Classic · Romance of the Three Kingdoms · Luo Guanzhong (original) · VoiceSmiths adaptation · 1522 · 5:12

The Empty Fort

Jieting is lost and 150,000 men march on a town with no army. Zhuge Liang opens the gates and sits down to play. Same cast as the Chinese episode.

StorytellerZhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterMa Su, the young adviserWang Ping, the careful officerSima Yi, general of WeiSima Zhao, his sonThe officials in Xicheng

Long ago, when China was split into three kingdoms, Zhuge Liang, known as Kongming, the Prime Minister of Shu, marched north against Wei. Then a spy brought bad news: Sima Yi, the most dangerous general of Wei, was coming.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterHe will go straight for Jieting and cut our throat. Who will hold Jieting for me?Ma Su, the young adviserI will go.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterJieting is small, but everything hangs on it. There are no walls there, no cliffs. And Sima Yi is no ordinary man.Ma Su, the young adviserI have studied the books of war since I was a boy. If the Emperor of Wei came himself, I would not be afraid. If I fail, take my head.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime Minister莊重There are no jokes in the army.Ma Su, the young adviserThen I will put it in writing.So the young adviser Ma Su signed his pledge, and Kongming sent him off with twenty-five thousand men, and a careful old officer named Wang Ping.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterWang Ping, camp right on the main road, so the enemy cannot slip past. Then draw me a map and send it back. Be careful. Be careful!But when they reached Jieting, Ma Su only laughed.Ma Su, the young adviserThe Prime Minister worries too much! Forget the road. Look at that hill, standing all by itself. Heaven has given it to us. We camp on the hill.Wang Ping, the careful officerSir, that hill is a death trap. If Wei surrounds it and cuts us off from the water, our men will fall apart without a fight.Ma Su, the young adviserNonsense! The book says: put men on deadly ground, and each will fight like a hundred. The Prime Minister himself asks my advice. Who are you to stop me? Take five thousand men and camp wherever you like!Wang Ping camped ten miles away, and sent his map to Kongming that same night. Meanwhile, Sima Yi's son came back from scouting the road.Sima Zhao, his sonFather, there is no camp on the road. All their men are sitting on top of a hill.Sima Yi, general of WeiOn a hill? Then heaven has handed me the victory!Sima Yi surrounded the hill and cut off the water. Ma Su waved his red flag to charge, and nobody moved. By midnight, whole companies were walking down to surrender. Ma Su fled, and Jieting was lost.Far away, Kongming unrolled Wang Ping's map, and struck the table.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterMa Su, you fool! You have thrown my army away!But it was already too late. A rider galloped in: Jieting had fallen.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterIt is all over. And it is my fault.Kongming ordered a retreat, and went with five thousand men to the little town of Xicheng to move the grain. Then the riders came, one after another, ten in all. Sima Yi was coming, with a hundred and fifty thousand men.He had no generals with him, only a few officials and twenty-five hundred soldiers. The officials went white. Kongming climbed the wall and saw the dust rising to the sky.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterTake down every flag. Every man stays at his post, and stays silent. Anyone who raises his voice will be put to death. Open all four gates. At each gate, twenty soldiers dressed as townsfolk will sweep the street. When Wei arrives, nobody moves. I have a plan.Then he put on his cloak of crane feathers, climbed the tower above the gate with two boys and a zither, lit the incense, sat down by the rail, and began to play.Sima Yi's scouts saw this and did not dare go in. Sima Yi laughed at them, and rode up to look for himself. There sat Zhuge Liang on the tower, smiling, playing the zither. One boy held a sword, the other a horsetail whisk. At the open gates, a few townsfolk swept the street with their heads down, as if no army were there at all.Sima Yi looked for a long time. Then he turned his whole army around.Sima Zhao, his sonFather, maybe he has no soldiers at all, and this is just a show. Why are we leaving?Sima Yi, general of WeiZhuge Liang has always been careful. He never takes a risk. And now his gates are wide open? There must be an ambush. If we go in, we walk into his trap. You are young. You don't understand. Fall back. Now!On the tower, Kongming clapped his hands and laughed. His officials stared at him.The officials in XichengSima Yi came with a hundred and fifty thousand men. He took one look at you, and he ran. How?Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime Minister平靜He knows I am careful, and that I never take risks. When he saw the gates open, he was sure there was an ambush. I did not want to gamble. I had no other choice.The officials in XichengPrime Minister, not even the gods could read your mind. If it had been up to us, we would have run.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime MinisterWith twenty-five hundred men? We could not have run far. Sima Yi would have caught us all.Zhuge Liang (Kongming), the Prime Minister笑著If I were Sima Yi, I would never have turned back!He led the people of Xicheng away to safety, for he knew Sima Yi would return. And Sima Yi did return. The townsfolk told him the truth: no generals, no ambush, only twenty-five hundred soldiers and a few clerks. Sima Yi looked up at the sky.Sima Yi, general of Wei嘆氣I am no match for Kongming.

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