“It may be as you say, General, but you must not do anything to make us ridiculous. Let me go back to Yang Yi and explain, and I may be able to persuade him to pass on to you the supreme military authority he holds.”
Wei Yan agreed, and Fei Yi went back to the main camp and told Yang Yi what had passed.
Yang Yi replied, “When near death the Prime Minister confided to me that Wei Yan would turn traitor. I sent him the authority to test him, and now he has discovered himself as the Prime Minister foretold. So I will direct Jiang Wei to command the rearguard.”
The coffer containing the remains of Zhuge Liang was sent on in advance, and Jiang Wei took up his post to cover the retreat.
Meanwhile Wei Yan sat in his tent waiting for the return of Fei Yi and was perplexed at the delay. When the suspense became unbearable, he sent Ma Dai to find out the reason.
Ma Dai returned and told him: “Jiang Wei is covering the retreat, and that most of the army has already gone.”
Wei Yan was furious.
“How dare he play with me, the pedantic blockhead?” cried he. “But he shall die for this.”
Turning to Ma Dai, Wei Yan said, “Will you help me?”
Ma Dai replied, “I have long hated Yang Yi; certainly I am ready to attack him.”
So Wei Yan broke camp and marched southward.
By the time Xiahou Ba had reached the Shu camps, they were all empty, and he hastened back with this news.
“Then Zhuge Liang is really dead; let us pursue,” said Sima Yi, much irritated at being misled.
“Be cautious,” said Xiahou Ba. “Send an subordinate leader first.”
“No; I must go myself this time.”
So Sima Yi and his two sons hastened to the Wuzhang Hills. With shouts and waving flags, they rushed into the camps, only to find them quite deserted.
Sima Yi said to his sons, “You are to bring up the remaining force with all speed, whereas I will lead the vanguard.”
Sima Yi hastened in the wake of the retreating army. Coming to some hills, he saw them in the distance and pressed on still harder. Then suddenly a bomb exploded, a great shout broke the stillness, and the retiring army turned about and came toward him, ready for battle. In their midst fluttered a great banner bearing the words, “Prime Minister of Han, Lord of Wuxiang, Zhuge Liang”.
Sima Yi stopped, pale with fear. Then out from the army came some score of generals of rank, and they were escorting a small carriage, in which sat Zhuge Liang as he had always appeared, in his hand the feather fan.
“Then Zhuge Liang is still alive!” gasped Sima Yi. “And I have rashly placed myself in his power.”
As he pulled round his horse to flee, Jiang Wei shouted, “Do not try to run away, O rebel; you have fallen into one of the Prime Minister's traps and would better stay!”
The soldiers, seized with panic, fled, throwing off all their gear. They trampled each other down, and many perished. Their leader galloped fifteen miles without pulling rein. When at last two of his generals came up with him, and had stopped his flying steed by catching at the bridle, Sima Yi clapped his hand to his head, crying, “Have I still a head?”
“Do not fear, General, the soldiers of Shu are now far away,” they replied.
But he still panted with fear, and only after some time did he recognize that his two companions were Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Hui. The three found their way by by-roads to their own camp, whence scouts were sent out in all directions.
In a few days the natives brought news: “The Shu army had really gone, and as soon as the retiring army entered the valley, they raised a wailing for the dead and hoisted white flags. Zhuge Liang was really dead, and Jiang Wei's rearguard consisted of only one thousand troops. The figure in the carriage was only a wooden image of the Prime Minister.”
“While he lived, I could guess what he would do; dead, I was helpless,” said Sima Yi.
The people had a saying that a dead Zhuge Liang was enough to scare off a live Sima Yi.
In the depth of night a brilliant star
Fell from the northern sky;
Doubts stayed Sima Yi
When he would pursue
His dead, but fearsome enemy.
And even now the western people,
With scornful smile, will say
“Oh, is my head on my shoulder still?
It was nearly lost today.”
Now indeed Sima Yi knew that his rival was no more, so he retook the pursuit. But when he reached the Red Hills, the Shu army had marched too far away.
As he took the homeward road, he said to his officers, “We can now sleep in comfort.”
As they marched back, they saw the camps of their enemies, and were amazed at their skillful arrangement.
“Truly a wonderful genius?” sighed Sima Yi.
The armies of Wei returned to Changan; leaving officers to guard the various strategic points. Sima Yi himself went on to Luoyang to see the audience.
Yang Yi and Jiang Wei retired slowly and in good order till they neared the Plank Trail, when they donned mourning garb and began to wail for their dead. The soldiers threw themselves on the ground and wailed in sorrow. Some even wailed themselves to death.
But as the leading companies entered upon the Plank Trail, they saw a great blaze in front, and, with a great shout, a cohort came out barring the way. The leaders of the retreating army were taken aback and sent to inform Yang Yi.
The regiments of Wei are nowhere near,
Then who are these soldiers that now appear?
The next chapter will tell who they were.
CHAPTER 105. The Lord of Wuxiang Leaves A Plan In The Silken Bag; The Ruler of Wei Removes The Bronze Statue With The Dew Bowl.
Yang Yi sent forward a man to find out what force this was that stood in his way, and the scout returned to say they were soldiers of Shu led by Wei Yan. Wei Yan had burned the Plank Trail and now barred the way.
Then said Yang Yi, “Just before his death the Prime Minister foretold that this man would one day turn traitor, and here it has come to pass. I did not expect to meet it thus, but now our road of retreat is cut, and what is to be done?”
Then replied Fei Yi, “He certainly has slandered us to the Emperor and said that we were rebelling, and therefore he has destroyed the wooden roads in order to prevent our progress first; therefore, we must memorialize to the Throne the truth about him and then plan his destruction.”
Jiang Wei said, “I know a by-way hereabout that will lead us round to the rear of these covered roads. True it is precipitous and dangerous, but it will take us to our destination. It is called the Chashan Mountain Path.”
So they prepared a memorial and turned off in order to follow the narrow mountain road.
Meanwhile in Chengdu the Latter Ruler of Shu was troubled; he lost his appetite and was sleepless. Then he dreamed that the Silky Hills that protected his capital was rived and fell. This dream troubled him till morning, when he called in his officers of all ranks to ask them to interpret his vision.
When he had related his dream, Qiao Zhou stood forth and said, “Last night I saw a large red star fall from the northeast to the southwest; surely it forebodes a misfortune to the First Minister. Your Majesty's dream corresponds to what I saw.”
The Latter Ruler's anxiety increased. Presently Li Fu returned and was summoned into the Latter Ruler's presence.
Li Fu bowed his head and wept, saying, “The Prime Minister is dead.”
He repeated Zhuge Liang's last messages and told all that he knew.