Novel scene
The Han Army Raids the Camp and Defeats Cao Zhen 漢兵劫寨破曹真
About this event
"The Han Army Raids the Camp and Defeats Cao Zhen" is the former scene of the chapter title of Chapter 100 of the Romance, "The Han Army Raids the Camp and Defeats Cao Zhen; Zhuge Liang Shames Sima Yi in Battle Formation." It covers the story up to the point where Zhuge Liang, who did not pursue the Wei army as it withdrew in the long rains, comes out to Mount Qi again by two valleys, and Cao Zhen, who has made a wager with Sima Yi that the Shu army will not come, has his camp raided and is badly defeated, and then, unable to contain his rage after reading Zhuge Liang's letter, dies. It is one episode of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions as the Romance depicts them. Romance, Ch. 100 §1–5 · 20–24 · 27–31
Chen Shou's text has no such scene. The biography of Cao Zhen records that in the 8th month of the 4th year of Taihe (230) he entered Shu by the Ziwu Road, turned his army back on receiving an edict because of the long rains, and fell ill, returned to Luoyang and died. Records, Wei 9 §66–67 · 69
In the Romance
Zhuge Liang does not pursue the Wei army as it withdraws, worn out by the rain, saying that Sima Yi will surely have left ambushes, and decides to divide his forces and march out to Mount Qi. He has Wei Yan, Zhang Ni, Du Qiong and Chen Shi go out by the Ji Valley and Ma Dai, Wang Ping, Zhang Yi and Ma Zhong by the Xie Valley, to meet at Mount Qi. Judging that the Shu army has not pursued even though the weather has cleared because it is aiming at Mount Qi, Sima Yi makes a wager with the skeptical Cao Zhen with ten days as the limit, and Cao Zhen guards the mouth of the Xie Valley and Sima Yi the mouth of the Ji Valley. Sima Yi beheads a subordinate general who grumbles about the wager to steady the troops' morale. Romance, Ch. 100 §1–8
Chen Shi, advancing through the Ji Valley, scoffs at Deng Zhi, who comes to relay the order to be careful, and goes ahead with 5,000 men, only to fall into Sima Yi's ambush and lose over 4,000 of them, and Wei Yan rescues him. Zhuge Liang sends Deng Zhi to calm Chen Shi, and meanwhile has Ma Dai and Wang Ping, and Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi, go out by mountain paths to the left and right of Mount Qi to strike Cao Zhen's camp, and gives secret plans to Guan Xing and Liao Hua and to Wu Ban and Wu Yi. Romance, Ch. 100 §9–16
On the seventh day, told that a few Shu troops are coming out, Cao Zhen sends his subordinate general Qin Liang, who is blocked front and rear in a valley by Wu Ban and Wu Yi and by Guan Xing and Liao Hua and dies by Liao Hua's blade, and more than half his troops surrender. Zhuge Liang dresses 5,000 Shu soldiers in the clothes of the surrendered Wei troops, sends them into Cao Zhen's camp and attacks from all sides, and Cao Zhen, badly defeated and fleeing, barely survives thanks to Sima Yi's rescue. Cao Zhen falls ill from shame and takes to his bed, and the Wei army camps by the Wei River. Romance, Ch. 100 §17–24
Back at Mount Qi, Zhuge Liang beheads Chen Shi for disobeying orders and spares Wei Yan to make use of him later. Hearing that Cao Zhen is ill in bed, Zhuge Liang sends back Qin Liang's surrendered soldiers carrying a letter. The letter rebukes Cao Zhen as an unlearned junior and mocks his collapse in the rain at the Xie Valley and Chencang, and when Cao Zhen finishes reading it, rage fills his breast and he dies in camp that night. Romance, Ch. 100 §25–31
Where the Romance differs
Cao Zhen's death: In Chapter 100 of the Romance, Cao Zhen falls ill from the shame of having his camp raided, and dies in camp the night he reads Zhuge Liang's letter. In Chen Shou's text, Cao Zhen fell ill and returned to Luoyang, where Emperor Ming visited his residence in person to ask after him, and the Annals of Emperor Ming date his death to the 3rd month of the 5th year of Taihe (231). Romance, Ch. 100 §24 · 31Records, Wei 9 §69Records, Wei 3 §21
Cao Zhen's campaign: The Romance has Cao Zhen, among the Wei troops who withdrew because of the rain, remain west of Mount Qi to wait for the Shu army. In Chen Shou's text, in the 4th year of Taihe (230) Cao Zhen headed by the Ziwu Road and Sima Yi up the Han River toward Nanzheng, but when the plank roads were cut by more than thirty days of rain, Emperor Ming ordered the army back by edict. Romance, Ch. 100 §3–5Records, Wei 9 §66–67Records, Wei 3 §19
Chen Shi: In the Romance, Chen Shi disobeys orders, loses over 4,000 men in the Ji Valley and is beheaded. In Chen Shou's text, Chen Shi appears as the general who attacked Wudu and Yinping on Zhuge Liang's orders in the 7th year of Jianxing (229), and there is no record of his execution. Romance, Ch. 100 §12 · 26Records, Shu 3 §10Records, Shu 5 §35
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.