Toward the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty （25-220）， state power fell into Dong Zhuo's hand， a very cruel and manipulating person. Yuan Shao， the leader of an opposition force， led a punitive expedition to Lüoyang， the capital. Dong Zhuo sent a very battlewise general named Hua Xiong to meet sent a very battlewise general named H

　　When Sun Xiu, the Ruler of Wu, knew that the House of Wei had fallen before the Jins, he also knew that the usurper's next thought would be the conquest of his own land. The anxiety made him ill, so that he took to his bed and was like to die. He then summoned to his bedside his Prime Minister, Puyang Xing, and his heir, Sun Wan. But t

　　Asked to say what was the best plan to secure the arrest of Deng Ai, Jiang Wei said, “Send Wei Guan. If Deng Ai tries to kill Wei Guan, he will manifest the desire of his heart. Then you can destroy him as a traitor.”
　　Hence Wei Guan was sent, with some thirty men, to effect the arrest.
　　Wei Guan's own people saw the

　　The news of the fall of Mianzhu and the deaths in battle of Zhuge Zhan and Zhuge Shang, father and son, brought home to the Latter Ruler that danger was very near, and he summoned a council.
　　Then the officials said, “Panic has seized upon the people, and they are leaving the city in crowds. Their cries shake the very sky！”

　When Dong Jue, General Who Upholds the State, heard of the invasion of Wei in ten divisions, he brought to the frontier twenty thousand troops to Saber Pass. And when the dust showed an approaching army, Dong Jue thought it wise to go to the Pass lest the coming armies should be enemies to be stopped.
　　But Dong Jue found that the newcomers we

　　The words whispered in the ear of Shao Ti proved Sima Zhao's subtlety.
　　Said Sima Zhao, “This morning the officers all maintained that Shu should not be attacked, because they are timid. If I let them lead the army, they would surely be defeated. You saw Zhong Hui was set upon his plan, and he is not afraid. Shu must therefore

　　In the autumn of the fifth year of Wonderful Sight, in Shu-Han calendar （AD 262）, Jiang Wei was occupied with preparations for the renewal of an attack： Mending the hill roads, gathering stores, and mobilizing his boats on the waterways of Hanzhong. These things done, he memorized the Throne, asking permission to go again to the attack

　　When the order to retreat was given, Liao Hua said, “A leader in the field is independent and need not obey even the command of his prince.”
　　Zhang Yi said, “The country begins to resent these many years of war. Rather take the occasion of the victory you have just won to return and pacify the people.”
　　“It is good,”

Fearing lest reinforcements would strengthen his enemy beyond his own power of resistance, Jiang Wei decided to retreat while he could. He sent all his stores and baggage away first with the footmen, and kept the cavalry to cover the retirement.
The spies reported his movements to Deng Ai, who said, "He has gone becaus

　　Hearing of this threatened attack, Sima Zhao sought advice from two of his officers, High Counselor Pei Xiu and Palace Assistant Zhong Hui.
　　Zhong Hui said, “The Wu army is helping our enemies for the sake of profit, and hence we can seduce them with an offer of greater profit.”
　　Sima Zhao agreed in this opinion and r

　　Jiang Wei camped at Zhongti. The army of Wei camped outside Didao. Wang Jing welcomed Chen Tai and Deng Ai and prepared a banquet to celebrate the raising of the siege and also rewarded the army with gifts. Then Chen Tai sent up a memorial to the Ruler of Wei, Cao Mao, eulogizing the magnificent services of Deng Ai, who was rewarded wi

　　It has been said that in the second year of Right Origin （AD 256） Guanqiu Jian, of the South of River Huai, General Who Guards the East, was commanding the forces in River Huai when he heard the news Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang.
　　He was moved to great anger, and his eldest son, Guanqiu Dian, fomented his father's wrath, saying,

　　It was the autumn of the sixteenth year of Long Enjoyment （AD 253）, and Jiang Wei's army of two hundred thousand was ready to march against the north. Liao Hua and Zhang Yi were Leaders of the Van； Xiahou Ba was Army Strategist； Zhang Ni was in command of the commissariat. The army marched out by the Yangping Pass.
　　Discussing

　　As has been said, Jiang Wei, in his retreat, fell in with a force under Sima Shi, barring his road. It came about thus. After Jiang Wei invaded Yongzhou, Guo Huai had sent a flying messenger to the capital, and the Ruler of Wei summoned Sima Yi for advice. It had then been decided to send reinforcements to Yongzhou, and fifty thousand

Sima Yi was very pleased to hear that Cao Shuang and his party were to follow the Ruler of Wei on a visit to the tombs combined with a hunt, for it meant that the whole enemy faction left the city. Accordingly, Cao Shuang and his three brothers Cao Xi, Cao Xun, Cao Yan, and his friends He Yan, Deng Yang, Ding Mi, Bi Gui, Li She