But it was said that the four generals Wei Yan, Zhang Ni, Chen Shi, and Du Qiong led 20,000 Shu troops towards Jigu. As they were walking, suddenly the staff officer Deng Zhi came. The four asked why, and Deng Zhi said: "The Prime Minister has an order. If When you leave Jigu, you must be careful about the ambush of the Wei army. Don't go out easily." Chen Shi said: "Why did the prime minister become so suspicious? I guess the Wei army encountered heavy rain and their clothes were wet. The soldiers all wanted to go back. How could they ambush us? Now we The soldiers and horses are marching very fast and can achieve complete victory, so why are we told not to advance?"
Deng Zhi said: "Don't doubt it. We have been fighting with the Prime Minister for many years, and the Prime Minister's strategies have never failed. Don't disobey orders!"
Chen Shi burst out laughing after hearing this and retorted: "If the prime minister's strategy was powerful, it would not have led to the failure of the street pavilion!"
Wei Yan couldn't help but laugh after hearing this, remembering that Kong Ming had not followed his plan before, and said: "If the Prime Minister had listened to my suggestion at that time and directly sent troops to Ziwu Valley, not to mention Chang'an, even Luoyang would be in our hands at this time. Now, what is the use of deciding to leave Qishan? And now you are asking us to march, and then you are sent to inform us not to march. This kind of order is confusing!"
Chen Shidao: "Since this is the case, I will take five thousand soldiers and horses myself out of Ji Valley and camp at Qishan Mountain first to see if there is anything wrong with the Prime Minister's order!"
Deng Zhi tried to dissuade him again and again, but Chen Shi refused to listen and allowed him to go to Jigu with five thousand soldiers and horses. When Deng Zhi saw him leaving, he could only go back and report the situation to Kong Ming.
Chen Shi led his troops forward when he suddenly heard the sound of a cannon. Sure enough, the Wei army was ambushing on all sides and came out. When Chen Shi was about to retreat, the Wei army had already cut off the way back and surrounded him like an iron barrel. Chen Shi There was a conflict between the left and right, and they were unable to rush out. Suddenly there was a loud shout, and a group of troops came out to fight. The person who came was none other than Wei Yan. He rescued Chen Shi and returned to the valley. Of the five thousand soldiers and horses that went out, only four to five hundred were left injured. People and horses, Wei Yan came from behind, and Du Qiong and Zhang Ni came out with their troops and horses to meet them. Only then did the Wei army retreat. Only then did the two realize Kong Ming's ability to predict the unknown, and they regretted it.
Deng Zhi went back to see Kong Ming and explained that Wei Yan and Chen Shi did not obey orders at all and were so rude. Kong Ming just smiled and said: "Wei Yan has a rebellious nature. When we captured Changsha before, we persuaded the late emperor to kill him. The late emperor took pity on him." Because of his bravery, I appointed him and then dismissed him. I know that he has a great opinion of me. It is because of his bravery that I re-employed him. Over time, disaster will definitely arise."
While the two were talking, a detective horse suddenly came back to report that Chen Shi and his five thousand troops were ambushed by the Wei army. More than four thousand people died, and only four to five hundred wounded troops were hoarded in the valley. Kong Ming asked Deng Zhi to come to Jigu. He appeased Chen Shi and prevented the two from surrendering to the Wei army. At the same time, he called Ma Dai and Wang Ping and ordered: "If there are Wei troops guarding the Xie Valley, you two will take your troops over the mountains and ridges, march at night, and quickly go to the left side of Qishan Mountain and raise fire. As a signal." He called Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi and said: "You also sneak through the mountain path at night, go to the right side of Qishan Mountain, raise a fire as a signal, turn around with Ma Dai and Wang Ping, and attack Cao Zhen together. I will attack the camp from three sides of the valley myself, and then the Wei army can be defeated."
The four of them took the order and acted separately. Kong Ming called for Guan Xing and Liao Hua and said, "Just do it." After the two got the plan, they left with their soldiers and horses. Kong Ming and his elite soldiers accelerated their march and were walking. In the meantime, Wu Ban and Wu Yi were suddenly called to tell them some strategies, and they also moved forward with their troops.
Although Cao Zhen made a bet with Sima Yi, he still did not believe that the Shu army would chase him out, so he was very lazy in defense and let the soldiers rest. After waiting for more than ten days and nothing happened, he was about to humiliate Sima Yi. After guarding for seven days, suddenly more soldiers came Cao Zhen reported that some Shu soldiers had come out of the valley. Cao Zhen asked his deputy Qin Liang to lead five thousand sentries to prevent the Shu soldiers from approaching the border. Qin Liang took the order and led his troops to the entrance of the valley. The sentries saw the Shu soldiers retreating. , Qin Liang arrived with his troops and horses, and after walking another fifty or sixty miles, he still didn't see the Shu army. He was very confused and asked the soldiers to dismount and rest.
Suddenly, a scout came to report that there was an ambush of Shu troops ahead. When Qin Liang mounted his horse to observe, suddenly there was dust flying in the mountains. He quickly sent soldiers to be on guard. Not long after, there were loud shouts and earthquakes from all sides. Wu Ban and Wu Yi led soldiers in front. The horses rushed out, and Guan Xing and Liao Hua led their troops to kill them. There were mountains to the left and right, and there was no other way to go. The Shu soldiers on the mountains shouted: "Those who dismount and surrender voluntarily can avoid death!" So most of the Wei army surrendered, and Qin Liang died in battle and was beheaded by Liao Hua.
Kongming detained the surrendered soldiers in the rear army, changed the clothes of the Wei army to 5,000 Shu troops, pretended to be Wei troops, and sent Guan Xing, Liao Hua, Wu Ban, and Wu Yi to the Wei army camp with the fake Wei troops. After touching it, he first sent people to the camp to explain the situation, but some small Shu soldiers were driven away.
Cao Zhen was very happy after hearing this. Suddenly Sima Yi sent his confidants to come. Cao Zhen called them in. The man told him: "Now the governor has used an ambush strategy to kill more than 4,000 Shu troops. Sima Yi hopes that the governor will not use gambling as a means of gambling." Therefore, you still have to be careful to guard against the Shu army."
Cao Zhen said: "I don't have any Shu troops here." So he sent the man away. Suddenly someone reported that Qin Liang had returned in triumph with his troops.
Cao Zhen believed it was true and went out to greet him personally. When he waited at the gate of the camp, someone reported that there was a fire in the camp. When he went back to take a look, four generals Guan Xing, Liao Hua, Wu Ban, and Wu Yi commanded the fake Wei army and came in. Ma Dai and Wang Ping charged in from behind, and Ma Zhong and Zhang Yi also led their soldiers and horses to kill him. The Wei army was caught off guard and was surrounded on all sides. They each escaped for their lives. Everyone protected Cao Zhen and fled eastward, while the Shu army pursued him desperately.
Cao Zhen was running when suddenly there was a loud shout and a group of men and horses came out to kill him. Cao Zhen was frightened, fearing that it was Kong Ming's ambush. When he looked up, he saw that the man was Sima Yi. Sima Yi fought hard, and the Shu army retreated. Cao Zhen Only then was he out of danger, very ashamed.
Sima Yi sighed: "Zhuge Liang has captured the terrain of Qishan. We cannot camp here for a long time. We can go to Weibin to camp and think of other ways."
Cao Zhen asked: "How did you know that I failed?"
Sima Yi said: "Some people said that you didn't see a single Shu soldier here. I guess Kong Ming must have secretly attacked your camp, so he knew that you would be defeated, so he personally brought troops and horses to meet you. Now let's not talk about the betting game. Let’s serve the country together.”
After hearing this, Cao Zhen was very ashamed and a little scared. His old illness relapsed and he couldn't afford it. He stationed troops in Weibin. Sima Yi was afraid that the morale of the army would be weakened and he did not dare to let Cao Zhen lead the troops.
Kongming took his troops and horses out of Qishan again and rewarded the soldiers. Wei Yan, Chen Shi, Du Qiong, and Zhang Ni entered the camp to plead guilty. Kongming asked: "Who did not obey my orders and lost four thousand troops and horses? "
Wei Yan replied: "Chen Shi disobeyed orders, entered the valley entrance, and was ambushed by the Wei army, which led to the failure."
Chen Shi said angrily: "Wei Yan asked me to do this!"
