“Why don’t you yield?” shouted Wang Ji.
Yu Quan replied, “I received orders to rescue those in danger. Although I have failed in my effort, I deem it dishonorable to surrender to the enemy.” Then throwing off his helmet, he cried, “Lucky is the man who can die on the battlefield.”
Whirling his sword about, he fought his foe for more than thirty bouts. In the end, both he and his horse being exhausted, he fell beneath the swords of enemy soldiers.
Sima’s men besieged Shouchun years ago
Many bowed their heads in the dust to yield.
The land of Wu has produced its heroes,
Yet only Yu Quan would his life devote.
When Sima Zhao entered the city he put to death three generations of Zhuge Dan’s clan. Several hundred of his followers were captured and brought before Sima Zhao, who offered them their lives if they would yield.
“No, we will never surrender to you!” they all shouted. “We will die with General Zhuge.”
Enraged, Sima Zhao had them tied up and taken outside the city to be executed. Before the execution, each one in turn was asked: “Will you submit and be spared of your life?” But each one in turn refused to yield and was beheaded. And they all died. Sighing deeply in admiration for their loyalty, Sima Zhao had them properly buried.
Loyal servants flee not in times of danger;
Such were Zhuge’s men who followed him to the shades.
The Song of Dirge still rang out loud.
Faithful unto death were they, even as Tian Heng’s men.*
Many of the men of Wu surrendered. One advisor said to Sima Zhao, “The families of these men are all in the southeast along the Yangtze and Huai rivers, and if you keep them alive they will rebel in the end. It is better to bury all of them now.”
But Zhong Hui objected: “No. When the ancients made war with an enemy country their aim was to conquer both its land and its people and so they only put to death the originators of trouble. It would be inhuman to bury them all. Better let them return home to show how generous our state is.”
“This is better advice,” agreed Sima Zhao.
So the men of Wu were released and allowed to return home. Tang Zi, a Wu officer, dared not return to his own place for fear of the cruel Sun Chen, so he surrendered to Wei and was well treated. All the Wu officers who had submitted were given posts in the districts along the three rivers.
Since the uprising in Huainan was suppressed, Sima Zhao decided to withdraw his army. Just then, news came that Jiang Wei had gone to capture Changcheng and was interfering with their supply lines. Startled, Sima Zhao hastened to call a council to discuss ways to deal with this new menace.
Meanwhile, in Shu the reign title was changed to Jing Yao. Jiang Wei picked out two local officers, Jiang Shu and Fu Qian, to train the army. These two were bold officers and Jiang Wei was very fond of them.
Around this time, there came the news that Zhuge Dan had raised an army to destroy Sima Zhao and had obtained the support and help of Wu; and that Sima Zhao had mobilized the forces in the two Wei capitals to go on an expedition against Zhuge Dan, taking with him the Emperor and Empress Dowager.
Jiang Wei was thrilled to hear the news. “I’m going to succeed this time!” he cried exultantly. And he petitioned the Emperor, requesting to make another expedition against Wei.
But when Qiao Zhou heard of this new expedition he sighed with grief. He said to himself, “The Emperor indulges himself in drinking and in lust, and trusts that eunuch, Huang Hao. He neglects state affairs and is only interested in seeking pleasure. And Jiang Wei constantly desires to launch expeditions, without caring for his men. The country is in danger of falling.”
He then wrote an essay “On State Injuries,” which he sent to Jiang Wei.
“One asks, ‘By what means did the weak overcome the strong in past times?’ The answer is that the ruler of a strong and carefree state usually neglected its people, while that of a weak and careworn state always showed compassion for its people. Trouble followed upon neglect and efficiency grew out of compassion, which is a universal truth. Therefore, King Wen of Zhou Dynasty, who devoted himself to the welfare of his people, defeated the multitudes of a strong state with a small army; King Gou Jian of the Kingdom of Yue, who cared for his men, overcame a powerful opponent with a weak force. These were their methods.
“But one could argue: In the past when Chu was strong and Han weak, the two sides agreed to divide the country at Hong Canal. Yet Zhang Liang, knowing that once the people’s minds were settled it would be difficult to take action again, went in pursuit of Xiang Yu and finally destroyed him. So why is it necessary to follow the examples of King Wen and Gou Jian?
“The answer is, in the days of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, feudal lords enjoyed permanent privileges and the relations between the ruler and his officials were firmly established. Even if the founder of Han lived at that time he could not have seized the empire by force. In the Qin Dynasty the practice of the investment of feudal lords was abolished and districts were governed by officials. Then the people, tired of the numerous taxes, rose to revolt. The empire was riven asunder and there followed a time of contention, when every bold man strove to build his own realm.
“But we are now in other times. There is no such seething chaos that marked the last days of Qin, but rather a state of things similar to that of the period when six kingdoms shared one empire. Therefore one can be King Wen, but not the founder of Han. Act when time is favorable, and start an expedition when success is predestined. The armies of Tang and Wu fought but one battle and won because they had compassion for the people and waited for the opportune time. If wars are constant, and a mishap occurs, even the wisest will be unable to see the safest way.”
After reading the article Jiang Wei cried wrathfully, “The words of a rotten pedant?” And he dashed the article to the ground in contempt.
So the remonstrance was disregarded, and the army was ready to march against Wei.
Before setting out he asked Fu Qian, “In your opinion, where should we head for?”
Fu Qian replied, “The grain and forage of Wei are stored at Changcheng. Let us go out by Luo Valley and cross the Shen Ridge to get to Changcheng. First burn their supplies and then move on to Qinchuan. And the conquest of Wei will be a matter of days.”
“Your view fits in with my plan,” Jiang Wei told him.
So the army advanced along this route toward Changcheng. The commander of the city was Sima Wang, a distant cousin of Sima Zhao. In the city was a large quantity of grain, but only a small army. When he heard of the impending invasion, Sima Wang hurriedly consulted his two officers and led his weak force out to encamp some twenty li from the city.
The next day the Shu army arrived. Sima Wang and his two officers went forth to meet them. Jiang Wei rode out and said, “Sima Zhao has forced your Emperor to move into his army camp, which plainly indicates that he intends to follow the path of Li Jue and Guo Si. My lord has commanded me to punish this crime. Yield at once! If you persist in erring, your family will all be put to death.”
Sima Wang shouted back, “You and yours are impudent enough to repeatedly invade a superior state. Withdraw at once or else none of your men will return alive!”
Before he finished his words one of his officers rode out, his spear set ready to thrust. From the Shu army came Fu Qian to take the challenge, and the two engaged. After less than ten encounters Fu Qian tempted his opponent by feigning a weakness. His opponent thrust hard at the opening but Fu Qian evaded the blow, pulled him out of the saddle, and carried him off toward his own side.
This infuriated the Wei officer’s colleague, who went to his rescue. Brandishing his sword, he went pounding after Fu Qian. Knowing he was chased, Fu Qian proceeded slowly, thus luring his enemy closer. When he was near enough, Fu Qian suddenly dashed his prisoner with all his strength to the earth, secretly laid his hand on his four-edged iron bar, and smote his pursuer full in the face. The blow k
nocked out an eye, and the poor man fell dead. The other officer was killed by Shu soldiers as he lay on the ground. At this Jiang Wei urged his men forward. Sima Wang abandoned his camp and fled into the city, closing the gates behind him.
Jiang Wei told his men to rest for the night to regain their strength and seize the city on the morrow.
At dawn the next day the assault began. The men, fresh from their rest, vied with each other to reach the city first. They shot fire-arrows and fire-bombs into the city. Instantly all the straw huts inside were in flames and the men of Wei were in turmoil. Then Jiang Wei ordered his men to pile brushwood against the wall and set it alight. The flames rose high into the sky. The city was on the brink of destruction and the wailing of the Wei soldiers inside the walls could be heard across the fields.
Suddenly a great shout diverted the attention of the attackers from the city. Jiang Wei turned round and saw a troop of Wei soldiers marching up, beating drums and waving banners. Switching his rearmost unit with the vanguard, he took his place beneath the great standard. Looking across he saw a young officer, fully armored, riding ahead with his spear ready to thrust. He looked a little over twenty years of age, with a fair complexion and rich red lips.
“Do you recognize General Deng?” he cried fiercely.
“So this is Deng Ai,” thought Jiang Wei. He set his spear and rode out. They fought for about thirty or forty bouts, but neither could claim advantage over the other. The youth wielded his spear with perfect skill.
“If I don’t employ some ruse, how will I win?” Jiang Wei thought to himself.
So he turned to a mountain path on his left. The youth followed closely. Jiang Wei, hanging up his spear, quietly reached for his carved bow and arrow, and shot. But the young man was sharp-eyed, and as the bowstring sang he lunged forward and the arrow swished harmlessly by.
Glancing back, Jiang Wei saw his pursuer close upon him, and his spear was already threatening his life. Jiang Wei ducked and the spear missed. As it slipped past his ribs, Jiang Wei caught it firmly under his arm. The young man abandoned his weapon and made for his own ranks.
“What a great pity!” sighed Jiang Wei as he turned to pursue.
He followed the youth to the front of the Wei line, from which emerged a warrior holding his sword. “Jiang Wei, do not pursue my son!” he cried. “Deng Ai is here!”
Taken aback, Jiang Wei realized that he had only been contending with the son of his real opponent and in his heart he admired the youth for his skill. He desired to fight with Deng Ai but he feared lest his steed was too weary to stand the contest.
So he pointed to Deng Ai, “Today I have met you and your son. Let us both draw off our men for the present. We will fight a decisive battle tomorrow.”
Seeing that the battlefield was ill-suited for him, Deng Ai agreed to wait. Reining in his horse he said, “All right. Let us lead off our men, and whoever attempts to take any secret advantage is a base fellow.”
Both sides retreated. Deng Ai camped on the bank of the Wei River and Jiang Wei across two hills. As he saw that the men of Shu had the advantage of position, Deng Ai wrote to Sima Wang, “We must not give battle in any case, but wait until reinforcements come from inside the passes. By then the enemy will have run out of supplies and we can defeat them with an attack on three sides. In the meantime, I’m sending my son Deng Zhong to help you defend the city.”
He also dispatched a messenger to ask for further help from Sima Zhao.
Jiang Wei sent his man to the Wei camp to deliver a challenge for battle the next day. Deng Ai feigned acceptance, but when morning came and Jiang Wei had deployed his men, his enemy did not appear. Nor was there any sign of occupation in his camp, no display of flags or rolling of drums all day. At nightfall, the army of Shu returned to camp and Jiang Wei sent another challenge, reproaching his opponent for failing to keep his word. Deng Ai treated the messenger with wine and food and invented an excuse of indisposition. Then he promised to come to fight the next day.
But the same thing happened on the following day. Jiang Wei led his army out but Deng Ai again was nowhere to be seen. And this went on for five or six times.
Fu Qian warned his chief: “There must be some trick afoot. We must be on our guard.”
“They are certainly waiting for reinforcements to come, so that they may attack us on three sides,” said Jiang Wei. “I will write to Wu and ask Sun Chen to join forces with me.”
Just then, mounted scouts brought news of the rout of the army of Wu, of the fall of Shouchun, and the death of Zhuge Dan. Moreover, Sima Zhao had led his army back to Luoyang and would soon come to rescue Changcheng.
“This campaign is hopeless again!” said Jiang Wei bitterly. “We’d better withdraw.”
Four times he missed! he hailed
The fifth occasion joyfully, and failed.
Jiang Wei’s plan of withdrawal will be told in the next chapter.
Footnotes
* Capital of Wu, and modern Nanjing.
* Tian Heng (?–202 B.C.), a lord in the kingdom of Qi, who escaped to an island after he was defeated by Han. Later he was summoned by the founder of Han to go to Luoyang. Unwilling to submit, he committed suicide on the way; when news of his death reached his five hundred followers on the island, they also killed themselves.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN
Ding Feng Designs a Plan to Slay Sun Chen
Jiang Wei Defeats Deng Ai in a Contest of Battle Formations
As was said in the previous chapter, Jiang Wei decided to pull out his army from Changcheng for fear of the approach of Wei reinforcements. He sent the infantry and the baggage away first, and kept the cavalry to cover the retreat.
Spies reported his movements to Deng Ai, who said gleefully, “He has gone because he knew our commander’s army would soon be upon him. Let him go, and don’t follow. If we pursue we will fall into his snare.”
Scouts were sent to reconnoiter, and when they returned they reported that kindling material had been piled up in some narrow parts of Luo Valley to check any pursuit with fire. The officers praised the prevision of their leader. Then Deng Ai sent a memorial to court to report the whole event. Sima Zhao, greatly pleased, rewarded Deng Ai with more gifts.
The commander of Wu, greatly angered by the desertion of so many of his men and officers to Wei, put all the families of the deserters to death. The ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, then only sixteen, disapproved of this act of cruelty.
The young Emperor was of an ingenious turn of mind, as can be seen from the following story. One day in the west garden, he told a eunuch to go and get some honey, since he wanted to try some green plums. The honey was brought, but there were bits of mouse droppings in it. The young Emperor called the storekeeper and blamed him for carelessness.
The storekeeper bowed to the ground and said in protest, “I kept the honey sealed air tight. How could there be such dirt in it?”
“Has the eunuch asked you for honey lately?” asked the Emperor.
“He did ask me for some a few days ago, but I refused him.”
The Emperor pointed at the eunuch and said, “You must have defiled the honey intentionally to incriminate him because you were angry that he earlier refused you the honey.”
The eunuch denied the charge.
“It is very easy to tell,” said the Emperor. “If the dirt has been in the honey for some time it will be soft all through, but if it is newly planted it will be dry inside.”
He ordered an attendant to break off a lump and it was quite dry inside. The eunuch had to plead guilty.
This episode showed that the Emperor was quick-witted. But clever as he was, he had no control over his country, for Sun Chen dominated the government and had placed his brothers in command of all the garrisons and armies.
One day the young Emperor sat musing over his sorrows. Standing at his side was Quan Ji, brother of the Empress.
Weeping, the Emperor said to his brother-in-law: “Sun Chen holds all re
al power and kills people as he wishes. He has humiliated me too much. Something must be done or else he will do even greater harm in future.”
Quan Ji said, “I will suffer any sacrifices to do whatever Your Majesty commands me to do.”
“Muster the Imperial Guards without delay and hold all the city gates with General Liu Cheng. I myself will go out to slay that ruffian. But remember, you must not let your mother know about this, for she is Sun Chen’s elder sister. Any leaking of our plan and I would be ruined.”
“Will Your Majesty give me an edict that I may show it to all when the moment of action comes?” requested Quan Ji. “That will hold back Sun Chen’s supporters.”
Then the secret edict was drafted and given to Quan Ji, who went home and confided the plan to his father, Quan Shang. His father told his wife that Sun Chen would surely be eliminated in three days.
“Serves him right,” she said.
However, although she approved with her tongue, she sent a secret messenger with a letter to tell her brother, Sun Chen, about it. In wrath Sun Chen called in his four brothers that very night and surrounded the palace with his best troops. At the same time he seized Liu Cheng and Quan Shang and all the members of their families. At daybreak the young Emperor was disturbed by a commotion outside the palace. Then attendants hurried in and told him that the palace was surrounded by Sun Chen’s troops.
The Emperor knew that he had been betrayed. He angrily turned on the Empress, who was daughter of Quan Shang, and reproached her. “Your father and brother have upset my plan.”
Drawing his sword, he wanted to go out and face his foe but the Empress and the attendants clung to his robe, weeping, and held him back.
After putting to death Liu Cheng, Quan Shang and the others, Sun Chen assembled all the courtiers, civil and military, and said to them: “The Emperor is given to lust and weak in health. He is unfit to inherit the throne and therefore he must be deposed. Anyone of you who dares to oppose me will be punished for treason.”
The Three Kingdoms, Volume 3: Welcome the Tiger: The Epic Chinese Tale of Loyalty and War in a Dynamic New Translation Page 55