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But Zhuge Dan did not favor the suggestion. On the contrary, he broke out angrily, “You are a son of Jia Kui of Yuzhou, and your family have received the bounty of Wei. Yet you dare speak of rebellion!”

Jia Chong said, “I only repeat what people have said.”

Zhuge Dan said, “If the state is in difficulty, then one ought to stand up for it even to the death.”

Jia Chong said no more. He soon returned and told Sima Zhao what had been said.

“The rat!” cried Sima Zhao, angrily.

“Zhuge Dan is exceedingly popular there in the South of River Huai; and if he is left too long, he will do harm.”

Sima Zhao began to take measures. He wrote privately to Yue Chen, Imperial Protector of Yangzhou, and sent a messenger to Zhuge Dan with an edict making him Minister of Works. This meant that Zhuge Dan had to come to the capital.

But Zhuge Dan knew that Jia Chong had done him mischief, and he interrogated the messenger, who told him that Yue Chen knew all about the matter.

“How does he know?”

“General Sima Zhao sent him a private letter.”

The messenger was condemned to death. Then Zhuge Dan placed himself at the head of his personal guard and marched to Yangzhou. The city gates were closed and the drawbridge raised. He summoned the gate, but no one answered.

“How dare this fellow Yue Chen treat me thus?” cried Zhuge Dan.

He ordered his troops to force the gate. Ten of his bold generals dismounted, crossed the moat, and climbed the ramparts, where they slew all who opposed them and opened the gate. The others entered, set fire to the houses, and began to fight their way toward the state residence.

The Imperial Protector sought refuge in a tower, but Zhuge Dan made his way up and reproached his enemy, crying, “Your father, Yue Jin, enjoyed the bounty of Wei; yet you have not sought to repay the kindness of the Ruling House, but you want to help the rebel Sima Zhao.”

Before Yue Chen was able to answer, Zhuge Dan slew him. Then he sent to Luoyang a memorial detailing Sima Yi's many faults, and made preparations for war. He called up all the militia of the south and east of River Huai, to the total of one hundred thousand, and took over the forty thousand troops who had surrendered on the fall of Yue Chen and gathered supplies. He also sent Adviser Wu Gang to Wu for aid, offering his son Zhuge Jing as a hostage for his good faith.

At this time Sun Jun had died and his brother, Sun Chen, was Prime Minister. Sun Chen was a man of cruel and violent temper and had put many officers to death on his way to power; among them were Grand Commander Teng Yin, General Lu Ju, and Minister Wang Chun. The Ruler of Wu, Sun Liang, although intelligent, was helpless in his hands.

The messenger, Wu Gang, conducted Zhuge Jing to the residence of Sun Chen in Shidou, who asked what he had come for.

Wu Gang explained, “Zhuge Dan is a cousin of the Lord of Wuxiang in Shu. Zhuge Dan had been in service of Wei; and seeing Sima Zhao depose the his prince and oppress good people, he wants to punish the tyrant. But his force is not enough, and he asks for your help. To show his sincerity, he sends his son Zhuge Jing as a token of good faith.”

Wu Gang's request was received favorably, and Sun Chen sent seventy thousand troops with a full complement of officers — Quan Yi and Quan Duan as Commander, Yu Quan as Rear Guard, Tang Zi and Zhu Yi as Leaders of the Van, Wen Qin as Military Guide. They marched in three directions to attack Wei.

Wu Gang returned to Shouchun report success. Zhuge Dan thought all was going well and prepared the army for a general attack.

In Luoyang, Zhuge Dan's memorial angered Sima Zhao, who wished to set out to revenge the attack at once, but Jia Chong preached caution.

“My lord, you derived your power from your father and brother, and people have not had time to discover your own virtue. If you leave the court and there be a revulsion of feeling against you, you will lose all. Rather request the Empress Dowager and the Son of Heaven to go with you in the expedition, and nothing is to be feared,” said Jia Chong.

“That is an excellent plan.”

Sima Zhao went into the Palace and proposed it to Her Majesty, saying, “Zhuge Dan is in revolt, and I and my colleagues intend to punish him. I beg that you will accompany the expedition as the late Emperor would have done.”

The Empress was afraid, but dared not refuse, and the next day was requested to set out with the Ruler of Wei, Cao Mao.

Cao Mao said, “General, you command all the armies and dispose them as you will; why do you ask me to go?”

Sima Zhao replied, “Your Majesty is wrong to hesitate. Your ancestors traveled over the empire and wished to unite the whole under one ruler. Wherever there was a worthy opponent, they went to face him. Your Majesty should follow their example and sweep the land clean. Why fear?”