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Then Guo Huai came, and he was called to a council.

Said Guo Huai, “I hear the soldiers of Shu in Lucheng are very few, and they are occupied with gathering the grain; why not smite them?” Sima Yi told him his last experience of his opponent's wiles.

“He threw dust in your eyes that time,” said Guo Huai with a smile. “However, now you know. What is the good of more talk? Let me attack the rear, while you lead against the front, and we shall take the city and Zhuge Liang too.”

An attack was decided upon.

In Lucheng, while the soldiers were still busy with the wheat, Zhuge Liang called up his generals, and said, “The enemy will attack tonight. There is a suitable place for an ambush in the newly reaped fields, but who will lead for me?”

Four generals — Jiang Wei, Wei Yan, Ma Dai, and Ma Zhong — offered themselves, and he posted them, each with two thousand troops, outside the four corners of the city. They were to await the signal and then converge. When these had gone, Zhuge Liang led out a small party of one hundred soldiers and hid in the newly reaped fields.

In the meantime Sima Yi was drawing near. It was dusk when he stood beneath the walls of Lucheng.

Said he to his officers, “If we attacked by daylight, we should find the city well prepared; so we will take advantage of the darkness. The moat is shallow here, and there will be no difficulty in crossing it.”

The troops bivouacked till the time should come to attack. About the middle of the first watch Guo Huai arrived, and his force joined up with the others. This done, the drums began to beat, and the city was quickly surrounded. However, the defenders maintained such a heavy discharge of arrows, bolts and stones from the walls that the besiegers dared not close in.

Suddenly from the midst of the Wei army came the roar of a bomb, soon followed by others from different places. The soldiers were startled, but no one could say whence the sounds had proceeded. Guo Huai went to search the wheat fields, and then the four armies from the corners of the city converged upon the Wei army. At the same time the defenders burst out of the city gates, and a great battle began. Wei lost many troops.

After heavy fighting Sima Yi extricated his army from the battle and made his way to a hill, which he set about holding and fortifying, while Guo Huai got round to the rear of the city and called a halt.

Zhuge Liang entered the city and sent his troops to camp again at the four corners of the walls.

Guo Huai went to see his chief, and said, “We have long been at grips with these soldiers and are unable to drive them off. We have now lost another fight; and unless something is done, we shall not get away at all.”

“What can we do?” asked Sima Yi.

“You might write to Xizhou and Yongzhou to send their forces to our help. I will try my fortune against Saber Pass and cut off Zhuge Liang's retreat and supplies. That should bring about discontent and mutiny, and we can attack when we see the enemy in confusion.”

The letters were sent, and soon Sun Li came leading the troops, foot and horse, of two hundred thousand. The new arrivals were sent to help Guo Huai in the attack on Saber Pass.

After many days had passed without sight of the enemy, Zhuge Liang thought it was time to make another move. Calling up Jiang Wei and Ma Dai, he said, “The soldiers of Wei are well posted on the hills and refuse battle because, firstly, they think that we are short of food, and, secondly, they have sent an army against Saber Pass to cut off our supplies. Now each of you will take ten thousand troops and garrison the important points about here to show them that we are well prepared to defend ourselves. Then they will retire.”

After these two had gone, Yang Yi came to see the general about the change of troops then due.

Yang Yi said, “O Minister, you have ordered the troops to be alternated every one hundred days. Now the time is due, and the replacing troops have already left Hanzhong and that dispatches from the leading divisions have come in. Here we have eighty thousand troops, of which forty will be due for relief.”

“There is the order; carry it out,” replied Zhuge Liang.

So the forty thousand home-going soldiers prepared to withdraw.

Just then came the news: “Sun Li has arrived with reinforcements of two hundred thousand troops from Xizhou and Yongzhou. Guo Huai and Sun Li have gone to attack Saber Pass, and Sima Yi is leading an army against Lucheng.”

In the face of such important news, Yang Yi went to ask if the change of forces was to take place or be postponed for a time.

Zhuge Liang replied, “I must keep faith with the soldiers. Since the order for the periodical exchange of troops has been issued, it must be carried out. Beside, the soldiers due for relief are all prepared to start, their expectations have been roused and their relatives await them. In the face of yet greater difficulties I would let them go.”