Novel scene
Zhuge Liang Takes Three Cities 諸葛亮智取三城
About this event
"Zhuge Liang Takes Three Cities" is the latter scene of Chapter 92 of the Romance, whose chapter title is "Zhao Zilong Slays Five Generals by Main Force; Zhuge Liang Takes Three Cities by Wit." With Xiahou Mao shut up in the city of Nan'an, Zhuge Liang used a false messenger to lure out Cui Liang, Administrator of Anding, and took Anding, turned Cui Liang's counterplot back on him to take Nan'an and capture Xiahou Mao, and then, aiming at Tianshui Commandery with the same trick, encountered Jiang Wei. It is the opening of the Revolt of Tianshui as depicted in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 92 §25–27 · 32 · 40–41 · 43 · 47–49
Chen Shou's text also records the three commanderies going over to Zhuge Liang. The Biography of Zhuge Liang in Records of Shu 5, the Annals of Emperor Ming in Records of Wei 3 and others record that in the spring of the 6th year of Jianxing (228; the 2nd year of Taihe of Wei) the three commanderies of Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding turned against Wei and responded to Zhuge Liang. Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Wei 3 §8
Course of events in the Records
In the spring of the 6th year of Jianxing (228), Zhuge Liang spread word that he would take Mei County by the Ye Valley road and placed Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi at the Ji Valley to draw out Cao Zhen's great army, then personally led the various armies to attack Mount Qi. His formations were orderly, his rewards and punishments strict and his commands clear, so that the three commanderies of Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding turned against Wei and responded to Zhuge Liang, and Guanzhong trembled. The Annals of Emperor Ming record that the officials and people of the three commanderies rebelled and responded to him. Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Wei 3 §8
According to the Biography of Jiang Wei, the Administrator of Tianshui was then just out inspecting his jurisdiction, accompanied by Jiang Wei, who as a Gentleman of the Palace was taking part in the military affairs of the commandery, and by the Officer of Merit Liang Xu, the Registrar Yin Shang, the Recorder Liang Qian and others. When the Administrator heard that the Shu army was approaching and the counties were responding, he suspected that Jiang Wei and the others all harbored disloyal intentions and fled by night to hold Shanggui. Jiang Wei and the others followed him to the city gate, but the gate had been shut and they could not enter; they went back to Ji County, but Ji County would not admit them either, so together they went over to Zhuge Liang. Records, Shu 14 §29–30
Wei had Cao Zhen supervise the various armies and garrison Mei County, and sent Zhang He, who heavily defeated Zhuge Liang's commander Ma Su. Yang Tiao and other people of Anding, who had led the officials and people to hold the city of Yuezhi, bound themselves and came out to surrender when Cao Zhen surrounded them, and the three commanderies were all pacified. Zhuge Liang took a thousand-odd families of Xi County with him and returned to Hanzhong. Records, Wei 9 §65Records, Wei 3 §8Records, Shu 5 §33
In the Romance
In Chapter 92 of the Romance, when the city of Nan'an could not be taken in ten days, Zhuge Liang inspected the city himself and, saying that with its deep moat and high walls it could not easily be attacked, turned his attention to Tianshui Commandery to the west and Anding Commandery to the north. Hearing that the Administrator of Tianshui was Ma Zun and the Administrator of Anding Cui Liang, he gave plans to Wei Yan, Guan Xing, Zhang Bao and others and loudly announced that he would pile firewood beneath the walls of Nan'an and burn the city. Romance, Ch. 92 §24–27
When a man calling himself Pei Xu, a trusted commander of Xiahou Mao, came asking for help, Cui Liang emptied his city and set out for Nan'an, but was blocked front and rear by Guan Xing and Zhang Bao and turned back to Anding, only to find that Wei Yan, disguised as Anding troops, had already taken the city. Fleeing toward Tianshui Commandery, Cui Liang met Zhuge Liang seated in his carriage and surrendered. Romance, Ch. 92 §28–33
Zhuge Liang had Cui Liang persuade Yang Ling, Administrator of Nan'an, but Yang Ling and Cui Liang instead pretended that they would open the city gates, intending to kill the Shu troops inside the city. Zhuge Liang, knowing this, sent Guan Xing and Zhang Bao along with Cui Liang; Guan Xing cut down Yang Ling at the city gate and Zhang Bao speared Cui Liang, and Xiahou Mao, slipping out through the south gate, was captured by Wang Ping. Zhuge Liang entered Nan'an and did not harm a hair of the troops or people. Romance, Ch. 92 §34–41
Pei Xu had been a trusted man disguised by Zhuge Liang, who now tried to deceive Tianshui Commandery with the same trick. When Ma Zun was about to raise troops, Jiang Wei, a man of Ji County, came forward and said that no one could have broken out through the layers of encirclement, that Pei Xu was a lowly commander no one had ever seen, and that the courier from Anding carried no official document, so it was a trick by a Shu commander; and he said he had a plan to capture Zhuge Liang. Romance, Ch. 92 §42–49
Where the Romance differs
How the three commanderies were won: In Chapter 92 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang used a false messenger to lure out Cui Liang and take Anding, and turned the counterplot of Yang Ling and Cui Liang back on them to take Nan'an. Chen Shou's text states only that when Zhuge Liang attacked Mount Qi, the three commanderies turned against Wei and responded to him; Cui Liang, Yang Ling and Pei Xu do not appear. Romance, Ch. 92 §28–41Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Wei 3 §8
Xiahou Mao: In Chapter 92 of the Romance, Xiahou Mao was captured by Wang Ping at Nan'an. Xiahou Mao does not appear in this campaign in Chen Shou's text, and Records of Wei 9 records that he served as Palace Attendant and Master of Writing and as General Who Pacifies the West and General Who Guards the East. Romance, Ch. 92 §41Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Wei 9 §9–10
The Administrator of Tianshui and Jiang Wei: In Chapter 92 of the Romance, Jiang Wei saw through Zhuge Liang's trick and told the Administrator Ma Zun. In the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, the Administrator, while on an inspection tour, suspected Jiang Wei and the others of disloyal intentions and fled by night to Shanggui, and Jiang Wei and the others, unable to enter the city, went over to Zhuge Liang. Romance, Ch. 92 §47–48Records, Shu 14 §29–30
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.