of the wooden animals and left them on the road. Then they fled, intermittently fighting with the pursuers. Guo Huai made no attempt to pursue, but told his men to lead the wooden animals back. But he could not move them.
Guo Huai was greatly perplexed, not knowing what to do. Suddenly there arose the roll of drums all around, and out burst two parties of soldiers. These were Wei Yan and Jiang Wei’s men, and when they appeared Wang Ping’s men faced about and joined the attack as well. Pounded by the three forces, Guo Huai fled in utter defeat. Thereupon the tongues were turned back again and the wooden animals set in motion.
Seeing this, Guo Huai intended to pursue again but just at that moment he saw clouds of smoke curling up behind some hill and a body of unusual warriors burst out, each holding a flag and a sword and all grotesque to look at. They rushed at the “animals” and goaded them away.
“Truly these must be supernatural helpers,” cried Guo Huai, quite frightened.
The soldiers were also terror-stricken and dared not pursue.
Hearing of the setback in Beiyuan, Sima Yi hastened to the rescue. Midway along the road, where the land was most precipitous, two forces burst out upon him with fierce yells and deafening bombs. Upon the leading banner he read: “Generals Zhang Yi and Liao Hua of Han.”
Sima Yi was startled at this and his men ran away in panic.
Encountering the demonish troops he lost his grain,
Facing a surprise attack his life was in danger again.
Sima Yi’s fate will be revealed in the next chapter.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THREE
Sima Yi Is Trapped in Gourd Valley
Zhuge Liang Invokes His Star on Wuzhang Plain
Sorely smitten by Zhang Yi and Liao Hua in the battle, Sima Yi fled toward a thick wood, alone and armed only with his spear.
Zhang Yi halted the rear division while Liao Hua pressed forward after the fugitive, whom he could see threading his way among the trees. Sima Yi was, indeed, soon in fear for his life, dodging from tree to tree as his pursuer neared. When he was close enough Liao Hua slashed at his enemy but the sword struck a tree, not the man, and before he could pull his sword out Sima Yi had escaped. When Liao Hua resumed the chase Sima Yi was nowhere to be seen. Presently Liao Hua noticed a golden helmet lying east of the thicket. He picked it up, hung it on his saddle, and followed that way.
But the crafty fugitive, having flung away his helmet thus to the east of the wood, had gone westward, so that Liao Hua was moving farther away from his prey. After some time of futile searching, Liao Hua fell in with Jiang Wei, and the two rode back to camp.
By then the wooden oxen and running horses had been driven into camp, and the grain collected amounted to more than 10,000 shi.
Liao Hua presented Sima Yi’s helmet and received a reward of the highest merit. But Wei Yan was angry and he complained openly. Zhuge Liang, however, pretended not to hear anything.
Sima Yi returned to his own camp in distress. Bad news followed: a messenger from the capital brought the Emperor’s edict, telling him of an invasion by three armies of Wu and the preparations to send forces against them, and enjoining him to adhere to a defensive policy. Sima Yi, having received the imperial order, strengthened his defenses and refused any battle with the army of Shu.
On hearing that Wu was invading his land from three directions, Cao Rui sent three armies to repulse the invaders: Liu Shao to protect Jiangxia, Tian Yu to guard Xiangyang, while he himself, with Man Chong, relieved Hefei with the main army.
Man Chong led the leading division to Chaohu Lake. Looking across to the eastern shore, he saw numerous battleships and an orderly display of a large number of flags and banners. He went to see his ruler and proposed a surprise attack without loss of time.
“The enemy must expect us to be fatigued after a long march and will not take the trouble to prepare any defense. We should attack tonight, and victory will be ours.”
The Emperor liked his idea and he ordered Zhang Qiu, a valiant general, to take 5,000 men carrying flammable material to raid the enemy from the lake. Man Chong was to command an equal number of men to attack from the eastern bank.
At the second watch that night the two forces set out quietly and gradually approached the lake. On reaching the Wu naval camp unobserved, all of them burst upon it with a yell, and the men of Wu fled without even striking a blow. The men of Wei set fires going in every direction and thus destroyed numerous ships, large quantities of grain, and many weapons.
Zhuge Jin, who was in command, led his beaten men to Miankou, and the northerners returned to their camp much elated by their vi
ctory.
When news of the defeat came to Lu Xun he called together his officers and said, “I must write to the Emperor to abandon the siege of Xincheng, so that his force can be employed to cut off the retreat of the Wei army, while I attack in front. Harassed in the rear and front, they will easily be broken.”
All agreed that this was a good plan, and the petition was drafted. It was sent by the hand of a junior officer, who was told to convey it secretly to Sun Quan. But this messenger was captured at the ferry and taken before Cao Rui, who read the dispatch and then said with a sigh, “This Lu Xun of Wu is really very resourceful.”
The captive was put into prison, and Liu Shao was warned to guard against Sun Quan’s attack from the rear.
Now Zhuge Jin’s defeated men were also suffering from illnesses due to the summer heat, and at length he was compelled to write to Lu Xun, petitioning to withdraw homeward. Having read this dispatch, Lu Xun said to the messenger, “Give my regards to the general and tell him that I know what to do.”
The messenger returned with this reply to Zhuge Jin.
“What is the commander doing?” asked Zhuge Jin.
“I saw him urging the men to plant beans outside the camp, and he and his officers were amusing themselves with a shooting game at the entrance gate.”
Startled, Zhuge Jin himself went to see Lu Xun in his camp and ask him how to repel Cao Rui’s strong army.
Lu Xun replied, “My messenger to our Emperor was captured, and thus my plan was discovered. As the enemy will be prepared it is useless to fight, so we had better retreat. I have sent another memorial to the Emperor, suggesting that all our forces withdraw gradually.”
“But what is the point of the delay? If you think it best to retreat, it had better be done quickly.”
“My army must retreat slowly, or the enemy will come in pursuit, which will mean defeat and loss. Now you can prepare your ships to feign resistance, while I make a semblance of advancing toward Xiangyang to confuse our enemy. Under cover of these operations we will slowly and steadily withdraw to the south, and the enemy will not dare to follow.”
So Zhuge Jin returned to his own camp and began to fit out his ships for the planned voyage, while Lu Xun disciplined his army and started the march, letting it be widely known that he was heading for Xiangyang. The news of these movements were duly reported to the ruler of Wei, and when the officers heard it they wished to go out and fight.
However, the Emperor, fully aware of Lu Xun’s talents, warned his officers, “Lu Xun is very crafty. Perhaps this is his plan to induce us out to fight. Do not risk a battle.”
The officers obeyed, but a few days later scouts brought in news that the three armies of Wu had all withdrawn. The Emperor did not believe this and sent out more spies to investigate, who confirmed the previous report.
Sighing deeply, the Wei ruler said, “Lu Xun is no less a strategist than Sun Tzu and Wu Qi. The south is not to be conquered yet.”
Therefore he ordered his officers to defend firmly the various crucial points while he himself led the main army back to Hefei, where he encamped to await possible changes in the situation.
Meanwhile Zhuge Liang was at Qishan, planning a long stay. He told his soldiers to mix with the local people of Wei and help with plowing the fields. He divided the land between his army and the residents, with the army taking one third of the total. Strict orders were issued against any encroachment on the property of the farmers, and so the people and the soldiers lived together very amicably.
Sima Yi’s elder son, Shi, went to see his father and said: “The men of Shu have snatched much grain from us, and now they are mingling with the people of Qishan and farming the land along the banks of the Wei River for a longterm deployment. This will be a calamity for us. Why not choose a time to fight a decisive battle with Zhuge Liang, Father?”
His father replied, “I have the Emperor’s orders to act on the defensive and must not venture out imprudently.”
While they were talking, it was reported that Wei Yan was challenging for battle outside, waving Sima Yi’s helmet and abusing him. Greatly incensed by the insult the officers desired to accept the challenge, but their commander was immovable in his decision to remain on the defensive.
“A sage once said, ‘Impatience over a small matter upsets a great design.’ Our best plan is to stick to a firm defense.”
So the challenge was ignored. After reviling his enemy for quite some time, Wei Yan went back.
Seeing that his enemy was not to be provoked into fighting, Zhuge Liang secretly ordered Ma Dai to build a strong fence and therein to excavate a deep pit to collect large quantities of inflammables. And on the surrounding hills he was told to put up sham straw sheds and bury mines both in and around these sheds. When these preparations were complete Ma Dai received another secret instruction to block the rear exit to Gourd Valley and lie in ambush there.
“If Sima Yi comes to pursue, let him enter the valley, and then ignite the mines and kindle the firewood,” added Zhuge Liang.
Then he arranged some secret signals with Ma Dai: in the daytime a seven-star banner was to be held high up at the mouth of the valley and during the night seven lamps were to be lit on a hill. Ma Dai received the instructions and left.
Wei Yan was the next one to be summoned, and Zhuge Liang said to him: “Take five hundred men and go to the Wei camp to challenge the enemy for battle. The important point is that you must entice Sima Yi out of his stronghold. When he comes out, do not try to beat him but feign a defeat. He will surely pursue—and you’re to head for the seven-star banner by day and the seven lamps by night. If you can lead him into the Gourd Valley, I have a plan to capture him.”
Wei Yan took the order and departed with his men. Soon Gao Xiang was summoned.
“Take the wooden oxen and running horses in groups of about one or two score, load them with grain, and lead them to and fro on the mountain paths. If you succeed in getting them seized by the enemy you will have rendered a good service.”
So Gao Xiang went away with the wooden animals to play his part in the scheme. Then Zhuge Liang sent away the remainder of the Qishan troops, seemingly to work in the fields, but actually to redeploy them in the coming battle. Before they left he said: “Unless Sima Yi comes in person, pretend defeat no matter who your opponent is. If he himself is on the scene, then concentrate your attack on the south bank of the river to cut off his retreat.
Having completed the deployment, Zhuge Liang led his men to camp near the Gourd Valley.
At the Wei camp two of the Xiahou brothers went to speak to their commander. “The men of Shu have set up camps in various places and are engaged in farming everywhere in the countryside, intending to hold out for a long period of time. If they are not destroyed now, but are allowed to consolidate their position, they will be hard to dislodge.”
“This must be another of Zhuge Liang’s ruses,” said Sima Yi.
“Commander, you are so full of doubts and hesitations,” they said. “When do you suppose we can destroy the enemy? At least let us two brothers fight one life-and-death battle that we may show our gratitude to our country.”
“In that case, you may go in two divisions,” consented Sima Yi at last.
So the two brothers went away with 5,000 men each, while Sima Yi sat in his camp, awaiting the result of their fight.
As the two divisions were marching along they saw coming toward them a body of Shu men driving the wooden animals. They attacked at once, and the men of Shu fled in defeat. All the animals were captured by the men of Wei and sent to Sima Yi’s camp. On the following day they captured more than one hundred Shu soldiers, who were also sent back to the main camp.
Sima Yi had the prisoners brought before him and questioned them. They told him that Zhuge Liang had concluded that he would not fight and so had sent them to various places to plow the fields in preparation for a longterm campaign. They had been unwittingly captured.
Sima Yi set them all f
ree and allowed them to return.
“Why spare them?” asked Xiahou He.
“What is the point of slaughtering some common soldiers? Let them go back and praise the kindliness of the Wei officers, and our enemy will have little desire to fight against us. That was the plan by which Lu Meng captured Jingzhou.”
Then he issued a general order that in future all captured Shu soldiers should be released. But those who had captured them would still be generously rewarded.
As has been said, Gao Xiang was instructed to keep up a show of driving the mechanical animals to transport grain to and from the Gourd Valley, and the two Xiahou brothers constantly harassed them. In half a month they had scored several consecutive victories, and Sima Yi was thrilled. One day, when the two brothers had again captured scores of Shu soldiers, he sent for them for questioning.
“Where is Zhuge Liang now?”
“The prime minister is no longer at Qishan. He has set a camp about ten li from the Gourd Valley. We are now daily transporting grain to the valley.”
After he had questioned them in every conceivable detail, he set the captives free. Calling together his officers, he said, “Zhuge Liang has left Qishan to camp near the Gourd Valley. Tomorrow you shall join forces to seize their main camp at Qishan. I will command the reserve.”
The promise cheered them, and they went away to prepare.
“Father, why do you intend to attack the enemy’s rear?” asked his elder son, Sima Shi.
“Qishan is their base, and they will certainly hasten to its rescue. Then I will make for the Gourd Valley and burn their supplies. Thus their front and rear will be disconnected and we can thoroughly smite them.”
The son dutifully agreed with his father. Soon the army set out, with two officers in the rear, each leading 5,000 men.