So they bound the King securely, took him down to the river, and crossed in a boat to the northern bank. There they halted while they sent a messenger to Zhuge Liang.
Now Zhuge Liang knew what had been happening, and he had issued orders for every camp to prepare their weapons. All being ready, he told the chiefs to bring up their prisoner, and bade the others return to their camps. Dongtu Na went first and told the matter to Zhuge Liang, who praised his zeal and gave him presents. Then he retired with the chiefs, and the executioners brought in Meng Huo. “You said once before that if you were captured again, you would give in,” said Zhuge Liang, smiling. “Now will you yield?”
“This capture is not your work,” replied Meng Huo. “It is the work of these minions of mine who want to hurt me. I will not yield on this.”
“If I free you again, what then?”
“I am only a Mang, I know, but I am not wholly ignorant of war. If you, O Minister, let me return to my ravines, I will muster another army and fight a decisive battle with you. If you capture me again, then I will incline my heart and own myself beaten and yield. I will not go back on my promise again.”
“If you refuse to yield next time you are captured, I shall hardly pardon you.”
At Zhuge Liang's orders the cords were loosed and refreshments were brought for the prisoner.
“Remember,” said Zhuge Liang, “I have never failed yet. I have never failed to win a battle or to take a city I have assaulted. Why do you Mangs not yield?”
Meng Huo only nodded his head; he said nothing. After the wine, Zhuge Liang and Meng Huo rode round the camps together, and the King saw all the arrangements and the piles of stores and heaps of weapons.
And after the inspection Zhuge Liang said, “You are silly not to yield to me. You see my veteran soldiers, my able generals, my stores of all kinds and war gear; how can you hope to prevail against me? If you will yield, I will inform the Emperor, and you shall retain your kingship, and your sons and grandsons shall succeed as perpetual guardians of the Mang country. Do you not think it would be well?”
Meng Huo replied, “If I did yield, the people of my valleys would not be content. If you release me once more, I will see to it that my own people keep the peace and bring them round to unanimity of feeling, and then they will not oppose any more.”
Zhuge Liang was glad, and they returned to the main camp to feast until dusk, when Meng Huo took his leave. Zhuge Liang ordered a craft and went to see him across River Lu.
But Meng Huo's first act on his return to his own camp was to send one of his people to Dongtu Na's and Ahui Nan's camps, and pretend to ask them to come to meet a messenger from Zhuge Liang. When the two generals came, Meng Huo ordered assassins who had been placed hidden to do away with the two leaders. Their corpses were thrown into a gully. Then he sent his friends to guard the most important strategic points, while he marched to fight a battle with Ma Dai. But when he got near the valley, he saw no signs of the enemy, and, on questioning an inhabitant, he heard that the Shu army, with all their stores, had recrossed the river and joined the main body in the northern bank.
Meng Huo then returned to his own ravine and discussed matters with his brother, Meng You, saying, “I know all the details of the enemy's force from what I saw in their camp.”
And Meng Huo gave his brother certain instructions, which Meng You at once began to carry out. Meng You loaded a hundred men with gold and jewels and pearls and ivory and rhinoceros horn, crossed River Lu, and was on his way to the main camp of the Shu army, when he heard the sound of drums and a cohort under Ma Dai poured out to stop him. Meng You did not expect to meet an enemy, and was surprised. But Ma Dai only asked what he had come for. And when he had heard, Meng You was detained while a message was sent to Zhuge Liang. The messenger arrived while a council was in progress, the matter under discussion being how to reduce the Mangs. When the messenger had announced that Meng You had come bearing gifts of gold and pearls and such things, Zhuge Liang turned to Ma Su, saying, “Know you why this man has come?”
“I dare not say plainly; but let me write it,” said Ma Su.
“Write it, then.”
So Ma Su wrote and handed the paper to his chief, who had no sooner read it than he clapped his hands with joy, crying, “What you say is exactly what I think. But you may know I have already made arrangements for the capture of Meng Huo.”
Then Zhao Yun was called, and some orders were whispered into his ear. Next Wei Yan came, and he also went off with secret orders. Wang Ping, Ma Zhong, and Guan Suo also came, and left with particular instructions. All these things done, the bearer of gifts was called.
