And the messenger said, “It is a rule in Wei that if a city holds out against attack for a hundred days and reinforcement has not arrived, then its commander may surrender without penalty to his family. Now Xincheng has held out for over ninety days, and my master hopes you will allow him to withstand the few days necessary to complete the hundred, when he will yield. Here are all register documents that he desires to tender first.”
Zhuge Ke had no doubts that the story was genuine. He ordered the army to retreat temporarily, and the defenders enjoyed a rest. But all Zhang Te really desired was time wherein to strengthen the weak angle of the wall. As soon as the attacks ceased, the defenders pulled down the houses near the corner and repaired the
wall with the material.
As soon as the repairs were complete, Zhang Te threw off all pretense and cried from the wall, “I have half a year's provisions yet and will not surrender to any curs of Wu.”
The defense became as vigorous as before the truce. Zhuge Ke was enraged at being so tricked, and urged on the attack. But one day one of the thousands of arrows that flew from the rampart struck him in the forehead, and he fell. He was borne to his tent, but the wound inflamed, and he became very ill.
Their leader's illness disheartened the troops, and, moreover, the weather became very hot. Sickness invaded the camp, so that soldiers and leaders alike wished to go home. When Zhuge Ke had recovered sufficiently to resume command, he urged on the attack, but the generals said, “The soldiers are sick and unfit for battle.”
Zhuge Ke burst into fierce anger, and said, “The next person who mentions illness will be beheaded.”
When the report of this threat got abroad, the soldiers began to desert freely. Presently Commander Cai Lin, with his whole company, went over to the enemy. Zhuge Ke began to be alarmed and rode through the camps to see for himself. Surely enough, the soldiers all looked sickly, with pale and puffy faces.
The siege had to be raised, and Zhuge Ke retired into his own country. But scout brought the news of retreat to Guanqiu Jian who led the Wei grand army to follow and harass Zhuge Ke's march and inflicted a severe defeat.
Mortified by the course of events, Zhuge Ke did not report his return to the Ruler of Wu, but pretended illness.
Sun Liang, the Ruler of Wu, went to the residence to see his general, and the officers came to call. In order to silence comment, Zhuge Ke assumed an attitude of extreme severity, investigating every one's conduct very minutely, punishing rigorously any fault or shortcoming and meting out sentences of banishment, or death with exposure, till every one walked in terror. He also placed two of his own cliques — Zhang Yue and Zhu En — over the royal guards, making them the teeth and claws of his vengeance.
Now Sun Jun was a son of Sun Gong and a great grandson of Sun Jing, brother of Sun Jian. Sun Quan loved him and had put him in command of the guards. Sun Jun was enraged at being superseded by Zhang Yue and Zhu En, the two creatures of Zhuge Ke.
Minister Teng Yin, who had an old quarrel with Zhuge Ke, said to Sun Jun, “This Zhuge Ke is as cruel as he is powerful. He abuses his authority and no one is safe against him. I also think he is aiming at something yet higher and you, Sir, as one of the ruling family ought to put a stop to it.”
“I agree with you, and I want to get rid of him,” replied Sun Jun. “Now I will obtain an edict condemning him to death.”
Both went in to see the Ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, and they laid the matter before him.
“I am afraid of him, too,” replied Sun Liang. “I have wanted to remove him for some time, but have found no opportunity. If you would prove your loyalty, you would do it for me.”
Then said Teng Yin, “Your Majesty can give a banquet and invite him, and let a few braves be ready hidden behind the curtains. At a signal, as the dropping of a wine cup, they might jump out and slay him, and
all further trouble would be avoided.”
Sun Liang agreed.
Zhuge Ke had never been to court since his return from the unfortunate expedition. Under a plea of indisposition he had remained moping at home. One day he was going out of his reception room when he suddenly saw coming in a person dressed in the mourning white.
“Who are you?” said he, rather roughly.
The person seemed too terror-stricken to reply or resist when he was seized. They questioned him, and he said, “I was in mourning for my father newly dead, and had come into the city to seek a priest to read the liturgy. I had entered by mistake, thinking it was a temple.”
The gate wardens were questioned. They said, “There are scores of us at the gate, which is never unwatched. We have not seen a man enter.”
Zhuge Ke raged and had the mourner and the gate wardens put to death. But that night he was restless and sleepless. By and by he heard a rending sound that seemed to come from the reception hall, so he arose and went to see what it was. The great main beam had broken in two.
