Chapter 108

Chapter 108

Now, as Jiang Wei was fleeing, he encountered Sima Shi, who had led troops to intercept him. It turned out that when Jiang Wei had seized Yong Province, Guo Huai had sent urgent dispatches to the court. The Wei ruler and Sima Yi had deliberated and reached a decision. Yi had sent his eldest son, Sima Shi, with fifty thousand troops to reinforce Yong Province. Shi, learning that Guo Huai had repelled the Shu forces, judged that the Shu army was weakened and so attacked them along the way; he pursued them all the way to Yangping Pass, where Jiang Wei employed the linked crossbow method handed down by the Martial Marquis, having secretly placed over a hundred linked crossbows on both sides, each crossbow firing ten bolts, all tipped with poison. The crossbow bolts flew from both sides simultaneously, and the vanguard—men and horses alike—were struck down beyond counting. Sima Shi fled for his life back through the chaos of battle.

Now, in Qushan City, the Shu general Ju An, seeing that reinforcements would not arrive, opened the gates and surrendered to Wei. Jiang Wei had lost tens of thousands of troops and led the defeated forces back to Hanzhong to encamp. Sima Shi himself returned to Luoyang. In the eighth month of the autumn of the third year of Jiaping, Sima Yi fell ill, and his condition grew steadily worse. He summoned both his sons to his bedside and admonished them, saying: "I have served Wei for many years, and my official rank has reached that of Grand Tutor—the highest position a subject can attain. All have suspected me of harboring ulterior ambitions, and I have long lived in fear. After my death, you two must govern the state well. Take care! Take care!" With these words, he passed away. His eldest son, Sima Shi, and his second son, Sima Zhaoh, submitted a memorial to the Wei ruler, Cao Fang. Fang bestowed lavish funeral rites and generous posthumous honors. He appointed Shi as Grand General, in charge of all confidential matters of the Secretariat; and Zhao as General of Agile Cavalry and Senior General.

Now, the Wu ruler Sun Quan had first designated his eldest son, Sun Deng, born of Lady Xu, as crown prince, but Deng died in the fourth year of Chiwu. Sun Quan then installed his second son, Sun He, born of the Lady of Langya, as crown prince. Sun He, having fallen out with the Princess Quan, was slandered by her, and Quan deposed him. He died of grief and resentment. Sun Quan then installed his third son, Sun Liang, born of Lady Pan, as crown prince. By this time, Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin had both died, and all matters of governance, great and small, fell to Zhuge Ke. In the first year of Taihe, on the first day of the eighth month of autumn, a great wind suddenly arose, the rivers and seas surged with waves, and the flat land was covered with water eight feet deep. The pine and cypress trees that the Wu ruler had planted were all uprooted, carried straight to the south gate of Jianye, and planted upside down on the road. Sun Quan was so frightened that he fell ill. In the eighth month of that year, his condition grew grave, and he summoned Grand Tutor Zhuge Ke and Grand Marshal Lu Dai to his bedside to entrust them with affairs after his death. When he had finished speaking, he passed away. He had reigned for twenty-four years and was seventy-one years old. This was the fifteenth year of Yanxi in Shu Han. A later poet wrote:

Purple beard and jade-green eyes—a man hailed as hero,

Who could make his ministers give loyal service their all.

Twenty-four years he built his great enterprise,

A dragon coiling, a tiger crouching, in the land east of the River.

After Sun Quan's death, Zhuge Ke installed Sun Liang as emperor, proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the land, and changed the era name to the first year of Daxing. He posthumously honored Sun Quan as the Great Emperor and buried him at Jiangling. A spy quickly learned of these events and reported to Luoyang. When Sima Shi heard that Sun Quan had died, he proposed raising an army to attack Wu. The Secretary Fu Gu said: "Wu has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River. The late emperor launched several campaigns against it, none of which succeeded as he wished. It would be better to guard our respective borders—that is the superior strategy." Shi said: "The Way of Heaven changes once every thirty years. How can the three powers remain in perpetual equilibrium? I wish to attack Wu." Zhao said: "Now that Sun Quan has just died and Sun Liang is young and weak, this is precisely the opening we should exploit." He then ordered Grand General Who Conquers the South Wang Chang to lead one hundred thousand troops to attack Nan Commandery; General Who Conquers the East Hu Zun to lead one hundred thousand troops to attack Dongxing; and Garrison Commander of the South Guanqiu Jian to lead one hundred thousand troops to attack Wuchang—three armies advancing simultaneously. He also sent his younger brother Sima Zhao as Grand Commander to oversee all three armies.

In the tenth month of that winter, Sima Zhao's army reached the border of Eastern Wu, where he encamped. He summoned Wang Chang, Hu Zun, and Guanqiu Jian to his tent and said: "The most critical point for Wu is Dongxing Commandery. They have now built a great dam, with two cities on either side, to guard against attacks from behind Chao Lake. You must all be extremely careful." He then ordered Wang Chang and Guanqiu Jian to each lead ten thousand troops and position themselves on the left and right, but not to advance; once Dongxing Commandery was taken, they would all advance together. Chang and Jian received their orders and departed. Zhao then ordered Hu Zun as vanguard to lead all three armies forward, first to build a floating bridge and seize the Dongxing dam. If he could capture the two cities on either side, it would be a great achievement. Zun led his troops to construct the floating bridge.

Now, when the Wu Grand Tutor Zhuge Ke learned that the Wei armies were advancing on three fronts, he gathered his officers to deliberate. General Who Pacifies the North Ding Feng said: "Dongxing is a vital point for Eastern Wu. If it is lost, then Nan Commandery and Wuchang will be in danger." Ke said: "Your assessment accords perfectly with my thinking. Take three thousand naval troops and go by the river. I will then order Lü Ju, Tang Zi, and Liu Zuan to each lead ten thousand infantry to meet you from three directions. When you hear the signal of chain cannon fire, advance together. I will follow with the main force." Ding Feng received his orders and led three thousand naval troops divided among thirty boats toward Dongxing.

Now, Hu Zun crossed the floating bridge and encamped on the dam. He sent Huan Jia and Han Zong to attack the two cities. The left city was defended by the Wu general Quan Yi, and the right city by the Wu general Liu Lüe. These two cities were lofty and fortified, and could not be taken quickly. Quan and Liu, seeing the strength of the Wei forces, dared not sally forth and defended their cities stubbornly. Hu Zun made camp at Xuzhou. It was the depths of winter, and heavy snow was falling. Hu Zun was feasting with his officers when it was reported that thirty war vessels had arrived on the water. Zun went out of camp to observe and saw the boats nearing the shore, each carrying about a hundred men. He returned to his tent and said to his officers: "No more than three thousand men—nothing to fear!" He merely ordered subordinate officers to keep watch and went on drinking as before. Ding Feng lined up his boats upon the water and said to his officers: "For a great man to establish his merit and win his fortune, this is the day!" He ordered all his soldiers to remove their armor and helmets, to set aside their long spears and halberds, and to carry only short swords. The Wei soldiers saw this and laughed, and made no preparations whatsoever.

Suddenly three cannon shots rang out in quick succession. Ding Feng drew his sword, leaped ashore first, and the soldiers all drew their short blades and followed him onto the bank, hacking their way into the Wei encampment. The Wei troops were caught off guard. Han Zong hastily seized the great halberd before his tent to meet the attack, but Ding Feng had already rushed close, and with one stroke of his blade cut him down. Huan Jia emerged from the left, hastily leveled his spear to thrust at Ding Feng, but Feng caught the spear shaft. Huan Jia abandoned his spear and fled, yet a blade hurled by Feng struck him squarely in the left shoulder, and he toppled backward. Ding Feng caught up and ran him through with the spear. The three thousand Wu soldiers surged through the Wei camp, attacking left and right. Hu Zun hastily mounted his horse and fled by whatever route he could find. The Wei soldiers all rushed toward the floating bridge, but the bridge had already been cut; most of them fell into the water and drowned. Those cut down on the snowy ground were beyond counting. Carts, horses, and military equipment were all seized by the Wu troops. When Sima Zhao, Wang Chang, and Guanqiu Jian learned that the eastern campaign had ended in defeat, they too pulled their forces back.

Now, when Zhuge Ke led his army to Dongxing and had finished rewarding the troops, he gathered his generals and said, "Sima Zhao's army has been defeated and is retreating north. This is the perfect moment to seize the opportunity and advance into the Central Plains." He therefore dispatched an envoy to Shu, requesting that Jiang Wei attack from the north, promising to divide the empire between them. At the same time, he mobilized a great army of two hundred thousand to invade the Central Plains. Just as they were setting out, a white vapor suddenly rose from the ground, obscuring the three armies so that men could not see one another. Jiang Yan said, "This vapor is a white rainbow—it is an omen of the loss of troops. The Grand Tutor should return to the capital and not attack Wei." Zhuge Ke flew into a rage. "How dare you utter words of ill omen to dampen the spirit of my army!" He ordered the guards to execute him. The others pleaded for mercy, so Zhuge Ke instead demoted Jiang Yan to commoner status and pressed the army forward. Ding Feng said, "Wei considers Xincheng its most critical pass. If we capture this city first, Sima Zhao will be utterly terrified." Zhuge Ke was greatly pleased and hastened his troops straight to Xincheng. Zhang Te, the commandant guarding the city, saw the massive Wu army approaching and sealed the gates to hold firm. Zhuge Ke ordered his troops to surround the city on all sides. A swift courier soon reported the news to Luoyang. The Registrar Yu Song told Sima Shi, "Zhuge Ke is besieging Xincheng, but we should not engage him yet. The Wu army has come from afar—they have many men but little grain. When their provisions are exhausted, they will withdraw on their own. When they are about to retreat, then we strike, and certain victory will be ours. However, we must guard against Shu forces invading our borders." Sima Shi agreed and ordered Sima Zhao to lead a force to assist Guo Huai in guarding against Jiang Wei, while Guanqiu Jian and Hu Zun held off the Wu army.

Now Zhuge Ke besieged Xincheng for months without success. He ordered all his generals to attack the city with full force, threatening to execute any who showed negligence. The generals then attacked with all their might, and the northeast corner of the wall was on the verge of collapse. Zhang Te devised a plan within the city. He sent an eloquent envoy bearing registers and documents to the Wu camp to see Zhuge Ke, saying, "By the laws of Wei, when an enemy besieges a city, if the defending commander holds out for one hundred days and no reinforcements arrive, and then surrenders, his family will not be punished. You have besieged the city for over ninety days. I beg you to grant a few more days, and our commanding officer will lead all the soldiers and civilians out to surrender. Here are the registers submitted in advance." Zhuge Ke believed him completely, withdrew his troops, and ceased the siege. In truth, Zhang Te had used a delaying tactic to coax the Wu army away. He then had the houses in the city dismantled and used the materials to repair the damaged section of the wall. He mounted the ramparts and cursed loudly, "We still have half a year's grain in this city—why would we ever surrender to these Wu dogs? Fight all you like!" Zhuge Ke was furious and pressed the attack. Arrows rained down from the walls. An arrow struck Zhuge Ke squarely in the forehead, and he fell from his horse. His generals carried him back to camp, where his wound flared up. The entire army lost the will to fight. Moreover, the weather was oppressively hot, and many soldiers fell ill. When Zhuge Ke's wound had somewhat improved, he wished to press the camp officials to attack again. A camp officer reported, "Everyone is ill—how can we fight?" Zhuge Ke roared, "Anyone who mentions illness again will be beheaded!" When the soldiers heard this, countless numbers fled. Then came word that Commander Cai Lin had led his own troops and defected to Wei. Zhuge Ke was greatly alarmed. He rode personally through all the camps and indeed saw that the soldiers were sallow and swollen-faced, every one bearing the marks of illness. He then pulled his army back to Wu. A spy had already informed Guanqiu Jian, who raised his full force and pursued them, attacking from behind. The Wu army was routed and fled in disgrace. Zhuge Ke was deeply ashamed and pleaded illness to avoid appearing at court. The Wu sovereign Sun Liang personally visited his residence to inquire after his health. All the civil and military officials came to pay their respects. Fearing that people would criticize him, Zhuge Ke first searched out the faults of the various officials—those guilty of minor offenses were banished to the frontier, and those of serious crimes were publicly executed. Thus all officials, both within and without the court, lived in terror. He also placed his confidants Zhang Yue and Zhu En in command of the Imperial Guard, to serve as his claws and fangs.

Now Sun Jun, styled Ziyuan, was the great-grandson of Sun Jing, the brother of Sun Jian, and the son of Sun Gong. During Sun Quan's lifetime, he had been greatly favored and was placed in command of the Imperial Guard cavalry. When he heard that Zhuge Ke had appointed Zhang Yue and Zhu En to command the Imperial Guard, stripping him of his authority, he was filled with rage. Teng Yin, the Minister of Ceremonies, had long borne a grudge against Zhuge Ke. He took the occasion to speak to Sun Jun, saying, "Zhuge Ke monopolizes power and acts tyrannically, killing high officials. He harbors ambitions to rule as sovereign himself. You are of the imperial clan—why do you not act against him soon?" Sun Jun said, "I have had this intention for a long time. I shall now go before the Son of Heaven and request an imperial edict to put him to death." Thereupon Sun Jun and Teng Yin went in to see the Wu sovereign Sun Liang and presented their secret report. Sun Liang said, "Even I find this man terrifying. I have long wished to eliminate him but have not found the opportunity. Since you two are truly loyal and righteous, you may act against him in secret." Teng Yin said, "Your Majesty may lay a feast to summon Zhuge Ke, with warriors concealed behind the screens. When the cup is thrown down as the signal, kill him at the banquet, thus eliminating the threat forever." Sun Liang agreed to the plan.

Now when Zhuge Ke returned to the court after his military defeat, he pleaded illness and remained at home, his mind and spirit in disarray. One day, as he happened to step into the central hall, a man dressed in hemp mourning garments suddenly entered. Ke questioned him sharply, and the man was seized with panic. Ke ordered him seized and interrogated under torture. The man confessed: "I have just lost my father and came into the city to request monks to perform memorial rites. At first I thought I was entering a temple, but I did not realize it was the Grand Tutor's residence. How could I have come here in such a way?" Enraged, Ke summoned the gate guards and questioned them. The guards reported: "We, some dozens of men, all stood armed at the gate and never once left our posts. We did not see a single person enter." Ke flew into a furious rage and had them all executed. That night Ke slept restlessly. Suddenly he heard a crash like thunder in the main hall. Ke went out to inspect and found that the central beam had snapped in two. Startled, he returned to his chambers. Then a sudden gust of cold wind rose, and he saw the man in mourning garments he had killed and the dozens of gate guards, all holding their severed heads and demanding his life. Ke fell to the ground in terror and only came to after a long while. The next morning, as he washed his face, he noticed the water smelled strongly of blood. Ke berated his serving maids and had dozens of basins replaced, but all smelled just as foul.

While Ke was still gripped by fear and suspicion, word suddenly arrived that the Son of Heaven had sent an envoy summoning the Grand Tutor to a banquet. Ke ordered his carriage prepared. Just as he was about to leave his residence, a yellow dog seized his robe in its whimpering, as though weeping. Ke said angrily, "Is the dog mocking me?" He ordered his attendants to drive it away and then set out by carriage. He had not traveled far when a white rainbow appeared before the carriage, rising from the ground like a white silk streamer shooting into the sky. Ke was greatly startled and bewildered. His trusted officer Zhang Yue approached the carriage and whispered secretly: "Today a banquet is being held in the palace, and no one knows whether it is auspicious or not. My lord should not enter lightly." Ke, upon hearing this, ordered the carriage turned around. Before they had gone more than ten paces, Sun Jun and Teng Yin rode up to the carriage and said, "Why does the Grand Tutor turn back so soon?" Ke replied, "I have suddenly been seized with stomach pains and cannot appear before the Son of Heaven." Teng Yin said: "The court, because the Grand Tutor's army has returned, has had no opportunity to meet face to face. That is why a banquet has been specially arranged to summon you, and important matters will be discussed as well. Though the Grand Tutor is unwell, you should still make the effort to attend." Ke yielded to their words and entered the palace together with Sun Jun and Teng Yin. Zhang Yue also followed. Ke appeared before the Wu sovereign Sun Liang, performed his courtesies, and took his seat. Liang ordered wine to be served. Ke, his heart full of suspicion, declined, saying: "This ailing body cannot hold wine." Sun Jun said: "The Grand Tutor regularly takes medicinal wine at his residence. May we fetch some?" Ke said, "That is acceptable." He then ordered his attendants to return to his residence and bring his own prepared medicinal wine. Only then did Ke drink at ease.

After several rounds of wine, the Wu sovereign Sun Liang excused himself on some pretext and rose to leave. Sun Jun descended from the hall, removed his long robe, put on short clothing, donned a suit of ring mail beneath, seized a sharp blade, and ascended the hall, shouting loudly: "The Son of Heaven has an edict to slay the traitor!" Zhuge Ke was greatly startled. He flung his cup to the ground and tried to draw his sword to resist, but his head had already fallen. Zhang Yue, seeing Jun behead Ke, raised his sword to meet him. Jun swiftly dodged the blade's point, but it wounded his left finger. Jun turned and swung his sword, striking Zhang Yue's right arm. The guards rushed out all at once, cut down Zhang Yue, and hacked him to pieces. Sun Jun ordered the guards to seize Ke's family on one hand, and on the other commanded that Zhang Yue's body and Zhuge Ke's corpse be wrapped in reed mats, loaded onto a small cart, and cast out beyond the south gate among the scattered burial mounds of Shizigang.

Now Zhuge Ke's wife was in her chamber, her mind and spirit in disarray, unable to find peace in any movement or rest. Suddenly a maid entered her room. Ke's wife asked: "Why does your whole body smell of blood?" The maid suddenly turned her eyes, bared her teeth, leaped into the head, and struck her head against the roof beam, crying out loudly: "I am Zhuge Ke! Murdered by the traitor Sun Jun!" Ke's entire household, old and young, wept in terror and confusion. Before long, soldiers arrived and surrounded the residence. They bound Ke's whole family, old and young, and led them all to the marketplace for execution. This took place in the tenth month of the second year of Jianxing in Wu. In former days, when Zhuge Jin was still alive, he had observed that Ke's intelligence was displayed too openly and had sighed, saying: "This son is no master who can preserve the family!" Furthermore, Zhang Ji, a senior minister of Wei, had once said to Sima Shi: "Zhuge Ke will not live long!" Sima Shi asked why, and Zhang Ji replied: "He has overawed his own master—how can he endure for long?" In the end, these words proved true.

Now after Sun Jun had slain Zhuge Ke, the Wu sovereign Sun Liang enfeoffed Jun as Chancellor, Grand General, and Marquis of Fuchun, with authority over all military affairs within and without. From that time, all power rested entirely with Sun Jun.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wei in Chengdu had received a letter from Zhuge Ke requesting assistance in an expedition against Wei. He therefore went to court and, having obtained the Latter Lord's approval, raised a great army once more to march north against the Central Plain. Indeed:

One campaign had yet to achieve its aim;

A second strike sought victory's fame.

What the outcome would be, read on in the chapter that follows.

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Romance of the Three Kingdoms