Meng Huo rode right up to the large tent and pushed open the flap. It was brilliantly lighted with lamps, and lying about under their light were his brother and all his men, dead drunk. Zhuge Liang had ordered Ma Su and Lu Kai to entertain Meng You and his men with wine and dance performances. The wine they had been pressed to drink while the plays were going on had been heavily drugged, and they had fallen down almost as soon as they had swallowed it. One or two who had recovered a little could not speak: they only pointed to their mouths.
Meng Huo then saw that he had been the simple victim of another ruse. However, he picked up his brother and the others and started off to return to his main army.
But as he turned, torches began to flash out and drums to beat. The Mangs were frightened and took to their heels. But they were pursued, and the pursuing cohort was led by Wang Ping. The King bore away to the left to escape, but again a cohort appeared in front of him; Wei Yan was there. Meng Huo tried the other side; and was stopped by Zhao Yun. He was in a trap; and attacked on three sides and no fourth to escape by, what could he do? He abandoned everything, making one wild rush for the River Lu.
As he reached the river bank, he saw a bark on the river with Mang soldiers on board. Here was safety. He hailed the boat and jumped on board as soon as it touched the bank. No sooner had he embarked than suddenly he was seized and bound. The boat, which Ma Dai had provided and prepared, was part of the general plan, and the Mang soldiers therein were Ma Dai's soldiers disguised.
Many of Meng Huo's troops accepted the chance of surrender held out by Zhuge Liang, who soothed them and treated them well and did not injure one of them.
The remains of the conflagration were stamped out, and in a short time Ma Dai brought along his prisoner. At the same time Zhao Yun led in his brother, Meng You. Wei Yan, Ma Su, Wang Ping, and Guan Suo also brought their prisoners, chiefs or notables, to the camp of the Prime Minister.
Zhuge Liang looked at the King and laughed.
“That was but a shallow ruse of yours to send your brother with presents to pretend to submit to me; did you really think I should not see through it? But here you are once more in my power; now do you yield?”
“I am a prisoner owing to the gluttony of my brother and the power of your poisonous drugs. If I had only played his part myself and left him to support me with soldiers, I should have succeeded. I am the victim of fate and not of my own incapacity. No; I will not yield.”
“Remember this is the third time; why not?” said Zhuge Liang.
Meng Huo dropped his head and made no answer.
“Ah, well; I will let you go once more,” said Zhuge Liang.
“O Minister, if you will let me and my brother go, we will get together our family and clients and fight you once more. If I am caught that time, then I will confess myself beaten to the ground, and that shall be the end.” “Certainly I shall scarcely pardon you next time,” said Zhuge Liang. “You would better be careful. Diligently tackle your Book of Strategy; look over your list of confidants. If you can apply a good plan at the proper moment, you will not have any need for late regrets.”
Meng Huo and his brother and all the chiefs were released from their bonds. They thanked Zhuge Liang for his clemency and went away.
By the time the released prisoners had got back to the river, the army of Shu had crossed to the farther side and had captured the Mang defenses, the Shu flags fluttering in the breeze. As Meng Huo passed the camp, he saw Ma Dai sitting in state. Ma Dai pointed his sword at the King as he passed, and said, “Next time you are caught, you will not escape.”
When Meng Huo came to his own camp, he found Zhao Yun in possession and all in order. Zhao Yun was seated beneath the large banner, with his sword drawn, and as the King passed, he also said, “Do not presume on the kindness of the Prime Minister because you have been generously treated.”
Meng Huo grunted and passed on. Just as he was going over the frontier hills, he saw Wei Yan and a company drawn up on the slopes. Wei Yan shouted, “See to it; we have got into the inmost recesses of your country and have taken all your defensive positions. Yet you are fool enough to hold out. Next time you are caught, you will be quite destroyed. There will be no more pardons.”
Meng Huo and his company ran away with their arms over their heads. Each one returned to his own ravine.
In the fifth moon, when the sun is fierce,
Marched the army into the desert land,
Marched to the River Lu, bright and clear,
But deadly with miasma.
Zhuge Liang the leader cared not,
Pledged was he to subdue the south,
Thereby to repay the First Ruler's deference with service.
Wherefore he attacked the Mangs.
Yet seven times he freed their captured king.
After the crossing of the river, the soldiers were feasted. Then Zhuge Liang addressed his officers: “I let Meng Huo see our camp the second time he was our prisoner, because I wanted to tempt him into raiding it. He is something of a soldier, and I dangled our supplies and resources before his eyes, knowing he would try to burn them and that he would send his brother to pretend to submit that thereby he could get into our camp and have a chance to betray us. I have captured and released him three times, trying to win him over. I do not wish to do him any harm. I now explain my policy that you may understand I am not wasting your efforts and you are still to work your best for the government.”
They all bowed, and one said, “O Minister, you are indeed perfect in every one of the three gifts: wisdom, benevolence, and valor. Not even Lu Wang or Zhang Liang can equal you!”
Said Zhuge Liang, “How can I expect to equal our men of old? But my trust is in your strength, and together we shall succeed.”
This speech of their leader's pleased them all mightily.
In the meantime Meng Huo, puffed up with pride at getting off three times, hastened home to his own ravine, whence he sent trusted friends with gifts to the Eight Nations and the Ninety-three Sees and all the Mang quarters and clans to borrow shields and swords and warriors and braves. He got together one hundred thousand soldiers. They all assembled on an appointed day, massing like clouds and sweeping in like mists gathering on the mountains, each and all obeying the commands of the King Meng Huo.
And the scouts knew it all, and they told Zhuge Liang, who said, “This is what I was waiting for, that the Mangs should have an opportunity of knowing our might.”
Thereupon he seated himself in a small carriage and went out to watch.
O let our enemy's courage glow
That our greater might may show.
The story of the campaign will be continued in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 89. The Lord of Wuxiang Uses The Fourth Ruse; The King of Mang Is Captured The Fifth Time.
Zhuge Liang's small carriage was escorted by only a few horsemen. Hearing that a sluggish river, the Western River, lay in the way, and having no boat, Zhuge Liang bade the escort cut down some trees and make a raft. They did so, but the raft sank. So Zhuge Liang turned to Lu Kai, who said, “There is close by a mountain covered with bamboos. I have heard of these bamboos, and some are several spans in girth. We can make a bridge of them for the army to cross.”
So thirty thousand soldiers were sent to the mountains, where they cut down many thousands of bamboos, and floated them down river. Then at the narrowest point they made a bridge a hundred spans or so in length. Next the main army was brought down to the river and camped in line along the bank. The camp was protected by a moat, crossed by a floating bridge, and a mud rampart. On the south bank they constructed three large stockades so as to prepare for the coming of the Mang soldiers.