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out the sky and hiding the earth, went westward in pursuit. The First Ruler ordered the men to make fires of their clothing and other things in the road so as to hinder pursuit.

Chu Jan marched up from the river to try to intercept the flight, and the noise of his drums was terrifying. The king thought there was no possibility of escape from this force, and cried "This is the end!"

His two nephews dashed to the front to cut a road through, but returned wounded and bleeding. And the noise of the pursuers came constantly nearer as they found their way along the valleys. About the first glimpse of dawn the case seemed quite desperate. But just at the worst they saw Chu Jan's men suddenly begin to break up and scatter, tumbling into streams and rolling down precipices. Soon the reason was evident; a fearsome captain was among them leading a cohort. Once again the king was rescued from pressing danger, and this time. the rescuer was the faithful Chao Yün. He had been in Chiangchou, and news of the straits of his lord had reached him there. He had set out forthwith. Then he had seen the glow of the burnings and had marched toward it. And thus he had arrived just at the moment to save his master when danger was most imminent.

As soon as Lu Hsün heard that Chao Yün had appeared, he ordered his men to stop pursuit and retire. Chao Yün happening upon Chu Jan, engaged him forthwith and in the first encounter slew him with a spear thrust. And so the men of Wu were dispersed and retired, and the First Ruler got safely to Paitich‘êng.

But on the way thither his thoughts went back to his companions in misfortune, and he enquired after them anxiously.

"The pursuers are close upon us and we cannot wait for anything," said Chao Yün. "I wish Your Majesty to get into the city as quickly as possible, and while you are reposing yourself we may try to rescue some of the leaders."

When the First Ruler reached Paitich'êng he was in sore straits, only having about a hundred men left.

A poet wrote concerning this victory of Lu Hsün:-

He grips the spear, he kindles fire, the camps are swept away.
Liu Pei to Paiti City flees, lonely and sad to-day.

But Lu Hsün's meteoric fame now shoots through Shu and Wei, For bookish men the Prince of Wu has naught but good to say. But Fu Tung, who commanded the rear-guard, was surrounded by the enemy. Ting Fêng shouted to him, "You had better surrender. Many of the men of Shu have fallen, more have surrendered and your lord is a prisoner. You have no hope against us with your scanty force."

But Fu replied, "Shall I, a servant of Han, give in to the curs of Wu?"

Undaunted, he rode at his opponents and fought many bouts. But his strength and valour availed naught; struggle as he would, he could not make his way out. And so he died among his enemies.

A poem celebrates his valiancy.

Wu, at Iling, strove with Shu,

Flames, not swords, used crafty Lu.
Worthy of a place among

Han's bold captains is Fu Tung.

The Libationer Ch'êng Ch'i, having got clear of the battle, rode swiftly to the river bank and called to the marines to join in the battle. They landed, but were soon scattered. One of Ch'êng Ch'i's lieutenants shouted to him to beware, for the men of Wu were upon him, but he shouted back, "Since I first followed my lord I have never yet turned my back upon the foe."

The enemy surrounded him, and, as he could do no more, he took his sword and slew himself.

Noble among the warriors of Shu was Ch'êng Ch'i.
He kept his sword for the service of his prince.
When danger pressed near he wavered not,
Wherefore his fame remains forever bright.

Now Wu Pan and Chang Nan had been besieging Iling. Then came Fêng Hsi and told of the need of their lord, and they led off their army to rescue him. Whereupon Sun Huan was set free as Lu Hsün had foretold would happen.

As soon as Sun Huan was free he set off in pursuit of Fêng and Chang. These two marched until they met an army of Wu face to face, and so were between two forces. A battle was fought, and both these captains perished therein.

Fêng Hsi was loyal without peer.

Chang Nan was righteous, few have equalled him.
In battle on the sandy shore they died,
And the histories record their deeds.

Wu Pan broke through. He was pursued, but he luckily fell in with Chao Yün and got safely to Paitich'êng.

The barbarian King Shamoko was flying from the battlefield when he met Chou T'ai, who slew him after a short fight. The Shu captains T'u Lo and Liu Ning surrendered to Wu, as did many soldiers. Of the stores and weapons in the camps of Shu nothing was saved.

When the story of the disaster to Shu reached the south, and with it the report that the First Ruler had been killed in battle, the Lady Sun gave way to wild grief. She rode down to the river bank and, gazing westward, wept and lamented. Then she threw herself into the stream and was drowned. Posterity erected a temple on the shore called "The Shrine of the Bold Beauty," and one who described it wrote a poem:—

The king, defeated, fled,

And rumour said he'd died;

His consort in remorse

Committed suicide.

A carven stone now showeth where
And why this heroine died.

There could be no question that this exploit brought tremendous glory to Lu Hsün. Anxious to push his advantage as far as possible, he led his exultant army westward. But as he drew near to K'uei Pass he suddenly pulled up his horse, remarking that he saw an aura of death about the mountain side in front.

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"We may not yet advance farther; I suspect an ambush. So they retreated ten li and camped in a wide open space. And the army was arrayed ready against any sudden attack. Meanwhile, scouts were sent out. They returned reporting no soldiers. Lu Hsün doubted and went up to the summit of a hill whence he could see over the country. The aura was still visible to him, and so he despatched other men to spy. But he received the same report; not a man, not a horse.

Still, as the sun got lower and lower in the west he saw the same appearance accentuated, and he began to feel grave doubts. He sent a confidant to look once more. This man came back saying he had not met a single man, but he had noticed on the river bank nearly a hundred heaps of boulders.

The commander, still doubting, called in several of the natives and questioned them about the stones: Who put them there? Why did they look so ghastly?

"We do not know. This place is called Fishbelly Creek. When Chuko Liang was going west into Szuch'uan he came along here with a lot of soldiers and heaped up the boulders like that above the Sandy Rapid. We have seen vapours rising from the boulders; they seemed to come from inside. them."

Lu Hsün decided to go and look at these boulders himself. So he rode off, with a small escort. Looking down at the stones from a declivity they were evidently arranged with a design related to the eight points of the compass. There were doors and door-sills and lintels.

"This looks likely to drive a man out of his senses," he said; "I wonder whether it is any good."

They rode down with intent to examine the mysterious arrangement more closely and went in among the stones. Presently one of the escort called attention to the increasing darkness and said they ought to be returning to camp. as Lu Hsün glanced round to look for an exit a sudden squall came on and the dust whirled up, obscuring both sky and earth. And in the swirl the stones reared themselves up like steep mountains, pointed like swords, and the dust and sand shaped

themselves into waves and hillocks one behind the other. The roar of the boiling river was as the drums before a battle.

"This is some trick of Chuko's," said Lu in a scared voice; "and I have been caught."

He would go out, but he had quite lost his way and could find no exit. As he stopped to consider what he should do, an old man suddenly appeared, who said, "Does the General wish to go out?"

"I greatly desire that you would pilot me out, O Elder," replied he.

Leaning on his staff, the old man led the way and with quiet dignity conducted Lu Hsün outside. He had no difficulty in finding his way and paused not a single instant. When they were once again on the slope Lu asked his aged guide who he

was.

"I am Chuko K'ung-ming's father-in-law; my family name is Huang. My son-in-law placed these boulders here as you see them, and he said they represented "The Eight Arrays." They are like eight doors, and according to the scheme are named:

The Gate of Rest,
The Gate of Life,

The Gate of Injury,

The Gate of Obstruction,

The Gate of Prospect,

The Gate of Death,

The Gate of Surprise and

The Gate of Openings.

They are capable of infinite mutations and would be equal to ten legions of soldiers. As he was leaving he told me that if any leader of Wu became mazed in them I was not to conduct him outside. From a precipice near by I saw you, General, enter in at the Gate of Death, and as I guessed you were ignorant of the scheme I knew you would be entangled. But I am of a good disposition and could not bear that you should be entrapped without possibility of escape, so I came to guide you to the Gate of Life."

"Have you studied this matter, Sir?" asked Lu.

"The variations are inexhaustible, and I could not learn them all."

Lu Hsün dismounted, bowed low before the old man and then rode away.

The famous poet Tu Fu wrote some verses which run something like this:

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Founder of a Kingdom; no small praise

Is his; Inventor of the Eight Arrays

And for that famous. On the river's brim,
Firm set, the boulders stand as placed by him.
No current rolls them down. Time's waters too

Drown not regret he did not conquer Wu.

Lu Hsün took his way to his camp in deep thought.

"This K'ung-ming is well named 'Sleeping Dragon,'" said he, "I am not his equal."

Then, to the amazement of all, he gave orders to retire. The officers ventured to remonstrate, seeing that they had been so successful.

"General, you have utterly broken the enemy, and Liu Pei is shut up in one small city; it seems the time to smite, and yet you retire because you have come across a mysterious arrangement of stones."

"I am not afraid of the stones, and it is not on their account that I retire. But I fear Ts'ao P'ei of Wei. He is no less resourceful than his father, and when he hears I am marching into Shu, he will certainly attack us. How could I return then?"

The homeward march began. On the second day the scouts brought word that three armies of Wei had debouched at three different points and were moving toward the borders of Wu.

"Just as I thought," said Lu Hsün. "But I am ready for them."

"And now the west is mine," the victor thought,
But danger from the north discretion taught.

The story of the retreat will be told in the next chapter.

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