Chapter 86: Nan Zhang Wen Tests Qin Mi's Heavenly Eloquence; Defeating Cao Pi, Xu Sheng Uses Fire Attack

When Zhang Wen of Wu was Hard Pressed, Qin Mi Discoursed on Heaven; When Cao Pi Was Defeated, Xu Sheng Used Fire Attack

Now Lu Xun of Eastern Wu, after he had driven back the Wei troops, was created by the Prince of Wu, Sun Quan, Assistant General, Lord of Jiangling, and Governor of Jingzhou. From that time all military authority was in Lu Xun's hands. Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong memorialized the Prince of Wu, asking that the reign-title be changed. Sun Quan agreed and the reign-title was changed to Huangwu, the first year. Suddenly someone reported that the Ruler of Wei, Cao Pi, had sent a messenger. Sun Quan called him in. The messenger said, "Shu formerly sent a person to Wei to ask for aid. Wei, not understanding the situation at that time, sent an army to respond. Now they bitterly repent and desire to raise four armies to attack the Riverland of Shu. Eastern Wu should come to their assistance. If Shu be taken, we will divide it equally." When Sun Quan heard this, he could not decide, so he asked Zhang Zhao, Gu Yong, and others. Zhang Zhao said, "Lu Boyan has very high views; you may ask him." Sun Quan at once called Lu Xun. When Lu Xun came, he memorialized, saying, "Cao Pi sits firmly in the Central Plains; you cannot try to gain anything from him just now. If you do not agree, you will certainly become his enemy. I think that neither Wei nor Wu is a match for Zhuge Liang. For the present, we must pretend to agree, prepare our troops, and wait to see what the four armies will do. If they are victorious and Shu is in danger, with Zhuge Liang unable to come to the rescue on all sides, then, Lord, you can send your army to respond to them and first take Chengdu. That is the best plan. If the four armies fail, we will then consider again." Sun Quan agreed and said to the Wei messenger, "Our military supplies are not yet complete; we will start as soon as we have fixed a date." The messenger took his leave and departed.

Sun Quan sent scouts to find out that the Western Rong troops had come out of Xi Ping Pass, but when they saw Ma Chao, they retreated without fighting. The Southern Man, Meng Huo, had raised an army and attacked the four commanderies, but Wei Yan had used a stratagem of feigned troops and driven them back into their caves. The troops of Meng Da of Shangyong had fallen ill on the march and could not advance. Cao Zhen's troops had come out of Yangping Pass, but Zhao Zilong held all the strategic points, and truly it was that one general holding a pass could keep out ten thousand men. Cao Zhen encamped in the Xie Valley but could not gain any success and returned. When Sun Quan heard this news, he said to his civil and military officers, "Lu Boyan is indeed a wonderful calculator. If I had lightly moved, I would have made an enemy of Western Shu again." Suddenly a report came that Shu had sent Deng Zhi. Zhang Zhao said, "This is another of Zhuge Liang's schemes to get his army back. He has sent Deng Zhi as a persuader." Sun Quan said, "What shall we do with him?" Zhang Zhao said, "First, set up a great tripod in front of the hall, fill it with several hundred catties of oil, and heat it with charcoal fire underneath. When the oil boils, select a thousand tall and strong warriors, each with a sword in hand, and have them line up from the palace gate to the hall. Then call Deng Zhi in. Do not let him open his mouth to speak, but reproach him with the old story of Li Yiji persuading the King of Qi, and follow that example by boiling him alive. Then we shall see how he answers."

Sun Quan agreed to this plan. So the oil tripod was set up, and the warriors were ordered to stand on either side, each with his weapon. Then Deng Zhi was summoned. Deng Zhi adjusted his dress and entered. When he reached the palace gate, he saw the two rows of warriors, imposing and fierce, each with steel sword, great axe, long spear, or short halberd, stretching all the way to the hall. Deng Zhi understood their intention, but showed no fear. He walked in with head erect and chest out. When he reached the hall, he saw the great tripod with the oil boiling fiercely. The warriors on either side glared at him, but Deng Zhi only smiled slightly. The attendant officials led him before the pearl screen. Deng Zhi made a deep bow but did not prostrate himself. Sun Quan ordered the screen rolled up and shouted loudly, "Why do you not kneel?" Deng Zhi answered boldly, "An envoy from a superior state does not bow to a ruler of a small state." Sun Quan was angry and said, "You do not know your own measure. You want to use your three-inch tongue to imitate Li Yiji persuading the King of Qi, do you? Quickly get into the oil tripod!" Deng Zhi laughed loudly and said, "Everyone says that there are many wise and able men in Eastern Wu, but who would have thought they are afraid of a single scholar!" Sun Quan changed his anger and said, "Why should I be afraid of a fellow like you?" Deng Zhi said, "If you are not afraid of Deng Baimiao, why are you worried that I have come to persuade you?" Sun Quan said, "You want to be a persuader for Zhuge Liang, to persuade me to break with Wei and turn to Shu, do you not?" Deng Zhi said, "I am but a scholar of Shu, and I have come especially for the benefit of Wu. But you have set up soldiers and an oil tripod to refuse an envoy. Why are you so narrow-minded and unable to tolerate others?"

When Sun Quan heard this, he felt ashamed and alarmed. He at once ordered the warriors to withdraw and told Deng Zhi to come up into the hall. He gave him a seat and asked, "What are the advantages and disadvantages between Wu and Wei? I hope you will instruct me." Deng Zhi said, "Does the Great King wish to make peace with Shu, or does he wish to make peace with Wei?" Sun Quan said, "I am just thinking of making peace with the Lord of Shu, but I fear that the Lord of Shu is young and shallow-minded and may not be consistent to the end." Deng Zhi said, "The Great King is a hero of the age, and Zhuge Liang is also a man of exceptional talent of the time. Shu has the advantage of mountains and rivers, and Wu has the strength of the Three Rivers. If the two states unite in harmony, acting as lips and teeth, then if they advance, they can swallow up the whole empire; if they retreat, they can stand as a tripod of three. Now if the Great King sends tribute to Wei and calls himself a vassal, Wei will certainly expect the Great King to come to court and demand the Crown Prince as a hostage. If you do not comply, they will send troops to attack, and Shu will also come down the river to take advantage. Then the land south of the River will no longer belong to the Great King. If the Great King thinks my words are wrong, I will die here before the Great King to put an end to the name of a persuader." Having said this, he lifted his robe and went down the steps, heading straight for the oil tripod as if to jump in. Sun Quan hastily ordered him to be stopped, invited him into the inner hall, and treated him with the highest courtesy. Sun Quan said, "Your words exactly fit my thoughts. Now I wish to make peace with the Lord of Shu. Would you be willing to act as my intermediary?" Deng Zhi said, "Just now it was the Great King who wanted to boil me alive; now it is the Great King who wants to use me. The Great King is still hesitating. How can he win men's trust?" Sun Quan said, "My mind is made up. Do not doubt."

So the Prince of Wu, Sun Quan, kept Deng Zhi and assembled his officers, saying, "I rule over the eighty-one prefectures south of the River, and also the land of Jing and Chu. Yet I am not as good as the remote region of Western Shu. Shu has a Deng Zhi who does not disgrace his lord, but Wu has not a single man to go to Shu and convey my intentions." Suddenly one person stepped forward from the ranks and said, "I am willing to go as envoy." Everyone looked, and it was a man of Wu County in Wu Commandery: his surname was Zhang, his name Wen, his style Huishu, and he was then a Palace Attendant. Sun Quan said, "I fear that when you see Zhuge Liang in Shu, you will not be able to convey my feelings." Zhang Wen said, "Kongming is only a man; why should I fear him?" Sun Quan was greatly pleased, rewarded Zhang Wen handsomely, and sent him to go with Deng Zhi to Shu to establish friendly relations.

Now Kongming, after Deng Zhi had left, memorialized to the Later Lord, saying, "This mission of Deng Zhi will certainly succeed. Wu has many wise and able men, and they will surely send someone to return the courtesy. Your Majesty should treat him with courtesy so that he may return to Wu and confirm the friendly alliance. If Wu is friendly, Wei will certainly not dare to send troops against Shu. When Wu and Wei are both quiet and peaceful, I will then go on a southern campaign to pacify the barbarian lands, and then plan against Wei. If Wei is weakened, then Eastern Wu cannot last long either, and the foundation for reunification can be restored." The Later Lord agreed.

Suddenly a report came that Eastern Wu had sent Zhang Wen, together with Deng Zhi, into Shu to return the courtesy. The Later Lord assembled all his civil and military officers in the courtyard, and ordered Deng Zhi and Zhang Wen to be brought in. Zhang Wen, thinking he had achieved his purpose, entered the hall with head erect. After saluting the Later Lord, the Later Lord gave him a brocade stool and had him sit on the left side of the hall. A royal feast was set out to entertain him. The Later Lord treated him with respect and courtesy only. When the feast was over, the hundred officials escorted Zhang Wen to the guest house. The next day, Kongming gave a feast. Kongming said to Zhang Wen, "When the late Emperor was alive, he was not on good terms with Wu, but now he has passed away. The present ruler deeply admires the Prince of Wu and wishes to forget old grievances and form a lasting alliance, combining forces to break Wei. I hope you will report this well when you return." Zhang Wen accepted the command. When the wine was half finished, Zhang Wen was very cheerful and at ease, with a rather arrogant air.

The next day, the Later Ruler bestowed gold and silk upon Zhang Wen as gifts, and held a farewell feast at the post station south of the city, ordering all officials to see him off. Kongming plied him with wine with great courtesy. As they were drinking, a man suddenly entered, already tipsy, made a deep bow with arms folded, and took a seat at the feast. Zhang Wen, finding this strange, asked Kongming, "Who is this man?" Kongming replied, "His surname is Qin, his given name Mi, and his style name Zichi; he currently serves as a scholar of Yizhou." Zhang Wen said with a laugh, "He is called a scholar, but I wonder if his breast holds any learning." Qin Mi said gravely, "Even children three feet tall in Shu all go to school, so how much more so for me?" Zhang Wen said, "Let us hear, then, what you have studied." Qin Mi replied, "From the heavens above to the earth below, the Three Teachings and Nine Schools, the Hundred Schools of Thought—there is nothing I do not understand; the rise and fall of ancient and modern times, the classics and commentaries of the sages—there is nothing I have not read." Zhang Wen laughed and said, "Since you boast so boldly, let me question you about Heaven. Does Heaven have a head?" Qin Mi said, "It does." Zhang Wen said, "Where is the head?" Qin Mi said, "In the west. The Book of Odes says, 'He looks kindly to the west.' From this it is inferred that the head is in the west." Zhang Wen asked again, "Does Heaven have ears?" Qin Mi replied, "Heaven is high and listens to what is low. The Book of Odes says, 'The crane cries in the nine marshes, and its sound is heard in Heaven.' Without ears, how could it hear?" Zhang Wen asked further, "Does Heaven have feet?" Qin Mi said, "It does. The Book of Odes says, 'Heaven's steps are difficult.' Without feet, how could it walk?" Zhang Wen asked again, "Does Heaven have a surname?" Qin Mi said, "How could it be without one!" Zhang Wen said, "What surname?" Qin Mi replied, "It is surnamed Liu." Zhang Wen said, "How do you know?" Qin Mi said, "The Son of Heaven is surnamed Liu, therefore I know." Zhang Wen then asked, "Does the sun rise in the east?" Qin Mi replied, "Although it rises in the east, it sets in the west."

At this time, Qin Mi's words were clear and bright, his responses fluent, and all the guests present were astonished. Zhang Wen had nothing to say. Qin Mi then asked, "Sir, you are a famous scholar of Eastern Wu. Since you have questioned me about celestial matters, you must deeply understand the principles of Heaven. When chaos first parted, yin and yang were divided; the light and pure air rose to form Heaven, the heavy and turbid air sank to form Earth. When Gonggong was defeated, he struck Mount Buzhou, breaking the pillar of Heaven and tearing the cords of Earth; Heaven tilted to the northwest, and Earth sank to the southeast. Since Heaven is formed of light and pure air that rose up, why did it tilt to the northwest? And I do not know what lies beyond that light and pure air. I hope you will instruct me." Zhang Wen had no answer, so he rose from his seat and apologized, saying, "I never expected so many talents to emerge from Shu! What I have just heard has cleared my mind as if opening a window." Kongming, fearing that Zhang Wen might feel ashamed, comforted him with kind words, saying, "The arguments at the feast were all but jest. You, sir, deeply understand the great principles of stabilizing the state and bringing peace; why trouble yourself with such verbal play?" Zhang Wen thanked him. Kongming then ordered Deng Zhi to go to Eastern Wu to return the courtesy, and he traveled with Zhang Wen. The two bade farewell to Kongming and set out for Eastern Wu.

Now, the King of Wu, seeing that Zhang Wen had not yet returned from Shu, assembled his civil and military officials to discuss matters. Suddenly, a close attendant reported, "Shu has sent Deng Zhi together with Zhang Wen to our kingdom to return the courtesy." Sun Quan summoned them to an audience. Zhang Wen knelt before the hall and praised in detail the virtues of the Later Ruler and Kongming, expressing the hope for a permanent alliance, and specially sent Minister Deng to return the courtesy. Sun Quan was greatly pleased, so he set up a feast to entertain them. Sun Quan asked Deng Zhi, "If Wu and Shu unite their hearts to destroy Wei, and peace is achieved under Heaven, with the two rulers dividing the realm, would that not be very joyful?" Deng Zhi replied, "'There are not two suns in the sky, nor two kings over the people.' If Wei is destroyed, I do not know to whom the Heavenly Mandate will belong. Let the rulers each cultivate their virtue, and the ministers each fulfill their loyalty; then the wars may cease." Sun Quan laughed heartily and said, "Your sincerity is indeed like this!" He then bestowed generous gifts on Deng Zhi and sent him back to Shu. From then on, Wu and Shu maintained good relations.

Now, Wei spies discovered this and swiftly reported it to the Central Plains. Emperor Cao Pi of Wei, upon hearing it, was enraged and said, "Wu and Shu have allied; they surely have designs on the Central Plains. It is better for me to attack them first." So he grandly assembled his civil and military officials to discuss raising an army to attack Eastern Wu. At this time, Grand Sima Cao Ren and Grand Commandant Jia Xu had already died. Attendant Secretary Xin Pi stepped forward from the ranks and memorialized, "The land of the Central Plains is vast but sparsely populated, and to use troops now shows no advantage. The current plan is better to nourish troops and farm for ten years, until provisions and soldiers are abundant, and then use the army; then Wu and Shu can be broken." Cao Pi said angrily, "This is the talk of a pedantic scholar! Now Wu and Shu have allied; sooner or later they will invade our borders. How can we wait ten years?" He immediately issued an edict to raise an army to attack Eastern Wu. Sima Yi memorialized, "Wu has the natural barrier of the Yangtze River; without boats we cannot cross. If Your Majesty must personally lead the expedition, you may select large and small warships, enter the Huai River from the Cai and Ying Rivers, take Shouchun, go to Guangling, cross the river mouth, and directly attack Nanxu: this is the best strategy." Cao Pi followed his advice. So they worked day and night, building ten dragon boats, over twenty zhang long, each capable of carrying over two thousand men; they also prepared over three thousand warships. In the autumn of the fifth year of Wei's Huangchu reign, in the eighth month, they assembled all the officers and men, appointed Cao Zhen as the vanguard, Zhang Liao, Zhang He, Wen Ping, Xu Huang, and others as senior generals to go ahead, Xu Chu and Lü Qian as the central army guards, Cao Xiu as the rear guard, and Liu Ye and Jiang Ji as advisors. The combined land and water forces numbered over three hundred thousand, with a fixed date to set out. They appointed Sima Yi as Minister of the Household, left to guard Xuchang. All important state affairs were left to Sima Yi's discretion.

Let us not speak of the Wei army setting out. Now, Eastern Wu spies discovered this and reported it to the Wu court. A close attendant hastily memorialized to the King of Wu, saying, "Now the Wei King, Cao Pi, is personally riding a dragon boat, leading a land and water army of over three hundred thousand, entering the Huai River from the Cai and Ying Rivers; he will surely take Guangling, cross the river to attack Jiangnan—this is very serious." Sun Quan was greatly alarmed and immediately assembled his civil and military officials to discuss. Gu Yong said, "Now that Your Majesty is allied with Western Shu, you may write a letter to Zhuge Kongming, asking him to raise an army from Hanzhong to divide Wei's forces; at the same time, send a great general to station troops at Nanxu to resist the Wei army." Sun Quan said, "None but Lu Boyan can handle this heavy responsibility." Gu Yong said, "Lu Boyan is guarding Jingzhou; he cannot be lightly moved." Sun Quan said, "I know this well; but there is no one to replace him at present." Before he finished speaking, a man stepped forward from the ranks and said, "Though I am lacking in talent, I am willing to lead an army to resist the Wei troops. If Cao Pi personally crosses the great river, I will surely capture him alive and present him to Your Highness; if he does not cross, I will still slay more than half of his Wei troops, so that they dare not look squarely at Eastern Wu." Sun Quan looked and saw it was Xu Sheng. Sun Quan was greatly pleased and said, "If I can have you guard the Jiangnan region, what worry have I?" So he appointed Xu Sheng as General of Pacifying the East, with overall command of the military at Jianye and Nanxu. Xu Sheng thanked him for the favor, received his orders, and withdrew. He immediately issued orders for all officers and soldiers to prepare plenty of weapons and set up many banners, as a plan to guard the riverbank.

Suddenly a man stepped forward and said, "Today the Great King entrusts this heavy responsibility to you, General. If we wish to break the Wei forces and capture Cao Pi alive, why not dispatch the army early to cross the river and meet the enemy on the Huainan plain? If we wait until Cao Pi's troops arrive, it may be too late." Xu Sheng looked and saw it was Sun Shao, the nephew of the King of Wu. Sun Shao, styled Gongli, held the rank of Yangwei General and had previously defended Guangling. He was young, impulsive, and full of courage. Xu Sheng said, "Cao Pi's forces are powerful, and he has famous generals as his vanguard. We cannot cross the river to meet the enemy. When their ships are all gathered on the north bank, I will have a plan to break them." Sun Shao said, "I have three thousand troops under my command, and I know the terrain of Guangling well. I am willing to go north of the river myself and fight Cao Pi to the death. If I cannot win, I will accept military punishment." Xu Sheng refused to listen. Sun Shao insisted on going. Xu Sheng still would not allow it, and Sun Shao repeatedly pressed to act. Xu Sheng grew angry and said, "If you disobey orders like this, how can I control the other generals?" He ordered the guards to take Sun Shao out and behead him. The executioners dragged Sun Shao outside the camp gate and raised a black flag. Sun Shao's subordinate officers swiftly reported this to Sun Quan. When Sun Quan heard, he hurriedly mounted his horse and came to the rescue. Just as the executioners were about to carry out the sentence, Sun Quan arrived, scattered the executioners with shouts, and saved Sun Shao. Sun Shao, weeping, reported, "In past years, Your servant guarded Guangling and knows the terrain well. If we do not fight Cao Pi there but wait until he reaches the Yangtze River, the fall of Eastern Wu is just a matter of days!"

Sun Quan went straight into the camp. Xu Sheng welcomed him into the tent and reported, "The Great King appointed me as commander-in-chief to lead the army against the Wei forces. Now General Yangwei Sun Shao has violated military law. Disobeying orders, he deserves execution. Why has the Great King pardoned him?" Sun Quan said, "Sun Shao acted on a momentary impulse of youthful courage and mistakenly broke the law. I earnestly beg for mercy." Xu Sheng said, "The law was not established by me, nor by the Great King, but is the penal code of the state. If we pardon someone because of kinship, how can we command the obedience of all?" Sun Quan said, "Sun Shao's offense indeed should be handled by you, General. But this lad, though originally surnamed Yu, was greatly beloved by my elder brother, who bestowed upon him the surname Sun. He has also rendered me considerable service. If I kill him now, I would betray my brother's affection." Xu Sheng said, "In deference to the Great King's face, I will spare his life." Sun Quan ordered Sun Shao to thank him. Sun Shao refused to bow and said sternly, "In my view, I only want to lead troops to break Cao Pi! Even if I die, I will not accept your judgment!" Xu Sheng's expression changed. Sun Quan dismissed Sun Shao with a shout and said to Xu Sheng, "Even without this lad, what harm is there to Eastern Wu? Do not employ him again in the future." With that, he left himself. That night, someone reported to Xu Sheng that Sun Shao had led his own three thousand elite troops and secretly crossed the river. Fearing that something might go wrong and reflect badly on him before the King of Wu, Xu Sheng summoned Ding Feng, gave him secret orders, and sent him with three thousand troops to cross the river and provide support.

Now, the Wei king sailed his dragon boat to Guangling. The vanguard Cao Zhen had already arrayed his troops along the banks of the great river. Cao Pi asked, "How many troops are on the riverbank?" Cao Zhen said, "Looking across the river from afar, I see not a single man, nor any banners or camp." Cao Pi said, "This must be a ruse. I will go see the situation myself." So he opened the waterway wide and let the dragon boat sail directly to the great river, anchoring at the bank. On the boat, they raised dragon, phoenix, sun, and moon banners of five colors; the imperial regalia crowded around, their brilliance dazzling. Cao Pi sat upright in the boat, gazing across to the south of the river, seeing no one. He turned to Liu Ye and Jiang Ji and asked, "Can we cross the river?" Liu Ye said, "The art of war emphasizes reality and deception. When they see a great army approaching, how could they not prepare? Your Majesty should not act rashly. Wait three to five days, observe their movements, and then send the vanguard to cross and test them." Cao Pi said, "Your words accord with my thoughts."

That evening, the great army anchored mid-river for the night. The night was dark, with no moon. The soldiers all raised torches, illuminating heaven and earth as bright as day. Looking across to the south of the river, they could not see a single spark of fire. Cao Pi asked his attendants, "What is the reason for this?" An attendant reported, "It is likely that, hearing of Your Majesty's heavenly army approaching, they have fled before your might." Cao Pi smiled coldly to himself. When dawn came, a thick fog filled the air, so that people could not see each other face to face. Soon, a wind arose, the fog scattered, and the clouds parted. They saw that along the south bank of the river, there was a continuous line of city walls; on the towers, spears and swords glistened in the sun, and the entire city was covered with banners and pennants. In an instant, reports came repeatedly: "From Nanxu along the river all the way to Stone City, for several hundred li, the city walls, boats, and chariots are continuous and unbroken—all built in a single night." Cao Pi was greatly astonished. It turned out that Xu Sheng had bundled reeds into figures, dressed them in black clothing, and placed them holding banners on the false walls and suspicious towers. When the Wei troops saw so many men and horses on the walls, how could they not be terrified? Cao Pi sighed and said, "Though Wei has thousands of warriors, they are useless here. The men of Jiangnan cannot be plotted against!"

While he was still astonished, a fierce wind suddenly arose, white waves towered to the sky, and the river water splashed, soaking the dragon robe. The great ship was about to capsize. Cao Zhen frantically ordered Wen Ping to take a small boat and rush to rescue the emperor. The people on the dragon boat could not keep their footing. Wen Ping leaped onto the dragon boat, carried Cao Pi on his back, and descended into the small boat, fleeing into the river harbor. Suddenly, a rider with urgent news reported, "Zhao Yun has led troops out of Yangping Pass and is heading straight for Chang'an." When Cao Pi heard this, he was terrified, his face losing color, and he ordered the army to withdraw. The troops all fled in confusion. Behind them, Wu troops gave chase. Cao Pi issued an edict to abandon all imperial possessions and flee. As the dragon boat was about to reach the Huai River, suddenly drums and horns sounded together, shouts shook the heavens, and a contingent of troops emerged from the side. The leading general was none other than Sun Shao. The Wei troops could not withstand them, losing more than half, with countless drowned.

The generals fought desperately to rescue the Wei ruler. The Wei ruler crossed the Huai River and had gone less than thirty li when a stretch of reeds in the Huai River, which had been pre-soaked in fish oil, all caught fire. Following the wind downstream, the wind was very strong; flames filled the sky, cutting off the dragon boat. Cao Pi was greatly alarmed and hastily descended into a small boat. By the time he reached the shore, the dragon boat was already on fire. Cao Pi hurriedly mounted his horse, but on the bank, a contingent of troops charged in, led by none other than Ding Feng. Zhang Liao hurriedly spurred his horse to meet them, but was struck by an arrow from Ding Feng in the waist. Fortunately, Xu Huang rescued him, and together they protected the Wei ruler as they fled. Countless troops and horses were lost. Behind them, Sun Shao and Ding Feng captured horses, chariots, boats, and weapons beyond count. The Wei army was utterly defeated and retreated. Wu general Xu Sheng achieved great success. The King of Wu rewarded him heavily. Zhang Liao returned to Xuchang, but his arrow wound burst open and he died. Cao Pi buried him with full honors, and this matter was set aside.

Now, when Zhao Yun led his troops out of Yangping Pass, a dispatch from the Chancellor suddenly arrived, saying that the veteran general Yong Kai of Yi Province had colluded with the Man king Meng Huo, raising one hundred thousand Man troops to raid the four commanderies. Therefore, Zhao Yun was recalled, and Ma Chao was ordered to hold Yangping Pass firmly, while the Chancellor himself would lead a southern campaign. Zhao Yun then hastily withdrew his troops and returned. At this time, Kongming was in Chengdu reorganizing his troops and horses, preparing to personally lead the southern campaign. Indeed:

Just now we saw Eastern Wu confront Northern Wei,

Now we see Western Shu campaign against the Southern Man.

Just now we saw Eastern Wu confront Northern Wei,

Now we see Western Shu campaign against the Southern Man.

The outcome of victory or defeat is unknown; we shall see the next chapter for the explanation.