Novel scene
Deng Ai Outwits Jiang Wei 鄧士載智敗姜伯約
About this event
This scene is the episode named in the chapter title of Chapter 111 of the Romance, "Deng Shizai defeats Jiang Boyue by his wits," the passage in the Battle of Duangu in which Deng Ai, foreseeing Jiang Wei's moves, seizes Mount Wucheng first and then routs Jiang Wei, who is heading for Shanggui, with an ambush in the Duan Valley. The Romance says that after this battle Jiang Wei, following the precedent the Marquis Wu set after Jieting, demoted himself to General of the Rear. Romance, Ch. 111 §11–14 · 18–19 · 22
Chen Shou recorded this battle in the Biography of Jiang Wei, Records of Shu 14, the Biography of the Later Sovereign, Records of Shu 3, the Biography of Deng Ai, Records of Wei 28, and the Annals of the Three Young Emperors, Records of Wei 4. The Biography of Jiang Wei says that in the 19th year of Yanxi (256) Jiang Wei arranged to meet Hu Ji at Shanggui, but Hu Ji did not come, and so he was defeated by Deng Ai at the Duan Valley; the Biography of Deng Ai records that Deng Ai held out against him from Mount Wucheng and then routed him at the Duan Valley. Records, Shu 14 §38Records, Shu 3 §36Records, Wei 28 §65Records, Wei 4 §76
In the Romance
In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Deng Ai, made General Who Pacifies the West for lifting the siege of Didao, gives five reasons why the Shu army is sure to come out again to Chen Tai, who thinks Jiang Wei's strength is spent and he will not come out again, and he drills the troops of Yong and Liang provinces and sets up camps at every narrow pass. At Zhongti, Fan Jian tries to stop him, but Jiang Wei gives five reasons why Wei can be beaten and advances to Mount Qi. Romance, Ch. 111 §1–8
Seeing nine Wei camps strung out like a long snake at Mount Qi, Jiang Wei has Bao Su hold the mouth of the valley and send out scouts in ever-changing armor and banners to make it look as if he were there, while he himself leads the main army by way of Dongting to raid Nan'an. Deng Ai, realizing this when he sees that the scouts' horses are tired, has Chen Tai attack the camp at Mount Qi, while he himself marches at double speed through the night to seize Mount Wucheng first, and then places his son Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan in ambush in the Duan Valley. Romance, Ch. 111 §8–14
Reaching the foot of Mount Wucheng, Jiang Wei sees his vanguard routed by Deng Ai, who strikes down from the mountain, and he cannot pitch camp, blocked by drums and horns that sound every night and by carts set on fire. Leaving Xiahou Ba at Mount Wucheng and heading for Shanggui, Jiang Wei is alarmed to hear that the valley is called Duangu, taking it as "the cut-off valley," and at that moment Deng Zhong, Shi Zuan and Deng Ai attack from three directions and the Shu army is routed. Learning that the camp at Mount Qi has also been broken by Chen Tai and that Bao Su has been killed, Jiang Wei falls back by a byway and is surrounded by Chen Tai; Zhang Ni, General Who Sweeps Away Bandits, breaks in to rescue him and is shot dead by arrows. Following the precedent the Marquis Wu set after Jieting, Jiang Wei demotes himself to General of the Rear. Romance, Ch. 111 §15–22
Where the Romance differs
The cause of the defeat: In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Jiang Wei leaves Xiahou Ba at Mount Wucheng and goes on alone to Shanggui, where he runs into the ambush in the Duan Valley. The Biography of Jiang Wei in the Records records that Jiang Wei had arranged to meet Hu Ji, Grand General Who Guards the West, at Shanggui, but Hu Ji broke the agreement and did not come, and so Jiang Wei was defeated by Deng Ai at the Duan Valley. Romance, Ch. 111 §18–19Records, Shu 14 §38
Zhang Ni's death: In Chapter 111 of the Romance, Zhang Ni, General Who Sweeps Away Bandits, is shot dead by arrows while rescuing Jiang Wei, who has been surrounded after the fight at the Duan Valley. In the Records, Zhang Ni went out to Didao with Jiang Wei in the 17th year of Yanxi (254) and died in the battle against the Wei general Xu Zhi. Romance, Ch. 111 §21Records, Shu 13 §62–63
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.