Romance, Chapter 111

Chapter 111. Deng Shizai Outwits and Defeats Jiang Boyue; Zhuge Dan Rises in Righteousness Against Sima Zhao

Now Jiang Wei withdrew his troops and camped at Zhongti, while the Wei army camped outside the city of Didao. Wang Jing welcomed Chen Tai and Deng Ai into the city, bowed to thank them for raising the siege, gave a banquet in their honour and richly rewarded the three armies. Chen Tai reported Deng Ai’s merit to Cao Mao, the Ruler of Wei, and Cao Mao made Deng Ai General Who Pacifies the West, granted him the staff of authority and made him Colonel Protector of the Eastern Qiang as well, to garrison the region of Yong and Liang provinces together with Chen Tai.

卻說姜維退兵屯於鍾提，魏兵屯於狄道城外。王經迎接陳泰、鄧艾入城，拜謝解圍之事，設宴相待，大賞三軍。泰將鄧艾之功，申奏魏主曹髦，髦封艾爲安西將軍，假節，領護東羌校尉，同陳泰屯兵於雍、涼等處。

When Deng Ai had sent up a memorial of thanks, Chen Tai laid on a feast to congratulate him and said, “Jiang Wei fled by night. His strength is spent, and he will not dare come out again.” Deng Ai laughed. “By my reckoning there are five reasons why the Shu army is bound to come out again.” Chen Tai asked what they were, and Deng Ai said, “Although the Shu army has withdrawn, it still has the momentum of victory, while our army still bears the reality of weakness and defeat. That is the first reason they are bound to come out. The Shu troops are all crack soldiers trained and drilled by Kongming, and easy to command, whereas our generals are changed from time to time and our troops are not thoroughly trained. That is the second reason they are bound to come out.

鄧艾上表謝恩畢，陳泰設席與鄧艾作賀曰：“姜維夜遁，其力已竭，不敢再出矣。”艾笑曰：“吾料蜀兵必出有五。”泰問其故，艾曰：“蜀兵雖退，終有乘勝之勢；吾兵終有弱敗之實：其必出一也。蜀兵皆是孔明教演，精銳之兵，容易調遣；吾將不時更換，軍又訓練不熟：其必出二也。

The men of Shu travel mostly by boat, while our army is all on dry land, so the toil and the ease are not the same. That is the third reason they are bound to come out. Didao, Longxi, Nanan and Mount Qi are four places that must all be held and fought for. The men of Shu may make a noise in the east and strike in the west, or point to the south and attack in the north, so our troops will have to split up to hold them, while the Shu army comes all together in one body, pitting its whole strength against a quarter of ours. That is the fourth reason they are bound to come out. If the Shu army comes out by way of Nanan and Longxi, it can take the grain of the Qiang for food; if it comes out by Mount Qi, there is wheat there for it to live on. That is the fifth reason they are bound to come out.”

蜀人多以船行，吾軍皆在旱地，勞逸不同；其必出三也。狄道、隴西、南安、祁山四處皆是守戰之地；蜀人或聲東擊西，指南攻北，吾兵必須分頭守把；蜀兵合爲一處而來，以一分當我四分：其必出四也。若蜀兵自南安、隴西，則可取羌人之谷爲食；若出祁山，則有麥可就食：其必出五也。”

Chen Tai sighed in admiration. “You foresee the enemy’s moves like a god! What is there to fear from the Shu army?” From then on Chen Tai and Deng Ai were close friends despite the difference in their ages. Deng Ai then drilled the troops of Yong and Liang every day, and set up camps at all the narrow passes to guard against the unexpected.

陳泰歎服曰：“公料敵如神，蜀兵何足慮哉！”於是陳泰與鄧艾結爲忘年之交。艾遂將雍、涼等處之兵，每日操練；各處隘口，皆立營寨，以防不測。

Meanwhile Jiang Wei held a great feast at Zhongti, gathered his generals and discussed an expedition against Wei. The Clerk Fan Jian remonstrated: “General, you have gone out many times without winning complete success. Now, after the victory at Taoxi, the men of Wei already stand in awe of your name. Why do you want to go out again? If things should go badly, all your earlier achievements will be thrown away.” Jiang Wei said, “You only know that Wei is vast in territory and rich in people and cannot be taken quickly. You do not know that there are five reasons why an attack on Wei can succeed.”

卻說姜維在鍾提大設筵宴，會集諸將，商議伐魏之事。令史樊建諫曰：“將軍屢出，未獲全功；今日洮西之捷，魏人已服威名，何故又欲出也？萬一不利，前功盡棄。”維曰：“汝等只知魏國地寬人廣，急不可得；卻不知攻魏者有五可勝。”

When they asked what these were, Jiang Wei answered, “After that one defeat at Taoxi, their keen spirit is completely broken, while our troops, though they withdrew, suffered no losses. If we advance now, that is the first reason we can win. Our troops advance by boat and will not be worn out, while theirs must all come to meet us over dry land. That is the second reason we can win. Our troops are men who have long been trained, while theirs are a rabble who have never known discipline. That is the third. Our troops will go out by Mount Qi and live on the autumn grain we seize. That is the fourth.

衆問之，維答曰：“彼洮西一敗，挫盡銳氣，吾兵雖退，不曾損折：今若進兵，一可勝也。吾兵船載而進，不致勞困，彼兵皆從旱地來迎：二可勝也。吾兵久經訓練之衆，彼皆烏合之徒，不曾有法度：三可勝也。吾兵自出祁山，掠抄秋谷爲食：四可勝也。

Their troops must each guard their own posts, so their strength is divided, while ours will go all together to one place. How can they come to the rescue? That is the fifth reason we can win. If we do not attack Wei now, what day are we waiting for?” Xiahou Ba said, “Deng Ai may be young, but his schemes are deep and far-reaching. He has lately been appointed General Who Pacifies the West and is sure to have made preparations everywhere. It will not be as it was before.” Jiang Wei said sharply, “Why should I fear him? Stop puffing up the enemy’s spirit and belittling our own might!

彼兵須各守備，軍力分開，吾兵一處而去，彼安能救：五可勝也。不在此時伐魏，更待何日耶？”夏侯霸曰：“艾年雖幼，而機謀深遠；近封爲安西將軍之職，必於各處準備，非同往日矣。”維厲聲曰：“吾何畏彼哉！公等休長他人銳氣，滅自己威風！

My mind is made up. We will take Longxi first.” No one dared to object. Jiang Wei led the front division himself and ordered the other generals to follow, and so the whole Shu army left Zhongti and pressed on toward Mount Qi. Scouts reported that the Wei army had already set up nine stockaded camps at Mount Qi. Jiang Wei did not believe it. He took a few horsemen and climbed to a height to look, and indeed the nine camps at Mount Qi were laid out like a long snake, head and tail each able to support the other. Jiang Wei turned to those around him and said, “What Xiahou Ba said was no lie.

吾意已決，必先取隴西。”衆不敢諫。維自領前部，令衆將隨後而進，於是蜀兵盡離鍾提，殺奔祁山來。哨馬報說魏兵已先在祁山立下九個寨柵。維不信，引數騎憑高望之，果見祁山九寨勢如長蛇，首尾相顧。維回顧左右曰：“夏侯霸之言，信不誣矣。

The layout of these camps is superb. Only my master, Chancellor Zhuge, could have done this, and now, judging by what Deng Ai has done, he is no less able than my master.” He went back to his own camp and summoned his generals. “Since the men of Wei are prepared, they must know we are coming. I reckon Deng Ai himself must be here. You are to put up my banners as a sham and pitch camp at the mouth of this valley. Every day send out a hundred or more horsemen to scout, and every time they go out, have them change their clothes and armour and their flags, switching in turn between the banners of the five directions—green, yellow, red, white and black.

此寨形勢絕妙。止吾師諸葛丞相能之；今觀鄧艾所爲，不在吾師之下。”遂回本寨。喚諸將曰：“魏人既有準備，必知吾來矣。吾料鄧艾必在此間。汝等可虛張吾旗號，據此谷口下寨；每日令百餘騎出哨，每出哨一回，換一番衣甲、旗號，按青、黃、赤、白、黑五方旗幟相換。

Meanwhile I will lead the main army secretly out by way of Dongting and go straight on to fall on Nanan by surprise.” So he ordered Bao Su to camp with his troops at the mouth of the valley at Mount Qi, while he himself led the whole main army off toward Nanan.

吾卻提大兵偷出董亭，徑襲南安去也。”遂令鮑素屯兵於祁山谷口。維盡率大兵，望南安進發。

Now Deng Ai, knowing that the Shu army had come out to Mount Qi, had camped early with Chen Tai and made his preparations. He saw that for days on end the Shu troops did not come to offer battle, but five times a day scouts rode out of their camp, went ten or fifteen li and came back. When Deng Ai had watched from a height, he hurried into the tent and said to Chen Tai, “Jiang Wei is not here. He must have gone by way of Dongting to fall on Nanan. The scouts leaving the camp are only these same few horses.

卻說鄧艾知蜀兵出祁山，早與陳泰下寨準備；見蜀兵連日不來搦戰，一日五番哨馬出寨，或十里或十五里而回。艾憑高望畢，慌入帳與陳泰曰：“姜維不在此間，必取董亭襲南安去了。出寨哨馬只是這幾匹。

They keep changing their clothes and armour and riding back and forth to scout, and the horses are all exhausted. Whoever commands there must be a man of no ability. General Chen, take an army and attack them, and their camp can be broken. Once you have broken their stockade, lead your troops to strike the road to Dongting and cut off Jiang Wei’s rear first. I will lead an army ahead to relieve Nanan and go straight to seize Mount Wucheng. If I take that height first, Jiang Wei is bound to make for Shanggui. At Shanggui there is a valley called Duan Valley, narrow and hemmed in by steep hills—just right for an ambush.

更換衣甲，往來哨探，其馬皆睏乏，主將必無能者。陳將軍可引一軍攻之，其寨可破也。破了寨柵，便引兵襲董亭之路，先斷姜維之後。吾當先引一軍救南安，徑取武城山。若先佔此山頭，姜維必取上邽。上邽有一谷，名曰段谷，地狹山險，正好埋伏。

When they come to fight for Mount Wucheng, I will already have two forces lying in ambush in Duan Valley, and we are certain to defeat Jiang Wei.” Chen Tai said, “I have guarded Longxi for twenty or thirty years, yet I have never understood its terrain so clearly. What you say is truly a divine calculation! Go quickly; I will attack the camp here myself.” So Deng Ai led his army through the night by forced marches at double speed, straight to Mount Wucheng. He had finished pitching camp and still the Shu army had not arrived.

彼來爭武城山時，吾先伏兩軍於段谷，破維必矣。”泰曰：“吾守隴西二三十年，未嘗如此明察地理。公之所言，真神算也！公可速去，吾自攻此處寨柵。”於是鄧艾引軍星夜倍道而行，徑到武城山；下寨已畢，蜀兵未到。

He at once ordered his son Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan, Colonel of his Personal Guard, each to take five thousand troops and go ahead to lie in ambush in Duan Valley, telling them exactly what to do. The two men received their instructions and left. Deng Ai had the banners furled and the drums silenced to await the Shu army. Now Jiang Wei, coming from Dongting toward Nanan, reached the foot of Mount Wucheng and said to Xiahou Ba, “Near Nanan there is a mountain called Mount Wucheng. If we take it first, we can seize the advantage over Nanan.

即令子鄧忠，與帳前校尉師纂，各引五千兵，先去段谷埋伏，如此如此而行。二人受計而去。艾令偃旗息鼓，以待蜀兵。卻說姜維從董亭望南安而來，至武城山前，謂夏侯霸曰：“近南安有一山，名武城山；若先得了，可奪南安之勢。

But I fear Deng Ai, with all his cunning, will have taken precautions first.” As he hesitated, a bombard suddenly sounded on the mountain. Shouts shook the air, drums and horns sounded together, and banners rose up everywhere—all of them Wei troops. In the middle a yellow flag streamed in the wind, bearing the name Deng Ai in large characters. The Shu troops were greatly alarmed. Crack troops charged down from several places on the mountain with irresistible force, and the front army was badly defeated. By the time Jiang Wei hurried up with the men and horses of the centre army to the rescue, the Wei troops had already withdrawn.

只恐鄧艾多謀，必先提防。”正疑慮間，忽然山上一聲炮響，喊聲大震，鼓角齊鳴，旌旗遍豎，皆是魏兵；中央風飄起一黃旗，大書鄧艾字樣。蜀兵大驚。山上數處精兵殺下，勢不可當，前軍大敗。維急率中軍人馬去救時，魏兵已退。

Jiang Wei came right up to the foot of Mount Wucheng and challenged Deng Ai to battle, but the Wei troops on the mountain would not come down at all. Jiang Wei had his soldiers hurl insults at them. Toward evening, just as he was about to withdraw, the drums and horns sounded together on the mountain, yet again no Wei troops came down. Jiang Wei wanted to charge up the mountain, but the stones hurled from above were too thick and he could not advance. He held his ground until the third watch, and when he was about to go back, the drums and horns sounded on the mountain once more. Jiang Wei moved his troops down below the mountain and camped there.

維直來武城山下搦鄧艾戰，山上魏兵並不下來。維令軍士辱罵。至晚，方欲退軍，山上鼓角齊鳴，卻又不見魏兵下來。維欲上山衝殺，山上炮石甚嚴，不能得進。守至三更，欲回，山上鼓角又鳴，維移兵下山屯紮。

He had ordered his troops to bring timber and stones, and they were just about to set them up as a camp when the drums and horns sounded again on the mountain and the Wei troops swept down on them. The Shu troops were thrown into great confusion, trampled one another and fell back to their old camp. The next day Jiang Wei ordered his soldiers to bring the wagons of grain and fodder up to Mount Wucheng and link them together in rows, meaning to set up a stockade and make a camp for his troops. At the second watch that night Deng Ai sent five hundred men, each carrying a torch, down the mountain by two paths to set fire to the wagons. The two armies fought in confusion all night long, and once again the camp could not be built.

比及令軍搬運木石，方欲豎立爲寨，山上鼓角又鳴，魏兵驟至。蜀兵大亂，自相踐踏，退回舊寨。次日，姜維令軍士運糧草車仗，至武城山，穿連排定，欲立起寨柵，以爲屯兵之計。是夜二更，鄧艾令五百人，各執火把，分兩路下山，放火燒車仗。兩兵混殺了一夜，營寨又立不成。

Jiang Wei withdrew his troops again and conferred once more with Xiahou Ba. “Since we have not taken Nanan, we had better take Shanggui first. Shanggui is where Nanan stores its grain. If we take Shanggui, Nanan will be in danger of itself.” So he left Xiahou Ba to hold Mount Wucheng, and taking all his best troops and bravest generals, went straight for Shanggui. They marched all night, and as dawn was about to break, he saw that the hills were narrow and steep and the road rugged. He asked the guide, “What is this place called?”

維復引兵退，再與夏侯霸商議曰：“南安未得，不如先取上邽。上邽乃南安屯糧之所；若得上邽，南安自危矣。”遂留霸屯於武城山，維盡引精兵猛將，徑取上邽。行了一宿，將及天明，見山勢狹峻，道路崎嶇，乃問嚮導官曰：“此處何名？”

“Duan Valley,” he answered. Jiang Wei was greatly alarmed. “That is an ill-omened name. Duan Valley sounds like duan gu, ‘the valley cut off.’ If someone should cut off the mouth of the valley, what could we do?” As he hesitated, unable to decide, the front army suddenly sent word: “Great clouds of dust are rising behind the hills. There must be an ambush.” Jiang Wei hastily ordered a retreat. The two forces of Shi Zuan and Deng Zhong charged out, and as Jiang Wei fought and fled, shouts rang out ahead of him and Deng Ai came charging up with his troops. Attacked from three sides at once, the Shu army was badly defeated.

答曰：“段谷。”維大驚曰：“其名不美：段谷者，斷谷也。倘有人斷其谷口，如之奈何？”正躊躇未決，忽前軍來報：“山後塵頭大起，必有伏兵。”維急令退兵。師纂、鄧忠兩軍殺出，維且戰且走，前面喊聲大震，鄧艾引兵殺到：三路夾攻，蜀兵大敗。

Fortunately Xiahou Ba came charging up with his troops, and only then did the Wei troops withdraw. Xiahou Ba rescued Jiang Wei, who wanted to go back to Mount Qi, but Xiahou Ba said, “The camp at Mount Qi has already been smashed by Chen Tai. Bao Su was killed in battle, and all the men and horses of the camp have fallen back to Hanzhong.” Jiang Wei did not dare make for Dongting, but hurried back along remote mountain byways. Deng Ai pursued hard behind, so Jiang Wei sent the other troops on ahead and covered the rear himself. As they were marching, an army suddenly burst out of the hills. It was the Wei general Chen Tai.

幸得夏侯霸引兵殺到，魏兵方退，救了姜維，欲再往祁山。霸曰：“祁山寨已被陳泰打破，鮑素陣亡，全寨人馬皆退回漢中去了。”維不敢取董亭，急投山僻小路而回。後面鄧艾急追，維令諸軍前進，自爲斷後。正行之際，忽然山中一軍突出，乃魏將陳泰也。

With a great shout the Wei troops surrounded Jiang Wei and trapped him in their midst. Jiang Wei’s men and horses were exhausted; they charged left and dashed right but could not break out. Zhang Ni, the General Who Sweeps Away Bandits, heard that Jiang Wei was trapped and fought his way into the thick of the encirclement with a few hundred horsemen. Jiang Wei took advantage of this to cut his way out. Zhang Ni was shot dead by a hail of Wei arrows. Having escaped the encirclement, Jiang Wei returned to Hanzhong. Moved by Zhang Ni’s loyalty and courage in dying in the king’s service, he sent up a memorial asking that honours be conferred on his sons and grandsons.

魏兵一聲喊起，將姜維困在垓心。維人馬睏乏，左衝右突，不能得出。蕩寇將軍張嶷，聞姜維受困，引數百騎殺入重圍。維因乘勢殺出。嶷被魏兵亂箭射死。維得脫重圍，復回漢中，因感張嶷忠勇，歿於王事，乃表贈其子孫。

So many Shu officers and men had been killed in battle that everyone laid the blame on Jiang Wei. Following the precedent the Martial Marquis had set after Jieting, Jiang Wei sent up a memorial demoting himself to General of the Rear, while carrying out the duties of Grand General.

於是，蜀中將士多有陣亡者，皆歸罪於姜維。維照武侯街亭舊例，乃上表自貶爲後將軍，行大將軍事。

Meanwhile Deng Ai, seeing that the Shu troops had all withdrawn, held a banquet with Chen Tai to celebrate and richly rewarded the three armies. Chen Tai reported Deng Ai’s merit in a memorial, and Sima Zhao sent an envoy bearing the staff of authority to raise Deng Ai’s rank and title and bestow a seal and ribbon on him, and also made his son Deng Zhong a village marquis. At this time Cao Mao, the Ruler of Wei, changed the third year of Zhengyuan to the first year of Ganlu. Sima Zhao made himself Commander-in-Chief of all the armies of the realm. Whenever he went in or out, he was always surrounded front and rear by three thousand armoured veterans as his guard. He did not report any business to the court, but settled everything at his ministerial residence. From then on he constantly harboured the ambition to usurp the throne.

卻說鄧艾見蜀兵退盡，乃與陳泰設宴相賀，大賞三軍。泰表鄧艾之功，司馬昭遣使持節，加艾官爵，賜印綬；並封其子鄧忠爲亭侯。時魏主曹髦，改正元三年爲甘露元年。司馬昭自爲天下兵馬大都督，出入常令三千鐵甲驍將前後簇擁，以爲護衛；一應事務，不奏朝廷，就於相府裁處：自此常懷篡逆之心。

He had a trusted confidant whose surname was Jia, personal name Chong and courtesy name Gonglu, a son of the late General Who Establishes Might, Jia Kui, and Chief Clerk in Sima Zhao’s residence. Jia Chong said to Sima Zhao, “My lord, you now hold supreme power in your hands, but the hearts of the people everywhere are surely not yet at ease. You should first make secret inquiries, and then take your time planning the great enterprise.” Sima Zhao said, “That is just what I intend. You shall go east for me. Just give out that you are going to reward the troops on campaign, and find out how things stand.”

有一心腹人，姓賈，名充，字公閭，乃故建威將軍賈逵之子，爲昭府下長史。充語昭曰：“今主公掌握大柄，四方人心必然未安；且當暗訪，然後徐圖大事。”昭曰：“吾正欲如此。汝可爲我東行。只推慰勞出征軍士爲名，以探消息。”

Jia Chong received his orders and went straight to Huainan, where he called on Zhuge Dan, the Senior General Who Guards the East. Zhuge Dan, whose courtesy name was Gongxiu, was a man of Nanyang in Langya and a younger kinsman of the Martial Marquis. He had long served Wei, but because the Martial Marquis was Chancellor in Shu he had not been given important posts. After the Martial Marquis died, Zhuge Dan held one high office after another in Wei, was made Marquis of Gaoping and was given command of all the armies of the two Huai regions. That day Jia Chong, on the pretext of rewarding the troops, came to Huainan and saw Zhuge Dan.

賈充領命，徑到淮南，入見鎮東大將軍諸葛誕。誕字公休，乃琅琊南陽人，即武侯之族弟也；向事於魏，因武侯在蜀爲相，因此不得重用；後武侯身亡，誕在魏歷任重職，封高平侯。總攝兩淮軍馬。當日，賈充託名勞軍，至淮南見諸葛誕。

Zhuge Dan held a banquet in his honour. When the wine had gone halfway round, Jia Chong sounded him out: “Lately all the worthy men of Luoyang have been saying that our sovereign is weak and unfit to rule. The Grand General Sima’s family has supported the state for three generations, and their merit and virtue fill the heavens. They could well receive the abdication and take over the line of Wei. I wonder what your esteemed opinion is.” Zhuge Dan was furious. “You are the son of Jia, Imperial Protector of Yu Province, and your family has eaten the bread of Wei for generations. How dare you utter such seditious words!” Jia Chong apologized: “I was only passing on to you what others are saying.”

誕設宴待之。酒至半酣，充以言挑誕曰：“近來洛陽諸賢，皆以主上懦弱，不堪爲君。司馬大將軍三輩輔國，功德彌天，可以禪代魏統。未審鈞意若何？”誕大怒曰：“汝乃賈豫州之子，世食魏祿，安敢出此亂言！”充謝曰：“某以他人之言告公耳。”

Zhuge Dan said, “If the court is in danger, I will repay it with my life.” Jia Chong fell silent. The next day he took his leave and went back to Sima Zhao, to whom he told the whole story in detail. Sima Zhao was furious. “How dare that rat do such a thing!” Jia Chong said, “Zhuge Dan has won the hearts of the people in Huainan. If he is left alone for long, he is sure to become a menace. You should get rid of him quickly.”

誕曰：“朝廷有難，吾當以死報之。”充默然，次日辭歸，見司馬昭細言其事。昭大怒曰：“鼠輩安敢如此！”充曰：“誕在淮南，深得人心，久必爲患，可速除之。”

So Sima Zhao secretly sent a confidential letter to Yue Chen, the Imperial Protector of Yang Province, and at the same time dispatched an envoy with an edict summoning Zhuge Dan to court as Minister of Works. When Zhuge Dan received the edict, he knew at once that Jia Chong had denounced him, and he had the envoy seized and questioned under torture. The envoy said, “Yue Chen knows about this.” “How does he come to know?” Zhuge Dan asked. The envoy said, “General Sima has already sent men to Yang Province to deliver a secret letter to Yue Chen.” Zhuge Dan, in a rage, shouted to his attendants to behead the envoy, then raised a thousand of his own troops and set off to attack the seat of Yang Province.

昭遂暗發密書與揚州刺史樂綝。一面遣使齎詔徵誕爲司空。誕得了詔書，已知是賈充告變，遂捉來使拷問。使者曰：“此事樂綝知之。”誕曰：“他如何得知？”使者曰：“司馬將軍已令人到揚州送密書與樂綝矣。”誕大怒，叱左右斬了來使，遂起部下兵千人，殺奔揚州來。

As they drew near the south gate, they found the city gate already shut and the drawbridge raised. Zhuge Dan called out at the foot of the wall for the gate to be opened, but not one man on the wall answered. Zhuge Dan was furious. “That wretch Yue Chen—how dare he!” He ordered his officers and men to storm the city. A dozen or more of his bold horsemen dismounted, crossed the moat, leapt up onto the wall, cut down and scattered the soldiers there and threw the city gate wide open. So Zhuge Dan led his troops into the city, set fires with the wind behind them, and fought his way to Yue Chen’s house.

將至南門，城門已閉，吊橋拽起。誕在城下叫門，城上並無一人回答。誕大怒曰：“樂綝匹夫，安敢如此！”遂令將士打城。手下十餘驍騎，下馬渡壕，飛身上城，殺散軍士，大開城門，於是諸葛誕引兵入城，乘風放火，殺至綝家。

Yue Chen hurried up into a tower to escape. Zhuge Dan went up after him, sword in hand, and roared, “Your father Yue Jin received great favour from the state of Wei in days gone by! Instead of thinking to repay it, you want to side with Sima Zhao!” Before Yue Chen could reply, Zhuge Dan killed him. Then on the one hand he drew up a memorial listing Sima Zhao’s crimes and sent men to present it at Luoyang; on the other, he gathered more than a hundred thousand households from the military farms of the two Huai regions, together with over forty thousand troops who had newly surrendered in Yang Province, stockpiled fodder and grain, and prepared to advance. He also ordered his Chief Clerk, Wu Gang, to take his son Zhuge Jing to Wu as a hostage and ask for help, determined to join forces with them to punish Sima Zhao.

綝慌上樓避之。誕提劍上樓，大喝曰：“汝父樂進，昔日受魏國大恩！不思報本，反欲順司馬昭耶！”綝未及回言，爲誕所殺。一面具表數司馬昭之罪，使人申奏洛陽；一面大聚兩淮屯田戶口十餘萬，並揚州新降兵四萬餘人，積草屯糧，準備進兵；又令長史吳綱，送子諸葛靚入吳爲質求援，務要合兵誅討司馬昭。

At this time in Eastern Wu the Chancellor Sun Jun had died of illness, and his cousin Sun Chen was running the government. Sun Chen, whose courtesy name was Zitong, was a violent and overbearing man. He had killed the Grand Marshal Teng Yin and the generals Lü Ju, Wang Dun and others, and so all power had come into his hands. Sun Liang, the Ruler of Wu, was intelligent, but there was nothing he could do. So Wu Gang took Zhuge Jing to Shitoucheng and went in to pay his respects to Sun Chen. When Sun Chen asked why he had come, Wu Gang said, “Zhuge Dan is a younger kinsman of Zhuge, the Martial Marquis of Shu Han, and has long served the state of Wei. Now he sees Sima Zhao deceiving his sovereign and defying those above him, deposing rulers and abusing power. He wants to raise an army to punish him, but his strength is not enough, so he has come especially to submit to you.

此時東吳丞相孫峻病亡，從弟孫綝輔政。綝字子通，爲人強暴，殺大司馬滕胤、將軍呂據、王惇等，因此權柄皆歸於綝。吳主孫亮，雖然聰明，無可奈何。於是吳綱將諸葛靚至石頭城，入拜孫綝。綝問其故，綱曰：“諸葛誕乃蜀漢諸葛武侯之族弟也，向事魏國；今見司馬昭欺君罔上，廢主弄權，欲興師討之，而力不及，故特來歸降。

Fearing that his word alone might not be trusted, he has sent his own son, Zhuge Jing, as a hostage. I humbly beg you to send troops to help him.” Sun Chen granted his request. He appointed the senior generals Quan Yi and Quan Duan as commanders, Yu Quan to bring up the rear, Zhu Yi and Tang Zi as the vanguard and Wen Qin as guide, and raised seventy thousand troops, who advanced in three divisions. Wu Gang went back to Shouchun and reported to Zhuge Dan, who was delighted and drew up his troops in readiness. Meanwhile, when Zhuge Dan’s memorial reached Luoyang, Sima Zhao read it in a rage and wanted to go and punish him in person.

誠恐無憑，專送親子諸葛靚爲質。伏望發兵相助。”綝從其請，便遣大將全懌、全端爲主將，於詮爲合後，朱異、唐咨爲先鋒，文欽爲嚮導，起兵七萬，分三隊而進。吳綱回壽春報知諸葛誕。誕大喜，遂陳兵準備。卻說諸葛誕表文到洛陽，司馬昭見了大怒，欲自往討之。

Jia Chong remonstrated: “My lord, you have inherited the foundations laid by your father and brother, but your grace and virtue have not yet reached the whole land. If you leave the Son of Heaven behind and go, and something should suddenly happen, what good would regret do then? It would be better to petition the Empress Dowager and the Son of Heaven to take the field with you. Then you can be sure of safety.” Sima Zhao said, pleased, “That is exactly what I had in mind.” He went in and addressed the Empress Dowager: “Zhuge Dan has rebelled. I have consulted with the civil and military officials and we have agreed: I beg the Empress Dowager to go on campaign in person together with the Son of Heaven, to carry on the wishes left by the late Emperor.”

賈充諫曰：“主公乘父兄之基業，恩德未及四海，今棄天子而去，若一朝有變，悔之何及？不如奏請太后及天子一同出征，可保無虞。”昭喜曰：“此言正合吾意。”遂入奏太后曰：“諸葛誕謀反，臣與文武官僚，計議停當：請太后同天子御駕親征，以繼先帝之遺意。”

The Empress Dowager was afraid and had no choice but to agree. The next day Sima Zhao asked Cao Mao, the Ruler of Wei, to set out. Cao Mao said, “The Grand General commands all the armies of the realm and can deploy them as he pleases. Why must We go in person?” Sima Zhao said, “Not so. In the past the Martial Ancestor swept across the four seas, and Emperor Wen and Emperor Ming had the ambition to embrace the universe and the resolve to swallow up the eight directions. Whenever they faced a great enemy, they always went in person. Your Majesty should follow in the footsteps of your forebears and sweep away the lingering evil.

太后畏懼，只得從之。次日，昭請魏主曹髦起程。髦曰：“大將軍都督天下軍馬，任從調遣，何必朕自行也？”昭曰：“不然。昔日武祖縱橫四海，文帝、明帝有包括宇宙之志，併吞八荒之心，凡遇大敵，必須自行。陛下正宜追配先君，掃清故孽。

Why should you be afraid?” Cao Mao, in awe of his power, had no choice but to agree. Sima Zhao then issued an edict raising all the troops of the two capitals, two hundred and sixty thousand in all. He appointed Wang Ji, General Who Guards the South, as Vanguard; Chen Qian, General Who Pacifies the East, as Deputy Vanguard; the Army Supervisor Shi Bao to lead the left army; and Zhou Tai, Imperial Protector of Yan Province, to lead the right army, to guard the imperial carriage. In a vast, surging host they marched on Huainan.

何自畏也？”髦畏威權，只得從之。昭遂下詔，盡起兩都之兵二十六萬，命鎮南將軍王基爲正先鋒，安東將軍陳騫爲副先鋒，監軍石苞爲左軍，兗州刺史州泰爲右軍，保護車駕，浩浩蕩蕩，殺奔淮南而來。

Zhu Yi, the vanguard of Eastern Wu, led his troops to meet the enemy. When the two armies had drawn up facing each other, Wang Ji rode out from the Wei ranks and Zhu Yi came out to meet him. Before they had fought three bouts Zhu Yi was beaten and fled. Tang Zi rode out, and before they had fought three bouts he too was badly beaten and fled. Wang Ji drove his troops forward to cut down the fleeing enemy, and the Wu army, badly defeated, fell back fifty li to make camp and sent word into the city of Shouchun. Zhuge Dan himself led the crack troops of his own command, joined forces with Wen Qin and his two sons Wen Yang and Wen Hu, and with an army of tens of thousands of fierce soldiers came out to fight Sima Zhao.

東吳先鋒朱異，引兵迎敵。兩軍對圓，魏軍中王基出馬，朱異來迎。戰不三合，朱異敗走：唐咨出馬，戰不三合，亦大敗而走。王基驅兵掩殺，吳兵大敗，退五十里下寨，報入壽春城中。諸葛誕自引本部銳兵，會合文欽並二子文鴦、文虎，雄兵數萬，來敵司馬昭。

Indeed:
Just as the keen spirit of the Wu troops is seen to fail,
Another Wei general comes on with his mighty host.
Who won and who lost will be told in the next chapter.

正是：方見吳兵銳氣墮，又看魏將勁兵來。
未知勝負如何，且看下文分解。