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Then Ssuma marched to Ch'angan and camped. The leader entered the city to have audience with his master, by whom he was most graciously received.

"Once I doubted you," said Ts'ao Jui; "but then I did not understand, and I listened to mischief-makers. I regret it. You have preserved both capitals by the punishment of this traitor."

Ssuma replied, "Shên I gave the information of the intended revolt and thought to memorialise Your Majesty. But there would have been a long delay, and so I did not await orders, but set forth at once. Delay would have played into Chuko's hands."

Then he handed in K'ung-ming's letter to Mêng Ta, and when the Emperor had read that he said, "You are wiser than both the great strategists."

He conferred upon the successful leader a pair of golden axes and the privilege of taking action in important matters without first obtaining his master's sanction.

When the order was given to advance against the enemy, Ssuma asked permission to name his leader of the van, and nominated Chang Ho.

"Just the man I wished to send," said Ts'ao Jui, smiling. And Chang Ho was appointed.

By strategy the leader shows his skill;

He needs bold fighting men to work his will.

The result of the campaign will appear in the next chapter.

CHAPTER VC.

MA SU'S WRANGLING LOSES CHIEHT'ING;

K'UNG-MING'S LUTE REPULSES SSUMA.

Beside sending Chang Ho as van-leader, Ts'ao Jui appointed

two other captains, Hsin P'i and Sun Li, to assist Ts'ao Chên. Each led five legions. Ssuma's army was twenty legions strong. They marched out through the pass and made a camp. When encamped, the Commander-in-chief summoned the leader of the van to his tent and admonished him, saying, "A characteristic of Chuko Liang is his most diligent carefulness; he is never hasty. If I were in his place I should advance through the Tzuwu Valley to capture Ch'angan and so save much time. It is not that he is unskilful, but he fears lest that plan might miscarry, and he will not sport with risk. Therefore he will certainly come through the Hsieh Valley, taking Meich'êng on the way. That place captured, he will divide his force into two, one part to take Chi Valley. I have sent orders to guard Meich'êng strictly and on no account to let its garrison go out to battle. The captains Sun Li and Hsin P'i are to command the Chi Valley entrance, and should the enemy come they are to make a sudden attack."

"By what road will you advance?" asked Chang.

"I know a road west of Ts'inling valley called Chieht'ing, on which stands the city Liehliuch'êng. These two places are the throat of Hanchung. Chuko Liang will take advantage of the unpreparedness of Ts'ao Chên and will certainly come in by this way. I and you will go to Chieht'ing, whence it is a short distance to Yenp'ing Pass, and when K'ung-ming hears that the road through Chieht'ing is blocked and his supplies cut off, he will know that Shênsi is in danger, and will retire without losing a moment into Hanchung. I shall smite him on the march, and I ought to gain a complete victory. If he should not retire, then I shall block all the smaller roads and so stop his supplies. A month's starvation will kill off the men of Shu, and Chuko will be my prisoner.'

Chang Ho took in the scheme and expressed his admiration of the prescience of his chief.

Ssuma continued, "However, it is not to be forgotten that Chuko is quite different from Mêng, and you, as leader of the van, will have to advance with the utmost care. You must impress upon your captains the importance of reconnoitring a long way ahead and only advancing when they are sure there

is no ambush. The least remissness will make you the victim of some ruse of the enemy."

Chang Ho, having received his instructions, marched away. Meanwhile a spy had come to K'ung-ming in Ch'ishan with news of the destruction of Mêng Ta and the failure of his conspiracy. Ssuma, having succeeded there, had gone to Ch'angan when he had marched through the pass.

K'ung-ming was distressed. "Mêng's destruction was certain," said he. "Such a scheme could not remain secret. Now Ssuma will try for Chieht'ing and block the one road essential to us."

So Chieht'ing had to be defended, and K'ung-ming asked who would go. Ma Su offered himself instantly. K'ungming urged upon him the importance of his task. "The place is small, but of very great importance, for its loss would involve the loss of the whole army. You are deeply read in all the rules of strategy, but the defence of this place is difficult, since it has no wall and no natural defences."

"I have studied the books of war since I was a boy, and I may say I know a little of the art of war," Ma replied. "Why alone is Chieht'ing so difficult to hold?"

"Because Ssuma I is an exceptional man, and also he has a famous second in Chang Ho as leader of the van.

may not be a match for him."

I fear you

Ma replied, "To say nothing of these two, I would not mind if Ts'ao Jui himself came against me.

to behead my whole family."

If I fail, then I beg you

"There is no jesting in war," said K'ung-ming.

"I will give a written pledge."

The general agreed, and a written pledge was given and placed on record.

K'ung-ming continued, "I shall give you two legions and a half of veterans and also send an officer of rank to assist you." Next he summoned Wang P'ing and said to him, "As you are a careful and cautious man I am giving you a very responsible position. You are to hold Chieht'ing with the utmost tenacity. Camp there in the most commanding position so that the enemy cannot steal by. When your arrangements are complete, draw a plan of them and a map of the local topography and let me see it. All my dispositions have been carefully thought out and are not to be changed. If you can hold this successfully it will be of the first service in the capture of Ch'angan. So be very, very careful."

After these two had gone and K'ung-ming had reflected for a long time, it occurred to him that there might be some slip between his two leaders, so he called Kao Hsiang to him and said, "North-east of Chieht'ing is a city named Liehliuch'êng and near it an unfrequented hill path. There you are to camp and make a stockade. I will give you a legion for this task,

and if Chieht'ing should be threatened you may go to the

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After Kao Hsiang had left, and as K'ung-ming knew his man was not a match for his opponent Chang Ho, he decided there ought to be additional strength on the west in order to make Chieht'ing safe. So he summoned Wei Yen and bade him lead his troop to the rear of Chieht'ing and camp there. But Wei Yen thought this rather a slight, and said, “As leader of the van I should go first against the enemy; why am I sent to a place where there is nothing to do?"

"The leadership of the van is really a second-rate task. Now I am sending you to support Chieht'ing and take post on the most dangerous road to Yenp'ing Pass. You are the chief keeper of the throat of Hanchung. It is a very responsible post and not at all an idle one. Do not so regard it and spoil my whole plan. Be particularly careful."

Wei Yen, satisfied now that he was not being slighted, went his way.

K'ung-ming's mind was at rest, and he called up Chao Yün and Têng Chih, to whom he said, "Now that Ssŭma I is in command of the army the whole outlook is different. Each of you will lead a force out by Chi Valley and move about so as to mislead the enemy. Whether you meet and engage them or not you will certainly cause them uneasiness. I am going to lead the main army through Hsieh Valley to Meich'êng. If I can capture that, Ch'angan will fall."

For this march Chiang Wei was appointed leader of the van. When Ma Su and Wang P'ing had reached Chieht'ing and saw what manner of place it was, Ma Su smiled, saying, "Why was the minister so extremely anxious? How would the Wei armies dare to come to such a hilly place as this?"

Wang P'ing replied, "Though they might not dare to come, we should set our camp at this meeting of many roads."

So Wang ordered his men to fell trees and build a strong stockade as for a permanent stay.

But Ma Su had a different idea. "What sort of a place is a road to make a camp in? Here is a hill standing solitary and well wooded. It is a heaven-created point of vantage, and we will camp on it."

"You are wrong, Sir," replied Wang. "If we camp on the road and build a strong wall the enemy cannot possibly get past. If we abandon this for the hill, and the men of Wei come in force, we shall be surrounded, and how then be safe?"

"You look at the thing like a woman," said Ma Su, laughing. "The rules of war say that when one looks down from a superior position one easily overcomes the enemy. If they come I will see to it that not a breastplate ever goes back again."

"I have followed our general in many a campaign, and always he has carefully thought out his orders. Now I have studied this hill carefully, and it is a critical point. If we camp thereon and the enemy cut off our water supply we shall have a mutiny."

"No such thing," said Ma Su. "Sun Wu says that victory lies in desperate positions. If they cut off our water will not our men be desperate and fight to the death? Then everyone of them will be worth a hundred. I have studied the books, and the minister has always asked my advice. Why do you presume to oppose me?"

"If you are determined to camp on the hill, then give me part of the force to camp there on the west so that I can support you in case the enemy come.'

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But Ma Su refused. Just then a lot of the inhabitants of the hills came running along saying that the Wei soldiers had

come.

Wang was still bent on going his own way, and so Ma said to him, "Since you will not obey me, I will give you half a legion and you can go and make your own camp, but when I report my success to the minister you shall have no share of the merit."

Wang P'ing marched about ten li from the hill and made his camp. He drew a plan of the place and sent it quickly to K'ung-ming with a report that Ma Su had camped on the hill. Before Ssuma marched, he sent his younger son to reconnoitre the road and to find out whether Chieht'ing had a garrison. He had returned with the information that there was a garrison.

"Chuko Liang is rather more than human," said his father regretfully when the son gave in his report. "He is too much for me."

"Why are you despondent, father? I think Chieht'ing is not so difficult to take."

"How dare you utter such bold words?"

"Because I have seen. There is no camp on the road, but the enemy are camped on the hill."

This was glad news. "If they are on the hill then Heaven means a victory for me," said his father.

Ssuma changed into another dress, took a small escort and rode out to see for himself. The moon shone brilliantly, and he rode to the hill whereon was the camp and looked all round it, thoroughly reconnoitring the neighbourhood. Ma Su saw him, but only laughed.

"If he has any luck he will not try to surround this hill," said Ma.

He issued an order to his captains that in case the enemy came they were to look to the summit for a signal with a red flag, when they should rush down on all sides.

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