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〃By　this　plan　I　see　that　we　have　lost　mand　of　an　important　road。　The　camp　has　been　made　on　the　hill。　If　the　Wei　army　e　in　force；　our　army　will　be　surrounded　and　their　water　supply　interrupted。　In　two　days　the　soldiers　will　be　in　a　state　of　mutiny。　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　e　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　mand　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。　He　told　them　not　to　react　at　the　ing　of　the　Wei　army；　as　he　had　a　plan　ready　for　the　city　defense。

When　all　these　preparations　were　plete；　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　Yis　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　yaks　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。　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　Prime　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。〃

They　were　still　in　the　grip　of　fear；　but　they　praised　the　depth　of　insight　of　their　chief　and　his　mysterious　schemes　and　unfathomable　plans。

〃We　should　simply　have　run　away；〃　said　they。

〃What　could　we　have　done　with　two　thousand　five　hundred　soldiers　even　if　we　had　run？　We　should　not　have　gone　far　before　being　caught；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang。

Quite　open　lay　the　city　to　the　foe；

But　Zhuge　Liangs　lute　of　jasper　wonders　wrought；

It　turned　aside　the　legions　onward　march

For　both　the　leaders　guessed　the　others　thought。

〃But　if　I　had　been　in　Sima　Yis　place；　I　should　not　have　turned　away；〃　said　Zhuge　Liang；　smiling　and　clapping　his　hands。

He　gave　orders　that　the　people　of　the　place　should　follow　the　army　into　Hanzhong；　for　Sima　Yi　would　assuredly　return。

They　abandoned　Xicheng　and　returned　into　Hanzhong。　In　due　course　the　officials　and　soldiers　and　people　out　of　the　three　counties　also　came　in。

It　has　been　said　that　Sima　Yi　turned　aside　from　the　city。　He　went　to　Wugong　Hills。　Presently　there　came　the　sounds　of　a　Shu　army　from　behind　the　hills。

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