Romance, Chapter 112

Chapter 112. Coming to the Rescue of Shouchun, Yu Quan Dies for His Honor; Attacking Changcheng, Boyue Fights a Fierce Battle

Meanwhile Sima Zhao, hearing that Zhuge Dan had joined forces with the Wu troops and was coming to fight a decisive battle, summoned the Cavalier Chief Clerk Pei Xiu and the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Zhong Hui to discuss a plan for defeating the enemy. Zhong Hui said, “Wu is helping Zhuge Dan purely for gain. If we tempt them with gain, we are sure to win.” Sima Zhao took his advice. He first ordered Shi Bao and Zhou Tai to lead two armies into ambush at Shitoucheng, with Wang Ji and Chen Qian following behind with picked troops. Then he ordered the subordinate general Cheng Cui to go ahead with several tens of thousands of men to lure the enemy on. He also ordered Chen Jun to bring carts, oxen, horses, donkeys and mules loaded with goods for rewarding the troops and gather them on every side within the camp, to be abandoned when the enemy came.

卻說司馬昭聞諸葛誕會合吳兵前來決戰，乃召散騎長史裴秀、黃門侍郎鍾會，商議破敵之策。鍾會曰：“吳兵之助諸葛誕，實爲利也；以利誘之，則必勝矣。”昭從其言，遂令石苞、州泰先引兩軍於石頭城埋伏，王基、陳騫領精兵在後，卻令偏將成倅引兵數萬先去誘敵；又令陳俊引車仗牛馬驢騾，裝載賞軍之物，四面聚集於陣中，如敵來則棄之。

That day Zhuge Dan placed the Wu general Zhu Yi on the left and Wen Qin on the right. Seeing that the men and horses in the Wei camp were in disorder, he drove his troops and horses forward in a great charge. Cheng Cui fell back and fled, and as Zhuge Dan pressed on in pursuit, cutting them down, he saw oxen, horses, donkeys and mules covering the open country. The southern soldiers scrambled to seize them and lost all heart for fighting. Suddenly a bombard roared and two armies came charging in, Shi Bao on the left and Zhou Tai on the right. Zhuge Dan was greatly alarmed, and just as he was about to fall back in haste, the picked troops of Wang Ji and Chen Qian arrived and fell on him.

是日，諸葛誕令吳將朱異在左，文欽在右，見魏陣中人馬不整，誕乃大驅士馬徑進。成倅退走，誕驅兵掩殺，見牛馬驢騾，遍滿郊野；南兵爭取，無心戀戰。忽然一聲炮響，兩路兵殺來：左有石苞，右有州泰，誕大驚，急欲退時，王基、陳騫精兵殺到。

Zhuge Dan’s army was utterly defeated. Sima Zhao then came up with his own troops in support. Zhuge Dan led his beaten men in flight into Shouchun, where he shut the gates and held fast. Sima Zhao had his troops surround the city on all four sides and throw all their strength into the assault.

誕兵大敗。司馬昭又引兵接應。誕引敗兵奔入壽春，閉門堅守。昭令兵四面圍困，併力攻城。

At this time the Wu troops had fallen back to camp at Anfeng, and the carriage of the Ruler of Wei had halted at Xiangcheng. Zhong Hui said, “Although Zhuge Dan has been beaten, there is still plenty of grain and fodder in Shouchun, and the Wu troops camped at Anfeng support him like the two horns of an ox. If our troops besiege him on all four sides now, he will hold fast if we go slowly and fight to the death if we press hard, and the Wu troops may seize the chance to attack us from both sides. That would do our army no good. It would be better to attack from three sides only, leaving the highway through the south gate open so that the rebels can flee of their own accord. If we strike them as they flee, we can win a complete victory.

時吳兵退屯安豐，魏主車駕駐於項城。鍾會曰：“今諸葛誕雖敗，壽春城中糧草尚多，更有吳兵屯安豐以爲掎角之勢；今吾兵四面攻圍，彼緩則堅守，急則死戰；吳兵或乘勢夾攻：吾軍無益。不如三面攻之，留南門大路，容賊自走；走而擊之，可全勝也。

The Wu troops have come a long way, and their grain is bound to run short. If I lead light cavalry around behind them, they will be broken without a battle.” Sima Zhao patted Zhong Hui on the back and said, “You are truly my Zifang!” He then ordered Wang Ji to withdraw the troops from the south gate. Meanwhile, with the Wu troops camped at Anfeng, Sun Chen summoned Zhu Yi and rebuked him: “If you cannot even relieve one city like Shouchun, how can you hope to swallow the Central Plain? If you fail to win again, I will certainly have you beheaded!”

吳兵遠來，糧必不繼；我引輕騎抄在其後，可不戰而自破矣。”昭撫會背曰：“君真吾之子房也！”遂令王基撤退南門之兵。卻說吳兵屯於安豐，孫綝喚朱異責之曰：“量一壽春城不能救，安可併吞中原？如再不勝必斬！”

Zhu Yi returned to his own camp to take counsel. Yu Quan said, “The south gate of Shouchun is not under siege. Let me take a force in through the south gate to help Zhuge Dan hold the city. You, General, can challenge the Wei army to battle, while I sally out from inside the city. Attacked from two sides at once, the Wei army can be defeated.” Zhu Yi agreed. At this Quan Yi, Quan Duan, Wen Qin and others all asked to go into the city, and together with Yu Quan they led ten thousand troops in through the south gate.

朱異乃回本寨商議。於詮曰：“今壽春南門不圍，某願領一軍從南門入去，助諸葛誕守城。將軍與魏兵挑戰，我卻從城中殺出：兩路夾攻，魏兵可破矣。”異然其言。於是全懌、全端、文欽等，皆願入城。遂同於詮引兵一萬，從南門而入城。

The Wei troops, having received no orders from their commanders, dared not engage the enemy rashly. They let the Wu troops enter the city and reported it to Sima Zhao. “They mean to attack us from inside and outside together with Zhu Yi and so break our army,” said Sima Zhao. He summoned Wang Ji and Chen Qian and instructed them: “Take five thousand men, cut off Zhu Yi’s line of approach and strike him from behind.” The two men took their orders and left. Just as Zhu Yi was advancing with his troops, there was suddenly a great shout behind him, and two armies came charging in, Wang Ji on the left and Chen Qian on the right.

魏兵不得將令，未敢輕敵，任吳兵入城，乃報知司馬昭。昭曰：“此欲與朱異內外夾攻，以破我軍也。”乃召王基、陳騫分付曰：“汝可引五千兵截斷朱異來路，從背後擊之。”二人領命而去。朱異正引兵來，忽背後喊聲大震：左有王基，右有陳騫，兩路軍殺來。

The Wu army was utterly defeated. When Zhu Yi returned to see Sun Chen, Sun Chen was furious. “What use to me is a general who is beaten time after time?” he cried, and he shouted to his guards to take him out and behead him. He also rebuked Quan Duan’s son Quan Yi: “If you cannot drive back the Wei army, you and your father need not come to see me again!” After this Sun Chen went back to Jianye himself.

吳兵大敗。朱異回見孫綝，綝大怒曰：“累敗之將，要汝何用！”叱武士推出斬之。又責全端子全禕曰：“若退不得魏兵，汝父子休來見我！”於是孫綝自回建業去了。

Zhong Hui said to Sima Zhao, “Now that Sun Chen has gone, there are no relief troops outside. The city can be closely besieged.” Sima Zhao agreed and urged his army on to surround and attack it. Quan Yi was leading his troops toward Shouchun, meaning to enter it, but when he saw how strong the Wei army was, he reckoned that there was no way either forward or back, and so he surrendered to Sima Zhao. Sima Zhao made him a Lieutenant General. Grateful for Sima Zhao’s kindness, Quan Yi wrote a family letter to his father Quan Duan and his uncle Quan Yi, saying that Sun Chen was inhumane and that they had better surrender to Wei, and he shot the letter into the city.

鍾會與昭曰：“今孫綝退去，外無救兵，城可圍矣。”昭從之，遂催軍攻圍。全禕引兵欲入壽春，見魏兵勢大，尋思進退無路，遂降司馬昭。昭加禕爲偏將軍。禕感昭恩德，乃修家書與父全端，叔全懌，言孫綝不仁，不若降魏，將書射入城中。

On receiving his nephew’s letter, Quan Yi opened the gates together with Quan Duan and came out with several thousand men to surrender. Zhuge Dan was sick with worry inside the city. His advisers Jiang Ban and Jiao Yi urged him, “There is little grain in the city and many soldiers; we cannot hold out for long. Lead the men of Wu and Chu out and fight one decisive battle to the death with the Wei army.” Zhuge Dan flew into a rage. “I want to hold the city and you want to fight. Can it be that you are plotting treachery? Say that again and I will have you beheaded!” The two men looked up to Heaven and sighed deeply. “Zhuge Dan is doomed!

懌得禕書，遂與端引數千人開門出降。諸葛誕在城中憂悶，謀士蔣班、焦彝進言曰：“城中糧少兵多，不能久守，可率吳、楚之衆，與魏兵決一死戰。”誕大怒曰：“吾欲守，汝欲戰，莫非有異心乎！再言必斬！”二人仰天長嘆曰：“誕將亡矣！

We had better surrender early and escape death!” That night, at about the second watch, Jiang Ban and Jiao Yi climbed over the wall and surrendered to Wei, and Sima Zhao gave them important posts. Because of this, though there were still men in the city with the courage to fight, none dared speak of fighting. From inside the city Zhuge Dan watched the Wei troops build earthen walls on every side to keep out the Huai River, and his only hope was that the river would flood, sweep away the earthworks and let him drive his troops out to attack. But contrary to his hopes, from autumn to winter there was no heavy rain at all, and the Huai did not flood.

我等不如早降，免至一死！”是夜二更時分，蔣、焦二人逾城降魏，司馬昭重用之。因此城中雖有敢戰之士，不敢言戰。誕在城中，見魏兵四下築起土城以防淮水，只望水泛，衝倒土城，驅兵擊之。不想自秋至冬，並無霖雨，淮水不泛。

The grain in the city was fast running out. Wen Qin, holding out in the inner citadel with his two sons, saw his soldiers gradually collapsing from hunger, and he had no choice but to go to Zhuge Dan and say, “The grain is all gone and the soldiers are wasting away from hunger. It would be best to send all the northern troops out of the city to save their rations.” Zhuge Dan was furious. “You tell me to send away all the northern troops. Are you plotting against me?” he cried, and he shouted to his attendants to take him out and behead him. When Wen Yang and Wen Hu saw that their father had been killed, each drew a short sword and on the spot killed several dozen men. Then they sprang up onto the wall, leapt down in a single bound, crossed the moat and went to the Wei camp to surrender.

城中看看糧盡，文欽在小城內與二子堅守，見軍士漸漸餓倒，只得來告誕曰：“糧皆盡絕，軍士餓損，不如將北方之兵盡放出城，以省其食。”誕大怒曰：“汝教我盡去北軍，欲謀我耶？”叱左右推出斬之。文鴦、文虎見父被殺，各拔短刀，立殺數十人，飛身上城，一躍而下，越壕赴魏寨投降。

Sima Zhao, still bitter over the time Wen Yang had driven back his army single-handed, wanted to put him to death. Zhong Hui remonstrated: “The guilt lay with Wen Qin. Now Wen Qin is dead, and his two sons have come over to us because they had nowhere else to turn. If you kill generals who have surrendered, you will only harden the hearts of the people in the city.” Sima Zhao took his advice. He summoned Wen Yang and Wen Hu into his tent, soothed and comforted them with kind words, gave them fine horses and brocade robes, made them Lieutenant Generals and enfeoffed them as Marquises Within the Pass. The two sons bowed their thanks, then mounted their horses and rode around the city, shouting, “We two have been pardoned by the Grand General and even granted titles. Why do you not surrender at once?”

司馬昭恨文鴦昔日單騎退兵之仇，欲斬之。鍾會諫曰：“罪在文欽，今文欽已亡，二子勢窮來歸，若殺降將，是堅城內人之心也。”昭從之，遂召文鴦、文虎入帳，用好言撫慰，賜駿馬錦衣，加爲偏將軍，封關內侯。二子拜謝，上馬繞城大叫曰：“我二人蒙大將軍赦罪賜爵，汝等何不早降！”

When the people in the city heard this, they all said to one another, “Wen Yang was an enemy of the Sima family, and yet he has been given high office. How much more will that be true for the likes of us?” And so they all wanted to surrender. When Zhuge Dan heard of this he was furious. Day and night he patrolled the walls himself, using killing as his means of keeping them in awe.

城內人聞言，皆計議曰：“文鴦乃司馬氏仇人，尚且重用，何況我等乎？”於是皆欲投降。諸葛誕聞之大怒，日夜自來巡城，以殺爲威。

Zhong Hui, knowing that the people in the city had already changed their minds, went into Sima Zhao’s tent and said, “Now is the time to attack the city.” Sima Zhao was delighted. He roused his three armies, and they gathered like clouds from all four sides and attacked all at once. Zeng Xuan, a general defending the city, handed over the north gate and let the Wei troops in. When Zhuge Dan learned that the Wei troops were already inside, he hurriedly took a few hundred of his own men and broke out by a side lane. At the drawbridge he ran straight into Hu Fen, whose hand rose and whose blade fell, and Zhuge Dan was cut down from his horse. His few hundred men were all taken and bound.

鍾會知城中人心已變，乃入帳告昭曰：“可乘此時攻城矣。”昭大喜，遂激三軍，四面雲集，一齊攻打。守將曾宣獻了北門，放魏兵入城。誕知魏兵已入；慌引麾下數百人，自城中小路突出；至吊橋邊，正撞着胡奮，手起刀落，斬誕於馬下，數百人皆被縛。

Wang Ji led his troops fighting their way to the west gate, where he came face to face with the Wu general Yu Quan. “Why don’t you surrender at once?” Wang Ji roared. Yu Quan was enraged. “I received my orders and came out to rescue others in their distress. To fail to rescue them and then surrender to someone else is something honor forbids!” He flung his helmet to the ground and cried out, “For a man born into this world, to die on the field of battle is good fortune!” He swung his sword furiously and fought to the death for more than thirty bouts, until both he and his horse were exhausted, and he was killed amid the confused fighting.

王基引兵殺到西門，正遇吳將於詮。基大喝曰：“何不早降！”詮大怒曰：“受命而出，爲人救難，既不能救，又降他人，義所不爲也！”乃擲盔於地，大呼曰：“人生在世，得死於戰場者，幸耳！”急揮刀死戰三十餘合，人困馬乏，爲亂軍所殺。

A later poet wrote in praise:
When Sima laid siege to Shouchun in those days,
Countless surrendered soldiers bowed in the dust of his chariot.
Though Eastern Wu had its share of heroic men,
Who could match Yu Quan, who was willing to give his life?

後人有詩讚曰：“司馬當年圍壽春，降兵無數拜車塵。
東吳雖有英雄士，誰及於詮肯殺身！
”

Sima Zhao entered Shouchun. He had all of Zhuge Dan’s family, old and young, beheaded and their heads hung up, and exterminated his kin to the third degree. His guards brought in, bound, several hundred of Zhuge Dan’s soldiers whom they had captured. “Will you surrender?” Sima Zhao asked them. They all cried out, “We would rather die with Lord Zhuge. We will never surrender to you!” Sima Zhao flew into a rage. He shouted to his guards to tie them all up outside the city wall, and he asked each man in turn, “Whoever surrenders will be spared.” But not a single man said he would surrender.

司馬昭入壽春，將諸葛誕老小盡皆梟首，滅其三族。武士將所擒諸葛誕部卒數百人縛至。昭曰：“汝等降否？”衆皆大叫曰：“願與諸葛公同死，決不降汝！”昭大怒，叱武士盡縛於城外，逐一問曰：“降者免死。”並無一人言降。

He had them killed to the very last man, and to the end not one of them surrendered. Sima Zhao sighed deeply over them again and again, and ordered them all to be buried.

直殺至盡，終無一人降者。昭深加嘆息不已，令皆埋之。

A later poet wrote in praise:
Loyal men who swore their resolve and would not cling to life,
Such were the soldiers under Zhuge Gongxiu’s command.
The song “Dew on the Shallots” must still be echoing;
The traces they left would carry on the legacy of Tian Heng!

後人有詩讚曰：“忠臣矢志不偷生，諸葛公休帳下兵，《薤露》歌聲應未斷，遺蹤直欲繼田橫！
”

Now most of the Wu troops had surrendered to Wei, and Pei Xiu said to Sima Zhao, “The families of these Wu soldiers, old and young, are all in the south-east, in the lands of the Yangtze and the Huai. If we keep these men, they will surely rise in revolt sooner or later. We had better bury them alive.” Zhong Hui said, “Not so. Those who waged war in ancient times held that preserving a state whole was the highest achievement, and they put to death only the chief evildoers. To bury them all alive would be inhumane. Better to let them go home south of the Yangtze and so show the magnanimity of the Middle Kingdom.”

卻說吳兵大半降魏，裴秀告司馬昭曰：“吳兵老小，盡在東南江、淮之地，今若留之，久必爲變；不如坑之。”鍾會曰：“不然。古之用兵者，全國爲上，戮其元惡而已。若盡坑之，是不仁也。不如放歸江南，以顯中國之寬大。”

“A splendid argument,” said Sima Zhao, and he sent all the Wu troops home to their own country. Tang Zi, fearing Sun Chen, dared not go back to his own country, and he too came over to Wei. Sima Zhao gave them all important posts and had them distributed across the region of the Three Rivers. Huainan was now pacified. Sima Zhao was just about to withdraw his army when suddenly news came that Jiang Wei of Western Shu had led an army to take Changcheng and was cutting off the grain supplies. Sima Zhao was greatly alarmed and hastily conferred with his officials on how to drive the enemy back. It was then the twentieth year of Yanxi of Shu Han, and the reign title was changed to the first year of Jingyao.

昭曰：“此妙論也。”遂將吳兵盡皆放歸本國。唐咨因懼孫綝，不敢回國，亦來降魏。昭皆重用，令分佈三河之地。淮南已平。正欲退兵，忽報西蜀姜維引兵來取長城，邀截糧草。昭大驚，慌與多官計議退兵之策。時蜀漢延熙二十年，改爲景耀元年。

Jiang Wei, in Hanzhong, had chosen two generals native to Shu and was drilling men and horses with them every day. One was Jiang Shu and the other Fu Qian. Both were men of considerable daring and courage, and Jiang Wei was very fond of them. Suddenly news came that Zhuge Dan in Huainan had raised an army to punish Sima Zhao, that Sun Chen of Eastern Wu was helping him, and that Sima Zhao had mobilized the troops of both capitals and set out on campaign, taking the Empress Dowager of Wei and the Ruler of Wei along with him. Jiang Wei was delighted. “This time my great enterprise will succeed!” he said.

姜維在漢中，選川將兩員，每日操練人馬：一是蔣舒，一是傅僉。二人頗有膽勇，維甚愛之。忽報淮南諸葛誕起兵討司馬昭，東吳孫綝助之，昭大起兩都之兵，將魏太后並魏主一同出征去了。維大喜曰：“吾今番大事濟矣！”

He sent a memorial to the Latter Ruler asking to raise an army and attack Wei. When the Palace Grandee Qiao Zhou heard of it, he sighed and said, “Of late the court has been sunk in wine and women. It trusts the favored eunuch Huang Hao, neglects the affairs of state and thinks only of pleasure. And Boyue keeps wanting to march out on campaign with no thought for the soldiers. The state is headed for ruin!” So he wrote an essay, “On Rival States,” and sent it to Jiang Wei. Jiang Wei broke the seal and read it. The essay said: “Someone asked: In the past, when the weak have been able to defeat the strong, what was their method?

遂表奏後主，願興兵伐魏。中散大夫譙周聽知，嘆曰：“近來朝廷溺於酒色，信任中貴黃皓，不理國事，只圖歡樂；伯約累欲征伐，不恤軍士：國將危矣！”乃作《仇國論》一篇，寄與姜維。維拆封視之。論曰：“或問：古往能以弱勝強者，其術何如？

The answer: Those who dwell in a great state and have no cares are always prone to be careless; those who dwell in a small state and have worries are always intent on doing well. Carelessness breeds disorder, and striving to do well breeds good order; this is the constant principle of things. Thus King Wen of Zhou nurtured his people and with little took much, and Goujian cared for his people and with weakness overthrew strength. This was their method. Someone said: Long ago Chu was strong and Han was weak, and they agreed to divide the realm at the Hong Canal. But Zhang Liang held that once the people’s minds were settled they would be hard to move, and he led troops in pursuit of Xiang Yu and in the end destroyed the house of Xiang. Why must one necessarily follow the example of King Wen and Goujian?

曰：處大國無患者，恆多慢；處小國有憂者，恆思善。多慢則生亂；思善則生治，理之常也，故周文養民，以少取多；句踐恤衆，以弱斃強。此其術也。或曰：曩者楚強漢弱，約分鴻溝，張良以爲民志既定則難動也，率兵追羽，終斃項氏；豈必由文王、句踐之事乎？

The answer: In the age of Shang and Zhou, kings and nobles were honored generation after generation, and the bond between lord and subject was long and firm. In such a time, even the founder of Han could never have taken the empire sword in hand. Only after Qin abolished the fiefs and installed governors, when the people were worn out by Qin’s labor levies and the empire crumbled like earth, did heroes rise up to contend with one another. Now both we and they have handed down our states from one generation to the next. This is no time like the end of Qin, when all was seething like a boiling cauldron; rather it is truly a situation like that of the Six States standing side by side. Therefore one can be a King Wen, but one can hardly be a Han founder.

曰：商、周之際，王侯世尊，君臣久固。當此之時，雖有漢祖，安能仗劍取天下乎？及秦罷侯置守之後，民疲秦役，天下土崩，於是豪傑並爭。今我與彼，皆傳國易世矣，既非秦末鼎沸之時，實有六國並據之勢，故可爲文王，難爲漢祖。

One should move only when the time is right and act only when the reckoning of fate is in accord. Thus the armies of Tang and Wu conquered without having to fight a second battle; truly they took the people’s toil seriously and weighed the times with care. If one goes to the limit of arms and wages war recklessly, and misfortune strikes, then even the wise will be unable to find a way out.” When Jiang Wei had finished reading, he was furious. “This is the talk of a pedantic scholar!” he cried, and flung it to the ground. Then he led out the troops of Shu to take the Central Plain. He asked Fu Qian, “In your judgment, where should we go out?”

時可而後動，數合而後舉，故湯、武之師，不再戰而克，誠重民勞而度時審也。如遂極武黷徵，不幸遇難，雖有智者，不能謀之矣。”姜維看畢，大怒曰：“此腐儒之論也！”擲之於地，遂提川兵來取中原。乃問傅僉曰：“以公度之，可出何地？”

Fu Qian said, “All the grain and fodder Wei has stored up is at Changcheng. If we go straight through the Luo Valley now, cross the Shenling Ridge and make directly for Changcheng, burn their grain first and then strike straight at Qinchuan, the Central Plain will be ours in a matter of days.” “Your view tallies exactly with my own plan,” said Jiang Wei. At once he led his army straight through the Luo Valley, across the Shenling Ridge and on toward Changcheng.

僉曰：“魏屯糧草，皆在長城；今可徑取駱谷，度沈嶺，直到長城，先燒糧草，然後直取秦川，則中原指日可得矣。”維曰：“公之見與吾計暗合也。”即提兵徑取駱谷，度沈嶺，望長城而來。

Now the general guarding Changcheng was Sima Wang, an elder kinsman of Sima Zhao. There was a great deal of grain and fodder in the city, but few men and horses. When Sima Wang heard that the Shu army was coming, he hurriedly led out his troops with his two generals Wang Zhen and Li Peng and pitched camp twenty li from the city. The next day the Shu army arrived, and Sima Wang came out before his lines with his two generals. Jiang Wei rode out, pointed at Sima Wang and said, “Sima Zhao has now moved his sovereign into the army camp. He must surely have the same designs as Li Jue and Guo Si. I have come by the express command of our court to call him to account for his crimes. You had better surrender at once.

卻說長城鎮守將軍司馬望，乃司馬昭之族兄也。城內糧草甚多，人馬卻少。望聽知蜀兵到，急與王真、李鵬二將，引兵離城二十里下寨。次日，蜀兵來到，望引二將出陣。姜維出馬，指望而言曰：“今司馬昭遷主于軍中，必有李傕、郭汜之意也，吾今奉朝廷明命，前來問罪，汝當早降。

If you persist in your folly, your whole family will be put to death!” Sima Wang answered in a loud voice, “You have no respect for propriety and have invaded our superior state time and again. If you do not withdraw at once, I will see to it that not a scrap of your armor goes home!” Before he had finished speaking, Wang Zhen rode out from behind Sima Wang with his spear leveled, and Fu Qian came out from the Shu ranks to meet him. They had not fought ten bouts when Fu Qian deliberately left an opening. Wang Zhen at once thrust at him with his spear, but Fu Qian dodged, seized Wang Zhen alive right off his horse and rode back to his own lines.

若還愚迷，全家誅戮！”望大聲而答曰：“汝等無禮，數犯上國，如不早退，令汝片甲不歸！”言未畢，望背後王真挺槍出馬，蜀陣中傅僉出迎。戰不十合，僉賣個破綻，王真便挺槍來刺；傅僉閃過，活捉真於馬上，便回本陣。

Li Peng, enraged, galloped forward whirling his sword to the rescue. Fu Qian deliberately slowed down, and when Li Peng was almost upon him he hurled Wang Zhen to the ground with all his might and secretly drew a four-edged iron mace. As Li Peng caught up and raised his sword to cut him down, Fu Qian twisted round in the saddle and struck him full in the face with a single blow of the mace, knocking his eyeballs out. Li Peng fell from his horse dead. Wang Zhen was stabbed to death by a flurry of Shu spears. Jiang Wei drove his troops forward in a great advance.

李鵬大怒，縱馬輪刀來救。僉故意放慢，等李鵬將近，努力擲真於地，暗掣四楞鐵簡在手；鵬趕上舉刀待砍，傅僉偷身回顧，向李鵬面門只一簡，打得眼珠迸出，死於馬下。王真被蜀軍亂槍刺死。姜維驅兵大進。

Sima Wang abandoned his camp, went into the city, shut the gates and would not come out. Jiang Wei issued an order: “Let the soldiers rest tonight and build up their fighting spirit. Tomorrow we must get into the city.” At dawn the next day the Shu troops surged forward, each striving to be first, and swarmed up to the walls, shooting fire arrows and fire bombs into the city. The thatched huts on the walls went up in flames one after another, and the Wei troops fell into confusion. Jiang Wei then had dry firewood heaped up all along the foot of the walls and set alight all at once, and the flames leapt up to the sky. The city was on the point of falling, and the Wei troops inside wailed and wept so loudly that the sound carried across the open country on every side.

司馬望棄寨入城，閉門不出。維下令曰：“軍士今夜且歇一宿，以養銳氣。來日須要入城。”次日平明，蜀兵爭先大進，一擁至城下，用火箭火炮打入城中。城上草屋一派燒着，魏兵自亂。維又令人取乾柴堆滿城下，一齊放火，烈焰沖天。城已將陷，魏兵在城內嚎啕痛哭，聲聞四野。

In the midst of the assault there was suddenly a great shout behind them. Jiang Wei reined in his horse and looked back, and saw the Wei army surging toward them in a vast host, beating drums, raising a din and waving banners. At once Jiang Wei turned his rear division into his front and took his stand beneath the gate banner to wait for them. Out from the Wei lines came a young general in full armor, spear leveled, galloping forward. He was a little over twenty, with a face as white as if powdered and lips as red as if painted with cinnabar. “Do you know General Deng?” he shouted fiercely.

正攻打之間，忽然背後喊聲大震。維勒馬回看，只見魏兵鼓譟搖旗，浩浩而來。維遂令後隊爲前隊，自立於門旗下候之。只見魏陣中一小將，全裝慣帶，挺槍縱馬而出，約年二十餘歲，面如傅粉，脣似抹朱，厲聲大叫曰：“認得鄧將軍否！”

“This must be Deng Ai,” Jiang Wei thought to himself, and he leveled his spear and galloped forward to meet him. The two of them fought with all their spirit for thirty or forty bouts, but neither could get the better of the other. The young general’s spearwork did not leave the slightest opening. Jiang Wei thought to himself, “If I do not use this ruse, how can I win?” He turned his horse and fled along a mountain path to the left. The young general galloped after him. Jiang Wei hung up his steel spear, secretly drew out his carved bow and a feathered arrow, and shot at him.

維自思曰：“此必是鄧艾矣。”挺槍縱馬來迎。二人抖擻精神，戰到三四十合，不分勝負。那小將軍槍法無半點放閒。維心中自思：“不用此計，安得勝乎？”便撥馬望左邊山路中而走。那小將驟馬追來，維掛住了鋼槍，暗取雕弓羽箭射之。

But the young general had sharp eyes and had already seen it. At the twang of the bowstring he threw himself forward over his horse’s neck and let the arrow fly past. When Jiang Wei turned his head to look, the young general was already upon him, thrusting with his spear. Jiang Wei dodged, and as the spear passed by his side he clamped it under his arm. The young general let go of the spear and fled back toward his own lines. “A pity! A pity!” sighed Jiang Wei, and he turned his horse to give chase again. When he had pursued him as far as the gate of the Wei formation, a general came out, sword in hand, and cried, “Jiang Wei, you common wretch, stop chasing my son!

那小將眼乖，早已見了，弓弦響處，把身望前一倒，放過羽箭。維回頭看時，小將已到，挺槍來刺；維一閃，那槍從肋傍邊過，被維挾住。那小將棄槍，望本陣而走。維嗟嘆曰：“可惜！可惜！”再撥馬趕來。追至陣門前，一將提刀而出曰：“姜維匹夫，勿趕吾兒！

Deng Ai is here!” Jiang Wei was greatly taken aback. The young general, it turned out, was Deng Ai’s son Deng Zhong. Jiang Wei marveled at him inwardly. He wanted to fight Deng Ai, but was afraid his horse was worn out, so he made a feint of pointing at Deng Ai and said, “Today I have come to know you, father and son. Let us each call back our troops for now and fight a decisive battle tomorrow.” Deng Ai, seeing that the battlefield was not in his favor, also reined in and answered, “Very well, let us each call back our troops. Whoever attacks by stealth is no true man.” With that both armies withdrew.

鄧艾在此！”維大驚。原來小將乃艾之子鄧忠也。維暗暗稱奇；欲戰鄧艾，又恐馬乏，乃虛指艾曰：“吾今日識汝父子也。各且收兵，來日決戰。”艾見戰場不利，亦勒馬應曰：“既如此，各自收兵，暗算者非丈夫也。”於是兩軍皆退。

Deng Ai pitched his camp beside the Wei River, and Jiang Wei set up his camp straddling two hills. Seeing how the Shu army had placed itself on the ground, Deng Ai wrote to Sima Wang: “On no account must we give battle; we should only hold fast. Wait until the troops from Guanzhong arrive. By then the Shu army’s grain and fodder will be exhausted, and if we attack from three sides we cannot fail to win. I am sending my eldest son Deng Zhong to help you defend the city.” At the same time he sent a messenger to Sima Zhao to ask for reinforcements.

鄧艾據渭水下寨，姜維跨兩山安營。艾見了蜀兵地理，乃作書與司馬望曰：“我等切不可戰，只宜固守。待關中兵至時，蜀兵糧草皆盡，三面攻之，無不勝也。今遣長子鄧忠相助守城。”一面差人於司馬昭處求救。

Meanwhile Jiang Wei sent a messenger to Deng Ai’s camp with a challenge, proposing a great battle for the following day, and Deng Ai pretended to accept. At the fifth watch the next morning Jiang Wei had his three armies cook their meal, and at dawn he drew up his lines and waited. In Deng Ai’s camp the banners were lowered and the drums were silent, as though there were no one there. Only at nightfall did Jiang Wei go back. The next day he again sent a messenger with a challenge, reproaching Deng Ai for failing to keep the appointment. Deng Ai entertained the messenger with wine and food and replied, “My poor self fell slightly ill, and so I failed to meet you in the field. Tomorrow we shall fight.”

卻說姜維令人於艾寨中下戰書，約來日大戰，艾佯應之。次日五更，維令三軍造飯，平明佈陣等候。艾營中偃旗息鼓，卻如無人之狀。維至晚方回。次日又令人下戰書，責以失期之罪。艾以酒食待使，答曰：“微軀小疾，有誤相持，明日會戰。”

The next day Jiang Wei came out with his army again, and Deng Ai still did not come out. This happened five or six times. Fu Qian said to Jiang Wei, “There must be some scheme behind this. We should be on our guard.” Jiang Wei said, “He is surely just holding out until the troops from Guanzhong arrive, so that he can attack us from three sides. I will now send a man with a letter to Sun Chen of Eastern Wu, asking him to join forces and attack.” Suddenly a scout galloped in to report: “Sima Zhao has attacked Shouchun and killed Zhuge Dan, and the Wu troops have all surrendered.

次日，維又引兵來，艾仍前不出。如此五六番。傅僉謂維曰：“此必有謀也，宜防之。”維曰：“此必捱關中兵到，三面擊我耳。吾今令人持書與東吳孫綝，使併力攻之。”忽探馬報說：“司馬昭攻打壽春，殺了諸葛誕，吳兵皆降。

Sima Zhao has taken his army back to Luoyang and is about to lead troops to relieve Changcheng.” Jiang Wei was greatly alarmed. “This expedition against Wei has come to nothing again, like a painted cake,” he said. “We had better go back for now.”

昭班師回洛陽。便欲引兵來救長城。”維大驚曰：“今番伐魏，又成畫餅矣，不如且回。”

Indeed:
Already he had lamented four campaigns that failed to win success,
And now he sighed again at a fifth that came to nothing.
How he withdrew his army will be told in the next chapter.

正是：已嘆四番難奏績，又嗟五度未成功。
未知如何退兵，且看下文分解。