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However, Huang Quan spoke against this, saying, “It is easy enough for the ships to go a down, but how about returning? Let me make the first advance, and Your Majesty may follow. That will make it more than probable that nothing will go wrong.”

“Those Wu enemy are afraid,” objected the ruler, “and I want to make a dash at them. Where is the difficulty?”

Though many others had spoken against the proposal, the First Ruler did not give up the notion of going into the forefront of the attack. Then dividing the army into two portions, he placed Huang Quan in command on the North of the Great River, to keep a watch on Wei, while he commanded on the South of the Great River. They made encampments and stations along the bank.

The spies of Wei duly reported these doings to the Ruler of Wei: “Shu marches against Wu, erecting forty base camps along two hundred miles of woods and hills. Moreover, the Ruler of Shu places Huang Quan in command of the North of the Great River. Huang Quan's marines patrolled as far as thirty miles daily. We do not know their intention.”

The Ruler of Wei laughed aloud when he heard the details of the long line of camps and the encampments among the trees and all this. “Liu Bei is going to be defeated,” said he.

“How do you know?” asked his courtiers.

“Because Liu Bei does not know how to wage war. How can he beat off an enemy along a front of two hundred miles? The maxims of war forbid to camp in open plains, among marshes, amid precipitous heights and obstacles. He will be defeated at the hand of Lu Xun, and we shall hear of it in about ten days.”

His officers felt more than doubtful and entreated their master to prepare an army.

But the Ruler of Wei replied, “If successful, Lu Xun will lead all his force westward into the Western Land of Rivers, and his country will be defenseless. I shall pretend to send an army to help. I shall send them in three divisions, and I shall overcome Wu easily.”

They all bowed acquiescence and approval. Then orders went out appointing Cao Ren to lead an army out by Ruxu, Cao Xiu to take a second out by Dongkou, and Cao Zhen to command a third to go through Nanjun, and the three armies were to combine on a given date for a sudden attack on Wu. The Ruler of Wei would himself bring up the reinforcement in this southern campaign.

Reaching Chengdu, Ma Liang lost no time in seeing the Prime Minister and presenting the plan of the armies as they were in the field.

“Now the forces are on both sides of the Great River extending along a front of two hundred miles, with forty stations, each beside a mountain stream or in a pleasantly shaded forest. At our lord's command, I prepared this map, and he sent me to ask your opinion.”

“Who advised such an arrangement? He ought to be put to death, whoever it was,” cried Zhuge Liang sorrowfully, tapping the table at his side.

“It is entirely our lord's own work; no other had any hand in it,” said Ma Liang.

“The life and energy of the Hans are done indeed,” said Zhuge Liang. “He has committed those very faults which the rules of the Art of War lay down as to be particularly avoided. The camps are made where free movement is impossible, and nothing can save him if the enemy use fire. Beside, what defense is possible along a two-hundred-mile front? Disaster is at hand, and Lu Xun sees it all, which explains his obstinate refusal to come out into the open. Go back as quickly as you can and tell our lord that this will not do, that it must be changed at once.”

“But if I am too late — if Wu has already attacked and won—, what then?”

“The enemy will not dare to follow up their victory by a march on Chengdu. So this capital is secure.”

“Why will they not?”

“Wei is behind their back; that is why. Our lord will be compelled to shelter in Baidicheng. I have already placed ten thousand troops in hiding at Fishbelly Creek.”

“Have you? I have been up and down that creek three or four times without seeing a soldier. I do not see the reason of telling lies to me,” said Ma Liang.

“You will see; do not ask so many questions.” With the precious instructions which he had persuaded Zhuge Liang to draw up, Ma Liang hastened back to the imperial camp, while Zhuge Liang went to the capital to prepare a relief expedition.

The soldiers of Shu had become slack and idle and no longer maintained adequate defense, wherefore Lu Xun perceived that his moment had arrived, and called his generals to his tent to receive orders.

“There has been no fighting since I received our lord's command. I have spent the time in acquiring a knowledge of the enemy. As a preliminary operation I want to capture a camp on the south bank. Who volunteers?”

Out stepped Han Dang and Zhou Tai and Ling Tong, all three at once, each crying that he wanted to be sent. But they were sent back; the Commander-in-Chief did not want any of them.