Then Zhuge Liang called Jiang Wei and certain others to him and said, “I do not know what to do. The enemy refuse battle, because they know we are short of food. We can get none by way of Chencang, and all other roads are very difficult. I reckon the grain we brought with us will not last a month.”
While thus perplexed, they heard that many carts of provisions for Wei were passing by from Xizhou, and the convoy was commanded by Sun Li.
“What is known of this Sun Li?” asked Zhuge Liang.
A certain man of Wei replied, “He is a bold man. Once he was out hunting with the Ruler of Wei on Great Rock Hill, and a tiger suddenly appeared in front of his master's chariot. He jumped off his horse and dispatched the beast with his sword. He was rewarded with a leadership. He is an intimate friend of Cao Zhen.”
“This is a ruse,” said Zhuge Liang. “They know we are short of food, and those carts are only a temptation. They are laden with combustibles. How can they imagine that I shall be deceived by this sort of thing, when I have fought them with fire so many times? If we go to seize the convoy, they will come and raid our camp. But I will meet ruse with ruse.”
Then Zhuge Liang sent Ma Dai with order: “You and three thousand troops are to make your way to the enemy's store camp and, when the wind serves, to start a fire. When the stores are burning, the soldiers of Wei will come to surround our camp. That is how we will provoke a battle.”
He also sent Ma Zhong and Zhang Ni with five thousand troops each to halt near the camp so that they might attack from without.
These having gone, he called Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, and said, “The outermost camp of Wei is on the main road. This night, when the enemy see a blaze, our camp will be attacked, so you two are to lie in wait on the two sides of the Wei camp and seize it when they have left.”
Calling Wu Ban and Wu Yi, he said, “You are to lie in wait outside the camp to cut off the retreat of the force of Wei.” All these arrangements made, Zhuge Liang betook himself to the summit of the Qishan Mountains to watch the results.
The soldiers of Wei heard that their enemies were coming to seize the grain convoy and ran to tell Sun Li, who sent on a message to Cao Zhen. Cao Zhen sent to the chief camp to Zhang Hu and Yue Chen and told them to look out for a signal blaze; that would mean the coming of the army of Shu, and then they were to raid the Shu camp immediately. Watchers were sent on the tower to look out for the promised blaze.
Meanwhile Sun Li marched over and hid in the west hills to await the coming of the men of Shu. That night, at the second watch, Ma Dai came with his three thousand troops all silent, the soldiers with gags, the horses with a lashing round their muzzles. They saw tier after tier of carts on the hills, making an enclosure like a walled camp, and on the carts were planted many flags.
They waited. Presently the southwest wind came up, and then they launched the fire. Soon all the carts were in a blaze that lit up the sky. Sun Li saw the blaze and could only conclude that the troops of Shu had arrived and his own side were giving the signal, so he dashed out to attack. But soon two parties of soldiers were heard behind him closing in. These were Ma Zhong and Zhang Ni, who soon had Sun Li as in a net. Then he heard a third ominous roll of drums, which heralded the approach of Ma Dai from the direction of the blaze.
Under these several attacks, the troops of Wei quailed and gave way. The fire grew more and more fierce. Soldiers ran and horses stampeded, and the dead were too many to count. Sun Li made a dash through the smoke and fire of the battle and got away.
When Zhang Hu and Yue Chen saw the fire, they threw open the gates of their camp and sallied forth to help defeat the army of Shu by seizing their camp. But when they reached the Shu camp, they found it empty. So they hurried to set out to return. That was the moment for Wu Ban and Wu Yi to appear and cut off their retreat. However, they fought bravely and got through. But when at length they reached their own camp, they were met by arrows flying thick as locusts. For Guan Xing and Zhang Bao had taken possession in their absence.
They could only set out for headquarters to report their mishap. As they neared Cao Zhen's camp, they met another remnant marching up. They were Sun Li's soldiers, and the two parties went into camp together and told the tale of their victimization. Cao Zhen thereafter looked to his defenses and attacked no more.
Thus victorious, the soldiers of Shu went to Zhuge Liang, who at once dispatched secret directions to Wei Yan. Then Zhuge Liang gave orders to break camp and retreat.
This move was not understood, and Yang Yi asked the leader, “O Minister, you have just scored a victory, and the enemy have lost their bravery; why retreat?”
