Meanwhile the Ruler of Shu had made a long chain of forty camps from Xiaoting to the borders of the Lands of Rivers, spreading out two hundred miles. These base camps looked very imposing with their fluttering banners by day and their fires at night.
Then the spies came in and reported: “Wu appointed Lu Xun as Commander-in-Chief. Lu Xun ordered his commanders to defend strategic points and not to engage in battle.”
“What sort of a man is this Lu Xun?” said the First Ruler.
“He is a scholar among the people of Wu, and, though young, he is very talented,” replied Ma Liang. “His schemes are very deep. He was the author of the villainous and crafty plan of attack on Jingzhou.”
“His crafty scheme caused the deaths of my brothers; but now I shall have him,” said the First Ruler angrily.
He gave orders to advance. But Ma Liang ventured to remonstrate and dissuade him.
“Be very careful;” said he, “this Lu Xun is no whit inferior to Zhou Yu.”
“I have grown old in the field,” said the Emperor. “Don't you think me a match for this callow youth?”
He confirmed the order to go forward, and they attacked passes and fords and redoubts wherever they were.
Han Dang notified his chief of the movement of the Shu army, and Lu Xun, still rather dubious of the strict obedience to his orders, hastened to the point of danger. He found Han Dang on a hill surveying the enemy's force, which advanced like a great wave. Amidst the army they saw a wide yellow umbrella, and Han Dang pointed it out.
“That must be Liu Bei,” said he. “I should like to kill him.”
“Careful,” said Lu Xun. “So far he has scored victory after victory, and his soldiers are very keen and confident. Maintain a careful defense on high grounds and do not go out to battle. If you do, you will lose. Impress that upon your officers and soldiers and make them understand the strategy while you follow the enemy's moves. They are hastening into the wide open space, and I do not wish to hinder them. Nor will I accept any challenge to battle, but wait till they have moved their camps into the forest and among the trees. Then I shall have a scheme ready.”
Han Dang agreed so far as words went, but in his heart he was still ill-conditioned. When the Shu army drew near, a small force came to challenge. They shouted all sorts of abuse and hurled reproaches to put their opponents to shame, but Lu Xun took no notice and bade his troops stop their ears. He would not allow them to go out to battle, but he went from fort to redoubt, encouraging the soldiers to remain carefully on the defensive.
The First Ruler's heart burned within him at this refusal to come out to battle.
Said Ma Liang, “Lu Xun is a deep and crafty fellow. He recognizes the disadvantages of Your Majesty's troops in being far from their base, and from spring to autumn he will not come out to fight till some move occurs that he may profit by.”
“What ruse can he be contemplate?” said the First Ruler. “The real fact is that he is afraid. Their army has suffered nothing but defeat times and again. They dare not meet us.”
One day the leader of the van, Feng Xi, memorialized the First Ruler, saying, “The weather is scorching, and the troops are camped in the full glare of sun. Beside, water is scarce and hard to get.”
Thereupon orders were given to move the camps into the shade of the forest close by and near the streams till the summer heats should have passed. This order given, Feng Xi moved the camp to a retired and shady spot for his troops.
Ma Liang said, “If our soldiers move, the enemy will rush out on us and we shall be hard set.”
“I will provide for that,” said the First Ruler. “I will send Wu Ban with ten thousand of our inferior troops to camp near their lines. But I will choose eight thousand of veterans and place them in ambush. Wu Ban will have orders to flee before the soldiers of Wu and lead them into my ambush if they come out, and I will cut off their retreat. We ought to capture this precocious youth.”
“A genius in plans, a marvel of prevision!” cried ail those about him as this plan was unfolded. “None of us can approach him in cleverness.”
So they felicitated their ruler.
But Ma Liang said, “They say the Prime Minister is on a tour of inspection of the defenses in the eastern portion of Shu, seeing that they are in good order against any attack on the part of Wei. Why not send him a sketch of your present dispositions of troops and ask his opinion?”
“I also am not entirely ignorant of the art of war, and I see no reason to seek advice,” was the cold reply.
“There is an old saying about hearing both sides,” said Ma Liang.
“Well, then you go round to all the camps and make a map and take it to the Prime Minister. If he finds any fault, you may come and tell me.”
So Ma Liang went, while the First Ruler busied himself with getting his army into shelter from the fierce heat of summer.
His move was no secret, and the scouts soon told Han Dang and Zhou Tai, who rejoiced at the news and soon went to tell Lu Xun.
