Novel scene
Zhuge Liang Routs the Wei Army 諸葛亮大破魏兵
About this event
"Zhuge Liang Routs the Wei Army" is the former scene of the chapter title of Chapter 99 of the Romance, "Zhuge Liang Routs the Wei Army; Sima Yi Invades Western Shu." It covers the story up to the point where Zhuge Liang, having come out to Mount Qi in the 7th year of Jianxing (229), gains Wudu and Yinping and defeats Guo Huai and Sun Li, who come to relieve them, then defeats in succession Zhang He and Dai Ling, who try to raid his camp, and Sima Yi's troops, who chase his feigned withdrawal, and finally falls ill at Zhang Bao's death and withdraws to Hanzhong. It is one episode of the Battle of Jianwei as the Romance depicts it. Romance, Ch. 99 §1 · 5–7 · 11–13 · 33–37
Chen Shou's text also records events of the same year. The Biography of Zhuge Liang in Records of Shu 5 and the Biography of the Later Ruler in Records of Shu 3 record that in the 7th year of Jianxing (229) Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi to pacify Wudu and Yinping, and that the Later Ruler issued an edict making him Chancellor again. Records, Shu 5 §35–36Records, Shu 3 §10
Course of events in the Records
In the spring of the 7th year of Jianxing (229) Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi to attack Wudu and Yinping. When the Wei Inspector of Yong Province Guo Huai led his forces to attack Chen Shi, Zhuge Liang went out to Jianwei in person, and as Guo Huai withdrew, the two commanderies were at last pacified. Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §10
The Later Ruler issued an edict saying that the affair at Jieting had been Ma Su's doing but Zhuge Liang had taken the blame and demoted himself, and that he had taken Wang Shuang's head the year before and put Guo Huai to flight this year, won over the Di and Qiang and recovered two commanderies; he made him Chancellor again. That winter Zhuge Liang moved the camp of his Chancellor's office to the plain below the southern hills and built the cities of Han and Yue. Records, Shu 5 §35–36Records, Shu 3 §10
In the Romance
In Chapter 99 of the Romance, Sima Yi, arriving at Chang'an in the 4th month, in summer, of the 7th year of Jianxing, sends Guo Huai and Sun Li to relieve Wudu and Yinping and strike the Shu army from behind. But the two commanderies have already been taken by Wang Ping and Jiang Wei, and Guo Huai and Sun Li are badly defeated by Zhuge Liang, seated in his four-wheeled carriage, by Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, and by Wang Ping and Jiang Wei coming up from behind, and flee on foot, abandoning their horses. Zhang Bao, chasing them, falls into a valley stream and injures his head. Romance, Ch. 99 §1–8
Judging that Zhuge Liang will have left his camp empty to go and settle the two commanderies, Sima Yi sends Zhang He and Dai Ling to strike the rear of the Shu camp, but the two generals are surrounded by an ambush that Zhuge Liang, on Mount Qi, has laid in advance, and Zhang He barely rescues Dai Ling and returns. Seeing Zhang He's valor, Zhuge Liang says he will one day be a bane to Shu. The Later Ruler sends Fei Yi to make Zhuge Liang Chancellor again. Romance, Ch. 99 §9–17
When Sima Yi will not come out, Zhuge Liang falls back thirty li at a time, pitching camp each time, and when Zhang He asks for a decisive battle, Sima Yi follows behind. Zhuge Liang hides Wang Ping and Zhang Yi in a valley, has Ma Zhong and three other generals fight and flee, and then strikes the Wei troops, exhausted by the heat of the 6th month, with Guan Xing and the ambush. When Sima Yi comes in person and surrounds Wang Ping and Zhang Yi, Jiang Wei and Liao Hua, as written in Zhuge Liang's brocade pouch, raid Sima Yi's camp and break the Wei army. Romance, Ch. 99 §18–33
About to advance again, Zhuge Liang coughs up blood and collapses at news of Zhang Bao's death, falls ill, and secretly breaks camp and returns to Hanzhong. Sima Yi, learning of it only five days later, sighs that he cannot match him. Romance, Ch. 99 §34–38
Where the Romance differs
Wudu and Yinping: In Chapter 99 of the Romance, Jiang Wei and Wang Ping take the two commanderies, and Guo Huai and Sun Li, coming to relieve them, are badly defeated by Zhuge Liang's ambush. In the Biography of Zhuge Liang in the Records, Chen Shi attacked the two commanderies, and Guo Huai, about to attack Chen Shi, withdrew on seeing Zhuge Liang come out to Jianwei in person. Romance, Ch. 99 §5–8Records, Shu 5 §35
Zhang Bao: In Chapter 99 of the Romance, Zhang Bao falls into a stream while chasing Guo Huai, is injured, and later dies at Chengdu. The Biography of Zhang Fei in the Records says only that his eldest son Zhang Bao died young. Romance, Ch. 99 §7 · 34Records, Shu 6 §23
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.