“You look at the thing like a child,” said Ma Su, laughing. “The rules of war say that when one looks down from a superior position, one easily overcomes the enemy. If they come, I will see to it that not a breastplate ever goes back again.”
“I have followed our Commander-in-Chief in many a campaign, and always he has carefully thought out his orders. Now I have studied this hill carefully, and it is a critical point. If we camp thereon and the enemy cut off our water supply, we shall have a mutiny.”
“No such thing,” said Ma Su. “Sun Zi says that victory lies in desperate positions. If they cut off our water, will not our soldiers be desperate and fight to the death? Then everyone of them will be worth a hundred. I have studied the books, and the Prime Minister has always asked my advice. Why do you presume to oppose me?”
“If you are determined to camp on the hill, then give me part of the force to camp there on the west so that I can support you in case the enemy come.” But Ma Su refused. Just then a lot of the inhabitants of the hills came running along saying that the Wei soldiers had come.
Wang Ping was still bent on going his own way, and so Ma Su said to him, “Since you will not obey me, I will give you five thousand troops and you can go and make your own camp; but when I report my success to the Prime Minister, you shall have no share of the merit.”
Wang Ping marched about three miles from the hill and made his camp. He drew a plan of the place and sent it quickly to Zhuge Liang with a report that Ma Su had camped on the hill.
Before Sima Yi marched, he sent his younger son to reconnoiter the road and to find out whether Jieting had a garrison. Sima Zhao had returned with the information that there was a garrison.
“Zhuge Liang is rather more than human,” said his father regretfully when Sima Zhao gave in his report. “He is too much for me.”
“Why are you despondent, Father? I think Jieting is not so difficult to take.”
“How dare you utter such bold words?”
“Because I have seen. There is no camp on the road, but the enemy are camped on the hill.”
This was glad news.
“If they are on the hill, then Heaven means a victory for me,” said his father.
At night Sima Yi changed into another dress, took a small escort, and rode out to see for himself. The moon shone brilliantly, and he rode to the hill whereon was the camp and looked all round it, thoroughly reconnoitering the neighborhood. Ma Su saw him, but only laughed.
“If Sima Yi has any luck, he will not try to surround this hill,” said he.
Ma Su issued an order to his generals: “In case the enemy come, you are to look to the summit for a signal with a red flag, when you shall rush down on all sides.”
Sima Yi returned to his camp and sent out to inquire who commanded in Jieting. They told him Ma Su, brother of Ma Liang.
“A man of false reputation and very ordinary ability,” said Sima Yi. “If Zhuge Liang uses such as Ma Su, he will fail.”
Then he asked if there were any other camps near the place, and they told him Wang Ping was about three miles off. Wherefore Zhang He was ordered to go and check Wang Ping from coming to rescue.
This done, Sima Yi ordered Shen Yi and Shen Dan to surround the hill and to block the road to the water supply. Lack of water would cause a mutiny; and when that occurred, it would be time to attack. Zhang He marched out and placed himself between Wang Ping and the hill. Then Sima Yi led the main body to attack the hill on all sides.
From the summit of his hill, Ma Su could see the banners of his enemy all round, and the country about was full of soldiers. Presently the hemming in was complete, and the soldiers of Shu became dejected. They dared not descend to attack although Ma Su hoisted the red flag signaling for them to move. The generals stood huddled together, no one daring to go first. Ma Su was furious. He cut down two generals, which frightened the others to the point of descending and making one desperate rush. But the troops of Wei would stand firm against their attack, and they reascended the hill.
Ma Su saw that matters were going ill, so he issued orders to bar the gates and defend till help should come from outside.
When Wang Ping saw the hill surrounded, he started to go to the rescue, but Zhang He checked him, and after exchanging some ten encounters Wang Ping was compelled to retire whence he had come.
The Wei troops kept a close siege. The Shu soldiers in the hill camp, having no water, were unable to prepare food, and disorder broke out. The shouting was audible at the foot of the hill and went on far into the night. The soldiers on the south side got out of hand, opened the gates and surrendered. The men of Wei went round the hill setting fire to the wood, which led to still greater confusion in the beleaguered garrison. At last Ma Su decided to make a dash for safety toward the west.
