Novel scene
Jiang Wei Submits to Zhuge Liang 姜伯約歸降孔明
About this event
"Jiang Wei Submits to Zhuge Liang" is the first scene of Chapter 93 of the Romance, whose chapter title is "Jiang Boyue Goes Over to Kongming; The Marquis of Wuxiang Berates Wang Lang to Death." It covers the events from Jiang Wei of Tianshui Commandery seeing through Zhuge Liang's plans and repulsing Zhao Yun and then Zhuge Liang himself, to Zhuge Liang drawing him into the city of Ji, making the Wei side suspect him and finally winning his surrender, and then gaining Tianshui and Shanggui as well. It is one episode of the Revolt of Tianshui as depicted in the Romance. Romance, Ch. 93 §1–10 · 14–24 · 27–29
Chen Shou's text also records Jiang Wei going over to Zhuge Liang. The Biography of Jiang Wei in Records of Shu 14 records that in the 6th year of Jianxing (228) Jiang Wei and the others, suspected by the Administrator of Tianshui and unable to enter the city, went over to Zhuge Liang. Records, Shu 14 §29–30
Course of events in the Records
Jiang Wei, a native of Ji County in Tianshui Commandery, lost his father early and lived with his mother. After serving as Accounts Clerk of the commandery, he became a Gentleman of the Palace taking part in the military affairs of the commandery, on the merit of his father, who had died in battle guarding the commandery commander during a Qiang rebellion. In the 6th year of Jianxing (228), when Zhuge Liang's army headed for Mount Qi, Jiang Wei accompanied the Administrator of Tianshui on an inspection tour along with 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, but the city 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
Just then Ma Su was defeated at Jieting, and Zhuge Liang withdrew, taking a thousand-odd families of Xi County and Jiang Wei and the others with him, and because of this Jiang Wei was separated from his mother. Zhuge Liang made Jiang Wei Clerk of the Granary Section, added the title of General Who Upholds Righteousness and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Dangyang Village; he was then twenty-seven. Zhuge Liang wrote to Zhang Yi (張裔) and Jiang Wan that Jiang Wei was loyal and diligent in his duties and precise in his thinking, that even men like Yongnan and Jichang were not his equal, and that he was the foremost scholar of Liang Province. Records, Shu 14 §30–31
In the Romance
In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Jiang Wei had Ma Zun leave the city and soon come back, while he himself lay in ambush on the road, and struck front and rear at Zhao Yun, who had come to take the empty city. Zhao Yun barely got back thanks to the rescue of Zhang Yi (張翼) and Gao Xiang, and Zhuge Liang, who came out in person, was also defeated by Jiang Wei's troops rising on all sides in the night, and marveled that he was truly the stuff of a general. Romance, Ch. 93 §1–10
Hearing that Jiang Wei's mother lived in Ji County, Zhuge Liang had Wei Yan feign an attack on Ji County to draw Jiang Wei into the city of Ji, and released the captured Xiahou Mao, telling him that Jiang Wei had said he would come over if only the imperial son-in-law were with him, and sending him to fetch Jiang Wei. Xiahou Mao, hearing from the people that Jiang Wei had surrendered, went into the city of Tianshui, and when at night a soldier disguised as Jiang Wei attacked the city and reviled Xiahou Mao, Ma Zun and the others believed that Jiang Wei had gone over to Shu. Romance, Ch. 93 §11–19
Having lost the city of Ji to Wei Yan while he was out seizing grain, Jiang Wei was driven off with arrows by Ma Zun at the city of Tianshui and by Liang Qian at the city of Shanggui, and as he headed for Chang'an in tears he was blocked by Guan Xing and by Zhuge Liang in his carriage, dismounted and surrendered. Zhuge Liang took Jiang Wei's hand and rejoiced that he had at last found someone to whom he could pass on the learning of his whole life. Romance, Ch. 93 §20–25
When Liang Xu and Yin Shang, who had come under suspicion because of secret letters Jiang Wei shot into the city, opened the city gates, Tianshui fell, and Xiahou Mao and Ma Zun fled to the lands of the Qiang. When Liang Xu called on his younger brother Liang Qian and Shanggui surrendered as well, Zhuge Liang said that releasing Xiahou Mao was like releasing a single duck, while gaining Boyue was like gaining a phoenix. Romance, Ch. 93 §26–29
Where the Romance differs
Jiang Wei's coming over: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Jiang Wei, made suspect to the Wei side by Zhuge Liang's plans, was left with nowhere to go and surrendered almost as if captured. In the Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records, the Administrator, who was on an inspection tour, was the first to suspect Jiang Wei and the others and fled to Shanggui, and when neither Shanggui nor Ji County would admit them, Jiang Wei and the others went over to Zhuge Liang. Romance, Ch. 93 §15–24Records, Shu 14 §29–30
His mother: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, Jiang Wei saw his mother in the city of Ji and guarded it. In the Records, Zhuge Liang took Jiang Wei with him when he withdrew, and so Jiang Wei was separated from his mother. Romance, Ch. 93 §14Records, Shu 14 §31
The Administrator of Tianshui and Shanggui: In Chapter 93 of the Romance, when Tianshui fell, Ma Zun fled with Xiahou Mao to the lands of the Qiang, and Liang Qian handed over Shanggui. In the Records, the Administrator of Tianshui fled to Shanggui from the start and held the city. Romance, Ch. 93 §28Records, Shu 14 §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.