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The soldiers also were terror-stricken and stood still.

Hearing that his Peiyüan men had been driven off, Ssuma came out to the rescue. Midway along the road, just where it was most precipitous, a cohort burst out upon him with fierce yells and bursting bombs. Upon the leading banner he read "Chang I and Liao Hua, Generals of Han."

Panic seized upon his men, and they ran like rats.

In the field the craftier leader on the convoy makes a raid, And his rival's life endangers by an ambush subtly laid. If you would know the upshot, read the next chapter.

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SSUMA SURROUNDED IN SHANGFANG VALLEY;

CHUKO INVOKES THE STARS IN THE WUCHANG PLAIN.

Sorely smitten in the battle, Ssuma fled from the field a

lonely horseman, a single spear. distance he made for its shelter.

Seeing a thick wood in the

Chang I halted the rear division while Miao Hua pressed forward after the fugitive, whom he could see threading his way among the trees. And Ssuma indeed was soon in fear of his life, dodging from tree to tree as his pursuer neared. Once Miao Hua was actually close enough to slash at his enemy, but he struck a tree instead of his man, and before he could pull his sword out of the wood Ssuma had got clear away. When Miao got through into the open country he did not know which way to go. Presently he noticed a helmet lying on the ground, just lately thrown aside. He picked it up, hung it on his saddle and went away eastward.

But the crafty fugitive, having flung away his helmet thus on the east side of the wood, had gone away west, so that Miao was going away from his quarry. After some time Miao fell in with Chiang Wei, when he abandoned the pursuit and rode with him back to camp.

The "wooden oxen and running horses" having been driven into camp, their loads were put into the storehouse. The grain that fell to the victors amounted to a myriad "stone" or

more.

Miao Hua presented the enemy's helmet as proof of his prowess in the field and received a reward of the first grade of merit. But Wei Yen had nothing to offer, and so was overlooked. He went away angry and discontented, muttering that the general pretended to be ignorant of his services.

Very sadly Ssuma returned to his own camp. Bad news followed, for a messenger brought letters telling of an invasion by three armies of Wu. The letters said that forces had been sent against them, and the king again enjoined upon his general a waiting and defensive policy. So Ssuma deepened his moats and raised his ramparts.

King Ts'ao Jui had sent three armies against the invaders; Liu Shao led that to save Changhsia, T'ien Yu led the Hsiangyang force. The king, with Man Ch'ung, went into Hofei. This last was the main army.

Man Ch'ung led the leading division toward Ch'aohuk'ou. Thence, looking across to the eastern shore, he saw only a few ships, but a large number of flags and banners. So he returned to the main army and proposed an attack without loss of time.

"The enemy think we shall be fatigued after a long march and have not troubled to prepare any defence; we should attack this night, and we shall overcome them."

"What you say accords with my own ideas," said the king, and he told off the cavalry leader, Chang Ch'iu, to take five companies and try to burn out the enemy. Man Ch'ung was

also to attack from the eastern bank.

In the second watch of that night the two forces set out and gradually approached the entrance to the lake. They reached the marine camp unobserved, burst upon it with a yell, and the men of Wu fled without striking a blow. The men of Wei set fires going in every direction and thus destroyed all the ships together with much grain and many weapons. Chuko Chin, who was in command, led his beaten men to Mienk'ou, and the attackers returned to their camp much elated. When the report come to Lu Hsün he called together his officers and said, "I must write to the king to abandon the siege of Hsinch'êng, that the men may be employed to cut off the retreat of the Wei army, while I will attack them in front. They will be harassed by the double danger, and we shall break them."

All agreed that this was a good plan, and the memorial was drafted. It was sent by the hard of a junior officer, who was told to convey it secretly. But this messenger was captured at the ferry and taken before King Jui, who read the despatch, saying, with a sigh, "This Lu Hsün is really very resourceful." The captive was put into prison, and Liu Shao was told off to defend the rear and keep off Sun's army.

Now Chuko's defeated men were suffering from hot weather illnesses, and at length he was compelled to write and tell Lu Hsün, and ask that his army be relieved and sent home. Having read this despatch, Lu said to the messenger, "Make my obeisance to the Great General and say that I will decide." When the messenger returned with this reply Chuko asked what was doing in the Commander-in-chief's camp. He replied that the men were all outside planting beans, and the officers were amusing themselves at the gates. They were playing a game of skill, throwing arrows into narrow-necked vases.

Then Chuko himself went to his chief's camp and asked how the pressing danger was to be met.

Lu Hsün replied, "My messenger to the king was captured, and thus my plans were discovered. Now it is useless to prepare to fight, and so we had better retreat. I have sent in a memorial to engage the king to retire gradually."

Chuko replied, "Why delay? If you think it best to retire, it had better be done quickly."

"My army must retreat slowly, or the enemy will come in pursuit, which will mean defeat and loss. Now you must first prepare your ships as if you meant to resist, while I make a semblance of an attack toward Hsiangyang. Under cover of these operations I shall withdraw into Chiangtung, and the enemy will not dare to follow."

So Chuko returned to his own camp and began to fit out his ships as if for an immediate expedition, while Lu made all preparations to march, giving out that he intended to advance upon Hsiangyang. The news of these movements were duly reported in the Wei camps, and when the leaders heard it they wished to go out and fight. But the king knew his opponent better than they and would not bring about a battle. he called his officers together and said to them, "This Lu Hsün is very crafty; keep careful guard, but do not risk a battle."

So

The officers obeyed, but a few days later the scouts brought in news that the armies of Wu had retired. The king doubted and sent out some of his own spies, who confirmed the report. When he thus knew it was true he consoled himself with the words, "Lu Hsün knows the rat of war even as did Sun Wu and Wu P'ing; they were no whit his superior. The subjugation of the south-east is not for me this time."

Thereupon he distributed his captains among the various vantage points and led the main army back into Hofei, where he camped ready to take advantage of any change of conditions that might promise success.

Meanwhile K'ung-ming was at Ch'ishan, where, to all appearances, he intended to make a long sojourn. He made his soldiers mix with the people and share in the labour of the fields. He gave strict orders against any encroachment on the property of the farmers, and so they and the soldiers lived together very amicably.

Then Ssuma's son, Shih, went to his father and said, "These men of Shu have despoiled us of much grain, and now they are mingling with the people of Ch'ishan and tilling the fields along the banks of the Wei River as if they intended to remain there. This would be a calamity for us. Why do you not appoint a time to fight a decisive battle with K'ung-ming?"

His father replied, "I have the king's orders to act on the defensive and may not do as you suggest."

While they were thus talking, one reported that Wei Yen had come near and was insulting the army and reminding them that they had the helmet of its leader. And he was challenging them. The captains were greatly incensed and desired to accept the challenge, but the Commander-in-chief was immovable in his decision to obey his orders.

"The Holy One says if we cannot suffer small things, great matters are imperilled. Our plan is to defend."

So the challenge was not accepted, and there was no battle. After reviling them for some time, Wei Yen went away.

Seeing that his enemy was not to be provoked into fighting, K'ung-ming gave orders to build a strong stockade and therein to excavate pits and to collect large quantities of inflammables. So on the hill they piled wood and straw in the shape of sheds, and all about they digged pits and buried mines. When these preparations were complete Ma Tai received instructions to block the road in rear of Hulu Valley and to lay an ambush at the entrance.

"If Ssuma comes, let him enter the valley, and then explode the mines and set fire to the straw and the wood," said K'ungming.

K'ung-ming set up a seven-star signal at the mouth of the valley and also arranged a night signal of seven lamps on the hill. After Ma Tai had gone, Wei Yen was called in, and K'ungming said to him, "Go to the camp of Wei with half a company and provoke them to battle. The important matter is to entice Ssuma out of his stronghold. You will be unable to obtain a victory, so retreat that he may pursue; and you are to make for the signal, the seven stars by day or the seven lamps at night. Thus you will lead him into the Hulu Valley, where I have a plan prepared for him."

When he had gone, Kao Hsiang was summoned.

"Take small herds, two or three score at a time, of the 'wooden oxen and running horses,' load them up with grain and lead them to and fro on the mountains. If you can succeed in getting the enemy to capture them you will render a service."

So the transport "cattle" were sent forth to play their part in the scheme, and the remainder of the Ch'ishan soldiers were sent to work in the fields, with orders to join in the battle only if Ssuma came in person. In that case they were to attack the south bank of the river and cut off the retreat. Then K'ung-ming led his army away to camp in the Shangfang Valley.

Hsiahou Hui and Hsiahou Ho went to their chief, Ssuma I, and said, "The enemy have set out camps and are engaged in field work as though they intended to remain. If they are not destroyed now, but are allowed to consolidate their position, they will be hard to dislodge."

"This certainly is one of K'ung-ming's ruscs," said the chief.

"You seem very afraid of him, General," retorted they. "When do you think you can destroy him? At least let us two brothers fight one battle that we may prove our gratitude for the king's kindness."

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