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“Good,” replied Zhong Hui.

He bade Jiang Wei with several braves kill the Wei leaders among the captives. But just as Jiang Wei was starting to carry out these instructions, he was seized with a sudden spasm of the heart, so severe that he fainted. He was raised from the earth and in time revived. Just as he came to, a tremendous hubbub arose outside the Palace. Zhong Hui at once sent to inquire what was afoot, but the noise waxed louder and louder, sounding like the rush of a multitude.

“The officers must be raging,” said Zhong Hui. “We would best slay them at once.”

But they told him: “The outside soldiers are in the Palace.”

Zhong Hui bade them close the doors of the Hall of Audience, and he sent his own troops upon the roof to pelt the incoming soldiers with tiles. Many were slain on either side in the melee. Then a fire broke out. The assailants broke open the doors. Zhong Hui faced them and slew a few, but others shot at him with flights of arrows, and he fell and died. They hacked off his head.

Jiang Wei ran to and fro slaying all he met till another heart spasm seized him.

“Failed!” he shrieked, “But it is the will of Heaven.”

He put an end to his own life. He was fifty-nine.

Many hundreds were slain within the precincts of the Palace. Wei Guan presently ordered that the soldiers were to be led back to their various camps to await the orders of the Duke of Jin. The soldiers of Wei, burning for revenge of his many invasions, hacked the dead body of Jiang Wei to pieces. They found his gall bladder extraordinarily large, as large as a hen's egg. They also seized and slew all the family of the dead leader.

Seeing that Deng Ai's two enemies on the spot were both dead, his old soldiers bethought themselves of trying to rescue him. When Wei Guan, who had actually arrested Deng Ai, heard this, he feared for his life.

“If Deng Ai lives, I will die in his hand,” said Wei Guan.

Furthermore, General Tian Xu said, “When Deng Ai took Jiangyou, he wished to put me to death. It was only at the prayer of my friends that he let me off. May I not have my revenge now?”

So Wei Guan gave order. At the head of five hundred cavalry, Tian Xu went in pursuit of the cage-carts. He came up with them at Mianzhu and found that the two prisoners had just been released from the carts in which they were being carried to Luoyang. When Deng Ai saw that those coming up were soldiers of his own late command, he took no thought for defense. Nor did Tian Xu waste time in preliminaries. He went up to where Deng Ai was standing and cut him down. His soldiers fell upon the son, Deng Zhong, and slew him also, and thus father and son met death in the same place.

A poem, pitying Deng Ai, was written:

While yet a boy, Deng Ai loved to sketch and plan;

He was an able leader as a man.

The earth could hide no secrets from his eye,

With equal skill he read the starry sky.

Past every obstacle his way he won,

And onward pressed until his task was done.

But foulest murder closed a great career,

His spirit ranges now a larger sphere.

A poem was also composed in pity for Zhong Hui:

Of mother wit Zhong Hui had no scanty share,

And in due time at court did office bear;

His subtle plans shook Sima Zhao's hold on power,

He was well named the Zhang Liang of the hour.

Shouchun-Bedford and Saber Pass ramparts straight fell down,

When he attacked, and he won great renown.

Ambition beckoned, he would forward press

His spirit homeward wandered, bodiless.

Another poem, in pity of Jiang Wei, runs:

Tianshui boasts of a hero,

Talent came forth from Xizhou,

Lu Wang fathered his spirit,

Zhuge Liang tutored his mind,

Valiant he ever pressed forward,

Nor had a thought of returning,

Grieved were the soldiers of Han

When death rapt his soul from his body.

And thus died all three leaders. Many other generals also perished in the fighting, and with them died Zhang Yi and other officers. Liu Rui, the heir-apparent, and Guan Yi, Lord of Hanshou were also killed by the Wei soldiers. Followed a time of great confusion and bloodshed, which endured till Jia Chong arrived and restored confidence and order.