Chapter 113

Ding Feng Devises the Execution of Sun Chen; Jiang Wei Defeats Deng Ai in a Contest of Formations

Now Jiang Wei, fearing that reinforcements would arrive, first withdrew the weapons, carts, equipment, and all other military supplies, followed by the infantry, while the cavalry brought up the rear. Scouts reported this to Deng Ai. Ai laughed and said, “Jiang Wei knows the Grand Commander has arrived, and so he is retreating ahead of us. There is no need to pursue him. If we do, we shall fall into his trap.” He therefore sent men to reconnoiter. They returned to report that, sure enough, firewood and dry grass had been piled in the narrow reaches of Luo Valley, ready to burn the pursuing troops. Everyone acclaimed Ai, saying, “Your calculations are truly divine, General!” Ai then dispatched an envoy bearing a memorial to report the matter to the throne. Sima Zhao was delighted and again petitioned that Deng Ai be rewarded.

Now Sun Chen, Grand Commander of Eastern Wu, flew into a violent rage when he learned that Quan Duan, Tang Zi, and the others had surrendered to Wei, and put all their families to the sword. The ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, was only seventeen years old at the time. Seeing that Sun Chen’s slaughter had gone too far, he was deeply displeased. One day, while visiting the Western Garden, he ate some green plums and ordered a palace attendant to fetch honey. It was brought shortly afterward, but several pellets of mouse droppings were found in it. Sun Liang summoned the keeper of the storehouse and rebuked him. The keeper bowed his head to the ground and said, “I kept it tightly sealed, Your Majesty. How could mouse droppings have gotten inside?” Liang asked, “Did this palace attendant ever ask you for honey to eat?” The keeper replied, “Several days ago he did ask me for some, but I truly did not dare give it to him.” Liang pointed at the attendant and said, “You must have been angry because the keeper refused you honey, so you put the droppings into it to incriminate him.” The attendant denied the charge. Liang said, “This is easy to determine. If the droppings have long been in the honey, they will be moist both inside and out; if they were only recently put into it, they will be moist outside but dry within.” He ordered them cut open for examination, and indeed they were dry inside. The palace attendant confessed his guilt. Such, in general, was Sun Liang’s acumen. Yet for all his intelligence, Sun Chen kept power in his own hands, and Liang could decide nothing for himself. Sun Chen’s younger brother, Sun Ju, General of Far-Reaching Might, entered the Canglong Gate to command the palace guard; Sun En, General of the Martial Guard, Sun Gan, General of the Household, and Sun Kai, Commandant of the Changshui Cavalry, were separately stationed in the various camps.

One day, while the ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, sat despondently, Quan Ji, Palace Gentleman of the Yellow Gate, was at his side. Ji was the emperor’s maternal uncle. Weeping, Liang told him, “Sun Chen has usurped power and kills wantonly. His contempt for me has become intolerable. Unless we act against him now, he will certainly bring disaster later.” Ji said, “Your Majesty has only to command me. Though I die ten thousand deaths, I shall not refuse.” Liang said, “You must immediately muster the palace troops and, together with General Liu Cheng, secure the city gates. I shall go out myself and kill Sun Chen. But under no circumstances may your mother learn of this. She is Sun Chen’s elder sister. If the matter should leak out, the harm to me would be no small thing.” Ji said, “I beg Your Majesty to draft an edict for me. When the deed is to be done, I shall show it to the men, and then none of Sun Chen’s subordinates will dare make a reckless move.” Liang agreed and at once wrote a secret edict, which he gave to Ji. Ji accepted it and returned home, where he secretly informed his father, Quan Shang. On learning of the plan, Shang told his wife, “Within three days Sun Chen will be killed.” His wife said, “And rightly so.” Though she assented with her lips, she sent someone with a letter to inform Sun Chen. Sun Chen flew into a rage. That very night he summoned his four brothers, mustered his best troops, and first surrounded the imperial palace. At the same time, he seized Liu Cheng and Quan Shang together with their entire households. By daybreak, the ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, heard the tremendous clamor of gongs and drums outside the palace gates. A chamberlain hurried in and reported, “Sun Chen has led troops to surround the inner palace!” Liang was furious. Pointing at Empress Quan, he cursed her: “Your father and brother have ruined my great undertaking!” Then he drew his sword and tried to go out. Empress Quan, the palace attendants, and the ministers in attendance all clung to his robes, weeping, and would not let him leave. Sun Chen first put Quan Shang, Liu Cheng, and the others to death, then summoned the civil and military officials to court and issued this command: “His Majesty has long been dissolute and infirm, witless, disorderly, and devoid of the Way. He is unfit to serve the ancestral temple and must now be deposed. Any civil or military officer who dares oppose me shall be judged guilty of treason!” All were afraid and answered, “We will obey the general’s command.” Huan Yi, Director of the Imperial Secretariat, was enraged. Striding boldly out from the ranks, he pointed at Sun Chen and reviled him: “Our present sovereign is an enlightened ruler! How dare you utter such seditious words? I would rather die than obey the command of a treacherous minister!” Sun Chen, in a fury, drew his own sword and struck him down. Then he entered the palace, pointed at the ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, and cursed him: “You witless and unprincipled lord! By rights you should be put to death to appease all under Heaven. But in consideration of the late emperor, I shall depose you as Prince of Kuaiji and choose a virtuous man to take the throne!” He shouted to Li Chong, Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, to strip Sun Liang of his imperial seal and sash, and ordered Deng Cheng to take him into custody. Liang departed in bitter tears. A later poet lamented:

Rebels and traitors slandered Yi Yin’s name;A treacherous minister played Huo Guang’s part.Alas, the ruler, wise and keen of mind,Was barred from presiding in his court.

Sun Chen sent Sun Kai, Minister of the Imperial Clan, and Dong Chao, Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, to Hulin to welcome Sun Xiu, Prince of Langye, and invite him to become sovereign. Xiu, whose style was Zilie, was the sixth son of Sun Quan. One night at Hulin, he dreamed that he mounted a dragon and ascended to Heaven. Looking back, he could not see the dragon’s tail, and awoke with a start. The next day Sun Kai and Dong Chao arrived, bowed before him, and requested that he return to the capital. When the party reached Qu’e, an old man appeared, calling himself Gan Xiu. He knocked his head upon the ground and said, “When an affair is long delayed, it is certain to change. I beg Your Highness to travel with all speed.” Sun Xiu thanked him. When he reached Busa Pavilion, General Sun En came in an imperial carriage to welcome him. Sun Xiu did not dare ride in the imperial conveyance, but entered the capital in a small carriage instead. The hundred officials bowed to him beside the road, and Xiu hastily descended from his carriage to return their salutations. Sun Chen came out and ordered attendants to help him rise, then invited him into the great hall and escorted him up to the imperial throne to assume the place of the Son of Heaven. Sun Xiu declined three times before at last accepting the jade seal. When the civil and military officials had completed their congratulations, a general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm, and the reign title was changed to the first year of Yong’an. Sun Chen was made Chancellor and Governor of Jingzhou; the many officials each received ranks and rewards; and Sun Hao, the son of Sun Xiu’s elder brother, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wucheng. Five members of Sun Chen’s clan held marquisates, and all commanded palace troops. Their power overshadowed that of the sovereign. Fearing an upheaval within the court, the ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, outwardly showed Sun Chen favor and indulgence, while inwardly guarding against him. Sun Chen grew ever more arrogant and overbearing.

In the twelfth month of winter, Sun Chen brought an ox and wine into the palace to offer birthday felicitations, but the ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, refused to accept them. Sun Chen was enraged. He therefore took the ox and wine to the residence of Zhang Bu, General of the Left, and drank with him there. When the wine had taken effect, he said to Bu, “When I first deposed the Prince of Kuaiji, everyone urged me to become ruler myself. I considered the present sovereign a worthy man, and therefore enthroned him. Yet now, when I offer him birthday felicitations, he rejects them. He treats me as a man of no account. Sooner or later I shall show you what I will do!” Hearing this, Bu merely murmured his assent. The next day Bu entered the palace and secretly reported the words to Sun Xiu. Xiu was terrified and knew no peace by day or night. Within a few days, Sun Chen sent Meng Zong, Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, to assign fifteen thousand picked troops under the Central Camp to a new garrison at Wuchang; he also gave him all the weapons in the military arsenal. Thereupon General Wei Miao and Shi Shuo of the Martial Guard secretly reported to Sun Xiu: “Sun Chen is deploying troops outside the capital and has emptied the military arsenal of its weapons. Sooner or later he is certain to rebel.” Sun Xiu was greatly alarmed and hastily summoned Zhang Bu for counsel. Bu memorialized, “The veteran general Ding Feng possesses strategy and judgment surpassing those of ordinary men, and he is capable of deciding grave affairs. Your Majesty may consult with him.” Sun Xiu therefore summoned Ding Feng into the palace and secretly told him what had happened. Feng said, “Your Majesty need not fear. I have a plan to rid the state of this evil.” Xiu asked what the plan was. Feng replied, “On the coming day of the year-end sacrifice, simply announce a grand banquet for all the ministers and summon Sun Chen to attend. I shall make all the necessary arrangements.” Sun Xiu was overjoyed. Ding Feng assigned Wei Miao and Shi Shuo to manage affairs outside the palace, while Zhang Bu was to respond from within.

That night a savage gale arose. Sand flew and stones rolled, and old trees were torn up by the roots. At dawn the wind subsided, and an envoy came bearing an imperial command inviting Sun Chen into the palace for the banquet. Sun Chen had just risen from bed when, on level ground, he suddenly fell as though someone had pushed him over, leaving him greatly disturbed. More than ten envoys clustered around him and escorted him toward the palace. His family tried to stop him, saying, “The wild wind raged without cease throughout the night, and this morning you fell for no reason. We fear these are inauspicious omens. You must not attend the banquet.” Sun Chen replied, “My brothers and I together command the palace troops. Who would dare come near me? If there is any disturbance, set fire to the residence as a signal.” Having given these instructions, he mounted his carriage and entered the palace. The ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, hastily descended from the imperial throne to receive him and invited him to take the place of honor. After several rounds of wine, those present cried in alarm, “A fire can be seen rising outside the palace!” Sun Chen immediately made to rise. Sun Xiu restrained him, saying, “Be at ease, Chancellor. There are ample troops outside. What cause have you to fear?” Before he had finished speaking, Zhang Bu, General of the Left, drew his sword and led more than thirty armed guards rushing into the hall. In a fierce voice he shouted, “There is an imperial edict to seize the traitor Sun Chen!” Sun Chen hurriedly tried to flee, but the guards had already caught him. Knocking his head upon the ground, he pleaded, “I beg to be banished to Jiaozhou and allowed to return to the life of a common farmer.” Sun Xiu rebuked him: “Why did you not banish Teng Yin, Lü Ju, and Wang Dun?” He ordered Sun Chen dragged out and beheaded. Zhang Bu therefore hauled him down from the hall and executed him on its eastern side. None of Sun Chen’s followers dared move. Bu proclaimed the edict: “The guilt rests with Sun Chen alone. No one else will be questioned.” Only then were the hearts of the assembly calmed. Bu invited Sun Xiu to ascend the Tower of Five Phoenixes. Ding Feng, Wei Miao, Shi Shuo, and the others seized Sun Chen’s brothers and brought them before him. Sun Xiu ordered them all beheaded in the marketplace. Several hundred members of their clan and faction were put to death, and their three degrees of kinship were exterminated. Soldiers were ordered to break open Sun Jun’s grave and mutilate his corpse. New tombs were built for the families of Zhuge Ke, Teng Yin, Lü Ju, Wang Dun, and the others who had been murdered, to honor their loyalty. All those who had been implicated and banished to distant lands were pardoned and allowed to return home. Ding Feng received further honors and rewards.

A swift dispatch carried the news to Chengdu. The Latter Ruler, Liu Shan, sent an envoy to offer congratulations, and the Wu envoy Xue Xu reciprocated the courtesy. When Xue Xu returned from Shu, the ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, asked what developments there had been in Shu of late. Xue Xu reported, “Recently Huang Hao, Palace Attendant-in-Ordinary, has taken control of affairs, and most of the highest ministers fawn upon him. When one enters the court, no forthright counsel is heard; when one passes through the countryside, the people bear the pallor of hunger. It is just as the saying goes: ‘Swallows and sparrows nest in the great hall, unaware that the mansion is about to burn.’” Sun Xiu sighed and said, “Had Marquis Zhuge still been alive, how could matters ever have come to this?” He then wrote another state letter and sent a man to carry it to Chengdu. It said that Sima Zhao would soon usurp the throne of Wei and would certainly invade Wu and Shu to display his might, and that both states must make their preparations accordingly.

When Jiang Wei heard this news, he joyfully submitted a memorial and once again proposed taking the field against Wei. It was then the winter of the first year of Jingyao under the Shu-Han dynasty. Grand Commander Jiang Wei appointed Liao Hua and Zhang Yi as the vanguard; Wang Han and Jiang Bin to command the left wing; Jiang Shu and Fu Qian to command the right wing; and Hu Ji to bring up the rear. Jiang Wei and Xiahou Ba together commanded the main central army. They raised two hundred thousand troops from Shu, took leave of the Latter Ruler, and marched directly to Hanzhong. There Jiang Wei consulted Xiahou Ba as to which place they should attack first. Ba said, “Mount Qi is the ground best suited to military operations. That is why the Chancellor made his six expeditions there in former days: no other route was practicable.” Jiang Wei followed his advice and ordered all three armies to advance toward Mount Qi. On reaching the mouth of the valley, they established camp. At the time, Deng Ai was in his camp at Mount Qi, inspecting and mustering the troops of western Long. Suddenly a courier on a fleet horse arrived to report that the Shu army had established three camps at the valley mouth. On hearing this, Deng Ai climbed to a height and surveyed them. He then returned to camp, ascended the command platform, and said with great delight, “It has happened exactly as I expected!” In fact, Deng Ai had previously examined the contours of the terrain and had deliberately left open the ground on which the Shu troops had now encamped. From the Mount Qi camp all the way to the Shu position, a tunnel had already been dug beneath the ground, so that action could be taken from within when the Shu army arrived. Jiang Wei had now divided his forces among three camps at the valley mouth, and the tunnel ran directly beneath the left camp, where Wang Han and Jiang Bin were stationed. Deng Ai summoned his son Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan and ordered each to lead ten thousand troops in an assault from the left and right. Then he called his deputy general Zheng Lun and commanded him to lead five hundred sappers through the tunnel during the second watch that night, proceed directly to the left camp, and burst up from beneath the ground behind the tents.

Now Wang Han and Jiang Bin, since their camp had not yet been firmly established, feared that the Wei troops might raid it. They did not dare remove their armor to sleep. Suddenly they heard a great uproar in the center of the camp. They snatched up their weapons and were mounting their horses when Deng Zhong led his troops in an assault from outside the stockade. Attacked from within and without, Wang Han and Jiang Bin fought desperately, but could not withstand the enemy; they abandoned the camp and fled. In his command tent, Jiang Wei heard the great shouting from the left camp and surmised that troops were attacking in coordination from both inside and outside. He hastily mounted his horse, took his place before the main army’s command tent, and issued this order: “Anyone who moves without command shall be beheaded! Even if enemy soldiers reach the edge of the camp, pay them no heed, but keep shooting them with bows and crossbows!” At the same time he sent instructions to the right camp, forbidding any unauthorized movement there as well. Sure enough, the Wei troops charged more than ten times, but each time were driven back by volleys of arrows. They continued their assaults until daybreak, but did not dare break into the camp. Deng Ai withdrew his troops to his own camp and sighed, “Jiang Wei has profoundly mastered Kongming’s methods! His soldiers do not panic in the night, and his generals do not fall into disorder when they hear of a sudden change. He is truly made of a general’s stuff!” The next day Wang Han and Jiang Bin gathered their defeated troops, then prostrated themselves before the main camp and asked to be punished. Jiang Wei said, “The fault is not yours. It was I who failed to understand the lie of the land.” He assigned them fresh troops and ordered the two generals to establish another camp. He then had the bodies of the dead and wounded thrown into the tunnel and covered with earth. Finally, he sent a written challenge demanding that Deng Ai meet him in battle the next day. Deng Ai gladly accepted.

The next day the two armies drew up before Mount Qi. Following the Eight Formations handed down by Marquis Zhuge, Jiang Wei deployed his troops in the patterns of Heaven, Earth, Wind, Cloud, Bird, Serpent, Dragon, and Tiger. Deng Ai rode out and, seeing that Jiang Wei had formed the Eight Trigrams, arranged his own troops in the same pattern, identical in front and rear, left and right, and in all its gates and openings. Jiang Wei leveled his spear, spurred forward, and shouted, “You imitate me in arraying the Eight Formations—but can you transform the formation as well?” Deng Ai laughed. “Do you think you alone can deploy this formation? Since I know how to arrange it, how could I not know how to transform it?” Deng Ai reined his horse into the formation and ordered the discipline officer to wave the signal flags to left and right, transforming it into sixty-four gates, eight times eight. Then he rode out before the formation again and asked, “What do you think of my transformation?” Jiang Wei replied, “It is not incorrect—but do you dare enter the formation with me, so that we may surround one another?” Deng Ai said, “Why should I not dare?” The two armies advanced, each according to its divisions. Deng Ai directed his troops from the center. The armies clashed, yet neither formation fell into disorder. When Jiang Wei reached the center, he waved his signal flag. Suddenly his array changed into the Coiling Serpent Sweeping the Earth Formation, trapping Deng Ai at its core as thunderous shouts arose on every side. Deng Ai did not understand the formation and was greatly alarmed. The Shu soldiers pressed steadily inward, while Ai led his generals in repeated attempts to break through, but could find no way out. Then he heard the Shu troops shouting in unison, “Deng Ai, surrender at once!” Deng Ai raised his face to Heaven and sighed deeply: “In a moment of pride I flaunted my own ability, and now I have fallen into Jiang Wei’s trap!”

Suddenly a strong body of troops drove in from the northwest corner. Seeing that they were soldiers of Wei, Deng Ai seized the opportunity and fought his way out. The man who rescued him was Sima Wang. By the time Deng Ai had been brought to safety, all nine camps at Mount Qi had been captured by the Shu army. Ai led his defeated troops away and established camp south of the Wei River. He asked Sima Wang, “How did you understand this formation well enough to rescue me?” Wang replied, “In my youth I traveled and studied in southern Jingzhou, where I became friends with Cui Zhouping and Shi Guangyuan. Together we discussed this formation. The transformation Jiang Wei employed today was the Coiling Serpent Sweeping the Earth Formation. If one attacks it anywhere else, it can never be broken. I saw that its head lay in the northwest, and therefore struck it from that direction. Thus it broke of itself.” Deng Ai thanked him and said, “Though I have learned the method of deploying formations, I truly do not understand their transformations. Since you know this method, could you use it tomorrow to retake the camps and stockades at Mount Qi?” Wang said, “What I have learned may not be enough to deceive Jiang Wei.” Ai replied, “Tomorrow you shall contend with him in formations before the battle lines, while I lead a force in secret to strike the rear of Mount Qi. When fighting erupts on both sides, we can recapture our former camps.” He therefore appointed Zheng Lun as vanguard, while he himself would lead the troops in the assault on the rear of the mountain. At the same time, he sent a written challenge demanding that Jiang Wei contest formations with him the next day. Jiang Wei wrote his reply and sent it back, then said to his generals, “I received a secret treatise handed down by Marquis Zhuge. The formations in it have altogether three hundred sixty-five transformations, corresponding to the full circuit of the heavens. Now they challenge me to contest formations—this is nothing but brandishing an ax before the door of Master Lu Ban! But some deceitful scheme must lie behind it. Do any of you know what it is?” Liao Hua said, “They must intend to lure us into contesting formations here while another force strikes us from behind.” Jiang Wei laughed and said, “That is precisely what I think.” He immediately ordered Zhang Yi and Liao Hua to lead ten thousand troops into ambush behind the mountain.

The next day Jiang Wei withdrew all the troops from the nine camps and deployed them before Mount Qi. Sima Wang led his army away from south of the Wei River and came directly to Mount Qi. He rode out and addressed Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei said, “You have asked me to contest formations. Deploy yours first and let me see it.” Sima Wang arrayed the Eight Trigrams. Jiang Wei laughed and said, “This is merely the method of the Eight Formations that I deployed before. Now you have stolen and imitated it. What is remarkable about that?” Wang replied, “You too have merely stolen another man’s method!” Jiang Wei asked, “How many transformations does this formation possess?” Wang laughed. “Since I can deploy it, how could I not know its transformations? This formation has eighty-one changes, nine times nine.” Jiang Wei laughed. “Then show me a transformation.” Sima Wang entered his array and transformed it several times. When he rode out again, he asked, “Did you understand my changes?” Jiang Wei laughed. “My formation has three hundred sixty-five transformations, corresponding to the circuit of the heavens. You are a frog at the bottom of a well—how could you understand its profound mysteries?” Sima Wang knew that such transformations existed, but had never learned them all. He therefore forced himself to argue, “I do not believe you. Show me your transformations.” Jiang Wei said, “Call Deng Ai out, and I shall deploy them for him to see.” Wang replied, “General Deng has excellent stratagems of his own and takes no pleasure in formations.” Jiang Wei burst into laughter. “What excellent stratagems could he have? He has merely told you to entice me into deploying a formation here, while he leads troops to strike the rear of my position on the mountain!” Sima Wang was greatly alarmed and was just about to advance his troops and plunge into a general melee when Jiang Wei pointed with the tip of his whip. His two wings swept forward, slaughtering the Wei troops until they cast away armor and spears and fled for their lives.

Meanwhile, Deng Ai was urging his vanguard commander Zheng Lun onward to attack the rear of the mountain. Zheng Lun had just rounded the mountainside when suddenly a cannon boomed. Drums rolled and horns blared to the heavens as the troops in ambush rushed out. The general at their head was Liao Hua. Before the two men could exchange a word, their horses met, and Liao Hua struck Zheng Lun from the saddle with a single stroke of his blade. Deng Ai was greatly alarmed. He hastily reined in his troops and began to retreat, but Zhang Yi came up with another force and attacked. Caught between the two armies, the Wei troops suffered a crushing defeat. Deng Ai risked his life to break through and was struck by four arrows. By the time he fled back to the camp south of the Wei River, Sima Wang had also arrived. The two men discussed a plan for retreat. Wang said, “Of late, the ruler of Shu, Liu Shan, has lavished favor upon the palace eunuch Huang Hao and spends day and night delighting in wine and women. We can use a scheme of estrangement to have Jiang Wei recalled. Then this encirclement will be broken.” Deng Ai asked the assembled advisers, “Who can enter Shu and establish contact with Huang Hao?” Before he had finished speaking, one man answered, “I am willing to go.” Deng Ai looked and saw that it was Dang Jun of Xiangyang. He was overjoyed and immediately ordered Dang Jun to carry gold, pearls, and precious objects directly to Chengdu, form a connection with Huang Hao, and spread rumors that Jiang Wei harbored resentment against the Son of Heaven and would soon defect to Wei. Soon everyone in Chengdu was saying the same thing. Huang Hao reported it to the Latter Ruler, who immediately sent a man riding through the night to summon Jiang Wei to court.

Now Jiang Wei had repeatedly offered battle for several days, but Deng Ai held fast and would not come out. Jiang Wei was deeply suspicious. Suddenly an imperial envoy arrived, summoning him to court. Not knowing what had happened, Jiang Wei had no choice but to withdraw his army and return to the capital. When Deng Ai and Sima Wang learned that Jiang Wei had fallen into their trap, they broke camp south of the Wei River and swept after him in pursuit. Indeed:

Yue Yi, conquering Qi, was checked by intrigue;Yue Fei, defeating foes, was recalled through slander.

What victory or defeat followed will be told in the next chapter.

Ding Feng Devises the Execution of Sun Chen; Jiang Wei Defeats Deng Ai in a Contest of Formations

Now Jiang Wei, fearing that reinforcements would arrive, first withdrew the infantry along with the weapons, wagons, equipment, and all other military supplies, then had the cavalry cover the rear. A scout reported this to Deng Ai. Deng Ai laughed and said, “Jiang Wei knows the Grand General is coming, so he has withdrawn in advance. There is no need to pursue him. If we do, we will fall into his trap.” He therefore sent men ahead to reconnoiter. They returned and reported that, sure enough, firewood and dry grass had been piled up at a narrow point in Luo Valley, ready to be set ablaze against any pursuing troops. Everyone praised Deng Ai, saying, “General, your foresight is truly divine!” Deng Ai then sent an envoy bearing a memorial to report the matter to the throne. Sima Zhao was delighted and again petitioned for Deng Ai to be rewarded.

Now Sun Chen, Grand General of Eastern Wu, flew into a rage when he learned that Quan Duan, Tang Zi, and the others had surrendered to Wei, and he had every member of their families put to death. The ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, was only seventeen at the time. Seeing that Sun Chen’s killings had gone too far, he strongly disapproved. One day, while visiting the Western Garden, Sun Liang was eating unripe plums and ordered a palace attendant to bring him some honey. The attendant soon returned with it, but Sun Liang saw several pieces of mouse droppings in the honey. He summoned the keeper of the storehouse and reprimanded him. The keeper kowtowed and said, “I kept it tightly sealed. How could there be mouse droppings in it?” Sun Liang asked, “Did the palace attendant ever ask you for honey to eat?” The keeper replied, “Several days ago, the palace attendant did ask me for some honey, but I truly did not dare give him any.” Pointing at the palace attendant, Sun Liang said, “You must have been angry because the storekeeper refused to give you honey, so you put the droppings into it to frame him.” The palace attendant denied the charge. Sun Liang said, “This is easy to determine. If the droppings had been in the honey for a long time, they would be moist inside and out. If they were only recently put into it, they would be moist outside but dry inside.” He ordered them cut open for examination, and they were indeed dry inside. The palace attendant confessed his guilt. Such was Sun Liang’s intelligence. Yet for all his intelligence, Sun Chen controlled him so thoroughly that he could make no decisions of his own. Sun Chen’s younger brother Sun Ju, General Who Inspires Distant Lands, entered the Azure Dragon Gate to command the palace guard; Sun En, General of the Martial Guard; Sun Gan, General of a Separate Command; and Sun Kai, Colonel of the Long River Garrison, were stationed separately among the various camps.

One day, as the ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, sat brooding, Palace Attendant Quan Ji was at his side. Quan Ji was the emperor’s maternal uncle. Sun Liang tearfully confided in him, saying, “Sun Chen has seized power and kills people recklessly. His contempt for me has gone too far. If we do not deal with him now, he will surely become a future threat.” Quan Ji said, “If Your Majesty has any use for me, I would not refuse even if I had to die ten thousand deaths.” Sun Liang said, “You can muster the imperial guards at once and, together with General Liu Cheng, take control of the city gates. I will go out myself and kill Sun Chen. But you must not let your mother know anything about this. Your mother is Sun Chen’s elder sister. If the matter leaks out, the damage to me will be no small thing.” Quan Ji said, “I ask Your Majesty to draft an edict for me. When the time comes to act, I will show it to the troops, so none of Sun Chen’s subordinates will dare move recklessly.” Sun Liang agreed and immediately wrote a secret edict and gave it to Quan Ji. Quan Ji took the edict home and secretly told his father, Quan Shang. When Quan Shang learned of the plan, he told his wife, “Within three days, Sun Chen will be killed.” His wife said, “It is right to kill him.” Although she agreed aloud, she secretly sent someone with a letter to inform Sun Chen. Sun Chen was furious. That very night, he summoned his four brothers, mustered elite troops, and first surrounded the imperial palace. At the same time, he arrested Liu Cheng and Quan Shang along with all their family members. By daybreak, the ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, heard a tremendous clamor of gongs and drums outside the palace gates. A palace attendant rushed in and reported, “Sun Chen has led troops to surround the inner palace grounds.” Sun Liang flew into a rage and pointed at Empress Quan, cursing her: “Your father and brother have ruined my great undertaking!” He drew his sword and was about to go out, but Empress Quan, the palace attendants, and his closest ministers all clung to his robes, weeping, and would not let him leave. Sun Chen first had Quan Shang, Liu Cheng, and the others put to death. Then he summoned all the civil and military officials to court and issued an order: “His Majesty has long been depraved and chronically ill. He is confused, disorderly, and without principle, and is unfit to serve the ancestral temples. He must now be deposed. Any civil or military official among you who dares refuse will be condemned as a traitor!” Everyone was afraid and replied, “We are willing to obey the general’s command.” Imperial Secretary Huan Yi was enraged. He strode boldly out from the ranks, pointed at Sun Chen, and cursed him loudly: “Our present sovereign is an intelligent ruler! How dare you utter such rebellious words? I would rather die than obey the command of a treacherous minister!” Sun Chen flew into a rage, drew his own sword, and cut him down. He then entered the inner palace, pointed at the ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, and cursed him: “You unprincipled, witless ruler! You ought to be executed as an apology to the whole realm! But out of regard for the late emperor, I will depose you as Prince of Kuaiji, and I will personally choose a virtuous man to enthrone!” He shouted at Palace Secretariat Gentleman Li Chong to strip Sun Liang of his imperial seal and sash, and ordered Deng Cheng to take him into custody. Sun Liang departed weeping bitterly. A later poet lamented:Rebellious villains falsely claimed to be Yi Yin;Treacherous ministers played the part of Huo Guang.How pitiful that such an intelligent rulerWas not allowed to preside over his own court.

Sun Chen sent Sun Kai, Minister of the Imperial Clan, and Dong Chao, Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat, to Hulin to invite Sun Xiu, Prince of Langya, to become ruler. Sun Xiu, whose courtesy name was Zilie, was Sun Quan’s sixth son. One night in Hulin, he dreamed that he rode a dragon up into the heavens. When he looked back, he could not see the dragon’s tail, and he awoke with a start. The next day, Sun Kai and Dong Chao arrived, bowed before him, and invited him to return to the capital. When Sun Xiu reached Qu’e, an old man who called himself Gan Xiu kowtowed and said, “If a matter is delayed too long, there will surely be changes. I hope Your Highness will travel quickly.” Sun Xiu thanked him. When he reached Busa Pavilion, General Sun En arrived in an imperial carriage to welcome him. Sun Xiu did not dare ride in the imperial carriage, but entered the capital seated in a small cart. The civil and military officials bowed to him by the roadside, and Sun Xiu hurriedly stepped down from his cart to return their courtesies. Sun Chen came out, ordered attendants to help him up, and invited him into the great hall, where he ascended the imperial throne and assumed the position of Son of Heaven. Sun Xiu declined repeatedly before finally accepting the imperial jade seal. After the civil and military officials had completed their congratulations at court, he proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the realm and inaugurated the first year of the Yong’an era. He appointed Sun Chen Chancellor and Governor of Jingzhou, and bestowed ranks and rewards upon many officials. He also enfeoffed his elder brother’s son, Sun Hao, as Marquis of Wucheng. Sun Chen’s family now had five marquises, all of whom commanded the imperial guards, and their power overshadowed that of the sovereign. The ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, feared that Sun Chen might stage an internal revolt, so he outwardly showed him favor while secretly guarding against him. Sun Chen only grew more arrogant and overbearing.

In the twelfth month of winter, Sun Chen brought an ox and wine into the palace to offer birthday congratulations, but the ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, refused to accept them. Sun Chen was angry, so he took the ox and wine to the residence of Zhang Bu, General of the Left, and drank with him there. When he was drunk, he said to Zhang Bu, “When I first deposed the Prince of Kuaiji, everyone urged me to become ruler. I thought the present sovereign was worthy, so I enthroned him. Now I offer him birthday congratulations and he rejects them. He is treating me as someone of no importance. Sooner or later, I will show you what I mean!” On hearing this, Zhang Bu could only murmur agreement. The next day, Zhang Bu entered the palace and secretly reported Sun Chen’s words to Sun Xiu. Sun Xiu was terrified and could find no peace by day or night. Within a few days, Sun Chen sent Palace Secretariat Gentleman Meng Zong to take fifteen thousand elite troops under the Central Army’s command and station them at Wuchang. He also gave him all the weapons from the military arsenal. General Wei Miao and Shi Shuo of the Martial Guard then secretly reported to Sun Xiu, “Sun Chen has transferred troops outside the capital and emptied the military arsenal of its weapons. Sooner or later, he is certain to revolt.” Sun Xiu was greatly alarmed and hastily summoned Zhang Bu to discuss the matter. Zhang Bu reported, “The veteran general Ding Feng possesses extraordinary strategy and judgment and can decide important affairs. You may consult with him.” Sun Xiu therefore summoned Ding Feng into the inner palace and secretly told him what had happened. Ding Feng said, “Your Majesty need not worry. I have a plan to eliminate this menace to the state.” Sun Xiu asked what the plan was. Ding Feng replied, “At the court gathering on the day of the winter sacrifice, simply announce a grand banquet for all the ministers and summon Sun Chen to attend. I will make all the necessary arrangements.” Sun Xiu was delighted. Ding Feng assigned Wei Miao and Shi Shuo to manage affairs outside, with Zhang Bu acting as their agent inside the palace.

That night, a violent wind arose, sending sand and stones flying and uprooting old trees. At dawn, the wind subsided, and an envoy came bearing an imperial command inviting Sun Chen into the palace for a banquet. Sun Chen had just risen from bed when he suddenly fell flat on level ground, as though someone had pushed him, and he felt uneasy. More than ten envoys crowded around him to escort him inside. His family tried to stop him, saying, “The violent wind blew without pause all night, and this morning you fell for no reason. We fear these are evil omens. You must not attend the banquet.” Sun Chen replied, “My brothers and I jointly command the imperial guards. Who would dare touch me? If anything happens, set fire to the residence as a signal.” After giving these instructions, he entered his carriage and went into the palace. The ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, anxiously descended from the imperial throne to greet him and invited him to take a seat of honor. After several rounds of wine, the guests cried out in alarm, “It looks as though a fire has started outside the palace!” Sun Chen immediately tried to rise. Sun Xiu stopped him, saying, “Chancellor, remain at ease. There are plenty of troops outside. Why should you be afraid?” Before he had finished speaking, Zhang Bu, General of the Left, drew his sword and led more than thirty armed guards rushing into the hall. In a stern voice, he shouted, “There is an imperial edict to seize the traitor Sun Chen!” Sun Chen tried desperately to flee, but the guards had already seized him. Sun Chen kowtowed and said, “I beg to be exiled to Jiaozhou and allowed to return to farming.” Sun Xiu shouted, “Why did you not exile Teng Yin, Lü Ju, and Wang Dun?” He ordered Sun Chen taken away and beheaded. Zhang Bu dragged Sun Chen down from the hall and executed him to the east of it. None of his followers dared move. Zhang Bu proclaimed the imperial edict: “The guilt rests with Sun Chen alone. No one else will be investigated.” Only then were the others reassured. Zhang Bu invited Sun Xiu to ascend Five Phoenix Tower. Ding Feng, Wei Miao, Shi Shuo, and the others seized Sun Chen’s brothers and brought them in. Sun Xiu ordered all of them beheaded in the marketplace. Several hundred members of Sun Chen’s clan and faction were put to death, and three generations of his family were exterminated. Soldiers were ordered to dig open Sun Jun’s grave and mutilate his corpse. The tombs of Zhuge Ke, Teng Yin, Lü Ju, Wang Dun, and the others who had been murdered were rebuilt to honor their loyalty. All those who had been implicated and exiled to distant lands were pardoned and allowed to return home. Ding Feng received additional titles and rewards.

A dispatch was rushed to Chengdu with the news. Liu Shan, the Latter Lord, sent an envoy to offer congratulations, and the Wu envoy Xue Xu returned the courtesy. When Xue Xu returned from Shu, the ruler of Wu, Sun Xiu, asked what had been happening there recently. Xue Xu reported, “Recently, Huang Hao, Palace Attendant of the Central Office, has taken control of affairs, and most of the high ministers fawn upon him. When I entered the court, I heard no one speaking frankly. When I traveled through the countryside, I saw the people gaunt with hunger. It is just as the saying goes: ‘Swallows and sparrows nest in the great hall, unaware that the mansion is about to burn.’” Sun Xiu sighed and said, “If Marquis Wu Zhuge Liang were still alive, how could things ever have come to this?” He then wrote another state letter and had it carried to Chengdu, stating that Sima Zhao would soon usurp the throne of Wei and would surely invade Wu and Shu to display his might, so both states should make preparations.

When Jiang Wei heard this news, he joyfully submitted a memorial proposing another campaign against Wei. It was then the winter of the first year of the Jingyao era of Shu-Han. Grand General Jiang Wei appointed Liao Hua and Zhang Yi as vanguard commanders, Wang Han and Jiang Bin to command the left army, Jiang Shu and Fu Qian to command the right army, and Hu Ji to bring up the rear. Jiang Wei and Xiahou Ba jointly commanded the central army. Altogether, they mobilized two hundred thousand troops of Shu, took leave of the Latter Lord, and marched directly to Hanzhong. There Jiang Wei consulted Xiahou Ba about which place they should attack first. Xiahou Ba said, “Mount Qi is the proper ground for military operations. That is why the Chancellor made six expeditions there in the past—because there is no suitable route through any other place.” Jiang Wei followed his advice and ordered all three armies to advance toward Mount Qi, where they made camp at the mouth of the valley. At that time, Deng Ai was in the camp at Mount Qi, mustering and inspecting the troops of Longyou. Suddenly, a courier on a swift horse arrived and reported that the Shu army had established three camps at the mouth of the valley. When Deng Ai heard this, he climbed to high ground to inspect them, then returned to camp, convened his officers, and said with great delight, “It is exactly as I expected!” It turned out that Deng Ai had surveyed the terrain in advance and had deliberately left open the ground where the Shu army had now camped. A tunnel had already been dug underground from the Mount Qi camp all the way to the site of the Shu camp, so that action could be taken through it when the Shu army arrived. Jiang Wei had now divided his forces into three camps at the valley mouth, and the tunnel lay directly beneath the left camp, where Wang Han and Jiang Bin were stationed. Deng Ai summoned his son Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan, giving each of them ten thousand troops to attack from the left and right. Then he called his deputy general Zheng Lun and ordered him to lead five hundred tunneling troops through the passage during the second watch that night, proceed directly beneath the left camp, and burst out of the ground behind its command tent.

Now because Wang Han and Jiang Bin had not yet finished setting up their camp, they feared that the Wei troops might raid it and did not dare remove their armor to sleep. Suddenly, they heard a great commotion in the center of the camp. They hastily snatched up their weapons and mounted their horses, but Deng Zhong was already leading troops in an attack from outside. Assaulted from within and without, Wang Han and Jiang Bin fought desperately but could not hold out, so they abandoned the camp and fled. In his command tent, Jiang Wei heard shouting from the left camp and realized that enemy forces were coordinating attacks from inside and outside. He immediately mounted his horse, took his position before the central army’s command tent, and issued an order: “Anyone who moves without orders will be executed! Even if enemy troops reach the edge of the camp, pay them no attention. Keep shooting them with bows and crossbows!” At the same time, he sent orders to the right camp forbidding any unauthorized movement there as well. Sure enough, the Wei troops charged more than ten times, but each time they were driven back by volleys of arrows. The fighting continued until daybreak, but the Wei troops did not dare break into the camps. Deng Ai withdrew his troops to his own camp and sighed, “Jiang Wei has fully mastered Kongming’s methods! His troops do not panic in the night, and his generals do not fall into disorder when they hear of a sudden change. He is truly a man fit to command!” The next day, Wang Han and Jiang Bin gathered their defeated troops, prostrated themselves before the main camp, and asked to be punished. Jiang Wei said, “This was not your fault, but mine for failing to understand the terrain beneath us.” He assigned them more troops and ordered the two generals to establish a new camp. He then had the bodies of the dead and wounded thrown into the tunnel and covered with earth. He sent a written challenge calling on Deng Ai alone to meet him in battle the next day. Deng Ai gladly accepted.

The next day, the two armies drew up before Mount Qi. Following Marquis Wu’s method of the Eight Formations, Jiang Wei arranged his forces in the forms of Heaven, Earth, Wind, Cloud, Bird, Serpent, Dragon, and Tiger. Deng Ai rode out and, seeing that Jiang Wei had deployed the Eight Trigrams formation, arranged the same formation himself, with identical gates and passages to the left, right, front, and rear. Jiang Wei brandished his spear, spurred his horse forward, and shouted, “You have imitated my Eight Formations, but can you transform them as well?” Deng Ai laughed and said, “Do you imagine you are the only one who can deploy this formation? Since I know how to form it, how could I not know how to transform it?” Deng Ai reined his horse into the formation and ordered the discipline officers to wave their flags to the left and right, transforming it into sixty-four gates, eight times eight. He then rode back to the front and asked, “What do you think of my transformation?” Jiang Wei said, “It is not incorrect, but do you dare enter the formation with me so our armies can surround one another?” Deng Ai replied, “Why would I not dare?” The two armies advanced, each according to its assigned units. Deng Ai directed his troops from the center. The two armies clashed, but neither formation fell into disorder. When Jiang Wei reached the center, he waved his flag, and his formation suddenly transformed into the “Long Serpent Coiling Around the Earth,” trapping Deng Ai at its core as thunderous shouts rose on every side. Deng Ai did not understand the formation and was greatly alarmed. The Shu troops gradually pressed inward, while Deng Ai led his generals in repeated attempts to break out, but could not escape. Then he heard the Shu troops shouting in unison, “Deng Ai, surrender at once!” Deng Ai looked up to heaven and sighed deeply: “I boasted of my own ability for a moment and have fallen into Jiang Wei’s trap!”

Suddenly, a strong body of troops charged in from the northwest corner. When Deng Ai saw that they were Wei soldiers, he seized the opportunity to fight his way out. The man who rescued Deng Ai was Sima Wang. By the time Deng Ai had been rescued, all nine camps at Mount Qi had been taken by the Shu army. Deng Ai led his defeated troops away and established camp south of the Wei River. He asked Sima Wang, “How did you recognize this formation and rescue me from it?” Sima Wang replied, “When I was young, I traveled and studied in southern Jingzhou, where I became friends with Cui Zhouping and Shi Guangyuan, and we discussed this formation together. The formation Jiang Wei used today was the ‘Long Serpent Coiling Around the Earth.’ If it is attacked anywhere else, it cannot be broken. I saw that its head was in the northwest, so I struck it from the northwest, and it broke apart on its own.” Deng Ai thanked him and said, “Although I learned the principles of formations, I truly do not understand their transformations. Since you know this method, why not use it tomorrow to retake the camps and stockades at Mount Qi?” Sima Wang said, “What I have learned may not be enough to deceive Jiang Wei.” Deng Ai said, “Tomorrow, you engage him in a contest of formations on the battlefield, while I lead a force to make a secret attack behind Mount Qi. Once fighting breaks out on both sides, we can retake our former camps.” He then appointed Zheng Lun as vanguard and prepared to lead troops around to attack the rear of the mountain himself. At the same time, he sent a written challenge calling on Jiang Wei to compete in formations the next day. After Jiang Wei had written his acceptance and sent it back, he said to his generals, “I received the secret writings handed down by Marquis Wu. This formation has altogether three hundred sixty-five transformations, corresponding to the number of degrees in the circuit of heaven. Now they challenge me to compete in formations. They are merely ‘brandishing an ax before the door of master carpenter Lu Ban’! But some deceitful scheme must lie behind it. Do any of you know what it is?” Liao Hua said, “They must intend to lure you into competing in formations here while another force attacks us from behind.” Jiang Wei smiled and said, “That is exactly what I think.” He immediately ordered Zhang Yi and Liao Hua to take ten thousand troops and lie in ambush behind the mountain.

The next day, Jiang Wei withdrew all the troops from the nine camps and deployed them before Mount Qi. Sima Wang led his army away from south of the Wei River and marched directly to Mount Qi, where he rode out to speak with Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei said, “You invited me to compete in formations, so deploy yours first and let me see it.” Sima Wang arranged the Eight Trigrams formation. Jiang Wei laughed and said, “This is simply the method of the Eight Formations I deployed. You have copied it now, so what is remarkable about that?” Sima Wang said, “You also stole the method from someone else!” Jiang Wei asked, “How many transformations does this formation have?” Sima Wang smiled and replied, “Since I can deploy it, how could I not know its transformations? This formation has eighty-one transformations, nine times nine.” Jiang Wei laughed and said, “Then show me.” Sima Wang entered the formation and transformed it several times. He then returned to the front and asked, “Did you understand my transformations?” Jiang Wei laughed and said, “My formation has three hundred sixty-five transformations, corresponding to the circuit of heaven. You are a frog at the bottom of a well. How could you understand its deepest mysteries?” Sima Wang knew that such transformations existed but had never learned them all. He forced himself to argue, saying, “I do not believe you. Show me your transformations.” Jiang Wei said, “Call Deng Ai out here, and I will deploy them for him to see.” Sima Wang replied, “General Deng has excellent plans of his own and has no interest in formations.” Jiang Wei laughed loudly and said, “What excellent plans could he have? He merely told you to lure me into deploying a formation here while he leads troops to attack me behind the mountain!” Sima Wang was greatly alarmed and was just about to advance his troops into a general battle when Jiang Wei pointed with the tip of his whip. The troops on both wings charged out first and struck the Wei soldiers so hard that they threw away armor and weapons and fled for their lives.

Meanwhile, Deng Ai was urging his vanguard commander Zheng Lun onward to attack the rear of the mountain. Zheng Lun had just rounded a bend when a cannon blast suddenly sounded. Drums and horns shook the sky, and troops burst from ambush. The general at their head was Liao Hua. Before the two men could exchange a word, their horses came together, and Liao Hua struck Zheng Lun from his horse with a single slash. Deng Ai was greatly alarmed and hurriedly ordered his troops to retreat, but Zhang Yi arrived leading another force. Attacked from both sides, the Wei army suffered a crushing defeat. Deng Ai risked his life to break through and was struck by four arrows. When he fled back to the camp south of the Wei River, Sima Wang arrived as well. The two discussed how they might withdraw their troops. Sima Wang said, “Recently, Liu Shan, the ruler of Shu, has favored the court eunuch Huang Hao and spends day and night indulging in wine and women. We can use a scheme of estrangement to have Jiang Wei recalled. That will lift the danger surrounding us.” Deng Ai asked his advisers, “Who can enter Shu and establish contact with Huang Hao?” Before he had finished speaking, one man answered, “I am willing to go.” Deng Ai looked at him and saw that it was Dang Jun of Xiangyang. Deng Ai was delighted and immediately ordered Dang Jun to take gold, pearls, and other treasures directly to Chengdu, establish ties with Huang Hao, and spread rumors that Jiang Wei resented the emperor and would soon defect to Wei. Soon everyone in Chengdu was repeating the same story. Huang Hao reported it to the Latter Lord, who immediately sent a man traveling day and night to summon Jiang Wei to court.

Now Jiang Wei had repeatedly issued challenges for several days, but Deng Ai held his defenses and refused to come out. Jiang Wei became deeply suspicious. Suddenly, an imperial envoy arrived summoning him to court. Jiang Wei did not know what had happened and had no choice but to withdraw his army and return to the capital. When Deng Ai and Sima Wang learned that Jiang Wei had fallen into their trap, they broke camp south of the Wei River and pursued him with a sudden attack. As the verse says:Yue Yi’s conquest of Qi was thwarted by estrangement;Yue Fei was slandered and recalled while defeating the foe.The outcome of victory and defeat is unknown; read on in the next chapter.