An altar was begun at once. They worked at it day and night, and as soon as it was finished a great assembly was called. Then Lu Hsün was requested to ascend and make his bow on receiving his appointment as "Commander-in-chief, Leader of the Senior Guardian Army of the West and Marquis of Fênglou." The sword of authority and the seal of office were presented. His powers extended over the six districts and the eighty-one departments (of Chiangnan), over the forces in Chingchou and Chin.

And in charging him Sun Ch'üan said, "Domestic affairs belong to me; outer affairs are under your direction."

Lu Hsün then descended. He chose Hsü Shêng and Ting Fêng as commanders of his guards, and the army lost no time in taking the field. The various dispositions of horse and foot were made, and despatches were sent to the outlying commanders.

When the despatch reached Han Tang and Chou T'ai they were much upset at this appointment of a mere bookish student. to command them. So when the new Commander-in-chief came they showed their discontent by a lack of hearty support. Lu Hsün went to his tent to receive the reports, and there the majority of the officers manifested only sullen respect and unwilling deference.

Then Lu addressed them, saying, "By order of my superior I am Commander-in-chief, and my commission is to destroy Shu. You, gentlemen, all know the ordinary military rules, and you would do well to obey them. The law is no respecter of persons, as those who disobey will find out. Do not have to regret when it is too late."

They nodded in sullen acquiescence. Then Chou T'ai said, "There is Sun Huan, nephew of our prince; he is surrounded at Iling and is short of food. I venture to request you to send. relief to him and get him out so that the prince's heart may be comforted."

"I know all about him. His men are faithful, and he can easily maintain his position. There is no need to go to his aid. When Shu is broken he will be free to come out."

They all sniggered as they left the tent, and Han Tang did not fail to express his contempt for the newly appointed "scholar." "This will be the end of Wu," said he to his colleague. "Did you note what he said?"

"I tried him just to see what he would do," said Chou T'ai. "You see he had no plan ready; he destroy Shu indeed!"

Next day general orders were issued for defence and prohibitions against giving battle, which provoked more laughter at the incapable pedant, as they thought him, in command, and secret resolves to disobey. Moreover, the officers showed their contempt by a general disregard of orders. So once more Lu Hsun assembled them and said, "You know I am in command;

yet the recent orders for defence have been disregarded. Why?"

Then Han Tang spoke up, "Some of us followed General Sun when he first subdued Chiangnan. Others won fame in destroying rebels, or in following the present prince in his campaigns. All of us have donned our armour and gripped our weapons in many a bloody fight. Now, Sir, you have been placed in supreme command to repulse Shu, and there should be some plan of campaign made for us at once, some dispositions of our forces and some definite advance toward that end. Instead of that we are told to strengthen our defences and are forbidden to fight. What are we to wait for? Will Heaven destroy our opponents for us? We are not afraid to die. Why is our keenness left to be eaten away and our energies wasted in idleness?'

All the others applauded this speech and cried that the speaker had expressed their own ideas.

"General Han Tang just says what we think: let us fight a decisive battle," they cried.

The new general waited till the uproar had subsided. Then drawing his sword, he shouted, "That I am a student is true. But I have been entrusted with a great task, a task for which the prince considers me competent and for the performance of which I am prepared to bear all the responsibilities. As for you, you will do well to act on the defensive as I ordered and not allow yourselves to be led astray into any attacks. And I shall put the disobedient to death."

This speech had little effect, and they dispersed mumping and grumbling.

As has been told, the First Ruler had made a long chain of stations reaching back to his base, and these camps looked very imposing with their fluttering hanners by day and their fires at night. Then the spies came in and told him of the new commander of the Wu army and his policy and orders to defend.

"What sort of a man is this Lu Hsün?" said he.

"He is famous as a scholar among the people of Wu, and, though young, he is very talented," replied Ma Liang "His schemes are very deep. He was the author of the villainous and crafty plan of attack on Chingchou."

"His crafty scheme caused the deaths of my brothers, the blockhead; but now I shall have him," said Liu Pei.

He gave orders to advance. But Ma Liang ventured to remonstrate and dissuade him. "Be very careful," said he; "this Lu Hsün is no whit inferior to Chou Yü.”

"I have grown old in the field," said the king. "Don't you think me a match for this callow youth?"

He confirmed the order to go forward, and they attacked pass and ford and redoubt wherever they were. Han Tang

notified his chief of the attack, and Lu Hsün, still rather dubious of the strict obedience to his orders, hastened to the point of danger. He found Han Tang on a hill surveying the enemy's force, which advanced like a great wave. Amidst the army they saw a wide yellow umbrella, and Han Tang pointed it out.

"That must be Liu Pei," said he. "I should like to kill him." "Careful," said Lu Hsün. "So far he has scored victory after victory, and his men are very keen and confident. Maintain a careful defence and do not go out to battle. If you do, you will lose. Impress that upon your officers and men and make them understand the strategy while you follow the enemy's moves. They are hastening into the wide open space of P'ingyüan, and I do not wish to hinder them. Nor will I accept any challenge to battle, but wait till they have moved their camps into the forest and among the trees. Then I shall have a scheme ready."

Han Tang agreed so far as words went, but in his heart he was still mutinous and ill-conditioned. When the Shu army drew near, a small force came to challenge. They shouted all sorts of abuse and hurled reproaches to put their opponents to shame, but Lu Hsün took no notice and bade his men stop their ears. He would not allow them to go out to battle, but he went from fort to redoubt encouraging the soldiers to remain carefully on the defensive.

The First Ruler's heart burned within him at this refusal to come out to battle, and it angered him none the less that Ma Liang dinned into his ears how deep Lu Hsün was and crafty.

"He recognises the disadvantages of Your Majesty's troops. in being far from their base, and from spring to autumn he will not come out to fight till some move occurs that he may profit by."

"What ruse can he be contemplating?" said Liu Pei. "The real fact is that he is afraid. Their army has suffered nothing but defeat times and again. They dare not meet us."

One day the leader of the van, Fêng Hsi, memorialised the First Ruler, saying, "The weather is scorching and the troops are camped in the full glare of sun. Beside, water is scarce and hard to get."

Thereupon orders were given to move the camps into the shade of the forest close by and near the streams till the summer heats should have passed. This order given, Fêng Hsi was the first to choose a retired and shady spot for his men. Ma Liang said, "If our men move, the enemy will rush out on us and we shall be hard set."

"I will provide for that," said the First Ruler. "I will send Wu Pan with a legion of our inferior troops to camp near their lines. But I will choose eight companies of veterans and place them in ambush. Wu Pan will have orders to flee

before the men of Wu and lead them into my ambush if they come out, and I will cut off their retreat. We ought to capture this precocious youth."

"A genius in plans, a marvel of prevision!" cried all those about him as this plan was unfolded. "None of us can approach him in cleverness."

So they felicitated their ruler. But Ma Liang said, "They say the Prime Minister is on a tour of inspection of the fastnesses in the eastern portion of Shu, seeing that they are in good order against any attack on the part of Wei. Why not send him a sketch of your present dispositions of troops and ask his opinion?"

"I also am not entirely ignorant of the art of war, and I see no reason to seek advice," was the cold reply.

"There is an old saying about hearing both sides," said Ma Liang.

"Well, then; you go round to all the camps and make a map and take it to the Prime Minister. If he finds any fault you may come and tell me.”

So he went while the First Ruler busied himself with getting his men into shelter from the fierce heat of summer. His move was no secret, and the scouts soon told Han and Chou, who rejoiced at the news and soon went to tell Lu Hsün that all the enemies' camps had been moved into the shade. "Now, Sir, you can attack!" said they.

'Twas not a bad plan, an ambush to set,

Thus thought he his chiefest opponent to get.

Whether Lu Hsün acted upon the suggestion of his subordinates will be seen in the next chapter.

CHAPTER LXXXIV.

LU HSUN BURNS HIS ENEMY'S CAMPS;

K'UNG-MING PLANS THE EIGHT ARRAYS.

The last chapter closed with the report that the First Ruler

had shifted camp in search of coolth, and the news was very welcome to Lu Hsün. He went forthwith to assure himself of the truth of the report and observe the new position. A level plain lay at his feet, whereon he saw something short of a legion, the greater part of whom appeared invalids. On the banner of their leader he read the name Wu Pan.

"We despise these men," said Chou T'ai. "Let me and General Han go out and smite them. I will give the formal guarantee of victory.'

The Commander-in-chief made no reply, but remained gazing out before him. Presently he said, "It seems to me that an air of slaughter is rising over there from that valley; surely there is an ambush there. These poor troops in the foreground are nothing but a bait. No, Gentlemen; do not leave your positions."

Those who heard this took it only as another proof of the imbecility of their pedant commander. Next day Wu Pan's men approached closer and challenged to battle, swaggering about and brandishing their weapons and shouting volleys of abuse without end. They manifested contempt by throwing off their armour and clothing and moving to and fro with the utmost carelessness, bare bodies and naked forms, blatantly unready to fight. Some even sat or lay asleep.

Hsü Sheng and his colleague came to the commander's tent to complain of these insults and ask permission to go out and punish the enemy, but Lu Hsün only smiled.

"You see everything from the point of view of brute courage. You seem not to know the principles of war laid down by Sun and Wu. This display is only meant to entice us into fight. You will see the pretence yourselves in about three days."

"In three days the change of camp will be complete, and the enemy will be too strongly posted for our success," said they. "I am just letting them move their camp." These two left the tent also sniggering. But on the third day the officers were assembled at a certain look-out point whence they saw that Wu's men were leaving."

"There is still a deadly look over the valley," said Lu Hsün. "Liu Pei will soon appear."