Qiu Ben 丘本

In Chapter 117 of the Romance, Deng Ai, having seen the map presented by Ma Miao, sends Shi Zuan and his son Deng Zhong through the night to Mianzhu to hold off the Shu army. As the two draw near to Mianzhu, they see before the Shu formation a man on a four-wheeled carriage and a yellow banner inscribed 'Zhuge, Marquis Wu, Chancellor of Han'; alarmed, saying that Kongming is still alive, they suffer a heavy defeat and flee. On scouting, they learn that Kongming's son Zhuge Zhan is the commander-in-chief and Zhuge Zhan's son Zhuge Shang the vanguard, and that what sat on the carriage was a wooden image of Kongming carved after his death. Romance, Ch. 117 §31 · 33–35

Saying he will have their heads if they do not win, Deng Ai has Shi Zuan and Deng Zhong lead another 10,000 troops into battle, but the two are driven back by Zhuge Shang and badly defeated by the troops of both wings directed by Zhuge Zhan, and they flee wounded. Seeing that both men are wounded, Deng Ai refrains from further reproach and consults his generals, saying that Shu has Zhuge Zhan, who has ably carried on his father's will and has twice killed more than 10,000 of their men and horses, and that if he is not swiftly crushed he will surely become a calamity later. At this point the Army Supervisor Qiu Ben asks why they should not write a letter and try to lure him. Romance, Ch. 117 §36–37

Deng Ai follows his advice, writes a letter and has an envoy take it to the Shu camp. The letter praises Zhuge Zhan's father for coming out of his thatched cottage and dividing the realm into three with a single word, and says that the present Later Sovereign is benighted and weak and his royal aura is already spent, so that if Zhuge Zhan answers Heaven's will and comes over, Deng Ai will submit a memorial to have him made Prince of Langya. Having read it through, Zhuge Zhan flies into a rage, tears up the letter, has the envoy beheaded on the spot, and has the envoy's attendants carry the head back to the Wei camp to show Deng Ai. Romance, Ch. 117 §38–39

When Deng Ai, enraged, is about to go out and fight at once, Qiu Ben remonstrates that the general must not go out rashly but should win by using a surprise force. Following his words, Deng Ai has Wang Qi, Administrator of Tianshui, and Qian Hong, Administrator of Longxi, set two forces in ambush behind, and leads troops forward in person. When Zhuge Zhan charges straight into the Wei formation and pursues Deng Ai as he flees in defeat, ambushers pour out from both sides; the Shu army, badly defeated, falls back into Mianzhu, and the Wei army surrounds Mianzhu like an iron barrel. Romance, Ch. 117 §40–41

When no relief army comes, Zhuge Zhan charges out, is struck by an arrow and falls from his horse, and draws his sword and cuts his own throat; his son Zhuge Shang also charges out and dies on the battlefield. When Deng Ai seizes the opening to attack Mianzhu, Zhang Zun, Huang Chong and Li Qiu also charge out and all three die fighting, and Deng Ai takes Mianzhu. In the Romance Qiu Ben's name appears only in the two passages in which he suggests the letter and urges the ambush, and nothing is recorded of him after that. Romance, Ch. 117 §37 · 40 · 43–47