Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Now when Sima Yi was routed by Zhang Yi and Liao Hua, he fled alone on horseback into a dense wood. Zhang Yi held back the rear guard while Liao Hua gave chase at the front. He was nearly upon him when Sima Yi, in his panic, dodged behind a tree and circled around it. Liao Hua swung his blade and struck the tree squarely; by the time he pulled his sword free, Sima Yi had already escaped beyond the wood. Liao Hua rushed out after him but could not find him. To the east of the forest, however, a golden helmet lay on the ground. Liao Hua took it, hung it from his horse, and pressed eastward in pursuit. As it turned out, Sima Yi had cast the helmet to the east of the wood but had gone west instead. Liao Hua rode for some time without finding any trace, then emerged from the valley mouth and met Jiang Wei. Together they returned to the camp to see Kongming. Zhang Yi had already driven the wooden oxen and flowing horses back to camp. Once the grain was handed over—more than ten thousand shi secured—Liao Hua presented the golden helmet and was credited with the foremost merit. Wei Yan was displeased in his heart and muttered complaints, but Kongming pretended not to notice.

Now Sima Yi fled back to his camp, deeply vexed. An imperial messenger arrived with an edict reporting that Eastern Wu had invaded along three routes and that the court was deliberating on generals to meet the enemy, ordering Sima Yi and his forces to hold firm and not give battle. Having received the order, Sima Yi dug deep moats and raised high ramparts, firmly refusing to engage.

Now when Cao Rui learned that Sun Quan had divided his forces into three advancing columns, he likewise dispatched three armies to meet them: he ordered Liu Shao to lead troops to relieve Jiangxia, Tian Yu to relieve Xiangyang, and himself accompanied Man Chong with the main army to relieve Hefei. Man Chong advanced with the first detachment to Chaohu Ford, where he saw countless warships on the eastern shore with banners arrayed in perfect order. Man Chong entered the camp and reported to the Wei ruler: "The men of Wu surely look down on us for having come from far away and have not made preparations. Tonight we can take advantage of their unpreparedness and raid their water camp—a certain victory." The Wei ruler said, "Your counsel accords perfectly with my thinking." He at once ordered the valiant general Zhang Qiu to lead five thousand troops, each carrying fire-making equipment, to attack from the lake mouth, while Man Chong led five thousand men to attack from the eastern shore. That night, in the second watch, Zhang Qiu and Man Chong each led their forces in silence toward the lake mouth. Drawing near the water camp, they raised a great shout and charged in together. The Wu soldiers panicked and fled without a fight. The Wei troops set fires on every side, burning an untold number of warships, provisions, and equipment. Zhuge Jin led the defeated forces in flight to Miankou. The Wei army returned in triumph.

The next day, scouts reported the outcome to Lu Xun. Lu Xun assembled his officers and said: "I shall draft a memorial to our sovereign, requesting that the siege of Xincheng be lifted and that troops be sent to cut off the Wei army's line of retreat. I shall lead our forces to attack their front; caught between two fronts, they can be routed in one stroke." All were convinced by his words. Lu Xun immediately prepared the memorial and dispatched a junior officer to carry it in secret to Xincheng. The junior officer set out bearing the document but, upon reaching the ford, was unexpectedly seized by Wei ambushers and brought before the Wei ruler, Cao Rui. Cao Rui found Lu Xun's memorial, read it through, and sighed: "Lu Xun of Eastern Wu—truly a master of calculation!" He ordered the Wu soldier imprisoned and instructed Liu Shao to guard against further Wu reinforcements.

Now Zhuge Jin, having suffered a crushing defeat, found that the summer heat had brought sickness to many of his men and horses. He wrote a letter and had it sent to Lu Xun, proposing that the army withdraw home. After reading the letter, Lu Xun told the messenger: "Return and tell the general that I have my own plans." The messenger reported back to Zhuge Jin. Zhuge Jin asked, "What is the Marshal doing?" The messenger replied, "I saw only that Marshal Lu is urging his men to plant beans and millet outside the camp, while he himself is shooting arrows with his officers at the camp gate." Zhuge Jin was greatly alarmed. He went in person to Lu Xun's camp and asked him: "Now Cao Rui has come in person with overwhelming forces. How does the Marshal intend to oppose him?" Lu Xun said: "I previously sent a memorial to our sovereign, but it was captured by the enemy. Since my stratagem is now revealed, they will surely be prepared. To fight them would serve no purpose; we had better withdraw for now. I have already dispatched another memorial to the sovereign requesting a gradual retreat." Zhuge Jin said: "Since the Marshal has this intention, we should retreat at once. Why delay further?" Lu Xun said: "When an army wishes to withdraw, it must move slowly and in good order. If we retreat hastily now, the men of Wei will certainly pursue us—this is the path to defeat. You should first marshal the ships as though preparing to resist the enemy. I shall lead all our troops toward Xiangyang to create a diversion, and then we shall withdraw slowly back to Jiangdong. The Wei army will not dare to approach us." Zhuge Jin followed his plan. Lu Xun returned to his own camp, arranged his ships, and prepared to depart. Lu Xun marshaled his forces and made a great show of strength as he advanced toward Xiangyang.

Spies quickly reported this to the Wei ruler: the Wu army was on the move and precautions were needed. The Wei officers all wished to give battle. The Wei ruler, well aware of Lu Xun's abilities, instructed his officers: "Lu Xun is a man of stratagems. He may well be using a scheme to lure us. Do not advance lightly." The officers accordingly held their positions. Several days later, scouts reported: "All three columns of the Eastern Wu army have withdrawn." The Wei ruler did not believe it and sent men to investigate again. They returned and confirmed that the retreat was complete. The Wei ruler sighed: "Lu Xun's use of troops rivals that of Sun Wu himself. The southeast cannot be pacified." He therefore ordered his generals to hold their strategic points while he stationed the main army at Hefei, watching for developments.

Now Kongming, at Mount Qi, intended to establish a long-term position. He ordered his Shu soldiers to farm alongside the Wei civilians—the army one part, the people two—without any encroachment, and the Wei civilians all lived contentedly in peace. Sima Shi went in to report to his father: "The Shu soldiers have seized much of our grain, and now they are mingling our people with their own to farm along the Wei River as a long-term strategy. If this continues, it will truly be a great danger to the state. Father, why not arrange a set-date battle with Kongming to decide once and for all?" Sima Yi said: "I have received an imperial order to hold firm. I must not act rashly." Even as they were discussing the matter, a report came that Wei Yan, wearing the golden helmet that the Grand Marshal had lost the day before, was approaching and hurling insults to provoke a battle. All the officers were enraged and wished to go out and fight. Sima Yi smiled and said: "The sage said, 'A little impatience spoils a great plan.' Holding firm is our best course." The officers obeyed and did not sally forth. Wei Yan cursed and taunted at length before finally withdrawing.

Seeing that Sima Yi refused to engage, Kongming secretly ordered Ma Dai to construct wooden barricades, dig deep trenches within the camp, and stockpile large quantities of dry firewood and combustible materials. On the surrounding hills, he had bundles of firewood and grass stacked high, with empty tents erected above them, while landmines were planted both inside and outside. Once everything was in place, Kongming whispered into Ma Dai's ear: "Block off the rear entrance of Hulu Gorge and conceal troops within it. If Sima Yi pursues you, let him enter the gorge, then ignite the landmines and dry firewood all at once." He also ordered soldiers to raise a Seven-Star Banner by day at the mouth of the gorge and set out seven bright lanterns on the hill by night, as secret signals. Ma Dai received his orders and led his troops away.

Kongming then summoned Wei Yan and instructed him: "Take five hundred soldiers and go challenge the Wei camp. You must provoke Sima Yi into battle. Do not seek victory—only feign defeat. Yi will surely pursue you. Then make your way toward the Seven-Star Banner; if it is night, head toward the seven lanterns. Your sole task is to lead Sima Yi into Hulu Gorge, and I shall have my own plan to capture him." Wei Yan received his orders and led his troops away.

Kongming then called Gao Xiang and said: "Take the wooden oxen and flowing horses in groups of twenty or thirty, or forty or fifty, and load each with grain, sending them back and forth along the mountain paths. If the Wei soldiers seize them, that shall be your merit." Gao Xiang received his orders and drove the wooden oxen and flowing horses away.

Kongming then withdrew the troops from Mount Qi one by one, giving out the excuse that they were to engage in farming. He instructed them: "If other enemy forces come to battle, you are only to feign defeat. But if Sima Yi himself comes, then unite your forces and strike at Weinan, cutting off his line of retreat." Having made all his dispositions, Kongming led a single army himself and encamped near Shangfang Gorge.

Meanwhile, Xiahou Hui and Xiahou He entered the camp and reported to Sima Yi: "The Shu forces are now scattered in camps across the countryside, farming in various places as a long-term strategy. If we do not destroy them now, once they have settled in firmly and put down deep roots, they will be impossible to dislodge." Yi replied: "This must be another of Kongming's schemes." The two brothers said: "If the Marshal harbors such suspicions, when shall the enemy ever be destroyed? We two brothers will fight with all our might to repay the nation's grace." Yi said: "Very well, then—you two may go out to battle separately." He accordingly ordered Xiahou Hui and Xiahou He each to lead five thousand troops, and they departed. Sima Yi sat and awaited their return.

Now Xiahou Hui and Xiahou He had divided their forces and were advancing along two roads when they suddenly saw Shu soldiers driving wooden oxen and flowing horses toward them. The two charged forward together, and the Shu troops were routed and fled. The wooden oxen and flowing horses were all captured by the Wei soldiers and sent to Sima Yi's camp. The next day they seized over a hundred men and horses as well, and these too were delivered to the main camp. Yi interrogated the captured Shu soldiers to ascertain the truth of the situation. The Shu soldiers told him: "Prime Minister Kongming reckoned only that the Marshal would remain behind his defenses. He ordered us all to scatter and farm, as a long-term strategy. We never expected to be captured." Yi released all the Shu soldiers and sent them back. Xiahou He asked: "Why not kill them?" Yi said: "These common soldiers—killing them would bring no benefit. Release them back to their camp, so that they may speak of the Wei generals' generosity and mercy, and thus weaken the enemy's will to fight. This is the same strategy Lü Meng used when he seized Jing Province." He then issued an order that henceforth all captured Shu soldiers were to be treated well and released, and that those officers and soldiers who had distinguished themselves should be handsomely rewarded. The generals all received their orders and departed.

Meanwhile, Kongming ordered Gao Xiang to pretend to transport grain, driving the wooden oxen and flowing horses back and forth within Shangfang Gorge. Xiahou Hui and the others ambushed them from time to time. In half a month, the Shu forces suffered several defeats. Sima Yi, seeing the Shu troops repeatedly routed, was inwardly delighted. One day, they captured several dozen Shu soldiers. Yi summoned them to his tent and asked: "Where is Kongming now?" They told him: "Prime Minister Zhuge is no longer at Mount Qi. He has established his camp ten li west of Shangfang Gorge. Each day he transports grain and stores it at Shangfang Gorge." Yi questioned them in detail, then released them at once. He summoned his generals and instructed them: "Kongming is no longer at Mount Qi—he has made his camp at Shangfang Gorge. Tomorrow, you shall all unite your forces and attack the main Shu camp at Mount Qi. I myself will lead troops to support you." The generals received their orders and each made preparations to engage. Sima Shi asked: "Why does Father wish to attack their rear instead?" Yi replied: "Mount Qi is the foundation of the Shu army. When they see our forces attacking it, every camp will rush to its aid. I shall then seize Shangfang Gorge and burn their grain, leaving them cut off front and rear. They will certainly suffer a great defeat." Sima Shi bowed in admiration. Yi then set his troops in motion, ordering Zhang Hu and Yue Cong each to lead five thousand soldiers as rear support.

Meanwhile, Kongming was at Mount Qi when he saw the Wei troops marching in columns of three to five thousand, or one to two thousand, their formations spread out, looking ahead and behind. He surmised that they must be coming to attack the main camp at Mount Qi, and secretly issued orders to his generals: "If Sima Yi comes himself, you are all to raid the Wei camp and seize Weinan." The generals each received their orders.

The Wei troops advanced toward the Mount Qi camp, and the Shu soldiers on all sides shouted and rushed about as if to mount a relief effort. Sima Yi, seeing that all the Shu forces had gone to defend Mount Qi, led his two sons and the central army guard toward Shangfang Gorge. Wei Yan was at the mouth of the gorge, eagerly awaiting Sima Yi's arrival. Suddenly a column of Wei soldiers appeared. Wei Yan rode forward to see who it was—it was none other than Sima Yi. Wei Yan roared: "Sima Yi, do not flee!" and raised his saber to meet him. Yi leveled his spear and engaged. After no more than three exchanges, Wei Yan wheeled his horse and fled, with Yi in close pursuit. Wei Yan made his way toward the Seven-Star Banner.

When Sima Yi saw that Wei Yan was alone with only a small force of men, he felt reassured and gave chase. He ordered Sima Shi to the left, Sima Zhao to the right, and took the center himself, pressing the attack together. Wei Yan led his five hundred soldiers and retreated entirely into the valley. Sima Yi pursued them to the mouth of the valley and first sent men in to scout. They returned to report that there were no ambushes inside the valley, and that the structures on the hillside were all thatched houses. Sima Yi said, "This must be a place for storing grain!" He then drove his troops forward in force and entered the valley entirely. Suddenly Sima Yi saw that the thatched houses were all stacked with dry firewood, and Wei Yan had vanished from sight. Sima Yi's heart filled with suspicion. He said to his two sons, "What if troops cut off the mouth of the valley?" Before he finished speaking, a great roar of shouting erupted as torches were hurled down from the hillsides, setting fire and sealing off the valley entrance. The Wei soldiers had no road of retreat. Fire arrows rained down from above, land mines erupted simultaneously, and the dry firewood inside the thatched houses all caught. The flames roared skyward in a deafening blaze. Sima Yi was so terrified he knew not what to do. He dismounted, embraced his two sons, and wept loudly, saying, "We three—father and sons—shall all die here!" As they wept, suddenly a fierce wind rose and black mists filled the sky. With a crash of thunder, a torrential rain poured down. The fires throughout the valley were completely extinguished. The land mines would not detonate; the firearms were useless. Sima Yi was overjoyed. "If not now, when shall we break out?" he cried. He led his troops in a desperate charge. Zhang Hu and Yue Cong each led their own forces to meet them in support. Ma Dai had too few men and dared not pursue. Sima Yi, his sons, Zhang Hu, and Yue Cong joined forces and retreated together to their great camp on the south bank of the Wei River. To their dismay, the camp's palisades had already been seized by Shu troops. Guo Huai and Sun Li were engaged in battle with Shu forces on the pontoon bridge. Sima Yi and the others led their men to the attack, and the Shu troops withdrew. Sima Yi burned the pontoon bridge and held the north bank.

Meanwhile, the Wei forces at Mount Qi, who had been attacking the Shu camps, learned that Sima Yi had suffered a crushing defeat and lost the camp on the south bank of the Wei River. Their morale collapsed. As they hastily withdrew, Shu forces charged at them from all sides. The Wei army was utterly routed—eight or nine out of every ten were wounded or killed, the dead beyond counting. The survivors fled north across the river to save their lives. Zhuge Liang, watching from the hillside as Wei Yan lured Sima Yi into the valley, saw the flames suddenly erupt and was overjoyed, certain that Sima Yi must die this time. But then the heavens sent down a great rain, and the fires could not burn. A scout reported that Sima Yi and his sons had all escaped. Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "To plan lies in man; to fulfill lies in Heaven. It cannot be forced!" A later poet lamented:

Wind howled at the valley's mouth, fierce flames soared on high,

But who could foresee the sudden rain descending from the sky?

Had the Marquis of Wu's cunning scheme but come to pass,

How could the mountains and rivers have fallen to the Jin at last?

Sima Yi, in his camp on the north bank of the Wei River, issued an order: "The camp on the south bank is now lost. Any officer who speaks again of giving battle shall be beheaded." The officers received the order and held fast without venturing out. Guo Huai came in and reported, "Recently Zhuge Liang has been leading his troops on patrol. He will certainly be selecting a place to establish a camp." Sima Yi said, "If Zhuge Liang emerges at Wugong and moves east along the mountains, we are all in grave danger. But if he emerges on the south bank of the Wei River and halts west at Wuzhang Plain, then we shall be safe." He sent a man to reconnoitre, and the report came back that Zhuge Liang had indeed encamped at Wuzhang Plain. Sima Yi pressed his hand to his forehead and said, "Such is the great fortune of the Emperor of Wei!" He then ordered all his officers to hold firm and not emerge. "In time, the enemy will bring about their own transformation."

As for Zhuge Liang, he personally led one army to encamp at Wuzhang Plain. He repeatedly sent men to provoke battle, but the Wei troops would not emerge. Zhuge Liang then took a woman's headdress and garments of white mourning cloth, placed them in a large box, wrote a letter, and sent a man to deliver it to the Wei camp. The officers dared not conceal it and brought the messenger in to see Sima Yi. Sima Yi opened the box before his officers and saw inside the headdress and garments of a woman, along with a letter. He broke the seal and read it. It read in part:

Since you, Zhongda, have become a great general commanding the armies of the Central Plains, one would expect you to don armor and wield weapons to decide the contest between us. Yet you are content to burrow in your earthen nest, carefully avoiding blades and arrows. How does this differ from a woman? I now send a woman's headdress and plain garments to you. If you will not come out to fight, you may bow twice and accept them. But if your sense of shame is not yet dead and you still possess the heart of a man, send them back at once and come to meet your enemy at the appointed time.

When Sima Yi finished reading, rage boiled within his heart. Yet he forced a smile and said, "Zhuge Liang treats me as a woman, does he?" He accepted the garments and ordered that the envoy be treated generously. Sima Yi asked the messenger, "How is Zhuge Liang's sleep and diet, and how heavy is his workload?" The messenger replied, "The Chancellor rises early and retards sleep until late. All matters involving punishments of twenty lashes or more he reviews personally. Each day he eats no more than a few sheng of food." Sima Yi turned to his officers and said, "Zhuge Liang eats little and troubles himself with much. How long can he endure?" The messenger took his leave and returned to Wuzhang Plain, where he reported to Zhuge Liang everything that had happened. "Sima Yi accepted the woman's garments, read the letter, and showed no anger at all. He asked only about your sleep, diet, and the burden of your duties. He said not a word about military affairs. I answered as I did, and he remarked, 'Eating little and troubling himself with much—how long can this last?'" Zhuge Liang sighed and said: "He understands me deeply!" His chief secretary Yang Yong said, "I have observed that the Chancellor always personally reviews the account books, and I privately think this unnecessary. There is a proper way to govern—superiors and subordinates should not encroach upon one another's duties. Take the analogy of managing a household: if you have the servants plow the fields and the maids tend the kitchen, no private work goes neglected and all needs are met, while the master of the house remains at ease, eating and drinking in peace. If he insists on doing everything himself, his body will be exhausted and his spirit worn down, and in the end he will accomplish nothing. Is it that his wisdom is less than that of the servants and maids? No—he has lost the way of being a master. This is why the ancients said that those who sit and discuss the Way are called the Three Lords; those who act and carry it out are called the Grand Ministers. In former times, Bing Ji was troubled by an ox panting but did not ask about a dead man lying across the road. Chen Ping did not know the figures for the state treasury, saying, 'There are those whose charge it is.' Now the Chancellor personally attends to trifling matters, sweating from morning till night—is this not toiling needlessly? What Sima Yi said is truly words of the deepest wisdom." Zhuge Liang wept and said: "I am not unaware of this. But I bear the heavy burden of the late Emperor's dying charge, and I fear that others will not be as devoted as I." All those present shed tears. From this point on, Zhuge Liang felt his spirits were not at peace, and for this reason the officers dared not advance the army.

Meanwhile, the Wei generals all knew that Zhuge Liang had insulted Sima Yi by sending him women's clothing, and that Yi had accepted it without engaging in battle. The generals were all furious and went into his tent to report, saying, "We are all famous generals of a great state—how can we endure such humiliation from the men of Shu? We request permission at once to go out and fight, to decide once and for all who is superior."

Sima Yi said, "It is not that I dare not go out to fight, nor that I willingly accept this insult. It is that His Majesty issued a clear edict ordering us to hold firm and not move. If I were to act rashly now, I would be disobeying the sovereign's command."

The generals were all enraged and dissatisfied. Sima Yi said, "Since you insist on fighting, allow me to memorialize the Son of Heaven and, with your combined strength, go to meet the enemy. How would that be?"

The generals agreed. Sima Yi then wrote a memorial and sent an envoy all the way to the army at Qiaobei to present it to the Wei sovereign, Cao Rui. Cao Rui broke the seal and read the memorial, which read roughly as follows:

"Your minister, though of slender talent, bears a heavy charge and has received Your Majesty's clear instructions. At present, your minister holds firm and does not engage in battle, waiting for the men of Shu to exhaust themselves. But now Zhuge Liang has sent your minister women's clothing, treating your minister as a woman. The shame is extreme. Your minister respectfully makes this known to Your Sacred Intelligence: within days, your minister shall fight to the death in order to repay the grace of the court and to wipe away the humiliation of the three armies. Your minister cannot contain his agitation!"

When Cao Rui had finished reading, he said to his assembled officials, "Sima Yi holds firm and does not go out to fight—so why has he now submitted a memorial requesting battle?"

Weiwei Xin Pi said, "Sima Yi originally had no intention to fight. This is surely because of Zhuge Liang's insult and the anger of his generals. He has submitted this memorial only to seek further clarification of Your Majesty's will, in order to restrain the hearts of his officers."

Cao Rui agreed with his assessment and at once ordered Xin Pi to proceed with the imperial staff of authority to the camp north of the Wei River and to convey the command that they were not to go out and fight.

Sima Yi received the edict and brought it into his tent. Xin Pi proclaimed the imperial instruction, saying, "If anyone again dares to speak of going out to fight, he shall be charged with disobeying the imperial command."

The generals had no choice but to obey the edict.

Sima Yi said privately to Xin Pi, "You truly understand my heart."

Thereupon he ordered it to be spread among the troops that the Wei sovereign had commanded Xin Pi to bring the staff of authority and convey the order to Sima Yi not to go out and fight. When the Shu generals learned of this, they reported it to Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "This is merely Sima Yi's method for pacifying his three armies."

Jiang Wei said, "How does Your Excellency know this?"

Zhuge Liang said, "He originally had no intention to fight. The reason he requested battle was to show his martial spirit before his officers. Have you not heard: 'When a general is in the field, he need not accept every command of his sovereign'? How could anyone request permission to fight from a thousand li away? This is Sima Yi, using the anger of his officers, borrowing Cao Rui's authority to restrain the rest. And now he is spreading this news deliberately, hoping to slacken the morale of our army."

Even as they were discussing this, it was suddenly announced that Fei Yi had arrived. Zhuge Liang invited him in and questioned him.

Fei Yi said, "The Wei sovereign Cao Rui, upon learning that Eastern Wu was advancing with three armies in three columns, personally led a great army to Qiaobei and ordered Man Chong, Tian Yu, and Liu Shao to divide their forces into three columns to meet the enemy. Man Chong devised a plan and burned all of Eastern Wu's provisions and war materiel. Many Wu soldiers fell ill. Lu Xun submitted a memorial to the Wu king proposing a coordinated attack from front and rear, but the bearer of the memorial was captured by Wei soldiers along the way. As a result, the plan was leaked, and the Wu forces returned without accomplishing anything."

When Zhuge Liang heard this news, he let out a long sigh and collapsed unconscious to the ground. The generals rushed to revive him, and only after some time did he regain consciousness.

Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "My mind is in confusion. My old ailment has returned. I fear I shall not live."

That night, Zhuge Liang, supporting himself despite his illness, went out of his tent and observed the heavens. He was greatly alarmed. He returned to his tent and said to Jiang Wei, "My life hangs by a thread!"

Jiang Wei said, "Why does Your Excellency say this?"

Zhuge Liang said, "I have observed that among the three stars of the Triaster, the guest star shines with double brightness while the master star is dim and hidden. The stars that flank and assist it are faint and dark. Such is the celestial sign—and from it I know my fate."

Jiang Wei said, "Though the celestial signs are as they are, why does Your Excellency not employ the rites of supplication to turn fate back?"

Zhuge Liang said, "I have always been versed in the rites of supplication, but I do not know Heaven's will. You may lead forty-nine armored soldiers, each carrying a black flag and wearing black garments, to surround the outside of the tent. I myself shall supplicate the Northern Dipper from within the tent. If the master lamp does not go out within seven days, my life may be extended by twelve years. If the lamp is extinguished, I shall surely die. Let no idle persons enter. Whatever materials are needed shall be fetched by two small boys only."

Jiang Wei received the order and went to make preparations.

It was now the Mid-Autumn Festival in the eighth month. That night the Milky Way shone bright and the dew fell in drops. The banners were still and the watchman's clappers were silent. Jiang Wei stood outside the tent with the forty-nine men to keep watch. Zhuge Liang himself arranged incense, flowers, and sacrificial offerings within the tent. On the ground he distributed seven large lamps, surrounded them by forty9 small lamps outside, and placed a single lamp of life within.

Zhuge Liang bowed and prayed, saying: "I was born into a time of disorder and would have been content to grow old in the hills and groves. I received the kindness of Emperor Zhaolie, who thrice visited my thatched cottage, and the heavy charge of the entrustment of his orphan. I dare not withhold my humble labors as a horse or a dog, and I have sworn to punish the traitors to the state. But now the general star is about to fall and my allotted span is drawing to a close. I respectfully set down this letter on silk and submit it to the vast heavens. I humbly look up to Heaven's compassion, that it may bend its ear and listen, and in mercy extend my years, so that I may above repay the sovereign's grace, below save the lives of the people, recover the old territories, and perpetually preserve the sacrifices of the House of Han. I do not dare to make reckless supplications—these are born of the urgency of my feelings."

When he had finished his prayer, he prostrated himself in the tent and waited for dawn.

The next day, he managed affairs of state despite his illness, vomiting blood without cease. By day he discussed military strategy; by night he performed the rituals of the celestial steps.

Meanwhile, Sima Yi held firm in his camp. One night he suddenly observed the heavens and was overjoyed. He said to Xiahou Ba, "I have observed that the general star has shifted from its position. Zhuge Liang must surely be ill, and before long he will die. You may lead a thousand troops to scout out Wuzhangyuan. If the men of Shu are in disarray and do not come out to meet you in battle, then Zhuge Liang must indeed be suffering from illness. I shall then seize the opportunity to strike."

Xiahou Ba led his troops and departed.

In his tent, Zhuge Liang had been performing the rites of supplication for six nights. He saw that the master lamp was bright and was greatly pleased.

Jiang Wei entered the tent and found Zhuge Liang with his hair unbound, wielding a sword, performing the steps of the celestial pole, and pressing down upon the general star. Suddenly they heard shouting outside the camp. Just as they were about to send someone to investigate, Wei Yan rushed in and reported, "The Wei army is upon us!" In his haste, Wei Yan's feet stumbled and he knocked over and extinguished the master lamp.

Zhuge Liang threw down his sword and sighed, saying: "Life and death are decreed by fate—they cannot be averted by supplication!"

Wei Yan was terrified and threw himself to the ground, begging for punishment. Jiang Wei, enraged, drew his sword and was about to kill Wei Yan.

Indeed:

All things are not subject to human will;

One heart cannot contend with fate.

What became of Wei Yan's fate will be told in the next chapter.

Next Chapter▶

Romance of the Three Kingdoms