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[Assistant] Soon thereafter, Huang Zhong got word that Xiao Shang and Han Hao were knocking on his gates, so he went out to face them. Across the line, Han Hao cursed Huang Zhong, calling him a dishonorable old traitor.


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[Assistant] And then he and Xia Housheng rolled forth to double team Huang Zhong.


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[Assistant] After about 10 bouts or so, Huang Zhong turned and fled.


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[Assistant] Xiao Shang and Han Hao gave chase for a few miles and seized Huang Zhong's camp.


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[Assistant] Once the chase ended, Huang Zhong regrouped his troops and hastily built another camp.


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[Assistant] The next day, Xiao Shang and Han Hao advanced once again, and Huang Zhong once again went out to fight them.


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[Assistant] After a few bouts, Huang Zhong once again turned and fled.


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[Assistant] And after chasing him for another few miles, they again seized his newly constructed camp.


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[Assistant] Having seized two enemy camps in two days, Xia Hou Shang and Han Hao told Zhang He to keep watch over the first one, but Zhang He came to see them and told them,


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong has retreated for two days in a row. There must be deception afoot.


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[Assistant] You are such a coward. No wonder you lost so many battles. Xiaohu Xiang admonished Zhang He.


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[Assistant] Say no more. Just watch us win more glory. Humiliated, Zhang He took his leave. The next day, the same routine played out.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong retreated another few miles, and his foes advanced some more. This repeated itself for several more days until Huang Zhong had fallen all the way back to Jiameng Pass, and the enemy was camping right outside while Huang Zhong hid behind his defenses.


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[Assistant] Meng Da, one of the officers defending the pass, now secretly sent a letter to Liu Bei, telling him what's been happening. Liu Bei asked Zhu Ge Liang what he thought of this. Zhu Ge Liang said it was a scheme by Huang Zhong to lure the enemy into complacency. But the other officers, such as Zhao Yun, remained unconvinced.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei was also concerned, so he sent his adopted son Liu Feng to Jiameng Pass to help Huang Zhong.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong asked why he was there, and Liu Feng replied.


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[Assistant] My father heard that you had suffered a string of defeats, so he sent me.


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[Assistant] That was my trick, to make the enemy overconfident. Huang Zhong explained with a smile.


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[Assistant] With one battle tonight, I shall recover all my camps and seize the enemy's provisions and horses.


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[Assistant] The camps are just on loan to the enemy, so he can restock them.


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[Assistant] Tonight, we will leave General Huo Jun to defend the path, while General Meng Da can assist me with the seizure of provisions and horses. Just wait and see.


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[Assistant] That night, around 9 o'clock, Huang Zhong led 5,000 men out of the pass and attacked. Xia Hou Shang and Han Hao, having been lured into a sense of complacency after days had passed without any movement from the enemy, were caught ill-prepared.


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[Assistant] Allowing Huang Zhong to easily storm into their camp.


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[Assistant] All the two of them could do was flee. They did not even have time to don their armor or saddle their horses.


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[Assistant] Meanwhile, their soldiers were thrown into disarray and countless died as they trampled each other.


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[Assistant] By dawn, Huang Zhong had reclaimed three camps, which contained large amounts of weapons and horses, which Meng Da dutifully transported into Jiameng Pass, while Huang Zhong continued to press his troops forward.


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[Assistant] So he pressed ahead and his men followed. When they came upon the first camp that they had given up,


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[Assistant] Zhang He, who was defending that camp, had already seen his defenses get overrun by men from his comrades' army who were running for their own lives.


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[Assistant] There was no way Zhang He could withstand an assault, so he too tucked tail and ran.


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[Assistant] He and his comrades ended up abandoning a bunch of camps and fleeing all the way to the bank of the Han River.


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[Assistant] Once they all found each other after a night of running, Zhang He said to his comrades,


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[Assistant] Mount Tian Dang is a grain storage site, and it connects to Mount Mi Cang, another grain storage. It is the lifeline for our troops in Han Zhong. If something were to happen to it, then Han Zhong would be lost. We must protect it. Mount Mi Cang is connected to Mount Ding Jun, which is defended by my uncle Xia Hou Yuan. Xia Hou Xiang said,


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[Assistant] He has sent troops to defend Mount Mi Cang, so there is no need to worry about it. As for Mount Tian Dang, it is defended by my brother Xia Hou De. Let's go join him and defend that mountain.


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[Assistant] So the three of them headed for Mt. Tian Dang with their troops and told its commander, Xia Hou De, what had happened to them.


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[Assistant] I have a hundred thousand men garrisoned here, Xia Hou De said to them. You may take them and go reclaim your camp.


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[Assistant] No, we must fortify our defenses here and not make any rash moves, Zhang He said.


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[Assistant] Just then, the sound of war drums and gongs rang out from the front of the mountain, and word came that Huang Zhong had arrived.


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[Assistant] That old scoundrel only relies on his bravery and knows nothing of the strategies of war. Xiao De laughed.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong is brave and smart. Zhang He cautioned.


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[Assistant] They have traveled a long distance, and they have exerted themselves for days, Xiaode countered. And yet, they have struck deep into the enemy's territory. That is not smart.


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[Assistant] Still, we must not underestimate the enemy. Zhang He again cautioned, it is best to just defend. But the officer Han Hao disagreed.


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[Assistant] Give me 3,000 crack troops to strike at the enemy. Victory will be guaranteed, he said.


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[Assistant] Xia Ho De agreed and sent Han Hao down the mountain with the troops he requested.


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[Assistant] Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, Huang Zhong lined up his men to wait for the enemy. Liu Feng again tried to convince him to call it a day.


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[Assistant] The sun is already setting in the west, Liu Feng said.


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[Assistant] The war drums began to roll as Han Hao arrived to pick a fight.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong rode out to meet him, and within one bout, Huang Zhong's saber found its mark, and Han Hao found his way to the afterlife.


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[Assistant] The Shu soldiers roared and stormed up the mountainside. Zhang He and Xia Housheng were just about to lead their troops to meet them, when suddenly, Lao cries rang out from the back of the mountain, and flames shot toward the heavens, turning the mountain and the sky red.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong has sent Yan Yan to the back of the mountain to lie and wait. Once Huang Zhong's troops arrived, Yan Yan and his men were to start some fires and introduce some chaos. Having slayed Xia Hou De, Yan Yan now charged from the back of the mountain.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong and Yan Yan secured Mount Tiantang and sent word of their triumph to Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] Which prompted Liu Bei to celebrate with his staff. During this celebration, the advisor Fa Zheng said,


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[Assistant] When Cao Cao conquered Zhang Lu and pacified Han Zhong.


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[Assistant] Instead of riding his momentum and attacking the west.


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[Assistant] He merely left Xia Hou Yuan and Zhang He to oversee the region while he took the main army back up north. That was a mistake.


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[Assistant] Now, Zhang He has been defeated, and Mount Tiandang is ours. My lord.


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[Assistant] If you seize this opportunity and personally lead a large army on campaign, then Han Zhong will be yours.


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[Assistant] Once we have Han Zhong, then we can drill our men, plant our grain, and watch for an opportunity to bring the traitor to justice. We would be able to attack or defend.


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[Assistant] This is a heaven-sent opportunity. We must not miss it.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei and Zhu Ge Liang were both on board with this line of thought, so they appointed the generals Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei to head up the vanguard.


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[Assistant] While Liu Bei and Zhu Ge Liang led an army of a hundred thousand and made for Hanzhong.


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[Assistant] On an auspicious day in the year 218, Liu Bei's army set out and headed to Jia Meng Pass. When they arrived,


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[Assistant] But the director general alone understood your abilities, and now you have accomplished an amazing feat.


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[Assistant] But right now, there still remains Mount Dingjun, which protects the city of Nanzheng and is a grain store.


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[Assistant] If we can take Mount Dingjun, then we would have a clear path to Yangping. General, are you up to this task?


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong of course was more than eager to take on the new assignment, and he was all ready to lead his troops out. But, Zhuge Liang quickly stepped in and said,


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[Assistant] General Huang is valiant, but that Xia Huyuan is different from the likes of Zhang He. He is well-versed in the ways of war.


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[Assistant] Cao Cao used him as a buffer against potential troubles in Xiliang.


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[Assistant] First, he garrisoned troops at Chang'an to repel Ma Chao.


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[Assistant] When it came time to garrison troops in Hanzhong, Cao Cao once again turned to no one but Xia Hou Yuan.


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[Assistant] Because he trusts Xia Hou Yuan's generalship above all others.


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[Assistant] General Huang may have defeated Zhang He, but he might not be a match for Xia Ouyuan.


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[Assistant] I am thinking about sending someone to Jing province to temporarily trade places with General Guan Yu so that he may come here.


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[Assistant] Only he can match up against Xia Hou Yuan.


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[Assistant] So, Zhuge Liang was pushing Huang Zhong's buttons once again, and Huang Zhong responded exactly as expected.


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[Assistant] When the warring states general Lian Po was 80, he still ate a bushel of grain and 10 pounds of meat a day, and all the other states' rulers were wary of him.


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[Assistant] I am not even 70 yet. How can you call me old? Fine. I don't even need a lieutenant commander.


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[Assistant] I will just take the three thousand men under my command and go bring you Xiao Yuan's head.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang, though, kept up his act and refused time and again. But Huang Zhong insisted. After this went on for a bit, Zhu Ge Liang relented and said,


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[Assistant] I will send Fa Zheng with you as the military supervisor so he can help you.


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[Assistant] You must talk things over with him before every move. I will also send reinforcements to help you.


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[Assistant] Huang Zhong said fine, and he went off with Fa Zheng and the 3,000 soldiers from his own command. Once he left, Zhu Ge Liang said to Liu Bei,


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[Assistant] If I did not rile up that old warrior with my words, he will not succeed.


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[Assistant] Now that he has gone, we must send reinforcements.


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[Assistant] So Zhuge Liang summoned the General Zhao Yun and told him,


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[Assistant] Lead a detachment of troops and take the back road to go back up Huangzhong.


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[Assistant] If he wins, then there is no need for you to engage. But if something goes wrong, go help him.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang next called up the officers Liu Feng and Meng Da and told them,


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[Assistant] And go erect banners at key places in the hills so as to intimidate the enemy.


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[Assistant] After those three officers set out, Zhuge Liang then gave some instructions to the General Ma Chao.


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[Assistant] He also sent Yan Yan to go defend Ba Xi so that Zhang Fei and Wei Yan, who were presently holding down the fort there, could be redeployed in Han Zhong.


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[Assistant] While Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei were wheeling and dealing on Mount Dingjun,


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[Assistant] Zhang He and Xia Housheng told Commander Xia Ouyuan about how they lost Mount Tiantang along with a couple of their fellow officers.


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[Assistant] Oh, and now Liu Bei is personally leading a campaign to take Han Zhong. So I guess we better let Cao Cao know soon.


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[Assistant] But this was time for action, not regret. So Cao Cao mobilized 400,000 troops and set out in the seventh month of the year 218.


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[Assistant] Xia Houdun led the vanguard, Cao Cao himself led the main army, and Cao Xiu brought up the rear.


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[Assistant] Now, this was Cao Cao's first time on campaign since he became the King of Wei, and he was traveling in style. He rode a white horse with a gilded saddle.


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[Assistant] He wore a belt with jade stars and a fancy outfit.


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[Assistant] His guards carried a giant red canopy with gold threads flanked by the imperial regalia of the golden mace and the silver broad axe, along with banners featuring the sun and the moon and the dragon and the phoenix.


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[Assistant] He was escorted by an imperial guard of 25,000 men.


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[Assistant] Now at this point, the novel takes us on a digression where we spend a rather large amount of time following Cao Cao as he stopped along the way to visit an old acquaintance, honor some filial maiden from the days of yore, and leave a riddle


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[Assistant] Because it has no bearing on our narrative and there are just too many characters and too much information to pass along for something that really has no significance in the story.


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[Assistant] I would say, just know that this was an example of how well Yang Xiu understood Cao Cao, something that will come up again later.


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[Assistant] Having saved you 15 minutes of pointless digression,


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[Assistant] Let's skip ahead to Cao Cao arriving in Hanzhong, in the city of Nanzheng.


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[Assistant] He was greeted by his kinsman Cao Hong, who told him all about how Zhang He has screwed up time and again. But Cao Cao simply waved it all off. It's not Zhang He's fault, he said.


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[Assistant] Besides, victory and defeat are common in war.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei has sent Huang Zhong to attack Mount Dingjun. Cao Hong next said...


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[Assistant] Xia Hou Yuan heard that Your Highness has arrived, so he has been holding off on fighting.


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[Assistant] If we do not give battle, it would be a sign of weakness, Cao Cao said. So he sent a messenger to Mount Dingjun to tell Xia Hou Yuan to attack. The advisor Liu Ye, however, cautioned Cao Cao.


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[Assistant] Xiao Yuan's rigid nature is vulnerable to deception.


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[Assistant] Reminded of this, Cao Cao personally wrote a letter to Xiao Yuan. The letter said


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[Assistant] Every general must learn to balance hard and soft tactics. Bravery alone counts for little. It is for fighting a single foe.


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[Assistant] Right now, my forces are stationed at Nanzheng.


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[Assistant] I would like to see a demonstration of your superb talent. Do not bring shame to those two words.


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[Assistant] Xiaoyuan was delighted by the letter because, hey, the boss just called me a superb talent. After he sent the messenger back,


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[Assistant] He talked to his comrade Zhang He about how to proceed.


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[Assistant] Our lord and his army are stationed at Nanzheng to take on Liu Bei. Xiao Yuan said.


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[Assistant] If you and I stay glued to this place, how can we accomplish anything?


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[Assistant] Tomorrow, I will go out to give battle and capture Huang Zhong alive.


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[Assistant] But Huang Zhong is brave and smart, and now he's got Fa Zheng helping him. Caution Zhang He, who was turning into a giant wet blanket. We must not underestimate him.


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[Assistant] This place has treacherous terrain. The best thing to do is defend.


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[Assistant] If we let someone else hawk all the glory, how can we face our lord? Xiaoyuan said in rebuke. You stay here.


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[Assistant] When you go out and meet Huang Zhong, just lose and retreat. I have a plan.


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[Assistant] To see what this plan was and how well it worked out, tune in to the next episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. Thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 108.


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[Assistant] Last time, Liu Bei had died, leaving his teenage heir Liu Shan in the care of Zhuge Liang.


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[Assistant] Oh, and by the way, I realized that I have been pronouncing Liu Shan's name incorrectly as Liu Chan. The character for his given name has two pronunciations, Chan or Shan, and in this case, it should be Liu Shan, not Liu Chan. My apologies for that mistake.


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[Assistant] So anyway, as soon as the ruler of Wei, Cao Pi, heard that Liu Bei was dead and that a kid was now sitting on the throne of Shu, Cao Pi reached out to a few foreign powers and organized a five-pronged invasion, ready to destroy Shu by attacking on more fronts than Zhuge Liang could handle.


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[Assistant] Liu Shan was alarmed by this. An alarm turned into panic when Zhu Ge Liang chose this inopportune moment to hunker down in his home and refused to see anyone on the excuse that he was, uhm, sick.


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[Assistant] Eventually, Liu Shan had to personally go to Zhu Ge Liang's house, where he found Zhu Ge Liang intently staring at his koi pond, not even noticing that his lord was standing right behind him.


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[Assistant] After standing there for a while, Liu Shan went, ahem.


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[Assistant] And Zhuge Liang turned and saw the Emperor. He immediately tossed aside the staff that he had been leaning on and fell to his knees.


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[Assistant] Your servant deserves death 10,000 times over, Zhuge Liang said.


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[Assistant] Liu Shan helped Zhu Ge Liang to his feet and asked,


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[Assistant] Taopi is invading on five fronts, and the situation on our borders is urgent.


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[Assistant] Minister Father, why have you been refusing to leave your home to tend to business?


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[Assistant] I have already repelled the armies of the Qiang tribes, the Southern Man King Meng Huo, the Renegade General Meng Da, and the Wei General Cao Zhen. Zhu Ge Liang informed his liege.


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[Assistant] The only army left is Sun Quan and I already have an idea for how to deal with that. But I need a well-spoken man to serve as envoy and I have not found that person yet. That was what I was contemplating. What need is there for your highness to be concerned?


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[Assistant] Well, one could argue that keeping your lord and master in the dark while you engage in matters of supreme national security would be one cause for concern.


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[Assistant] But Liu Shan was so relieved to hear that the problem had been almost completely taken care of that he just said


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[Assistant] The first emperor entrusted your highness to me.


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[Assistant] So how can your servant dare to be negligent in his duties?


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[Assistant] None of the officials in the capital understand the intricacies of the art of war.


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[Assistant] When I heard that the Qiang tribes were invading Xiping Pass, I thought of the General Ma Chao. He and his family have lived in the riverlands for generations, and they have been on good terms with the Qiang people, who regard him as a heavenly general with supernatural powers.


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[Assistant] So I sent a messenger to see Ma Chao with all due haste to tell him to maintain a tight defense at Xiping Pass and to deploy four hidden battalions to be rotated daily. That will take care of that invasion force.


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[Assistant] As for Meng Huo and the Southern Man forces who are encroaching on four of our districts, I dispatch the General Wei Yan to lead an army and stay on the move as a decoy.


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[Assistant] I knew that he and our official Li Yan are sworn brothers. So when I was returning to the capital,


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[Assistant] I left Liyan to defend the city of Bai Di.


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[Assistant] I have already written a letter in Li Yan's handwriting and had it delivered to Meng Da.


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[Assistant] Meng Da will no doubt pretend to be sick and not advance, thus weakening his troop's morale. So that army is of no concern either.


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[Assistant] I also heard that Cao Zhen was going to attack Yang Ping Pass.


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[Assistant] That location is on treacherous terrain and easy to defend. I have already dispatched Zhao Yun to lead an army and defend the past, but not give battle. When Cao Jin sees that we will not go out to fight him, he will retreat before long.


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[Assistant] So none of those four invasion forces are of any concern. But, just to be safe,


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[Assistant] I have also secretly ordered the Generals Guan Xing and Zhang Bao to each lead 30,000 troops and garrison at key locations so as to reinforce on any of those fronts as needed.


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[Assistant] None of these deployments came through the capital, so no one knew anything about it. That leaves only the Southlands army.


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[Assistant] But they probably won't make a move. If they saw that the other four invasion forces were victorious and that the Riverlands were in peril, then they would no doubt join the attack.


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[Assistant] But if those other four armies did not fare well, why would Dong Wu make a move? I suspect that Sun Quan is holding a grudge against Cao Pi for the three armies that he sent to invade Dong Wu. So Sun Quan would not do as Cao Pi asks. But even so,


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[Assistant] Then the other four armies are of no concern.


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[Assistant] But I have not found the right person to send to Dongwu, which was why I have been in a quandary.


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[Assistant] But there was no need for your highness to visit me personally.


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[Assistant] Most of what Zhu Ge Liang just explained probably whooshed over Liu Shan's head since he was 1. A teenager and 2.


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[Assistant] Not the sharpest tool in the shed, according to the descriptions of him that have been passed down through the ages.


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[Assistant] But Liu Shan was nonetheless delighted to hear that Zhuge Liang basically had the problem handled.


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[Assistant] Even the Empress Dowager was thinking about coming to see you, he told Zhu Ge Liang. But having heard your explanation just now, it's as if I just woke up from a dream. I have no more cause for concern.


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[Assistant] Having put his young lord's mind at ease, Zhuge Liang now shared a few cups of wine with him before seeing him out. Waiting for them outside was a gaggle of officials who had been standing there the whole time.


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[Assistant] They saw delight on the face of the young emperor as he got back in his carriage and returned to the palace.


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[Assistant] But they received no explanation from anyone, and so they were all confused. All that is, except for one man, who began to look skyward and laugh in delight.


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[Assistant] Now this caught Zhuge Liang's attention. He recognized this man as Deng Zhi, the secretary of the agricultural tax department.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang discreetly told his men to ask Deng Zhi to stay while the other officials left.


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[Assistant] He then invited Deng Zhi to his library and asked him.


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[Assistant] Right now, the empire is divided into the kingdoms of Shu, Wei, and Wu.


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[Assistant] In order to reunite the empire, which of the other two kingdoms should we attack first?


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[Assistant] Deng Zhi saw through this trick question and replied,


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[Assistant] In my humble opinion, even though Wei is the traitor to the Han, it is too powerful to destabilize quickly. We must take it slow. Our lord has just ascended to the throne, and our people are still unsettled.


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[Assistant] Right now, we should ally with Dongwu and wash away the bad blood incurred by the first emperor. This is playing the long game. What does your excellency think?


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[Assistant] Now this was the answer Zhuge Liang was looking for, and he smiled. I have long thought so as well, but had not found the person for the task, but now I have. What task are you referring to? Deng Zhi asked.


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[Assistant] I want to send someone to strike up an alliance with Dong Wu, Zhuge Liang said. Sir, since you understand the intent of this action, you would most certainly not let us down. None but you can be the envoy.


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[Assistant] But with my limited talent, I fear I would not be up to the task, Deng Zhi said.


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[Assistant] I will inform the emperor tomorrow that I will ask you to take on this assignment.


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[Assistant] Please, do not refuse, Zhuge Liang insisted.


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[Assistant] The requisite fainting of humility performed, Deng Zhi relented and took his leave.


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[Assistant] The next day, Zhu Ge Liang told Liu Shan that he had found his envoy, and Deng Zhi set out for Dongwu.


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[Assistant] So at this time in Dongwu, the commander Lu Xun was riding high. Not only had he defeated Liu Bei, but he then turned away the three armies that Cao Pi had sent on an attempted sneak attack.


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[Assistant] Sun Quan now heaped upon Lu Xun the titles of the general who upholds the kingdom, the marquis of Jiangling, and the imperial protector of Jing province, and Lu Xun assumed command of all of Dongwu's forces.


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[Assistant] See, what happened there was that Shu had asked us for help after you guys had licked him, and the situation was very confusing, and we weren't quite sure what was going on, so he sent some troops to answer their call.


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[Assistant] In any case, it was all just a big misunderstanding. A misunderstanding that we now regret very much. In fact, we regretted so much that we planned to send four armies to go conquer the Riverlands to teach them a lesson.


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[Assistant] Hey, we'll cut you in if you're interested. Send your own troops to help us, and when it's all sudden done, we'll share any newly won territory with you, 50-50.


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[Assistant] Sun Quan could not make up his mind whether to accept this offer, so he asked the advisors Zhang Jiao and Gu Yong. Zhang Jiao told him,


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[Assistant] Lu Xun has great insight. You should ask him.


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[Assistant] Uhm, so yeaah, way to earn your paycheck there buddy.


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[Assistant] In any case, Sun Quan summoned Lu Xun, who told him.


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[Assistant] Cao Pi sits securely in the Heartlands and cannot be taken down quickly. If we do not oblige his request now, he would no doubt hold a grudge.


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[Assistant] In my estimation, no one in Wei or Dongwu is a match for Zhuge Liang. So let's just agree to Cao Pi's request, for now, and begin preparing our troops while we wait for word on the other four invasion forces.


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[Assistant] If they are victorious, and the river lands are in trouble, and Zhuge Liang cannot protect on all the fronts, then you can dispatch your troops to attack and take Chengdu. That would be the best course of action. But if the other four armies lose, then we'll reconsider.


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[Assistant] So Sun Quan told Cao Pi's envoy that he needed some time to get his army together, but that once he's ready, he will set out immediately.


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[Assistant] The envoy took his leave and went back to report to Cao Pi that Sun Quan was on board.


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[Assistant] The Sun Quan first sent out spies to see how the other invasion forces were doing.


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[Assistant] When word came back that the answer was not well at all, Sun Quan told his court officials, It's as though Lu Xun could see the future. If I had acted rashly, I would have made an enemy of Xu yet again.


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[Assistant] Just then, attendants reported that Deng Zhi, an envoy from Shu, was there to see him.


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[Assistant] Reaching into his bag of brilliant ideas, Zhang Jiao said.


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[Assistant] We can set up a giant cauldron in front of the hall, fill it with oil and heat it up until the oil is boiling.


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[Assistant] Then pick a thousand stout-looking soldiers, each equipped with a sharp blade, and have them line up from the palace gate all the way to the hall. Then summon Deng Zhi. Before he can even say a word, tell him that you are going to boil him alive, like the King of Qi did to Li Shiqi. See what he has to say then.


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[Assistant] So this historical reference that Zhang Jiao just made was from the days before the founding of the Han dynasty. The unfortunate sod that he mentioned, Li Shiqi, was an advisor to Liu Bang, the future supreme ancestor and founder of the Han dynasty.


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[Assistant] At the time, there were several factions vying for power, and Li Shiqi went to convince the ruler of the Kingdom of Qi to join Liu Bang. Now he was very persuasive, and the king agreed, so the king ordered his defenses to stand down.


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[Assistant] But when that happened, Liu Bang's chief rival, Xiang Yu, became jealous of Liu Bang's new gangs. So while the Qi forces had their guard down, Xiang Yu swooped in and conquered a great swath of that kingdom's territory.


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[Assistant] The king of Qi was understandably upset, and he thought that Li Shi Qi was in league with Xiang Yu and had set him up, so he had the guy cooked alive. Thus always to all those who would dare to wag their tongue in a foreign court.


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[Assistant] So, Sun Quan was going to threaten to stage a reenactment of this extremely painful death to test Deng Zhi's mettle.


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[Assistant] With the oil bubbling in the cauldron and the armed guards all standing ready, Sun Quan summoned Deng Zhi.


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[Assistant] Now, I can only imagine how long it took to set all this up. I mean, it's not like you would just keep a giant cauldron and a few hundred gallons of cooking oil on hand, just in case your lord decided that today he was going to boil an envoy.


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[Assistant] Well, you know what, actually, considering how dangerous interstate diplomacy was in this novel,


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[Assistant] Maybe you do keep those things handy, but even if you do, how long was it gonna take to boil a giant cauldron of oil?


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[Assistant] In any case, the oil was boiling and Dengzhi was summoned.


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[Assistant] He tied up his outfit and entered the palace. When he approached the gates, he saw two rows of ferocious-looking guards wielding knives, axes, halberds, and swords lining all the way up to the main hall.


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[Assistant] Deng Zhi immediately knew what was in store, but he showed no sign of fear and pressed forth, undaunted.


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[Assistant] When he arrived at the main hall, he saw the giant cauldron with the bubbling oil while the guards all around glared at him. But Deng Zhi merely let out a faint smile, as if to ask, hey, what's for dinner?


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[Assistant] When the attendant brought him into the hall to see Sun Quan, Deng Zhi merely bowed low from the waist, but did not prostrate on the ground as an envoy might be expected to do when paying his respects to the head of a rival kingdom.


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[Assistant] Now, Sun Quan did not take kindly to this slide.


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[Assistant] There was a curtain separating him and Deng Zhi, but he now had the curtain rolled up and shouted, Why are you knocked on your knees?


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[Assistant] Deng Zhi answered with an air of confidence. A great kingdom's envoy does not prostrate himself before the ruler of a lesser kingdom.


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[Assistant] Uh, this is not the best thing to say if you don't want to end up deep fried.


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[Assistant] Sun Quan, understandably irate, tout Deng Zhi.


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[Assistant] You think too highly of yourself. Do you think you can emulate Li Shiqi?


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[Assistant] You may help yourself into the cauldron at once.


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[Assistant] But Deng Zhi simply laughed out loud and said,


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[Assistant] Everyone says Dong Wu has lots of talent, but who knew that you would be afraid of a mere pedant?


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[Assistant] What what? Sun Quan was now as hot as the oil in the cauldron. Why would I be afraid of you?


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[Assistant] If you do not fear the messenger, then why fear his message? Deng Zhi retorted.


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[Assistant] You have come on Zhuge Liang's behalf to convince me to refuse Wei and ally with Shu. Is that correct?


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[Assistant] I am but a pedant from Xu, Deng Zhi said. I have come for Dongwu's own good. Yet, you have set up a boiling cauldron and stationed guards to keep an envoy away. How petty are you?


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[Assistant] So this strategy of continuing to insult a guy threatening to toss you into a cauldron of boiling oil was a risky play. But luckily for Deng Zhi, it worked.


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[Assistant] Sun Quan indeed felt a little embarrassed, so he waved off his armed guards, summoned Deng Zhi to come closer, and offered him a seat.


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[Assistant] Sir, what do you want to tell me about Wu and Wei? Sun Quan asked.


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[Assistant] Which does your lordship wish for? Peace with Shu or peace with Wei? Don't you ask him back.


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[Assistant] I want to discuss peace with the Lord of Shu, Sun Quan replied, but I am worried that he is young and inexperienced and might not be able to see any agreement through to the end.


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[Assistant] Your highness is a splendid champion recognized by all, Deng Zhi said. And Zhuge Liang is also a standout in his own right.


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[Assistant] Shu has the protection of the mountains, and Wu has the barrier of the three rivers. If our two states can become allies, then we would be able to either devour the empire together, or enjoy the advantages of a three-way balance of power.


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[Assistant] On the other hand, if your highness submit to Wei, then Wei would no doubt expect you to go to their court.


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[Assistant] And demand that you send your son to serve as their emperor's attendant.


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[Assistant] If you refuse, then they would attack you, and Shu would also sail down the river and attack.


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[Assistant] If that happens, then the Southlands would no longer belong to your highness. If you think my humble opinions are wrong,


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[Assistant] Then I will die in front of your lordship, so that you would not think me a glib troublemaker.


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[Assistant] As he was done speaking, Deng Zhi pulled up his robes, left his seat and stomped toward the bubbling cauldron, making ready to leap into the boiling oil. Sun Quan hurriedly ordered his men to stop him and then invited him into the private quarters, where Sun Quan treated him as an honored guest. Now this was more like it.


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[Assistant] Sir, your words match my thoughts exactly, Sun Quan said. I would like to form an alliance with the Lord of Shu. Are you willing to make the introduction for me?


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[Assistant] But Deng Zhi was not about to let Sun Quan off the hook that easily.


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[Assistant] A moment ago, your highness wanted to cook me. And now, you want to recruit me. With such indecision, how can you gain anyone's trust?


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[Assistant] My mind is made up. Please have no doubts. Sun Quan reassured Deng Zhi.


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[Assistant] Having convinced Deng Zhi of his intentions, Sun Quan now assembled his officials and said to them,


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[Assistant] Even though I control the 81 districts of the Southlands plus Jing Province, we still cannot compare to a remote place like Shu.


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[Assistant] They have Deng Zhi, who has done his master justice. How is it that there is no one in Wu who can go to Xu and convey my intentions?


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[Assistant] At that, one man stepped forth and volunteered to be Sun Quan's envoy. This guy was named Zhang Wen, an Imperial Corps commander.


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[Assistant] I am concerned that when you see Zhuge Liang, you will not be able to effectively convey my true sentiments, Sun Quan said.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang is but a man. Why would I fear him? Zhang Wen replied.


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[Assistant] That answer was apparently exactly what Sun Quan was looking for.


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[Assistant] Because he was delighted and rewarded Zhang Wen handsomely and sent him to the Riverlands with Dengzhi.


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[Assistant] Back in the Riverlands, after Deng Zhi left for Dongwu, Zhu Ge Liang began laying the groundwork for the next step in the diplomatic process. He went to see his lord Liu Shan and told him, Deng Zhi will definitely succeed on his mission.


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[Assistant] Dong Wu has many talented men, so they will no doubt send someone to return the courtesy.


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[Assistant] Your highness should receive them with all due respect so that we may conclude the alliance when they return to Dongwu once we are allies with Wu.


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[Assistant] Wei will not dare to invade our territory.


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[Assistant] With things quiet on those two fronts, I will march south to pacify the southern barbarians and then invade Wei.


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[Assistant] Once Wei is vanquished, then Dongwu will not be able to persist for long either. Thus will we reestablish the unity of the empire.


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[Assistant] To all this, Liu Shan just basically said, sure, do as you see fit.


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[Assistant] Soon, Deng Zhi returned with a Dongwu envoy, Zhang Wen.


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[Assistant] Liu Shan assembled his staff in the throne room to receive them.


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[Assistant] Now, Zhang Wen was letting this important assignment go to his head just a little bit, as he strode in confidently and paid his respects to Liu Shan, who then granted him a seat and threw a feast in his honor.


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[Assistant] At this banquet, Liu Shan was merely a ceremonial figure and did none of the talking.


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[Assistant] After the banquet, the Xu officials escorted Zhang Wen to his guesthouse.


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[Assistant] And then, the next day, it was Zhu Ge Liang's turn to throw a party in Zhang Wen's honor. At this feast, Zhu Ge Liang said to Zhang Wen,


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[Assistant] When our first emperor was alive, relations with Wu were poor.


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[Assistant] But now he has passed on, and our current lord greatly admires the King of Wu and wishes to bury old grudges and form an everlasting alliance to join forces against Wei.


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[Assistant] I hope you will relay this to your master in fair words.


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[Assistant] Zhang Wen agreed and they continued to drink. As the wine flowed, their spirits eased and Zhang Wen's smile became wider and wider, and his ego became bigger and bigger.


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[Assistant] The next day, Liu Shan bestowed gifts of gold and silk upon Zhang Wen and ordered the court officials to hold a banquet south of the city to bid him goodbye.


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[Assistant] At this banquet, at Zhuge Liang's behest, the wine flowed freely. So Xu was definitely pulling out all the stops to make sure this alliance thing would happen.


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[Assistant] In the middle of the drinking, a man stumbled in, half inebriated, made a haughty gesture of salutation, and took his seat among the attendees.


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[Assistant] Puzzled by this party crasher, Zhang Wen asked Zhu Ge Liang who he was. His name is Qin Mi, Zhu Ge Liang answered. He is the official scholar.


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[Assistant] So this Qin Mi character appeared in our narrative a little while back. He was among the officials who spoke up against Liu Bei's idea of invading Dongwu. He was, in fact, so vocal in his objections that Liu Bei wanted to kill him, but then was talked out of it and merely threw him in jail.


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[Assistant] But I guess with hindsight being 2020, and with Liu Bei now dead, Qin Mi got a reprieve. And now he's crashing state diplomatic functions.


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[Assistant] When Zhang Wen heard Qin Mi's title of official scholar, he laughed and said, He may be called a scholar, but is there actual scholarship in him? Oh, so it's gonna be like that, huh?


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[Assistant] When Chinmi heard this, he said sternly,


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[Assistant] Even the little kids in Shu tend to their studies, much less me.


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[Assistant] Then may you tell us, sir, what you study? Zhang Wen retorted.


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[Assistant] Astronomy and geography and everything in between, Qin Mi answered.


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[Assistant] The three teachings and the nine sects, the philosophers of every school, I have mastered them all. I have also read through the histories chronicling the rise and fall of many dynasties, as well as the classics transmitted by the sages.


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[Assistant] In the west, to quote the Book of Olds, the high ancestor looked to the west for a new king. So the head must be in the west.


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[Assistant] And just a brief aside here, the Book of Olds, or as it's called in Chinese, the Shijing, is a collection of more than 300 poems from the Zhou dynasty.


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[Assistant] These works date from the 11th to 7th century BC, so some of them were written well more than a millennium before the time of the three kingdoms. It is one of the five classics which form part of the canon of Confucianism.


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[Assistant] What's happening between Zhang Wen and Qin Mi is basically the 3rd century Chinese equivalent of that scene.


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[Assistant] So, do we have a problem here? Are Zhang Wen and Qin Mi gonna have to step outside? Well, let's see. Does the sky have ears? Zhang Wen asked.


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[Assistant] Heaven is located high above, but hears those far below, Qin Mi replied. As the Book of Old says, the crane cries in the remote swamps, but its voice reaches heaven's above. So how could heaven hear without ears?


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[Assistant] Does the sky have feet? Was Jiang Wen's next question. It does. The Book of Old says heaven advances step by step. So how can that be possible without feet?


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[Assistant] The emperor, the son of heaven, is named Liu. That is how I know.


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[Assistant] And is the sun born in the east? Yes, but it dies in the west.


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[Assistant] So, Qin Mi easily blew through Zhang Wen's entire line of pedantic questions, not even hesitating for a moment in any of his replies, a feat that stunned all those in attendance and left Zhang Wen speechless. And now, it was Qin Mi's turn.


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[Assistant] Sir, you are a well-known scholar from Dongwu, he said to Jiang Wen, not being facetious at all.


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[Assistant] Since you asked me about the sky, then you must be well versed on the matter.


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[Assistant] Timmy just keeps going on and on like this, and all this stuff is related to China's creation myth and earliest legends, which would take way too long to get into. So, here's what you need to know.


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[Assistant] Qin Mi ended this little spiel by asking a really really pedantic question, and Zhang Wen was totally stumped.


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[Assistant] Oh hey, look. All this pedantic back and forth actually put us well over our usual episode length. So let's pick this up next time. To see how Zhang Wen liked damn apples, tune in to the next episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. Thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms Podcast. This is episode 106.


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[Assistant] Before we pick up where we left off, I want to let you know that last week, I was interviewed about the podcast by Ink and Quill, a program on China Radio International.


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[Assistant] So go check that out. Just look for Ink and Quill in your podcast app, or go to the link that I have posted with this episode on our website, ThreeKingdomsPodcast.com, spelled with the number three. And now, back to the show.


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[Assistant] Last time, after maintaining a long stalemate against Liu Bei, the Dongwu commander Lu Xun was preparing to go on the offensive.


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[Assistant] It was now the sixth month of the year 222, a year after Liu Bei had initiated his campaign for vengeance.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei had built 40 some interconnected camps spanning more than 200 miles and all the camps were placed near woods for easy access to water sources.


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[Assistant] But, one of his advisors, Ma Liang, took it upon himself to draw up a map of the camps and bring it to show Zhu Ge Liang.


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[Assistant] When Zhuge Liang saw this, he told Ma Liang that Liu Bei was headed for disaster, and that if Ma Liang did not get back quickly enough to prevent that disaster, then Liu Bei should seek refuge in the city of Bai Di.


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[Assistant] While Ma Liang raced off to warn Liu Bei, Lu Xun was busy wheeling and dealing in the Dongwu camp. He assembled all his officers and told them,


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[Assistant] Since I took command, I have yet to engage the enemy in battle.


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[Assistant] But now, having observed the enemy and figured out their movements, I intend to first take a camp on the south side of the river. Who dares to go take it?


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[Assistant] Before he had finished asking the question, his top three generals, Handong, Zhou Tai, and Ling Tong, all stepped forward and volunteered. Yeah, they were ready for some action.


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[Assistant] However, Lu Xun waved them off and turned to a second tier officer named Chen Yudan and told him,


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[Assistant] I will give you 5,000 troops to go take the enemy's 4th camp on the south bank of the river, which is being defended by the Shu General Fu Tong. You must succeed tonight. I will send reinforcements to back you up.


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[Assistant] Once Chun Yudan accepted the order and left, Lu Xun told the officers Xu Sheng and Ding Feng.


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[Assistant] Take 3,000 men each and garrison a mile and a half outside our camp. If Quan Yu Dan returns in defeat and is being pursued, go help him, but do not give chase.


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[Assistant] Around dusk that evening, Chen Yudan led his 5,000 men and advance toward his target. It was after midnight by the time he arrived at the Shu camp.


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[Assistant] Beating their war drums and chanting their war cries, Quan Yu Dan led his men forward. From inside the shoe camp, rode out the General Fu Tong, who made straight for Quan Yu Dan.


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[Assistant] Chun Yudan was no match and quickly fled. But just then, with a wave of loud roars, a battalion of Shu soldiers cut off his path. They were led by the Shu General Zhao Rong.


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[Assistant] This surprise attack took a big bite out of Chun Yu Dan's forces, and he got away with less than half of his men.


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[Assistant] But he had not gone far when a squad of barbarian soldiers blocked his path. These were allies of Liu Bei's, led by their king, Sha Mo Ke. And they inflicted their fair share of damage before Quan Yu Dan managed to fight his way through.


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[Assistant] Chun Yu Dan now high-tailed it out of there and ran for base camp with the three Shu battalions giving chase. Fortunately for him, he was met by his comrades Xu Sheng and Ding Feng, who managed to fight off the pursuing enemy.


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[Assistant] Chun Yu Dan, who suffered an arrow wound in the melee, went to see Lu Xun to ask to be punished for his failure.


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[Assistant] With the arrow still lodged in him for dramatic effect. Lu Xun, however, told him,


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[Assistant] This was not your fault. I just wanted to test out the enemy. I already have a plan to defeat them.


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[Assistant] Oh, and also, next time, get that arrow out of you before you come see me so you're not bleeding all over my floor.


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[Assistant] Xu Sheng and Ding Feng, however, did not share their commander's confidence about defeating Liu Bei, and they told him,


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[Assistant] The only one who can see through my scheme is Zhuge Liang, but thank heaven he is not here, so success shall be mine.


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[Assistant] He then assembled the staff and handed out the orders. The General Zhu Ran was to advance on the river the next day with his ship full of straws when the southeast wind starts blowing in the afternoon.


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[Assistant] The General Handong was to lead a battalion to attack the North Shore, while the General Zhou Tai was to lead a battalion and attack the South Shore.


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[Assistant] Everyone in their units were to carry a bundle of straws laced with sulfur along with fire starting material.


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[Assistant] The Shu army had about 40 camps, and the Dongwu troops were ordered to only set every other one on fire. All the troops were to bring field provisions with them, and they were not allowed to fall back. Instead, they must pursue through the night until they had captured Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] Meanwhile, in the Shu Imperial Camp, Liu Bei was trying to come up with his own plan of attack, when suddenly, the banner in front of his tent fell over without so much as a breeze.


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[Assistant] He asked the advisor Cheng Ji what this omen meant, and Cheng Ji speculated that it could mean Dong Wu was planning a night raid.


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[Assistant] But we just whipped them last night. How could they dare to come back again? Liu Bei said.


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[Assistant] What if last night's battle was just Lu Xun testing us out? Cheng Ji cautioned.


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[Assistant] Just then, word came that Dongwu troops had been spotted in the distance, heading east. Liu Bei suspected that this was a decoy, so he ordered the main army to stay put, and only dispatched Guanxing and Zhang Bao, with 500 riders each, to go patrol the area.


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[Assistant] Around dusk, Guan Xing came back and said, a fire has broken out in the camps on the north bank.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei quickly sent Guan Xing to go check out what's going on on the North Bank, and sent Zhang Bao to do the same on the South Bank. He told them that they were to report back at once if Dongwu troops showed up, and the two of them headed off immediately.


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[Assistant] Around 7 o'clock that night, a strong southeast wind began to blow.


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[Assistant] And suddenly, the camp to the left of Liu Bei's imperial camp burst into flames. He was just about to send help that way, when the camp to his right also went up in flames. Aided by the strong wind, the fire quickly spread, and the surrounding trees were soon ablaze as well.


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[Assistant] And loud cries rang out across both camps.


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[Assistant] The troops from those two camps ran away from the fire, not only leaving their burning tents behind, but also abandoning Liu Bei's imperial camp to fend for itself.


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[Assistant] Countless men were trampled in the chaos. Oh, and in the midst of all that, a Dongwu army of unknown numbers was sweeping in from the rear.


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[Assistant] Confused and besieged, Liu Bei quickly got on his horse and headed toward the camp of the General Feng Xi. But that camp too was engulfed by flames that shot toward the heavens.


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[Assistant] Now, both the north and south banks of the river were lit up like the day. Feng Xi was running with a few dozen riders when he was met by the Dongwu General Xu Sheng, and the two of them began to spar.


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[Assistant] Seeing this, Liu Bei turned and fled west. Xu Sheng, however, spotted him and quit the fight with Feng Xi to come after Liu Bei. Before Liu Bei could even panic, another army blocked his path in front. This army was led by the Dongwu general Ding Feng.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei was now sandwiched between enemy forces with no way out.


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[Assistant] Suddenly, Lao Christ rose up as a squad of Shu forces broke through the enemy lines. The man at the head of this army was Zhang Bao, and he rescued Liu Bei, and they made a run for it, accompanied by the Imperial Guard.


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[Assistant] Along the way, they met up with some forces led by their comrade, Fu Tong, and they traveled together.


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[Assistant] But soon, the pursuing Dongwu troops were gaining on them. With nowhere to run, they scurry to the top of a hill that they were passing by.


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[Assistant] No sooner had they reached the top did they hear loud cries at the foot of the hill. Lu Xun had personally arrived with a huge army and they surrounded the hill.


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[Assistant] Zhang Bao and Fu Tong mounted a dogged defense to hold the path up the hillside to keep the Dongwu troops at bay.


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[Assistant] Looking out from the top of the hill, Liu Bei could see entire fields on fire while the bodies of his slain men were so numerous that they piled on top of each other as they clogged the river.


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[Assistant] The next day, the Dongwu forces began to set the hillside on fire and Liu Bei's men fell into disarray.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei himself was in a panic when suddenly he saw a general leading a few riders fight his way up the hillside. This was his other nephew, Guan Xing.


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[Assistant] I will give my life for the task, the general futon replied.


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[Assistant] So around dusk that evening, they made a break for it. Guan Xing led the way as they dashed down the hillside, while Zhang Bao stayed in the middle to protect Liu Bei, and Fu Tong brought up the rear to slow the enemy's pursuit.


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[Assistant] Seeing Liu Bei trying to get away, the Dongwu troops were all itching to claim their share of glory, so they all swooped in and stayed on his tail as he fled west.


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[Assistant] Seeing the enemy gain ground, Liu Bei ordered all of his soldiers to take off their armor, pile them across the width of the road, and set them up blades so as to create a literal firewall to slow the pursuit.


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[Assistant] That worked, for a while at least. Not long after they resumed their flight, however, another battalion of Dongwu troops showed up from the north bank, led by the General Zhu Ran, and they cut off Liu Bei's path forward.


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[Assistant] This is where I will die! Liu Bei exclaimed in desperation.


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[Assistant] His two nephews, Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, charged forward to try to cut a path through the enemy lines. But they were both repelled by a torrent of arrows. Not only did they not make it through, but they both came back with serious injuries.


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[Assistant] Just then, loud cries rose up again from behind, as Lu Xun and the pursuing Dongwu army was closing in again.


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[Assistant] By now, the sky was beginning to lighten as dawn approached.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei was panicking when suddenly, amid earth-shattering cries, the Dongwu army blocking his path forward disintegrated as Zhu Ran's men all fell into creeks or tumbled off cliff sides.


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[Assistant] The cause of this soon arrived on the scene. A squad of Shu soldiers charged in, led by none other than the General Zhao Yun.


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[Assistant] The sight of his old friend and kick-ass warrior brought relief and delight to Liu Bei's face.


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[Assistant] So Zhao Yun was stationed back inside the river land, since Liu Bei had stuck him in the rear in charge of reinforcement. When he heard that the two sides had engaged in battle, he let his forces out to help.


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[Assistant] Word soon got back to Lu Xun that Zhao Yun was on the scene. Quite aware of the man's reputation, Lu Xun hurriedly ordered his army to fall back, which meant Liu Bei was no longer being pursued from behind, at least for now.


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[Assistant] As for the army blocking his way forward, their leader, the General Zhu Ran, ran into Zhao Yun in the melee, and within one bout, Zhao Yun stabbed him off his horse.


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[Assistant] Now, I don't know if Zhao Yun actually killed him, because the historical Zhu Ran actually lived on for much longer, but our fictional Zhu Ran is never heard from again in the novel.


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[Assistant] In any case, the rest of the Dongwu troops soon scattered, allowing Zhao Yun to rescue Liu Bei, and they sprinted toward the city of Bai Di.


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[Assistant] Even though his own immediate situation had taken a turn for the better,


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[Assistant] The enemy is behind us. We cannot delay. Zhao Yun said. Your highness must go to Bai Di and rest. I will lead my troops to go rescue others.


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[Assistant] So Liu Bei went on ahead, making it safely into Bai Di with only about a hundred men by his side.


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[Assistant] Remember that he set out on this campaign with more than 700,000 men.


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[Assistant] So you could say that this debacle was on par with Cao Cao's defeat at Red Cliff, when Cao Cao set out with some 800,000 men and ended up with only a few dozen by his side by the time he made it back to safety.


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[Assistant] And hey, just like at Redcliff, the key to victory was fire and southeast winds. And if this was on par with the battle of Redcliff, that would make Lu Xun a latter day Zhou Yu for pulling off an impressive David vs Goliath victory.


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[Assistant] For his accomplishment, Lu Xun was praised by a later poet thus.


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[Assistant] While Liu Bei licks his wounds in Bai Di, let's check in on the men he left behind in the thick of battle.


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[Assistant] First, the General Fu Teng, who brought up the rear when Liu Bei made his break from the hill where he was trapped.


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[Assistant] Fu Tong quickly found himself surrounded by the enemy, and the Dongwu general Ding Feng shouted to him.


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[Assistant] Countless Riverland soldiers have died, and even more have surrendered. Your master Liu Bei has already been captured, and you are outnumbered. So why not surrender now?


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[Assistant] I am an officer of the Han. How can I be willing to surrender to the dogs of Dongwu? Fu Tong said angrily as he wielded his spear and rode forth, leading his men into the thick of battle. After a dogged fight, however, he simply could not break through.


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[Assistant] In another part of the battlefield, the Shu official Cheng Ji had hurried to the bank of the river to alert the navy that a battle had broken out. Behind him came the Dongwu troops, and rather than fight, the Shu navy scattered. One of the naval officers shouted to Cheng Ji, The enemy is approaching! Run now! But Cheng Ji bristled at this suggestion.


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[Assistant] Ever since I began following our lord on campaign, I have yet to run from the enemy.


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[Assistant] Well, maybe he should have in this case. Before he finished speaking, the Dongwu troops arrived and cut off all paths of escape. Seeing no way out, Chengji slit his own throat.


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[Assistant] Meanwhile, at the city of Yiling, where the Dongwu General Sun Huan had been trapped all this time after losing his encounter with Liu Bei, the Xu forces had been besieging the city under the command of the officers Wu Ban and Zhang Nan.


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[Assistant] Suddenly, their comrade Feng Xi rushed onto the scene and told them that the Xu forces had been crushed and that they needed to go save Liu Bei ASAP. So they headed out immediately, which of course meant their siege was over and Sun Huan was finally freed from the city.


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[Assistant] Just as Zhang Nan and Feng Xi were rushing to save Liu Bei, they found themselves facing a Dongwu army in front, while behind them, Sun Huan led his men and charged out the city of Yiling to attack.


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[Assistant] Trapped, Zhang Nan and Feng Xi put up a valiant struggle, but they could not fight their way out, and both ended up being killed in the chaos.


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[Assistant] Their comrade Wu Ban, however, did manage to fight his way out. He was being pursued by enemy troops when Zhao Yun showed up and saved him, bringing him back to the city of Bai Di.


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[Assistant] And just to mop up, the king of Liu Bei's barbarian allies ran into the Dongwu general Zhou Tai. And after they fought for twenty-some bouts, the barbarian king was killed.


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[Assistant] As for the rest, countless Shu officers and soldiers surrendered to Dongwu, and all the provisions and equipment in the Shu camps were reduced to ashes.


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[Assistant] So if you're thinking that this sounds like a devastating blow to Liu Bei and his kingdom's ability to make war, you would be correct.


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[Assistant] Yes, they still had something left in the tank, but it's no small matter to replace 700,000 trained troops, not to mention the countless officers, or all that provision and equipment.


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[Assistant] So yeaah, Liu Bei probably should have quit while he was ahead and accepted Dongwu's peace offering.


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[Assistant] Oh, and there's just one more loose end to tie up.


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[Assistant] Lady Sun, Sun Quan's little sister, and Liu Bei's wife, who was tricked back to Dongwu by her brother years ago.


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[Assistant] She heard about what transpired on the battlefield She also heard talk that Liu Bei had been killed in the fighting


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[Assistant] Heartbroken and not bothering to wait for the news to be fact-checked, she went to the riverbank where she faced westward and wept bitterly to mourn her supposedly dead husband.


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[Assistant] And then, she threw herself into the river, showing that she was true to Liu Bei to the last. This over-the-top death earned her a temple and praise for posterity.


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[Assistant] While Liu Bei tries to pick up the pieces, on Dong Wu's side, Lu Xun was looking to press his advantage. Having achieved total victory, he was not yet content to call it a day. Instead, he led his troops westward, hoping to dole out some more punishment.


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[Assistant] As they approached Kui Pass, Lu Xun sat atop his horse and gazed ahead. In front of him, the mountains and the river were enveloped in an aura of death that surged skyward.


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[Assistant] There must be an ambush ahead, Lu Xun said to his men. The army should not advance lightly.


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[Assistant] So he had the army fall back a few miles and set up in battle formation on an open plain to wait for the enemy.


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[Assistant] At the same time, Lu Xun sent some trusted men to scout out the area ahead


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[Assistant] They reported back that there were no sign of troops on the bank of the river, but there were 80 or 90 clusters of rocks half-hazardly piled together.


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[Assistant] Now this made Lu Xun very curious and suspicious. He tracked down some locals and asked them who was responsible for those rock piles and why they admitted an aura of death.


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[Assistant] This place is named Fish Belly Beach, the locals told him. When Zhuge Liang passed through here on his way into the river land, he created a battle formation on the beach with piles of rocks. Ever since then, there have been gases rising up from there like clouds.


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[Assistant] So he and his men came down from the hill and rode into the formation for a closer look.


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[Assistant] After a little while, his men told him it was getting late and they should really get back.


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[Assistant] But as soon as they tried to exit the formation, a violent gale kicked up, sweeping sand and pebbles into the air and blocking out the sky and the ground.


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[Assistant] Everywhere they looked, they were surrounded by bizarre rocks cutting the air, jagged like sword blades, while the sand, whipped around by the wind, piled into mountains. The river's waves now rumbled and rolled like the beating of war drums.


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[Assistant] I have fallen for Zhuge Liang's trick, Lu Xun said with alarm. Well, that's what you get for doubting Sleeping Dragon.


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[Assistant] Also, I'm picturing something akin to a scene from Star Trek, the original series, where Captain Kirk and his away party are hamming it up while stumbling around piles of exploding Styrofoam rocks.


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[Assistant] Lu Xun kept looking for a way out, but he found none.


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[Assistant] Just as he was panicking, an old man suddenly appeared, standing right in front of Liu Xun's horse.


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[Assistant] General, do you wish to leave this formation? the old man asked with a smile.


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[Assistant] Elder, I hope you can lead me out, Lucian replied.


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[Assistant] So the old man began walking briskly with his cane, turning this way and that as he exited the rock formation without any hindrance.


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[Assistant] Lu Xun and company, clutching tightly to his coat-tail, managed to follow him out as well, and found themselves back on the hilltop.


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[Assistant] I am Zhu Ge Liang's father-in-law, Huang Cheng Yan, the old man replied. When my son-in-law entered the Riverlands, he laid out this formation and called it the Eightfold Maze. It has eight ever-shifting doors arranged according to the Taboo Day's formula.


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[Assistant] And by the way, all this talk of the taboo days and such are referring to principles of Taoism. So we are knee deep in mysticism here.


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[Assistant] Anyway, back to Zhu Ge Liang's father-in-law, who continued.


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[Assistant] Each day at the appointed hours, the openings move unpredictably.


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[Assistant] In the future, a top general from Dongwu will be trapped inside this formation. Do not lead him out.


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[Assistant] Just now, I saw from the hillside that you entered through the Gate of Perish, so I figured you did not understand this formation and would be trapped.


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[Assistant] I have always been disposed toward kindness, and I could not bear to see you die like this. That is why I led you out through the Survive Gate.


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[Assistant] Well, I can only imagine how awkward the next family get-together is going to be in the Zhuge Liang household. You did what?


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[Assistant] Sir, have you studied the transformations? Lu Xun asked.


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[Assistant] The transformations are endless and cannot be learned, Huang Cheng Yan said.


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[Assistant] Realizing the great favor Huang Cheng Yan had just done him, Lu Xun now dismounted and bowed to offer his thanks. As he headed back to camp, Lu Xun sighed and said, Zhu Ge Liang really is the sleeping dragon. I am not his equal.


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[Assistant] And then, he gave the order for the army to head home. His officers, however, were mystified.


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[Assistant] Liu Bei has been crushed and is holed up in one city, they said to Lu Xun.


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[Assistant] This is the perfect time to attack. So why are you retreating on account of a formation of rocks?


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[Assistant] I am not retreating because I fear a rock formation, Lu Xun explained.


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[Assistant] Cao Pi, the ruler of Wei, is as deceitful as his father. When he hears that I am pursuing the Shu forces, he would no doubt try to launch a sneak attack against us. If I venture too deeply into the Riverlands, it would be hard to retreat in a pinch.


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[Assistant] So Lu Xun left the general to bring up the rear, while he himself led the main army back.


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[Assistant] And sure enough, not even two days after his army headed home,


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[Assistant] Reports came from three places saying that hundreds of thousands of Wei troops commanded by the generals Cao Ren, Cao Xiu, and Cao Zhen were marching non-stop toward Dongwu's borders with unclear intentions.


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[Assistant] Hm, just as I expected, Lu Xun said with a smile, I have already deployed troops to counter.


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[Assistant] So we'll leave Lu Xun to deal with the encroaching Wei forces for now and check in on Liu Bei in the city of Bai Di, where he was finally safe under the protection of Zhao Yun.


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[Assistant] Soon, the advisor Ma Liang arrived to tell Liu Bei that, Hey, I spoke to Zhu Ge Liang, and he said that it's a really bad- Oh, I'm too late, aren't I?


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[Assistant] If I had listened to the Prime Minister's advice earlier, I would not have stumbled into this defeat, Liu Bei lamented, overstating the obvious. How can I bear to return to Chengdu to face my officials now?


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[Assistant] So instead of packing up and heading back to his own capital, Liu Bei sent out word that he was going to take up residence in the city of Bai Di, renaming his quarters the Palace of Enduring Peace.


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[Assistant] Reports soon arrived of the numerous casualties among his officer corps, which grieved Liu Bei greatly.


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[Assistant] And then, his attendants told him about his official Huang Quan, whom Liu Bei had put in command of the troops on the north side of the river.


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[Assistant] Huang Quan led those troops and defected to Wei, the attendants told Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] Huang Quan was isolated on the North Bank by the Dongwu forces and he had no way to come back, Liu Bei said.


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[Assistant] He surrendered to Wei only because he had no choice. It was I who let him down, knocked the other way around. How can I punish his family?


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[Assistant] So instead of punishing Huang Quan's family, Liu Bei allowed them to continue receiving the allotment of food that was due to him as part of his salary.


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[Assistant] Now as for Huang Quan himself, when he defected to Wei, he was brought before Cao Pi.


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[Assistant] So here, Cao Pi was referring to two key advisors to the supreme ancestor, the founder of the Han dynasty.


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[Assistant] Both of those guys originally served the Supreme Ancestor's arch nemesis, but then they defected and they ended up playing a big role in helping the Supreme Ancestor to defeat their former master.


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[Assistant] So Cao Pi is asking if Huang Quan was intending to do the same for him against Liu Bei.


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[Assistant] But Huang Quan answered with tears in his eyes.


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[Assistant] The emperor of Shu was unrivaled in his kindness to me. He put me in command of the troops on the north side of the river, but we were cut off by Lu Xun and had no way to return to Shu.


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[Assistant] I would be lucky to just keep my life. How can I dare to emulate the ancients?


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[Assistant] Cao Pi was impressed with this honest answer and wanted to make Huang Quan a general, but Huang Quan steadfastly refused.


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[Assistant] Just then, an attendant reported. Spies have come from Shu saying that Liu Bei has executed Huang Quan's entire family.


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[Assistant] So Huang Quan ended up staying in Wei, and that takes care of all the loose ends from the battle. Cao Pi now turned his attention to how to capitalize on the fallout. This seemed like a great opportunity to attack his rivals with one of them weakened and the other distracted. But which one would he attack first? To find out,


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[Assistant] Tune in to the next episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. Thanks for listening.


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[Assistant] Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast. This is episode 122.


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[Assistant] Last time, just as things were looking good for Zhuge Liang on his northern expedition, the Wei Emperor wised up and recalled the one man that Zhuge Liang was wary of, Sima Yi.


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[Assistant] Sima Yi did not waste any time being a thorn in Zhuge Liang's side, swiftly putting down an internal uprising by the renegade General Meng Da.


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[Assistant] Then, he made straight for Jiating, a small but crucial location that, if it fell into Sima Yi's hands, would mean the end of Zhuge Liang's campaign, if not the end of Zhuge Liang himself.


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[Assistant] So, Zhu Ge Liang sent his military counselor Ma Su and the general Wang Ping to go defend Jie Ting, reminding them time and again to be careful and to set up camp


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[Assistant] On the road, so that the enemy couldn't just sneak around them.


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[Assistant] But of course, within minutes of arriving at Jie Ting, Ma Su allowed his ego to get the better of him and decided that, hey, I know better than Zhu Ge Liang and I am going to set up camp on that hill over there instead of on the road.


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[Assistant] Wang Ping objected, but to no avail, so he ended up taking a small detachment of troops and setting up an auxiliary camp near the hill.


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[Assistant] Si Ma Yi, meanwhile, had gotten word of this development, and he came to check things out for himself. He and about a hundred riders arrived at Jie Ting on a clear moonlit night, and they took a good look at the hill where Ma Su had garrisoned his forces.


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[Assistant] As they rode off, Masu watched them from atop the hill and laughed.


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[Assistant] If you want to live, then you would not dare to come attack this hill, he boasted. He then told his officers, if the enemy comes, watch for a red flag on the hilltop. When it waves, that is your signal to lead your men and attack down the hillside.


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[Assistant] Meanwhile, Si Ma Yi returned to camp and sent some scouts to find out who was commanding the Shu forces defending Jie Ting. When they reported back that it was Ma Su, Si Ma Yi laughed. He is nothing but a reputation, a bookworm.


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[Assistant] How can Zhuge Liang use such a man and not expect to fail?


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[Assistant] Si Ma Yi then asked if there were any troops around Jie Ting, and the scouts told him about Wang Ping's camp three miles away from the hill.


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[Assistant] So, Sima Yi ordered his vanguard general, Zhang He, to lead a battalion to go cut off Wang Ping's path to the hill.


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[Assistant] He then ordered the officers Shen Dan and Shen Yi to lead two battalions and surround the hill where Ma Su was camped out.


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[Assistant] He told them to first cut off the water supply to the hill so that the Shu soldiers would fall into chaos and then attack while they are in disarray. Which, by the way, was exactly what Wang Ping had warned Ma Su would happen if he subcamp on that hill.


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[Assistant] With everything in place, Zhang He set out at dawn the next day to sneak up on Wang Ping from behind. Sima Yi, meanwhile, marched his main army forward, swarming around the hill.


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[Assistant] From the top of the hill, Ma Su could see that the Wei soldiers and their banners covered the hillside in an organized fashion. When the Shu soldiers saw this, they did not exactly feel like charging down the hillside like Ma Su had envisioned.


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[Assistant] So, when Ma Su waved his red flag to order a charge, all his men were doing was nudging each other and going, you go first. No, no, you go first. No, no, no, no, after you.


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[Assistant] So much for Masu's theory that if he put his men in a desperate situation, they would have no choice but to fight like they had never fought before.


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[Assistant] Enraged, Masu personally cut down two of his officers for their cowardice. This shocked his men, and they had no choice but to muster up enough courage to charge down the hillside, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the Wei forces would collapse like their commander had said.


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[Assistant] But alas, the Wei troops held their ground, so the Shu soldiers could only retreat back to the top of the hill.


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[Assistant] Seeing things hit the fan, Ma Su ordered his men to shut the camp gates and wait for outside help. But that outside help was not coming.


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[Assistant] His comrade Wang Ping, who was camped three miles away, saw the Wei army arrive, so he led his troops out to face them. They ran smack dab into the Wei vanguard general Zhang He. Wang Ping and Zhang He traded blows for a few dozen bouts, by which point Wang Ping was outnumbered and exhausted.


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[Assistant] So he had no choice but to fall back, leaving the Shu troops on the hill to fend for themselves.


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[Assistant] The Wei army now surrounded the hill for a whole day. With no water, the trapped Shu soldiers were unable to prepare food, and without food, it did not take long for the army to lose all semblance of order.


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[Assistant] I think I mentioned this before, the soldiers of this era were not particularly well trained, so armies were often just a couple missed meals away from a total breakdown in discipline.


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[Assistant] Around midnight, all hell broke loose as the Xu forces on the south side of the hill flung open the gates to the camp and went down the hill to surrender. Ma Su tried to stop them, but to no avail.


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[Assistant] Now, to add to the chaos, Sima Yi ordered his men to set the hillside on fire.


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[Assistant] Ma Su figured that he couldn't hold out any longer, so he pressed his tattered troops down the west side of the hill in an attempt to break out. Sima Yi left them an opening through which to escape, but no sooner had Ma Su slipped through that opening did he find the way General Zhang He in hot pursuit.


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[Assistant] Zhang He chased Ma Su for about 10 miles when suddenly an army appeared in front with drums and horns blaring.


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[Assistant] This army let Ma Su run past and then cut off Zhang He's path.


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[Assistant] But 15 miles into their pursuit, a loud cry rang out and Wei soldiers sprang out from hiding on two sides, led by Sima Yi on the left and his second son Sima Jiao on the right.


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[Assistant] Zhang He also turned around and charged back. They now surrounded Wei Yan and his men. Wei Yan charged here and there, but he could not break through. And soon, his army was decimated.


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[Assistant] Just as things were looking dire, another army charged into the fray. This was Wei Yan's comrade, Wang Ping.


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[Assistant] I am saved! Wei Yan rejoiced when he saw Wang Ping. The two then combined their forces and put up a dogged struggle to fight off the Wei forces. But when the two of them scrambled back to Wei Yan's camp,


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[Assistant] Wei Yan and Wang Ping now turned and fled toward the nearby city of Liucheng, which was garrisoned by their comrade Gao Xiang as a backup to their backup.


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[Assistant] By now, Gao Xiang had heard about the debacle at Jie Ting, so he had already mobilized all of his troops to come help. He ran into Wei Yan and Wang Ping along the way, and they told him what had transpired.


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[Assistant] Why don't we go raid the enemy camp tonight and reclaim Jie Ting? Gao Xiang suggested.


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[Assistant] The other two agreed, so when darkness fell that night, they split their forces into three and advanced, with Wei Yan leading the way.


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[Assistant] But when he got to Jie Ting, Wei Yan did not spot a single soul, which made him deeply suspicious. He held up and waited for Gao Xiang to arrive.


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[Assistant] Just as they were talking about how they had a bad feeling about this, they noticed that, hey, where's Wang Ping and the rest of our men?


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[Assistant] Just then, an explosive went off and the night was lit up with torches while the earth shook with the sound of war drums as Wei troops poured out from hiding, trapping Gao Xiang and Wei Yan in the center. The two tried to fight their way out, but in vain.


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[Assistant] Suddenly, cries came from behind the hill, and another army appeared on the scene. This was Wang Ping, who was probably getting sick of showing up to bail out his comrades by now. The three of them managed to break out and sprinted back toward Gao Xiang's base at the city of Liucheng.


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[Assistant] But, no sooner had they arrived at the foot of the city, were they greeted by another enemy force, sporting a banner that said,


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[Assistant] Now remember that Guo Huai was the second in command under the Wei Supreme Commander Cao Zhen. They had gotten their butts kicked by Zhuge Liang previously, and were just holding down the fort at a key defensive location.


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[Assistant] But, when they got word that Sima Yi and Zhang He were marching on Jie Ting,


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[Assistant] They got to thinking that, we can't let those guys hoard all the glory. So, Guo Huai took an army to come take Jie Ting, hoping to beat their comrades slash rivals to the punch. But en route, Guo Huai got word that Si Ma Yi had already captured Jie Ting.


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[Assistant] So he changed plans and instead came after the city of Liucheng, where he now ran smack dab into the three Shu generals who were fleeing back in defeat.


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[Assistant] Guo Huai and his men kicked Wei Yan and company while they were down, and the Xu forces suffered heavy casualties. Wei Yan was mindful of the big picture. With things going so badly here,


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[Assistant] He was worried about a possible enemy encroachment on Yangping Pass, the critical gateway into the region of Hanzhong, which served as the launching pad for the Shu forces.


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[Assistant] So, he and Wang Ping and Gao Xiang turned and fled toward Yang Ping Pass.


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[Assistant] Having chased off the enemy, Guo Huai was feeling pretty good as he told his men.


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[Assistant] Even though I did not capture Jie Ting, I did take Liu Cheng, which is also a big merit.


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[Assistant] But when he went to the foot of the city, he was greeted with the sound of an explosive as numerous banners shot up along the city wall. The biggest banner read, Si Ma Yi, the commander who pacifies the west.


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[Assistant] General Guo, what took you so long? Sima Yi shouted as he leaned against the wall. Stunned, Guo Huai could only mutter to himself,


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[Assistant] Guo Huai then went inside the city to greet Si Ma Yi, who told him, Now that he has lost Jie Ting, Zhu Ge Liang will no doubt retreat. UN Commander Cao Zhen should pursue him non-stop. Guo Huai agreed and immediately took his leave.


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[Assistant] After Guo Huai left, Sima Yi said to his vanguard general, Zhang He,


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[Assistant] Cao Zhen and Guo Huai were worried that I would get all the credit, so they came to take this city.


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[Assistant] I was not trying to hoard all the glory, I just got lucky. I expect that Wei Yan, Wang Ping and Gao Xiang must have gone to defend Yang Ping Pass. If I go attack that pass, Zhu Ge Liang would sweep in behind us, and we would be in his trap.


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[Assistant] As the rules of war say, you must pursue a retreating army, but do not chase broken rebels.


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[Assistant] General Zhang, you will take the back roads to attack the retreating enemy forces in Ji Gorge, and I will take on the enemy troops in Xie Gorge. If the enemy flees, do not press too hard. Just attack them on the road, and you will be able to capture their equipment and baggage train.


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[Assistant] So, Zhang He raised off with half of their men, and Sima Yi told the rest. Head to Xie Gorge, by way of Xicheng. Xicheng may be a small backwater hamlet, but it's where the enemy's grains are stored.


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[Assistant] It also commands the road to the three counties of Nan'an, Tianshui, and Anding.


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[Assistant] If we capture Xicheng, then those three counties will be ours again.


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[Assistant] He then left the officers Shen Dan and Shen Yi to oversee Liu Cheng and set off with the main army, Tuo Xie Gorge.


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[Assistant] Meanwhile, back at the Shu forces main camp, Zhu Ge Liang had been on pins and needles ever since sending Ma Su and company to go defend Jie Ting. One day,


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[Assistant] Wang Ping's map of the area and the army's deployment arrived.


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[Assistant] Zhu Ge Liang opened it up, took one look, and immediately slammed his hand on his desk.


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[Assistant] His staff asked why he was so alarmed, and Zhuge Liang explained.


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[Assistant] According to this map, Ma Su has given up the key road and instead set his camp on a hill.


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[Assistant] If the enemy arrives in force, surrounds that hill, and cuts off his water supply, his army will fall into disarray within two days. If Jie Ting is lost, how can we make it home alive?


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[Assistant] A member of his staff, the high counselor Yang Yi, now said,


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[Assistant] I may be untalented, but I am willing to go relieve Masu.


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[Assistant] So Zhuge Liang quickly told Yang Yi how he should redeploy the troops at Jie Ting.


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[Assistant] But just as Yang Yi was getting ready to head out, a scout arrived with word that Jie Ting and the city of Liu Cheng had both been lost.


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[Assistant] Oh, it's lost, and it is my fault, Zhu Ge Liang said with a long sigh as he stamped his foot.


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[Assistant] But, he had no time to beat up on himself, because he knew that the enemy will soon be bearing down on him.