Romance of the Three Kingdoms II (59 page)

He was greatly perplexed. Then suddenly there arose the roll of drums all round, and out burst two parties of soldiers. These were Wei Yen and Chiang Wei's men, and when they appeared Wang P'ing's men faced about and came to the attack as well. These three being too much for Kuo Huai, he retreated before them. Thereupon the tongues were turned back again and the "animals" set in motion.

Seeing this, Kuo Huai came on again. But just then he saw smoke curling up among the hills and a lot of extraordinary creatures burst out upon him. Some held swords and some flags and all were terrible to look at. They rushed at the "animals" and urged them away.

"Truly these are supernatural helpers," cried Kuo, quite frightened.

The soldiers also were terror-stricken and stood still.

Hearing that his Peiyuan men had been driven off, Ssuma came out to the rescue. Midway along the road, just where it was most precipitous, a cohort burst out upon him with fierce yells and bursting bombs. Upon the leading banner he read "Chang I and Liao Hua, Generals of Han."

Panic seized upon his men, and they ran like rats.

In the field the craftier leader on the convoy makes a raid,
And his rival's life endangers by an ambush subtly laid.

If you would know the upshot, read the next chapter.

CHAPTER CIII
SSUMA SURROUNDED IN SHANGFANG
VALLEY: CHUKO INVOKES THE STARS IN THE
WUCHANG PLAIN

S
orely
smitten in the battle, Ssuma fled from the field a lonely horseman, a single spear. Seeing a thick wood in the distance he made for its shelter.

Chang I halted the rear division while Miao Hua pressed forward after the fugitive, whom he could see threading his way among the trees. And Ssuma indeed was soon in fear of his life, dodging from tree to tree as his pursuer neared. Once Miao Hua was actually close enough to slash at his enemy, but he struck a tree instead of his man, and before he could pull his sword out of the wood Ssuma had got clear away. When Miao got through into the open country he did not know which way to go. Presently he noticed a helmet lying on the ground, just lately thrown aside. He picked it up, hung it on his saddle and went away eastward.

But the crafty fugitive, having flung away his helmet thus on the east side of the wood, had gone away west, so that Miao was going away from his quarry. After some time Miao fell in with Chiang Wei, when he abandoned the pursuit and rode with him back to camp.

The "wooden oxen and running horses" having been driven into camp, their loads were put into the storehouse. The grain that fell to the victors amounted to a myriad "stone" or more.

Miao Hua presented the enemy's helmet as proof of his prowess in the field and received a reward of the first grade of merit. But Wei Yen had nothing to offer, and so was overlooked. He went away angry and discontented, muttering that the general pretended to be ignorant of his services.

Very sadly Ssuma returned to his own camp. Bad news followed, for a messenger brought letters telling of an invasion by three armies of Wu. The letters said that forces had been sent against them, and the king again enjoined upon his general a waiting and defensive policy. So Ssuma deepened his moats and raised his ramparts.

King Ts'ao Jui had sent three armies against the invaders; Liu Shao led that to save Changhsia, T'ien Yu led the Hsiangyang force. The king, with Man Ch'ung, went into Hofei. This last was the main army.

Man Ch'ung led the leading division toward Ch'aohuk'ou. Thence, looking across to the eastern shore, he saw only a few ships, but a large number of flags and banners. So he returned to the main army and proposed an attack without loss of time.

"The enemy think we shall be fatigued after a long march and have not troubled to prepare any defence; we should attack this night, and we shall overcome them."

"What you say accords with my own ideas," said the king, and he told off the cavalry leader, Chang Ch'iu, to take five companies and try to burn out the enemy. Man Ch'ung was also to attack from the eastern bank.

In the second watch of that night the two forces set out and gradually approached the entrance to the lake. They reached the marine camp unobserved, burst upon it with a yell, and the men of Wu fled without striking a blow. The men of Wei set fires going in every direction and thus destroyed all the ships together with much grain and many weapons.

Chuko Chin, who was in command, led his beaten men to Mienk'ou, and the attackers returned to their camp much elated.

When the report come to Lu Hsun he called together his officers and said, "I must write to the king to abandon the siege of Hsinch'eng, that the men may be employed to cut off the retreat of the Wei army, while I will attack them in front. They will be harassed by the double danger, and we shall break them."

All agreed that this was a good plan, and the memorial was drafted. It was sent by the hand of a junior officer, who was told to convey it secretly. But this messenger was captured at the ferry and taken before King Jui, who read the despatch, saying, with a sigh, "This Lu Hsun is really very resourceful."

The captive was put into prison, and Liu Shao was told off to defend the rear and keep off Sun's army.

Now Chuko's defeated men were suffering from hot weather illnesses, and at length he was compelled to write and tell Lu Hsun, and ask that his army be relieved and sent home. Having read this despatch, Lu said to the messenger, "Make my obeisance to the Great General and say that I will decide."

When the messenger returned with this reply Chuko asked what was doing in the Commander-in-chiefs camp. He replied that the men were all outside planting beans, and the officers were amusing themselves at the gates. They were playing a game of skill, throwing arrows into narrow-necked vases.

Then Chuko himself went to his chief's camp and asked how the pressing danger was to be met.

Lu Hsun replied, "My messenger to the king was captured, and thus my plans were discovered. Now it is useless to prepare to fight, and so we had better retreat. I have sent in a memorial to engage the king, to retire gradually."

Chuko replied, "Why delay? If you think it best to retire, 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 must first prepare your ships as if you meant to resist, while I make a semblance of an attack toward Hsiangyang. Under cover of these operations I shall withdraw into Chiangtung, and the enemy will not dare to follow."

So Chuko returned to his own camp and began to fit out his ships as if for an immediate expedition, while Lu made all preparations to march, giving out that he intended to advance upon Hsiangyang. The news of these movements were duly reported in the Wei camps, and when the leaders heard it they wished to go out and fight. But the king knew his opponent better than they and would not bring about a battle. So he called his officers together and said to them, "This Lu Hsun is very crafty; keep careful guard, but do not risk a battle."

The officers obeyed, but a few days later the scouts brought in news that the armies of Wu had retired. The king doubted and sent out some of his own spies, who confirmed the report. When he thus knew it was true he consoled himself with the words, "Lu Hsun knows the rat of war even as did Sun Wu and Wu P'ing, they were no whit his superior. The subjugation of the south-east is not for me this time."

Thereupon he distributed his captains among the various vantage points and led the main army back into Hofei, where he camped ready to take advantage of any change of conditions that might promise success.

Meanwhile K'ung-ming was at Ch'ishan, where, to all appearances, he intended to make a long sojourn. He made his soldiers mix with the people and share in the labour of the fields. He gave strict orders against any encroachment on the property of the farmers, and so they and the soldiers lived together very amicably.

Then Ssuma's son, Shih, went to his father and said, "These men of Shu have despoiled us of much grain, and now they are mingling with the people of Ch'ishan and tilling the fields along the banks of the Wei River as if they intended to remain there. This would be a calamity for us. Why do you not appoint a time to fight a decisive battle with K'ung-ming?"

His father replied, "I have the king's orders to act on the defensive and may not do as you suggest."

While they were thus talking, one reported that Wei Yen had come near and was insulting the army and reminding them that they had the helmet of its leader. And he was challenging them. The captains were greatly incensed and desired to accept the challenge, but the Commander-in-chief was immovable in his decision to obey his orders.

"The Holy One says if we cannot suffer small things, great matters are imperilled. Our plan is to defend."

So the challenge was not accepted, and there was no battle. After reviling them for some time, Wei Yen went away.

Seeing that his enemy was not to be provoked into fighting, K'ung-ming gave orders to build a strong stockade and therein to excavate pits and to collect large quantities of inflammables. So on the hill they piled wood and straw in the shape of sheds, and all about they digged pits and buried mines. When these preparations were complete Ma Tai received instructions to block the road in rear of Hulu Valley and to lay an ambush at the entrance.

"If Ssuma comes, let him enter the valley, and then explode the mines and set fire to the straw and the wood," said K'ung-ming.

K'ung-ming set up a seven-star signal at the mouth of the valley and also arranged a hight signal of seven lamps on the hill. After Ma Tai had gone, Wei Yen was called in, and K'ung-ming said to him, "Go to the camp of Wei with half a company and provoke them to battle. The important matter is to entice Ssuma out of his stronghold. You will be unable to obtain a victory, so retreat that he may pursue; and you are to make for the signal, the seven stars by day or the seven lamps at night. Thus you will lead him into the Hulu Valley, where I have a plan prepared for him."

When he had gone; Kao Hsiang was summoned.

"Take small herds, two or three score at a time, of the 'wooden oxen and running horses,' load them up with grain and lead them to and fro on the mountains. If you can succeed in getting the enemy to capture them you will render a service."

So the transport "cattle" were sent forth to play their part in the scheme, and the remainder of the Ch'ishan soldiers were sent to work in the fields, with orders to join in the battle only if Ssuma came in person. In that case they were to attack the south bank of the river and cut off the retreat. Then K'ung-ming led his army away to camp in the Shangfang Valley.

Hsiahou Hui and Hsiahou Ho went to their chief, Ssuma I, and said, "The enemy have set out camps and are engaged in field work as though they intended to remain. If they are not destroyed now, but are allowed to consolidate their position, they will be hard to dislodge."

"This certainly is one of K'ung-ming's ruses," said the chief.

"You seem very afraid of him, General," retorted they. "When do you think you can destroy him? At least let us two brothers fight one battle that we may prove our gratitude for the king's kindness."

"If it must be so, then you may go in two divisions," said Ssuma.

As the two divisions were marching along they saw coming toward them a number of the transport "animals" of the enemy. They attacked at once, drove off the escort, captured them and sent them back to camp. Next day they captured more, with men and horses as well, and sent them also to camp.

Ssuma called up the prisoners and questioned them. They told him that K'ung-ming quite understood that he would not fight and so had told off the soldiers to various places to work in the fields and thus provide for future needs. They had been unwittingly captured.

Ssuma set them free and bade them begone.

"Why spare them?" asked Hsiahou Ho.

"There is nothing to be gained by the slaughter of a few common soldiers. Let them go hack to their own and praise the kindliness of the Wei leaders. That will slacken the desire of their comrades to fight against us. That was the plan by which Lu Meng captured Chingchou."

Then he issued general orders that all Shu prisoners should be well treated and sent away free, and he rewarded those of his army who had done well.

As has been said, Kao Hsiang was ordered to keep pretended convoys on the move, and the soldiers of Wei attacked and captured them whenever they saw them. In half a month they had scored many successes of this sort, and Ssuma's heart was cheered. One day, when he had made new captures of men, he sent for them and questioned them again.

"Where is K'ung-ming now?"

"He is no longer at Ch'ishan, but in camp about ten
li
from Shangfang Valley. He is gathering great store of grain there."

After he had questioned them fully, he set the prisoners free. Calling together his officers, he said, "K'ung-ming is not camped on Ch'ishan, but near Shangfang Valley. Tomorrow you shall attack the Ch'ishan camp, and 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 Ssuma Shih.

"Ch'ishan is their main position, and they will certainly hasten to its rescue. Then I shall make for the valley and burn the stores. That will render them helpless and will be a victory."

The son dutifully agreed with his father and set out, while his father followed with the reserves.

From the top of a hill K'ung-ming watched the Wei soldiers march and noticed that they moved carelessly, not even keeping their ranks. He guessed that their object was the Ch'ishan camp and sent strict orders to his captains that if Ssuma led in person they were to go off and capture the camp on the south bank.

When the men of Wei had got near and made their rush toward the camp of Shu, the men of Shu ran up also, yelling and pretending to reinforce the defenders. Ssuma, seeing this, suddenly changed his direction and turned off for the Shangfang Valley. Here Wei Yen was expecting him, and as soon as he appeared Wei Yen galloped up and soon recognised Ssuma as the leader.

"Ssuma I, stay!" shouted he as he came near. He, flourished his sword, and Ssuma set his spear. The two warriors exchanged a few passes, and then Wei Yen suddenly turned his steed and bolted. As he had been ordered, he made direct for the seven-starred flag, and Ssuma followed, the more readily as he saw the fugitive had but a small force. The two sons of Ssuma rode with him, one on either hand.

Presently Wei Yen and his men entered the mouth of the valley. Ssuma halted a time while he sent forward a few scouts, but when they returned and reported nothing to be seen but a few straw houses on the hills, he rode in, saying, "This must be the store valley."