“I refused the repose of age,” sighed he, “and now my end will come to me here!”
Just then he heard new shouting from the northeast, and the array of Wei became disordered. To his joy, Zhao Yun saw Zhang Bao coming toward him, the octane-serpent halberd in his hand, and a man's head hanging at his bridle.
Soon Zhang Bao reached the veteran general's side and cried, “The Prime Minister feared some misfortune had befallen you, so he sent me to your help; I have five thousand troops here. We heard that you were surrounded. On the way I met Xue Ze and slew him.”
Zhao Yun's courage revived, and he and the young general went on toward the southwest, driving the soldiers of Wei before them in disorder. Soon another cohort came in from the side, the leader wielding the green-dragon saber.
This was Guan Xing, and he cried, “The Prime Minister sent me with five thousand troops to your aid. On the way I encountered Dong Xi and slain him. Here is his head; and the Prime Minister is coming up too.”
“But why not press on to capture Xiahou Mao since you have had such wonderful success?” cried Zhao Yun.
Zhang Bao took the hint and went forward. Guan Xing followed.
“They are as my own children,” said Zhao Yun to those who stood near. “And they press on wherever there is merit to be won. I am an old leader and high in rank, but I am not worth so much as these two youths. Yet will I risk my life once more for the sake of my old lord the First Ruler.”
So he led the remnant of his troops to try to capture Xiahou Mao.
During that night the army of Wei was smitten till corpses covered the earth and gore ran in rivers. Xiahou Mao was unskillful, and young, and inexperienced in battle. His army was in utter rout, and he could not think but only flee. At the head of a hundred cavalries, he made for Nanan. His army, leaderless, scattered like rats.
Zhang Bao and Guan Xing set out for Nanan. At the news of their coming, Xiahou Mao closed the city gates and urged his soldiers to defend. Zhao Yun soon joined the generals, and they attacked on three sides. Deng Zhi arrived also, and the city was quite surrounded.
After vain efforts for ten days, they heard the news: “The Prime Minister has stationed the rear army in Mianyang, the left army in Yangping Pass, the right army in Shicheng. He himself is leading the central army toward Nanan.”
The four generals went to visit Zhuge Liang and told him their failure at the city. He got into his light chariot and rode out to view the city, after which he returned and summoned the officers to his tent.
Zhuge Liang said, “The moat is deep, the walls are steep; wherefore the city is well defended and difficult to take. My present plan omits this place. If you persist in the attack and the Wei armies march to try for Hanzhong, our army will be in danger.”
“Consider what the capture of Xiahou Mao would mean,” said Deng Zhi. “He is an Imperial Son-in-Law, and worth more than slaying a hundred ordinary leaders. We have begun the siege, and I do not like to raise it.”
Zhuge Liang said, “I have other plans. West of this lies Tianshui and north Anding; does any one know the governors of these two places?”
“Ma Zun is the Governor of Tianshui, Cui Liang that of Anding,” replied a scout. Zhuge Liang then called to him one by one — Wei Yan, Zhang Bao, Guan Xing, and two trusted subordinates — and gave each certain instructions. They left to carry out their orders.
Next Zhuge Liang ordered the soldiers to pile up beneath the walls heaps of firewood and straw, saying he was going to burn the city. The defenders on the wall derided him.
Cui Liang, the Governor of Anding, was much frightened when he heard that Xiahou Mao was besieged, and began to see to his own defenses. He mustered his four thousand soldiers, resolved to defend his city as long as possible. Then there came a man from the south direction, who said he had secret letters.
Cui Liang had him brought into the city, and, when questioned, the man said, “I am one of Xiahou Mao's trusted soldiers and named Pei Xu. I was sent to beg for help from Tianshui and Anding. The city of Nanan is hard pressed; every day we have raised fires to call the attention of your cities to our plight, but our signals have all failed. No one has come. I was ordered to fight my way through the besiegers and come to tell you. You are to give assistance immediately, and our General will open the gates to help you.”
“Have you a letter from the General?” asked Cui Liang.
A letter was produced from inside the man's dress, all moist with perspiration. After the Governor had read it, the soldier took it back and went on to Tianshui.
Two days later a mounted messenger came to say: “Governor Ma Zun of Tianshui with his troops have already started for Nanan. The troops of Anding should march at once to their aid.”
Cui Liang took the advice of his officers. Most of them said, “If you do not go, and Nanan is taken, we shall he blamed for giving up the Imperial Son-in-Law. He must be rescued.”
Thereupon Cui Liang marched; the civil officers were left in charge of the city. The army took the high road to Nanan. They saw flames shooting up to the sky all the time, and the Governor urged the army to march faster. When fifteen miles from the city, there was heard the drums of an attacking force, and the scouts came to say that the road ahead was held by Guan Xing, while Zhang Bao was coming up quickly in their rear.
At this news the soldiers scattered in all directions. Cui Liang had a hundred men left with whom he tried to cut his way out that he might return to his own city. He got through. But when he came to his own city, a flight of arrows greeted him from the wall, and Wei Yan shouted to him, saying, “I have taken the city; you would better yield!”
This was what had happened. Wei Yan and his soldiers, disguised as an Anding soldiers, in the darkness of the night had beguiled the wardens of the gate into opening it, and the men of Shu had got in.
Cui Liang set off for Tianshui. But one march away a cohort came out, and beneath the great flag he saw a light chariot. In the chariot sat a man in Taoist robe with a feather fan in his hand. Cui Liang at once recognized Zhuge Liang, but as he turned, up came Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, who summoned him to surrender. As he was entirely surrounded, no other course was open to him, so he gave in. He went to the great camp with Zhuge Liang, who treated him with courtesy.
After a time Zhuge Liang said, “Is the Govenor of Nanan a friend of yours?”
“He is one Yang Ling, a cousin of Yang Fu. Being neighboring counties, we are very good friends.” “I wish to trouble you to persuade him to capture Xiahou Mao; can you?”
“If you, O Minister, order me to do this, I would ask you to withdraw your troops and let me go into the city to speak with him.”
Zhuge Liang consented and ordered the besiegers to draw off seven miles and camp. Cui Liang himself went to the city and hailed the gate. He entered and went forthwith to his friend's residence. As soon as he had finished the salutations, he related what had happened.
“After the kindness we have received from Wei, we cannot be traitors,” said Yang Ling. “But we will meet ruse with ruse.”
He led Cui Liang to the Commander-in-Chief and told the whole story.
“What ruse do you propose?” asked Xiahou Mao.
“Let us pretend to offer the city, and let the army of Shu in. Once they are in, we can massacre them.”
Xiahou Mao agreed to plot the scheme. Cui Liang went back to Zhuge Liang's camp, where he said, “Yang Ling wants to offer the Prime Minister the city. He also wants to capture Xiahou Mao, but he is so afraid of having few soldiers that he has made no hasty move.”
“That is simple enough,” replied Zhuge Liang. “Your hundred troops are here. We can mix with them some of my generals dressed as your officers and so let them get into the city. They can hide in Xiahou Mao's dwelling and arrange with Yang Ling to open the gates in the night. And my grand army will come in to make the capture for you.”