Novel scene
Zhuge Liang Calmly Repels the Five-Pronged Attack 諸葛亮安居平五路
About this event
"Zhuge Liang Calmly Repels the Five-Pronged Attack" is the latter scene of the title of Chapter 85 of the Romance, "The First Sovereign Liu Leaves a Testamentary Edict Entrusting His Orphan; Zhuge Liang Sits at Ease and Quells the Five Columns." When Liu Bei dies, Cao Pi, following Sima Yi's plan, means to attack Shu with a great army of 500,000 in five columns under Kebineng, Meng Huo, Sun Quan, Meng Da and Cao Zhen. Zhuge Liang shuts himself up in the Chancellor's residence on the pretext of illness, and when the Later Sovereign Liu Shan comes to him in person, he reveals that he has already repelled four of the columns, and chooses Deng Zhi as the envoy to win over the remaining one, Wu. Romance, Ch. 85 §30–33 · 40–51
Chen Shou's text has no record of Wei attacking Shu in five columns. The Biography of the Later Sovereign records that in the 1st year of Jianxing (223) Lady Zhang was made empress and the Master of Writing Deng Zhi was sent to Wu to strengthen the friendship, and the Biographies of Deng, Zhang, Zong and Yang record that Deng Zhi proposed sending an envoy to Zhuge Liang, who was worried that Sun Quan might have other designs. Records, Shu 3 §4Records, Shu 15 §3–4
In the Romance
In Chapter 85 of the Romance, Cao Pi, on hearing that Liu Bei is dead, wants to attack Shu at once, but Jia Xu dissuades him, saying that Zhuge Liang will support the young ruler. Sima Yi proposes stirring up Kebineng, king of the Xianbei of Liaodong, Meng Huo of the Nanman, Sun Quan of Wu and Meng Da of Shangyong, and having Cao Zhen attack Yangping Pass, so as to strike from five directions at once, and Cao Pi agrees. Romance, Ch. 85 §30–33
In the 8th month, in autumn, of the 1st year of Jianxing (223), despite urgent reports that five columns are coming, Zhuge Liang does not come out for several days, and even Dong Yun and Du Qiong cannot get into the Chancellor's residence. When the Later Sovereign comes in person, Zhuge Liang, who is leaning on a bamboo staff by a small pond watching the fish, reports that he has had Ma Chao guard Xiping Pass and Wei Yan use decoy troops, has sent Meng Da a letter in Li Yan's handwriting, and has had Zhao Yun guard Yangping Pass. He has also arranged for Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to lead 30,000 men each to relieve each of the columns. Romance, Ch. 85 §35–45
Zhuge Liang says that he judges Sun Quan, resentful of Cao Pi's invasions, will not move, but that he has hesitated because he had no eloquent man to win over Wu. When, seeing off the Later Sovereign, he notices that Deng Zhi alone among the officials is smiling, he calls him aside and asks which state should be attacked first, and on hearing the answer that they should join hands with Wu, he makes him the envoy to Wu. Romance, Ch. 85 §46–51
Where the Romance differs
The choice of Deng Zhi: In Chapter 85 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang takes note of the smiling Deng Zhi and then calls him aside to sound out his views. In the Biographies of Deng, Zhang, Zong and Yang in the Records, it is Deng Zhi who first goes to Zhuge Liang, who was worried that Sun Quan might have other designs, and proposes sending an envoy to strengthen the friendship with Wu, and Zhuge Liang replies that the man is none other than Deng Zhi himself. Romance, Ch. 85 §48–50Records, Shu 15 §3–4
The Later Sovereign's empress: In Chapter 85 of the Romance, after the Later Sovereign's accession Zhuge Liang proposes that Zhang Fei's daughter, aged seventeen, be taken as empress. The Biographies of the Consorts of the Two Sovereigns in the Records record that Zhang Fei's eldest daughter had already become the Crown Prince's consort in the 1st year of Zhangwu (221) and was made empress in the 1st year of Jianxing (223). Romance, Ch. 85 §34Records, Shu 4 §13
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.