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Wang Ching's whole household were imprisoned. He himself was standing by the Ting-yü Pavilion when he saw his mother being brought up a prisoner. He knocked his head on the ground and wept, saying, "O unfilial son to bring distress upon a gentle mother!"

But his mother laughed.

"Who does not die?" cried she. "The only thing to be feared is not dying the proper death. Who would regret dying

like this?"

When next day the family were led out to execution, both mother and son smiled as they went past. But the whole city. wept tears of sorrow.

Fu Chien was famous at the rise of Han,

When Han declined, Wang Ching was proved a man
Of purest virtue and unfaltering heart;
With resolution stern he played his part.
His fortitude was great as T'aihua Mount,
His life but as the floating down did count,
The fame of son and mother n'er will die,
So long as shall endure the earth and sky.

Ssuma Fu proposed that the body of the late king should receive a royal funeral, and the minister consented. Chia Ch'ung and those of his party urged Ssuma Chao to put Wei Ch'an on the throne in place of Ts'ao Mao, but he refused.

"Formerly King Wên had two-thirds of the state, and yet he supported and served Yin. Wherefore the Holy One called him 'Complete of Virtue.' Emperor Wu of Wei would not take Ch'an into the Hans, nor will I receive a Ch'an into Wei."

Those who heard this felt that in these words was an implication that he intended to place his own son Ssuma Yen on the throne, and they ceased to urge him to act.

In the sixth year Ts'ao Huang, Duke of Ch'angtaohsiang, was raised to the throne as Emperor, the period-style being changed to Ching-Yuan. The personal name of the Emperor was also changed to Huan. He was a grandson of Ts'ao Ts'ao. Ssuma was still Prime Minister and Duke of Chin. Beside, he received rich gifts, and all the officers were promoted or received honours.

When these doings in Wei were told in Shu, Chiang Wei seized upon them as pretext for another war, to punish Wei for the deposition of its ruler. So letters were written calling upon Wu to help, and a memorial was sent to the Throne. The army raised was fifteen legions, and there were many carts with boxes made to fit them. The two vanleaders went by Tzuwu and Lo Valleys, while Chiang Wei took the Hsieh Valley road. They marched at the same time and hastened toward Ch'ishan.

Têng Ai was still on the mountain training the Wei soldiers when he heard that the Shu armies were once more on the war path. He called his officers together. And Wang Kuan said he had a plan to propose, but he would not tell it openly. However, he agreed to write it, and he placed it before the leader.

"Though excellent, I fear it is not enough to beguile the leader of Shu," said Têng Ai as he finished reading.

"I am willing to stake my life on it," said Wang, "and I will lead the way."

"Since you have such confidence you may try. You ought certainly to succeed."

So half a legion of men were put under the leadership of Wang, and they set out for Hsieh Valley, where they fell in with the scouts of Chiang Wei's force. Seeing these, their leader, Wang, shouted, "We are deserters: tell your leader.” So the scouts told Chiang Wei, who replied, "Hold up the soldiers, letting their leader only come to me."

Wang Kuan went forward and kneeled before him, saying, "I am a nephew of Wang Ching, and I hate Ssuma Chao for what he has done to the king, and my uncle and I wish to join you and my men with me. I also desire to be sent against the rebel crew that I may avenge my uncle."

Then said Chiang Wei, "Since you are sincere in your desertion, I must be sincere in my treatment of you. The one thing my army needs is grain. There is plenty at Ch'uank'ou, and if you can transport it to Ch'ishan I can go straightway and take the Ch'ishan camps."

This reply rejoiced Wang Kuan, who saw that Chiang Wei was just going to walk into the trap. So he agreed at once. "But you will not want half a legion to see after the transport. Take three companies and leave two as guides for

me."

Wang Kuan, thinking that suspicions would be raised by a refusal, took the three companies, and the other two were attached to the army of Shu.

Then Hsiahou Pa was announced, and, when he was come in, he said, "O Commander, why have you believed the tale of this Wang? I never heard that he was related to Wang Ching, though it is true I never made particular enquiries. You should look to it, for there is much pretence in his story."

"I know he is false," said Chiang Wei, with a smile. "That is why I have taken away many of his men. I am meeting trick with trick."

"How do you know for certain?"

"Ssuma Chao is as wicked as Ts'ao Ts'ao. If he slew all Wang Ching's family, would he have left a nephew on the male side, and sent him beyond his own reach with soldiers? You saw this, as did I."

So Chiang Wei did not go out by the Hsieh Valley, but he set an ambush there ready for any move of the so-called deserters. And indeed, within ten days, the ambush caught a man with a letter from Wang to Têng telling him what had come about, and from the letter and the bearer thereof they learned that a convoy was to be diverted to the Wei camps on the twentieth and Têng Ai was to send men to Yünshan to help. Another letter was sent to Têng Ai by a man dressed as a Wei soldier, the date being made the fifteenth instead of the twentieth.

As a preparation, many waggons were emptied of their grain and laden with inflammables, covered with green cloth. The two companies of Wei soldiers were ordered to show flags belonging to the transport corps. Then Chiang Wei and his colleague went into the valleys in ambush, while three bodies of men were sent to attack Ch'ishan.

The letter, apparently from Wang Kuan, was sufficient for Têng Ai, and he wrote back to say it was agreed. So on the fifteenth day five legions hove in sight near Yünshan. And the scouts saw endless carts of grain and fodder in the distance coming from the mountains. When Têng Ai got closer, he distinguished the uniforms of Wei. His staff urged him to hurry as it was getting dark, but Têng was more cautious. "It is gloomy and dark over there," said the general. "If by any chance an ambush has been laid we could hardly escape. We will wait here."

But just then two horsemen came up at a gallop and said, "Just as General Wang was crossing the frontier with the convoy he was pursued, and reinforcements are urgently needed."

Têng Ai, realising the importance of the request, gave orders to press onward. It was the first watch, and a full moon was shining as bright as day. The shouting heard behind the hills he could only conclude was the noise of the battle in which his colleague was engaged.

So he dashed over the hills. But suddenly a body of men came out from the shelter of a grove of trees, and at their head rode the Shu leader, Fu Ch'ien.

"Têng Ai, you are stupid! You have just fallen into the trap set for you by our general. Dismount and prepare for death!"

Têng Ai halted and turned to flee. Then the waggons burst into flame. That flame was a signal, and down came the men of Shu. Têng Ai heard shouts all round him, "A thousand taels for anyone who captures Têng Ai, and a marquisate as well!"

Terrified, Têng dropped his arms, threw aside his armour, slipped from his steed, mingled with the footmen, and with them scrambled up the hills. The captains of Shu only looked

for him among the mounted leaders, never guessing that he had got away among the common soldiers. So he was not captured.

Chiang Wei gathered in his victorious men and went to meet Wang Kuan with his convoy.

Having made all arrangements, as he thought, complete, Wang Kuan was patiently awaiting the development of his scheme, when a trusted friend came and told him that the ruse had been discovered and Têng Ai had already suffered defeat. Wang sent out some scouts, and the report was confirmed, with the addition that armies were coming against him. Moreover, clouds of dust were rising. There was no way of escape, so he ordered his men to set fire to the convoy, and soon huge flames were rising high into the air.

"The case is desperate," cried Wang. "It is a fight to the death."

He led his men westward, but the men of Shu came in pursuit. Chiang Wei thought his enemy would try at all costs. to get back to his own, but instead, Wang Kuan went on toward Hanchung, and as his men were too few to risk a battle he destroyed the military stations and covered ways as he went. Fearing the loss of Hanchung, Chiang Wei abandoned all thought of pursuing Têng Ai, but made all haste along the by-roads after Wang Kuan. Surrounded on all sides, Wang Kuan jumped into the Black Dragon River and so died. Those of his men who survived were slain by Chiang Wei.

A victory had been won, but it was costly. Many men had been killed, much grain had been lost and the covered roads had been destroyed. Chiang led his men into Hanchung.

Têng Ai made his way back to Ch'ishan. From there he reported his defeat to the King of Wei and asked for degradation as a penalty. However, in view of his victories, he was not degraded, but, on the other hand, was consoled with magnificent gifts, which he distributed to the families of the men who had been killed. Ssuma Chao also sent him five legions as reinforcement lest Shu should attack again.

Chiang Wei set about the restoration of the covered roads ready for the next expedition.

Repair the roads for marching feet to tread,
The strife will only cease when all are dead.

The next chapter will tell who won.

CHAPTER CXV.

THE KING LISTENS TO SLANDER AND RECALLS HIS ARMY; CHIANG WEI TAKES COMMAND OF THE CANTONMENTS

AND ESCAPES DEATH.

In the autumn of the fifth year of Ching-Yao, Chiang Wei

was occupied with preparations for the renewal of an attack; mending the hill roads, gathering stores and mobilising his boats on the waterways of Hanchung. These things done, he asked permission to go again to the attack, saying, "Although I have not been wholly victorious nor accomplished great things, yet I have put fear into the hearts of the Wei armies. Our men have been long under training, and they must now be used, or the army will go to pieces for lack of employment. The men are ready to die, the officers prepared for all risks and I am determined to conquer or perish.'

The king did not consent at once. As he was hesitating, Chiao Chou stood forth and said, "I have observed the heavens. I have seen the men of Shu scattered over the wilds and the leader stars dull and obscured. This expedition will be disastrous, and I hope Your Majesty will not approve."

The king replied, "Let us see the results of this campaign; if it fail, then the war shall cease."

Chiao resented the rejection of his advice, withdrew to his home and retired on the pretext of illness.

As the final preparations were being made, Chiang Wei said to Liao Hua, "We are pledged to get through to the capital this time: what do you advise to start with?"

"I dare not presume to advise you, General. For years we have been fighting and giving the people no rest. In Têng Ai we find a most formidable and resourceful opponent and an extraordinarily capable man, so that you must exert yourself to the very utmost."

Chiang Wei was annoyed. Said he, "The late minister made six attempts, all for the state. I have attacked eight times. Was any one of those attacks to serve my private ends? This time I go to attack T'aoyang, and no one shall say me nay. I will punish opposition with death."

He left Liao Hua in charge of the base in Hanchung and marched with thirty legions. His movements were reported in the Ch'ishan camps, and Têng's spies confirmed the news.

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