Romance, Chapter 84

Chapter 84. Lu Xun Burns the Camps Along Seven Hundred Li; Kongming Cleverly Lays Out the Eight Arrays

Meanwhile Han Dang and Zhou Tai learned that the First Ruler had moved his camps to cooler ground, and they hurried to report it to Lu Xun. Lu Xun was delighted and came out with troops to see for himself what the enemy was doing. All he saw was a single camp on the level ground, with fewer than ten thousand men, most of them old or feeble, and a flag inscribed in large characters “Vanguard Wu Ban.” Zhou Tai said, “To my eyes troops like these are mere child’s play. I ask to attack them from two sides together with General Han.

卻說韓當、周泰探知先主移營就涼，急來報知陸遜。遜大喜，遂引兵自來觀看動靜；只見平地一屯，不滿萬餘人，大半皆是老弱之衆，大書“先鋒吳班”旗號。周泰曰：“吾視此等兵如兒戲耳。願同韓將軍分兩路擊之。

If we fail, I will gladly submit to martial law.” Lu Xun looked for a long while, then pointed with his whip and said, “In the valleys ahead a murderous aura is faintly rising. There must be an ambush beneath it, and so they have set these weak troops on the level ground only to lure us out. You gentlemen must on no account go out.” The commanders heard this, and all thought him a coward.

如其不勝，甘當軍令。”陸遜看了良久，以鞭指曰：“前面山谷中，隱隱有殺氣起；其下必有伏兵，故於平地設此弱兵，以誘我耳。諸公切不可出。”衆將聽了，皆以爲懦。

Next day Wu Ban led his troops up to the pass and challenged them to battle, parading his might and hurling insults without end. Many of his men took off their clothes and armor and lay or sat about stark naked. Xu Sheng and Ding Feng went into the tent and said to Lu Xun, “The men of Shu insult us beyond bearing! We ask to go out and attack them!” Lu Xun smiled and said, “You gentlemen rely only on the courage of hot blood and know nothing of the subtle methods of Sunzi and Wu Qi. This is their scheme to lure the enemy out. In three days you will surely see through their trick.”

次日，吳班引兵到關前搦戰，耀武揚威，辱罵不絕；多有解衣卸甲，赤身裸體，或睡或坐。徐盛、丁奉入帳稟陸遜曰：“蜀兵欺我太甚！某等願出擊之！”遜笑曰：“公等但恃血氣之勇，未知孫、吳妙法，此彼誘敵之計也：三日後必見其詐矣。”

Xu Sheng said, “In three days they will have finished moving their camps. How can we attack them then?” “That is exactly what I want: for them to move their camps,” said Lu Xun. The commanders withdrew, sneering. When three days had passed, Lu Xun gathered the commanders on the pass to look out, and they saw that Wu Ban’s troops had already withdrawn. Lu Xun pointed and said, “The murderous aura is rising. Liu Bei is sure to come out of the valleys.” Before he had finished speaking, they saw the troops of Shu, all in full armor, come by escorting the First Ruler.

徐盛曰：“三日後，彼移營已定，安能擊之乎？”遜曰：“吾正欲令彼移營也。”諸將哂笑而退。過三日後，會諸將於關上觀望，見吳班兵已退去。遜指曰：“殺氣起矣。劉備必從山谷中出也。”言未畢，只見蜀兵皆全裝慣束，擁先主而過。

When the men of Wu saw it, their courage failed them utterly. Lu Xun said, “This is exactly why I would not let you gentlemen attack Wu Ban. Now the men in ambush have come out, and within ten days we shall surely defeat Shu.” All the commanders said, “The time to defeat Shu was at the beginning. Now their camps stretch in a chain for five or six hundred li, we have faced each other for seven or eight months, and they have secured every strategic point. How can we defeat them?” Lu Xun said, “You gentlemen do not understand the art of war. Liu Bei is the boldest hero of the age and rich in cunning besides. When his army first gathered, its discipline was precise and single-minded. Now he has been holding his ground for a long time without finding any opening against us; his men are weary and their spirit is blunted. Now is the very time to take him.”

吳兵見了，盡皆膽裂。遜曰：“吾之不聽諸公擊班者，正爲此也。今伏兵已出，旬日之內，必破蜀矣。”諸將皆曰：“破蜀當在初時，今連營五六百里，相守經七八月，其諸要害，皆已固守，安能破乎？”遜曰：“諸公不知兵法。備乃世之梟雄，更多智謀，其兵始集，法度精專；今守之久矣，不得我便，兵疲意阻，取之正在今日。”

Only then did the commanders sigh in admiration.

諸將方纔歎服。

A later poet wrote in his praise:
In the tiger tent he spoke of war by the Six Strategies,
Setting out fragrant bait to hook the whale and the giant turtle.
The three kingdoms had heroes enough of their own,
Yet Lu Xun of Jiangnan showed himself the greatest.

後人有詩讚曰：“虎帳談兵按六韜，安排香餌釣鯨鰲。
三分自是多英俊，又顯江南陸遜高。
”

Meanwhile Lu Xun, having settled on his plan to defeat Shu, wrote a letter and sent an envoy to report to Sun Quan that Shu could be defeated any day now. When Sun Quan had read it he was delighted and said, “Now that Jiangdong has such an extraordinary man again, what have I to fear? The commanders all sent letters calling him a coward; I alone did not believe them. Now that I see his words, he is indeed no coward.” Thereupon he raised a great force of Wu and sent it to support him. Meanwhile the First Ruler at Xiaoting sent out his whole river force, which went downstream and set up water camps along the river, driving deep into the territory of Wu.

卻說陸遜已定了破蜀之策，遂修箋遣使奏聞孫權，言指日可以破蜀之意。權覽畢，大喜曰：“江東復有此異人，孤何憂哉！諸將皆上書言其懦，孤獨不信，今觀其言，果非懦也。”於是大起吳兵來接應。卻說先主於猇亭盡驅水軍，順流而下，沿江屯紮水寨，深入吳境。

Huang Quan remonstrated, “When a river force goes downstream, advance is easy but retreat is hard. I ask to lead the way. Your Majesty should stay in the rear lines; then there will hardly be one chance in ten thousand of mishap.” The First Ruler said, “The Wu rebels have lost their nerve. What is there to stop me from driving far and advancing boldly?” The officials pressed their remonstrance, but the First Ruler would not listen. He then divided his army in two: he ordered Huang Quan to command the forces north of the river to guard against the Wei raiders, while he himself commanded the armies south of the river, setting up camps on both banks with a view to advancing.

黃權諫曰：“水軍沿江而下，進則易，退則難。臣願爲前驅。陛下宜在後陣，庶萬無一失。”先主曰：“吳賊膽落，朕長驅大進，有何礙乎？”衆官苦諫，先主不從。遂分兵兩路：命黃權督江北之兵，以防魏寇；先主自督江南諸軍，夾江分立營寨，以圖進取。

Spies learned of this and reported it through the night to the Ruler of Wei: the troops of Shu attacking Wu had put up stockades and linked their camps across more than seven hundred li, divided into more than forty encampments, all pitched against the hills and woods; and now Huang Quan was commanding troops on the north bank of the river, sending out patrols a hundred li and more every day, for what purpose no one knew. When the Ruler of Wei heard this, he looked up and laughed, saying, “Liu Bei is about to be defeated!” His ministers asked the reason. The Ruler of Wei said, “Liu Xuande does not understand the art of war. How can anyone link his camps across seven hundred li and still hold off an enemy?

細作探知，連夜報知魏主，言蜀兵伐吳，樹柵連營，縱橫七百餘里，分四十餘屯，皆傍山林下寨；今黃權督兵在江北岸，每日出哨百餘里，不知何意。魏主聞之，仰面笑曰：“劉備將敗矣！”羣臣請問其故。魏主曰：“劉玄德不曉兵法；豈有連營七百里，而可以拒敵者乎？

To station troops so as to enclose plains, marshes and rough defiles is the thing most to be avoided in the art of war. Xuande is sure to be defeated at the hands of Lu Xun of Eastern Wu, and within ten days the news will surely arrive.” The ministers still did not believe it and all asked that troops be sent out to prepare for events. The Ruler of Wei said, “If Lu Xun wins, he is sure to send the whole army of Wu to take Xichuan. When the Wu troops have gone far away and the heart of the country lies empty, I will make a show of sending troops to help them in the fight, and have them advance along three routes at once. Then Eastern Wu will be ours for the taking.”

包原隰險阻屯兵者，此兵法之大忌也。玄德必敗於東吳陸遜之手，旬日之內，消息必至矣。”羣臣猶未信，皆請撥兵備之。魏主曰：“陸遜若勝，必盡舉吳兵去取西川；吳兵遠去，國中空虛，朕虛託以兵助戰，令三路一齊進兵，東吳唾手可取也。”

All bowed in admiration. The Ruler of Wei issued his orders: Cao Ren was to lead one army out by Ruxu, Cao Xiu one army out by Dongkou, and Cao Zhen one army out by Nan Commandery. “Let the forces on the three routes meet on the appointed day and fall on Eastern Wu by surprise. I shall follow in person to support you.” The dispositions were settled. We will say no more of the Wei attack on Wu. Now Ma Liang reached Chuan and went in to see Kongming. He presented the map and said, “The camps have now been moved to both banks of the river, stretching across seven hundred li, with more than forty encampments, all set by streams and gullies where the woods are thick.

衆皆拜服。魏主下令，使曹仁督一軍出濡須，曹休督一軍出洞口，曹真督一軍出南郡：“三路軍馬會合日期，暗襲東吳。朕隨後自來接應。”調遣已定。不說魏兵襲吳。且說馬良至川，入見孔明，呈上圖本而言曰：“今移營夾江，橫佔七百里，下四十餘屯，皆依溪傍澗，林木茂盛之處。

His Majesty ordered me to bring the map for you, Chancellor, to see.” When Kongming had looked it over, he struck the table and cried out in dismay, “Who taught our lord to pitch his camps like this? That man should be beheaded!” Ma Liang said, “It was all our lord’s own doing, not anyone else’s plan.” Kongming sighed, “The fortunes of the Han dynasty are at an end!” Ma Liang asked the reason. Kongming said, “To pitch camp so as to enclose plains, marshes and rough defiles is the thing most to be avoided in warfare.

皇上令良將圖本來與丞相觀之。”孔明看訖，拍案叫苦曰：“是何人教主上如此下寨？可斬此人！”馬良曰：“皆主上自爲，非他人之謀。”孔明嘆曰：“漢朝氣數休矣！”良問其故。孔明曰：“包原隰險阻而結營，此兵家之大忌。

If they use fire, how can the camps be saved? Besides, how can anyone link his camps across seven hundred li and still hold off an enemy? Disaster is not far off! This is exactly why Lu Xun has held his ground and not come out. You must go quickly to see the Son of Heaven and have the camps repositioned; they cannot be left like this.” Ma Liang said, “What if the men of Wu have already won?” Kongming said, “Lu Xun will not dare to pursue, and Chengdu can be kept safe.” “Why will Lu Xun not pursue?” asked Ma Liang.

倘彼用火攻，何以解救？又，豈有連營七百里而可拒敵乎？禍不遠矣！陸遜拒守不出，正爲此也。汝當速去見天子，改屯諸營，不可如此。”良曰：“倘今吳兵已勝，如之奈何？”孔明曰：“陸遜不敢來追，成都可保無虞。”良曰：“遜何故不追？”

Kongming said, “Because he fears that the Wei army will fall on his rear. If our lord meets with disaster, he should take refuge in Baidicheng. When I entered Chuan, I left a hundred thousand troops lying in ambush at Yufu Inlet.” Ma Liang was astounded and said, “I have been back and forth past Yufu Inlet several times and have never seen a single soldier. Why do you say such a false thing, Chancellor?” Kongming said, “You will surely see them later. There is no need for more questions.” Ma Liang obtained a memorial from him and hastened with all speed to the imperial camp.

孔明曰：“恐魏兵襲其後也。主上若有失，當投白帝城避之。吾入川時，已伏下十萬兵在魚腹浦矣。”良大驚曰：“某於魚腹浦往來數次，未嘗見一卒，丞相何作此詐語？”孔明曰：“後來必見，不勞多問。”馬良求了表章，火速投御營來。

Kongming returned to Chengdu and deployed troops to be ready to go to the rescue. Meanwhile Lu Xun, seeing that the troops of Shu had grown slack and no longer kept watch, took his seat in his tent and assembled his officers and men, great and small, to hear his orders. “Since I received my commission,” he said, “I have never once gone out to fight. Now, from watching the troops of Shu, I know well enough how things stand with them. So I mean first to take one camp on the south bank of the river. Who dares to go and take it?” Before he had finished speaking, Han Dang, Zhou Tai, Ling Tong and others stepped forward in answer: “We ask to go.”

孔明自回成都，調撥軍馬救應。卻說陸遜見蜀兵懈怠，不復提防，升帳聚大小將士聽令曰：“吾自受命以來，未嘗出戰。今觀蜀兵，足知動靜，故欲先取江南岸一營。誰敢去取？”言未畢，韓當、周泰、淩統等應聲而出曰：“某等願往。”

Lu Xun sent them all back and would not use them. He called only a junior officer standing below the steps, Chunyu Dan, and said to him, “I give you five thousand men. Go and take the fourth camp south of the river, the one held by the Shu general Fu Tong. You must succeed this very night. I shall bring troops myself to support you.” When Chunyu Dan had gone off with his troops, Lu Xun called Xu Sheng and Ding Feng and said, “Each of you take three thousand men and station them five li outside the camp. If Chunyu Dan comes back beaten with troops in pursuit, go out and rescue him, but do not give chase.” The two generals went off with their troops.

遜教皆退不用，獨喚階下末將淳于丹曰：“吾與汝五千軍，去取江南第四營：蜀將傅彤所守。今晚就要成功。吾自提兵接應。”淳于丹引兵去了，又喚徐盛、丁奉曰：“汝等各領兵三千，屯於寨外五里，如淳于丹敗回，有兵趕來，當出救之，卻不可追去。”二將自引軍去了。

Now Chunyu Dan advanced with his troops at dusk, and it was past the third watch when he reached the Shu camp. He had his men beat the drums, raise a din and charge in. From inside the Shu camp Fu Tong came out fighting at the head of his troops, levelled his spear and went straight for Chunyu Dan. Chunyu Dan could not hold him off, and turned his horse and fled. Suddenly a great shout went up and a band of troops blocked the way; at its head was the general Zhao Rong. Chunyu Dan forced his way through and fled, losing more than half his men. As he was fleeing, a band of Man troops blocked him from behind a hill; at its head was the tribal commander Shamoke.

卻說淳于丹於黃昏時分，領兵前進，到蜀寨時，已三更之後。丹令衆軍鼓譟而入。蜀營內傅彤引軍殺出，挺槍直取淳于丹；丹敵不住，撥馬便回。忽然喊聲大震，一彪軍攔住去路：爲首大將趙融。丹奪路而走，折兵大半，正走之間，山後一彪蠻兵攔住：爲首番將沙摩柯。

Chunyu Dan fought desperately and got away, but troops from three directions came after him. When he was about five li from his camp, the Wu generals Xu Sheng and Ding Feng came out from both sides, the Shu troops withdrew, and Chunyu Dan was rescued and brought back to camp. With an arrow still in him, he went in to see Lu Xun and asked to be punished. Lu Xun said, “It is not your fault. I only wished to test the enemy’s strength and weakness. My plan for defeating Shu is already settled.” Xu Sheng and Ding Feng said, “The Shu army is powerful and hard to defeat. We shall only lose men and officers for nothing.”

丹死戰得脫，背後三路軍趕來。比及離營五里，吳軍徐盛、丁奉二人兩下殺來，蜀兵退去，救了淳于丹回營。丹帶箭入見陸遜請罪。遜曰：“非汝之過也。吾欲試敵人之虛實耳。破蜀之計，吾已定矣。”徐盛、丁奉曰：“蜀兵勢大，難以破之，空自損兵折將耳。”

Lu Xun smiled and said, “This plan of mine could deceive everyone but Zhuge Liang. By Heaven’s good fortune that man is not here, and so I shall win a great victory.” Then he assembled his officers and men, great and small, to hear his orders. Zhu Ran was to advance by water; tomorrow afternoon, when the southeast wind rose strongly, he was to load his boats with thatch and act according to the plan. Han Dang was to attack the north bank with one army and Zhou Tai the south bank with another. Every man was to carry a bundle of thatch with sulphur and saltpetre hidden inside, and each was to bring kindling and bear spear or sword. They were to go forward all together, and as soon as they reached the Shu camps they were to set fires with the wind behind them. Of the forty Shu encampments, only twenty were to be burned: every other one.

遜笑曰：“吾這條計，但瞞不過諸葛亮耳。天幸此人不在，使我成大功也。”遂集大小將士聽令：使朱然於水路進兵，來日午後東南風大作，用船裝載茅草，依計而行；韓當引一軍攻江北岸，周泰引一軍攻江南岸，每人手執茅草一把，內藏硫黃焰硝，各帶火種，各執槍刀，一齊而上，但到蜀營，順風舉火；蜀兵四十屯，只燒二十屯，每間一屯燒一屯。

Every army was to carry dry rations in advance; none was allowed to fall back even for a moment, and they were to pursue and attack day and night and stop only when Liu Bei was taken. The commanders heard their orders, received their instructions and went off. Meanwhile the First Ruler was in the imperial camp pondering a plan to defeat Wu when suddenly he saw the banner of the central army before his tent fall over of itself, though there was no wind. He asked Cheng Ji, “What does this portend?” Cheng Ji said, “Could it be that the men of Wu are coming tonight to raid the camp?” The First Ruler said, “We slaughtered them all last night. How would they dare come again?”

各軍預帶乾糧，不許暫退，晝夜追襲，只擒了劉備方止。衆將聽了軍令，各受計而去。卻說先主正在御營尋思破吳之計，忽見帳前中軍旗幡，無風自倒。乃問程畿曰：“此爲何兆？”畿曰：“今夜莫非吳兵來劫營？”先主曰：“昨夜殺盡，安敢再來？”

Cheng Ji said, “What if it was Lu Xun testing the enemy?” As they were speaking, someone reported that from the hilltops the Wu troops had been seen in the distance, all going off eastward along the hills. The First Ruler said, “That is a feint.” He ordered the men to stay where they were and sent Guan Xing and Zhang Bao out on patrol, each with five hundred horsemen. At dusk Guan Xing came back and reported, “Fire has broken out in the camps north of the river.” The First Ruler hastily ordered Guan Xing to the north bank and Zhang Bao to the south bank to find out how things stood. “If the men of Wu come, return at once and report.” The two generals took their orders and went.

畿曰：“倘是陸遜試敵，奈何？”正言間，人報山上遠遠望見吳兵盡沿山望東去了。先主曰：“此是疑兵。”令衆休動，命關興、張苞各引五百騎出巡。黃昏時分，關興回奏曰：“江北營中火起。”先主急令關興往江北，張苞往江南，探看虛實：“倘吳兵到時，可急回報。”二將領命去了。

At the first watch the southeast wind suddenly rose. Fire broke out in the encampment to the left of the imperial camp, and just as they were about to put it out, fire broke out in the encampment on the right as well. The wind was strong and the fire fierce; the trees all caught, and a great shout went up. The troops of both encampments rushed out together and fled into the imperial camp, where the imperial troops trampled one another and countless men died. Behind them came the troops of Wu, fighting their way in, in numbers no one could tell. The First Ruler hastily mounted and rode for Feng Xi’s camp, but there too the flames were rising to the sky.

初更時分，東南風驟起。只見御營左屯火發。方欲救時，御營右屯又火起。風緊火急，樹木皆着，喊聲大震。兩屯軍馬齊出，奔離御營中，御營軍自相踐踏，死者不知其數。後面吳兵殺到，又不知多少軍馬。先主急上馬，奔馮習營時，習營中火光連天而起。

South and north of the river alike were lit up as bright as day. Feng Xi hurriedly mounted and fled with a few dozen horsemen, but ran straight into the troops of the Wu general Xu Sheng as they arrived, and had to stand and fight. Seeing this, the First Ruler turned his horse and fled west. Xu Sheng left Feng Xi and came after him with his troops. The First Ruler was in a panic when another army blocked the way ahead: it was the Wu general Ding Feng. He was attacked from both sides. The First Ruler was terrified; there was no way out in any direction.

江南、江北，照耀如同白日。馮習慌上馬引數十騎而走，正逢吳將徐盛軍到，敵住廝殺。先主見了，撥馬投西便走。徐盛舍了馮習，引兵追來。先主正慌，前面又一軍攔住，乃是吳將丁奉，兩下夾攻。先主大驚，四面無路。

Suddenly a great shout went up and a band of troops fought its way into the encirclement: it was Zhang Bao. He rescued the First Ruler and fled with the Imperial Guards. As they went, another army came up ahead: it was the Shu general Fu Tong, and they joined forces and went on together. Behind them the Wu troops were in pursuit. Ahead the First Ruler came to a hill called Ma’an Hill. Zhang Bao and Fu Tong begged the First Ruler to go up the hill, and just as he did so, shouting rose again at its foot: Lu Xun’s main army had surrounded Ma’an Hill.

忽然喊聲大震，一彪軍殺入重圍，乃是張苞，救了先主，引御林軍奔走。正行之間，前面一軍又到，乃蜀將傅彤也，合兵一處而行。背後吳兵追至。先主前到一山，名馬鞍山。張苞、傅彤請先主上的山時，山下喊聲又起：陸遜大隊人馬，將馬鞍山圍住。

Zhang Bao and Fu Tong held the approaches to the hill with their lives. Looking out, the First Ruler saw fires burning without end across the whole countryside and corpses piled one on another, choking the river as they floated down. Next day the Wu troops set fire to the hill on every side; the soldiers ran about in confusion, and the First Ruler was alarmed. Suddenly out of the flames a general came fighting his way up the hill with a few horsemen. The First Ruler looked, and it was Guan Xing. Guan Xing prostrated himself and pleaded, “The fires are closing in on every side. We cannot stay here long.

張苞、傅彤死據山口。先主遙望遍野火光不絕，死屍重疊，塞江而下。次日，吳兵又四下放火燒山，軍士亂竄，先主驚慌。忽然火光中一將引數騎殺上山來，視之，乃關興也。興伏地請曰：“四下火光逼近，不可久停。

Your Majesty should hasten to Baidicheng and gather your forces again.” The First Ruler said, “Who dares to cover the rear?” Fu Tong said, “I will do it, even unto death!” That evening at dusk, with Guan Xing in front and Zhang Bao in the middle, and Fu Tong left behind to cover the rear, they fought their way down the hill guarding the First Ruler. When the men of Wu saw the First Ruler in flight, they all wanted to win the credit; each led a great army westward in pursuit, blotting out sky and earth. The First Ruler ordered his soldiers to strip off all their robes and armor, pile them in the road and burn them, so as to cut off the pursuers.

陛下速奔白帝城，再收軍馬可也。”先主曰：“誰敢斷後？”傅彤奏曰：“臣願以死當之！”當日黃昏，關興在前，張苞在中，留傅彤斷後，保着先主，殺下山來。吳兵見先主奔走，皆要爭功，各引大軍，遮天蓋地，往西追趕，先主令軍士盡脫袍鎧，塞道而焚，以斷後軍。

As they fled, a great shout went up and the Wu general Zhu Ran came charging from the riverbank with an army and cut them off. The First Ruler cried, “I shall die here!” Guan Xing and Zhang Bao spurred their horses and charged, but a hail of arrows drove them back, both badly wounded, and they could not break out. Behind them shouting rose again: Lu Xun was coming out of the valleys with his main army.

正奔走間，喊聲大震，吳將朱然引一軍從江岸邊殺來，截住去路。先主叫曰：“朕死於此矣！”關興、張苞縱馬衝突，被亂箭射回，各帶重傷，不能殺出。背後喊聲又起，陸遜引大軍從山谷中殺來。

The First Ruler was in desperate straits when day began to break. Ahead of him shouting shook the heavens; Zhu Ran’s troops were tumbling into the gullies and rolling off the cliffs as a band of troops fought its way in to rescue the Emperor. The First Ruler was overjoyed. He looked, and it was Zhao Zilong of Changshan. At this time Zhao Yun had been at Jiangzhou in Chuan. Hearing that Wu and Shu were at war, he had led his troops out, and suddenly he saw flames reaching to the sky all along the southeast. Alarmed, he went to scout from a distance, and to his surprise found the First Ruler surrounded; so he came charging in with all his courage.

先主正慌急之間，此時天色已微明，只見前面喊聲震天，朱然軍紛紛落澗，滾滾投巖：一彪軍殺入，前來救駕。先主大喜，視之，乃常山趙子龍也。時趙雲在川中江州，聞吳、蜀交兵，遂引軍出；忽見東南一帶火光沖天，雲心驚，遠遠探視，不想先主被困，雲奮勇衝殺而來。

When Lu Xun heard that it was Zhao Yun, he hastily ordered his troops to withdraw. In the thick of the fighting Zhao Yun suddenly came upon Zhu Ran and at once engaged him. Before they had crossed weapons once, he ran Zhu Ran through with his spear and threw him from his horse. He scattered the Wu troops, rescued the First Ruler and made for Baidicheng. The First Ruler said, “I have escaped, but what will become of my officers and men?” Zhao Yun said, “The enemy is behind us; we must not linger. Let Your Majesty go into Baidicheng and rest, and I will take troops back to rescue the commanders.”

陸遜聞是趙雲，急令軍退。雲正殺之間，忽遇朱然，便與交鋒；不一合，一槍刺朱然於馬下，殺散吳兵，救出先主，望白帝城而走。先主曰：“朕雖得脫，諸將士將奈何？”雲曰：“敵軍在後，不可久遲。陛下且入白帝城歇息，臣再引兵去救應諸將。”

When the First Ruler entered Baidicheng, he had barely a hundred men left.

此時先主僅存百餘人入白帝城。

A later poet wrote in praise of Lu Xun:
Spear in hand, he raised the fire and broke the chain of camps;
Xuande, hard pressed, fled to Baidicheng.
In a single day his fame astounded Shu and Wei alike:
How could the King of Wu not honor the scholar?

後人有詩讚陸遜曰：“持矛舉火破連營，玄德窮奔白帝城。
一旦威名驚蜀魏，吳王寧不敬書生。
”

Meanwhile Fu Tong, covering the rear, was surrounded on all sides by the Wu army. Ding Feng shouted, “Countless men of Chuan are dead, and a great many have surrendered. Your master Liu Bei has been captured. Now your strength is spent and you stand alone. Why not surrender now?” Fu Tong roared back, “I am a general of Han! How could I surrender to the dogs of Wu?” Levelling his spear and spurring his horse, he led the Shu troops in a desperate fight to the death. For more than a hundred bouts he charged back and forth, but he could not break free.

卻說傅彤斷後，被吳軍八面圍住。丁奉大叫曰：“川兵死者無數，降者極多，汝主劉備已被擒獲，今汝力窮勢孤，何不早降！”傅彤叱曰：“吾乃漢將，安肯降吳狗乎！”挺槍縱馬，率蜀軍奮力死戰，不下百餘合，往來衝突，不能得脫。

Fu Tong heaved a long sigh: “It is all over for me now!” With these words he vomited blood and died among the Wu troops. A later poet wrote in praise of Fu Tong:
At Yiling, Wu and Shu met in a mighty clash;
Lu Xun laid his plan and used fire to burn.
Even at death he still cursed the dogs of Wu:
Fu Tong was not unworthy to be a general of Han.

彤長嘆曰：“吾今休矣！”言訖，口中吐血，死於吳軍之中。後人贊傅彤詩曰：“彝陵吳蜀大交兵，陸遜施謀用火焚。至死猶然罵吳狗，傅彤不愧漢將軍。”

The Shu Libationer Cheng Ji rode alone to the riverbank and called on the river forces to meet the enemy, but when the Wu troops came up in pursuit, the river forces scattered and fled in every direction. One of Cheng Ji’s officers cried, “The men of Wu are here! Go quickly, Libationer Cheng!” Cheng Ji said angrily, “Since I followed our lord to war, I have never fled in the face of the enemy!” Before he had finished speaking, the Wu troops suddenly arrived; there was no way out on any side, and Cheng Ji drew his sword and cut his own throat.

蜀祭酒程畿，匹馬奔至江邊，招呼水軍赴敵，吳兵隨後追來，水軍四散奔逃。畿部將叫曰：“吳兵至矣！程祭酒快走罷！”畿怒曰：“吾自從主上出軍，未嘗赴敵而逃！”言未畢，吳兵驟至，四下無路，畿拔劍自刎。

A later poet wrote in his praise:
Ardent and bold was Cheng, the Libationer of Shu;
With the one sword left him he repaid his sovereign.
Facing peril, he did not change the purpose of his life,
And won a name whose fragrance lasts ten thousand ages.

後人有詩讚曰：“慷慨蜀中程祭酒，身留一劍答君王。
臨危不改平生志，博得聲名萬古香。
”

At this time Wu Ban and Zhang Nan had long been besieging the city of Yiling. Suddenly Feng Xi arrived and told them that the Shu army had been defeated, so they led their troops off to rescue the First Ruler, and only then was Sun Huan able to get free. As the two generals Zhang and Feng were on their way, Wu troops came at them from the front while Sun Huan sallied out of Yiling behind them, and they were caught between two attacks. Zhang Nan and Feng Xi fought hard to break through but could not get free, and they died in the melee.

時吳班、張南久圍彝陵城，忽馮習到，言蜀兵敗，遂引軍來救先主，孫桓方纔得脫。張、馮二將正行之間，前面吳兵殺來，背後孫桓從彝陵城殺出，兩下夾攻。張南、馮習奮力衝突，不能得脫，死於亂軍之中。

A later poet wrote in their praise:
Feng Xi’s loyalty had no second;
Zhang Nan’s devotion had few equals.
On the battlefield they gladly died fighting,
And together their fragrance flows through the annals.

後人有詩讚曰：“馮習忠無二，張南義少雙。
沙場甘戰死，史冊共流芳。
”

Wu Ban fought his way out of the encirclement, only to meet more Wu troops in pursuit; fortunately Zhao Yun met him and brought him safely back to Baidicheng. Meanwhile Shamoke, the Man king, was fleeing alone on horseback when he ran straight into Zhou Tai. They fought more than twenty bouts, and he was killed by Zhou Tai. The Shu generals Du Lu and Liu Ning both surrendered to Wu. Of all the grain, fodder, weapons and equipment in the Shu camps, not an inch was left. Of the Shu generals and the men of Chuan, countless numbers surrendered. At this time Lady Sun was in Wu. She heard of the defeat at Xiaoting, and a false report said that the First Ruler had died in the fighting; so she drove in her carriage to the riverbank, gazed to the west and wept from afar, and threw herself into the river and died.

吳班殺出重圍，又遇吳兵追趕；幸得趙雲接着，救回白帝城去了。時有蠻王沙摩柯，匹馬奔走，正逢周泰，戰二十餘合，被泰所殺。蜀將杜路，劉寧盡皆降吳。蜀營一應糧草器仗，尺寸不存。蜀將川兵，降者無數。時孫夫人在吳，聞猇亭兵敗，訛傳先主死於軍中，遂驅車至江邊，望西遙哭，投江而死。

Later people built a temple for her on the riverbank and called it the Shrine of the Valiant Consort. One who weighed the figures of the past wrote a poem lamenting her:
The First Ruler’s army fell back to Baidicheng;
Hearing of disaster, his lady alone gave up her life.
To this day a memorial stone stands by the river,
Still proclaiming the name of a heroic woman for a thousand autumns. Meanwhile Lu Xun, having won a complete victory, led his triumphant troops west in pursuit. When he was not far from Kui Pass, he saw from his horse that ahead, where the hills meet the river, a murderous aura was rising to the sky. He reined in his horse, turned to his commanders and said, “There must be an ambush ahead. The army must not advance rashly.”

後人立廟江濱，號曰梟姬祠。尚論者作詩嘆之曰：“先主兵歸白帝城，夫人聞難獨捐生。至今江畔遺碑在，猶著千秋烈女名。”卻說陸遜大獲全功，引得勝之兵，往西追襲。前離夔關不遠，遜在馬上看見前面臨山傍江，一陣殺氣，沖天而起；遂勒馬回顧衆將曰：“前面必有埋伏，三軍不可輕進。”

At once he fell back more than ten li, drew up his army in battle formation on open ground to meet the enemy, and sent scouts ahead to look. They came back to report that there were no troops stationed there at all. Lu Xun did not believe it. He dismounted, climbed to a height and looked, and the murderous aura rose again. He sent men once more to look carefully, and the scouts returned to report that there was not a single man or horse ahead. Seeing that the sun was about to set in the west and the murderous aura was growing ever stronger, Lu Xun was uneasy in his mind, and he sent one of his trusted men to go and look again.

即倒退十餘里，於地勢空闊處，排成陣勢，以禦敵軍；即差哨馬前去探視。回報並無軍屯在此，遜不信，下馬登高望之，殺氣復起。遜再令人仔細探視，哨馬回報，前面並無一人一騎。遜見日將西沉，殺氣越加，心中猶豫，令心腹人再往探看。

He came back to report that on the riverbank there were only eighty or ninety piles of jumbled stones, and no men or horses at all. Lu Xun was greatly puzzled and had some local people found to question. Shortly several of them arrived. Lu Xun asked, “Who made these jumbled stones into piles? And why does a murderous aura rise from among them?” The local people said, “This place is called Yufu Inlet. When Zhuge Liang entered Chuan, he brought his troops here and took stones and laid them out in battle formation on the sandbank.

回報江邊止有亂石八九十堆，並無人馬。遜大疑，令尋土人問之。須臾，有數人到。遜問曰：“何人將亂石作堆？如何亂石堆中有殺氣衝起？”土人曰：“此處地名魚腹浦。諸葛亮入川之時，驅兵到此，取石排成陣勢於沙灘之上。

Ever since, a vapor like cloud has often risen from inside it.” When Lu Xun had heard this, he mounted and rode with a few dozen horsemen to see the stone formation. Halting his horse on the hillside, he saw that on all four sides and at all eight points there were gates and doorways. Lu Xun laughed and said, “This is only a trick to bewilder people. What use can it be?” Then he rode down the hillside with a few horsemen and went straight into the stone formation to look it over. One of his officers said, “It is getting dark. Please go back soon, Commander-in-Chief.”

自此常常有氣如雲，從內而起。”陸遜聽罷，上馬引數十騎來看石陣，立馬于山坡之上，但見四面八方，皆有門有戶。遜笑曰：“此乃惑人之術耳，有何益焉！”遂引數騎下山坡來，直入石陣觀看。部將曰：“日暮矣，請都督早回。”

Just as Lu Xun was about to leave the formation, a wild wind suddenly sprang up, and in an instant sand was flying and stones were rolling, blotting out sky and earth. All he could see were strange rocks towering up, jagged as swords, and sand heaped crosswise and earth standing upright, piled layer on layer like mountains, while the roar of the river and the surge of the waves sounded like the clash of swords and the beat of drums. Lu Xun cried in great alarm, “I have fallen into Zhuge’s trap!” He tried to hurry back, but there was no way out. As he stood there in fear and doubt, suddenly an old man appeared in front of his horse and said with a smile, “Does the general wish to get out of this formation?”

遜方欲出陣，忽然狂風大作，一霎時，飛沙走石，遮天蓋地。但見怪石嵯峨，槎枒似劍；橫沙立土，重疊如山；江聲浪湧，有如劍鼓之聲。遜大驚曰：“吾中諸葛之計也！”急欲回時，無路可出。正驚疑間，忽見一老人立於馬前，笑曰：“將軍欲出此陣乎？”

“I beg you, venerable sir, to lead me out,” said Lu Xun. The old man walked slowly on with his staff and went straight out of the stone formation without any obstacle, and saw him to the top of the hillside. Lu Xun asked, “Who are you, venerable sir?” The old man answered, “I am Huang Chengyan, father-in-law of Zhuge Kongming. When my son-in-law entered Chuan, he laid out this stone formation here and called it the Eight Arrays. Its eight gates turn and change in accordance with the Dunjia system: Rest, Life, Harm, Obstruction, View, Death, Fright and Opening.

遜曰：“願長者引出。”老人策杖徐徐而行，徑出石陣，並無所礙，送至山坡之上。遜問曰：“長者何人？”老人答曰：“老夫乃諸葛孔明之岳父黃承彥也。昔小婿入川之時，於此佈下石陣，名八陣圖。反覆八門，按遁甲休、生、傷、杜、景、死、驚、開。

Every day and every hour it changes without end; it is a match for a hundred thousand picked troops. When he left, he told me that if later some great general of Eastern Wu should lose his way in the formation, I was not to lead him out. I happened to be up on the rocks of the hill and saw you enter by the Gate of Death. I guessed that you did not know this formation and were bound to be lost in it. All my life I have loved to do good, and I could not bear to see you perish here, so I came on purpose to lead you out by the Gate of Life.”

每日每時，變化無端，可比十萬精兵。臨去之時，曾分付老夫道：後有東吳大將迷於陣中，莫要引他出來。老夫適於山岩之上，見將軍從死門而入，料想不識此陣，必爲所迷。老夫平生好善，不忍將軍陷沒於此，故特自生門引出也。”

Lu Xun said, “Have you ever learned the art of this formation?” Huang Chengyan said, “Its changes are endless; it cannot be learned.” Lu Xun hastily dismounted, bowed his thanks and went back. Later Du Fu of the Board of Works wrote a poem:
His achievements overshadowed the three kingdoms;
His fame was made by the Eight Arrays.
The river flows, but the stones do not roll;
The lasting regret: the failure to swallow Wu. When Lu Xun returned to his camp he sighed, “Kongming is truly the Sleeping Dragon! I cannot match him!” Then he gave orders to withdraw the army. Those around him said, “Liu Bei’s army is beaten and his power exhausted; he is shut up in a single city. This is just the time to follow up our advantage and attack him. Why do you now withdraw at the sight of a stone formation?”

遜曰：“公曾學此陣法否？”黃承彥曰：“變化無窮，不能學也。”遜慌忙下馬拜謝而回。後杜工部有詩曰：“功蓋三分國，名成八陣圖。江流石不轉，遺恨失吞吳。”陸遜回寨，嘆曰：“孔明真臥龍也！吾不能及！”於是下令班師。左右曰：“劉備兵敗勢窮，困守一城，正好乘勢擊之；今見石陣而退，何也？”

Lu Xun said, “It is not fear of the stone formation that makes me withdraw. I reckon that Cao Pi, the Ruler of Wei, is every bit as treacherous as his father. Knowing now that I am in pursuit of the Shu army, he is sure to take advantage of our weakness to attack us. If I go deep into Xichuan, it will be hard to get back in a hurry.” He ordered one general to cover the rear and led the main army home. Less than two days after the withdrawal began, messengers came from three places with urgent reports: “The Wei army has come out, Cao Ren by Ruxu, Cao Xiu by Dongkou and Cao Zhen by Nan Commandery. Several hundred thousand men on three routes have reached our borders, marching through the night, and their purpose is unknown.”

遜曰：“吾非懼石陣而退；吾料魏主曹丕，其奸詐與父無異，今知吾追趕蜀兵，必乘虛來襲。吾若深入西川，急難退矣。”遂令一將斷後，遜率大軍而回。退兵未及二日，三處人來飛報：“魏兵曹仁出濡須，曹休出洞口，曹真出南郡：三路兵馬數十萬，星夜至境，未知何意。”

Lu Xun smiled and said, “Just as I expected. I have already sent troops to hold them off.”

遜笑曰：“不出吾之所料。吾已令兵拒之矣。”

Indeed:
A bold heart was just set on swallowing Western Shu,
But the winning plan still called for holding off the northern court.
How the enemy was driven back will be told in the next chapter.

正是：雄心方欲吞西蜀，勝算還須御北朝。
未知如何退兵，且看下文分解。