Sima Yi left Shen Yi and Shen Dan to guard Liliu and marched his army toward the Xie Valley.
After Zhuge Liang had sent Ma Su to guard Jieting, his mind was constantly disturbed. Then arrived the messenger with the topography and plan prepared by Wang Ping. Zhuge Liang went over to his table and opened the letter. As he read it he smote the table in wrath.
“Ma Su's foolishness has destroyed the army!” he cried.
“Why are you so disturbed, O Minister?” asked those near.
“By this plan I see that we have lost command of an important road. The camp has been made on the hill; and if the Wei army come in force, our army will be surrounded and their water supply interrupted. In two days the soldiers will be in a state of mutiny; and if Jieting shall be lost, how shall we be able to retire?”
Here High Counselor Yang Yi said, “I am none too clever I know, but let me go to replace Ma Su.”
Zhuge Liang explained to Yang Yi how and where to camp; but before he could start, a horseman brought the news of the loss of Jieting and Liliu.
This made Zhuge Liang very sad, and he sighed, saying, “The whole scheme has come to nought, and it is my fault.”
Zhuge Liang sent for Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, and said, “Each of you takes three thousand of good soldiers and go along the road to Wugong Hills. If you fall in with the enemy, do not fight, but beat drums and raise a hubbub and make them hesitate and be doubtful, so that they may retire. Do not pursue, but when they retire, make for Yangping Pass.”
He also sent Zhang Yi to put Saber Pass in order for retreat and issued instructions for making ready to march. Ma Dai and Jiang Wei were told to guard the rear, but they were to go into ambush in the valleys till the whole army would have retreated. Trusty messengers were sent with the news to Tianshui, Nanan, and Anding that the officers, army and people might go away into Hanzhong. He also sent to remove to a place of safety in Hanzhong the aged mother of Jiang Wei.
All these arrangements made, Zhuge Liang took five thousand troops and set out for Xicheng to remove the stores.
But messenger after messenger, more than ten of them, came to report: “Sima Yi is advancing rapidly on Xicheng with an army of one hundred fifty thousand troops.”
No leader of rank was left to Zhuge Liang; he had only the civil officials and the five thousand soldiers, and as half this force had started to remove the stores, he had only two thousand five hundred left.
His officers were all frightened at the news of near approach of the enemy. Zhuge Liang himself went up on the rampart to look around. He saw clouds of dust rising into the sky. The Wei armies were nearing Xicheng along two roads.
Then he gave orders: “All the banners are to be removed and concealed. If any officer in command of soldiers in the city moves or makes any noise, he will be instantly put to death.”
Next he threw open all the gates and set twenty soldiers dressed as ordinary people cleaning the streets at each gate. When all these preparations were complete, he donned the simple Taoist dress and, attended by a couple of lads, sat down on the wall by one of the towers with his lute before him and a stick of incense burning.
Sima Yi's scouts came near the city gate and saw all this. They did not enter the city, but went back and reported what they had seen. Sima Yi smiled incredulously. But he halted his army and rode ahead himself. Lo! It was exactly as the scouts had reported; Zhuge Liang sat there, his face with all smiles as he played the lute. A lad stood on one side of him bearing a treasured sword and on the other a boy with the ordinary symbol of authority, a yak's tail. Just inside the gates a score of persons with their heads down were sweeping as if no one was about. Sima Yi hardly believed his eyes and thought this meant some peculiarly subtle ruse. So he went back to his armies, faced them about and moved toward the hills on the north.
“I am certain there are no soldiers behind this foolery,” said Sima Zhao. “What do you retire for, Father?”
Sima Yi replied, “Zhuge Liang is always most careful and runs no risks. Those open gates undoubtedly mean an ambush; and if our force enter the city, they will fall victims to his guile. How can you know? No; our course is to retire.”
Thus were the two armies turned back from the city, much to the joy of Zhuge Liang, who laughed and clapped his hands as he saw them hastening away.
The officials gasped with astonishment, and they asked, “Sima Yi is a famous general of Wei, and he was leading one hundred fifty troops. By what reason did he march off at the sight of you, O Minister?”
Zhuge Liang said, “He knows my reputation for carefulness and that I play not with danger. Seeing things as they were made him suspect an ambush, and so he turned away. I do not run risks, but this time there was no help for it. Now he will meet with Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, whom I sent away into the hills to wait for him.”
