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.

Jia Chong set Wei Guan over the city of Chengdu and sent the captive Latter Ruler to Luoyang. A few officers — Fan Jian, Zhang Shao, Qiao Zhou, and Xi Zheng — accompanied the deposed emperor on this degrading journey. Liao Hua and Dong Jue made illness an excuse not to go. They died of grief soon after.

At this time the year-style of Wei was changed from Wonderful Beginning, the fifth year, to Great Glory, the first year (AD 264). In the third month of this year, since nothing could be done to assist Shu to recover its independence, the troops of Wu under Ding Feng were withdrawn and returned to their own land.

Now Secretary Hua Jiao sent up a memorial to Sun Xiu, the Ruler of Wu, saying, “Wu and Shu were as close as are one's lips to one's teeth, and when the lips are gone the teeth are cold. Without doubt Sima Zhao

will now turn his thoughts to attacking us, and Your Majesty must realize the danger and prepare to meet it.”

Sun Xiu knew that he spoke truly, so he set Lu Kang, son of the late leader Lu Xun, over the army of Jingzhou and the river ports with the title General Who Guards the East; Sun Yi was sent to Nanxu; and Ding Feng was ordered to set up several hundred garrisons along the river banks.

When Huo Yi, Governor of Jianning, heard that Chengdu had been taken, he dressed himself in white and wailed during three days, facing east toward the capital.

“Now that the capital has fallen and the Ruler of Shu is a captive, it would be well to surrender,” said his officers.

Huo Yi replied, “There is a hindrance. I know not how fares our lord, whether he is in comfort or in misery. If his captors treat him generously, then will I yield. But perhaps they will put him to shame; and when the prince is shamed, the minister dies.”

So certain persons were sent to Luoyang to find out how fared the Latter Ruler.

Soon after the Latter Ruler reached the capital of Wei, Sima Zhao returned.

Seeing the Latter Ruler at court, Sima Zhao upbraided him, saying, “You deserved death for your vicious courses — corrupt morality, unchecked self-indulgence, contempt of good people, and misgovernment—, which had brought misfortune upon yourself.”

Hearing this, the face of the Latter Ruler turned to the color of clay with fear, and he was speechless.

But the courtiers said, “He has lost his kingdom, he has surrendered without a struggle, and he now deserves pardon.”

Thus the Latter Ruler suffered no injury, but was created Duke of Anle. Moreover, he was assigned a residence and a revenue, and he received presents of silk, and servants were sent to wait upon him, males and females in total one hundred. His son Liu Yao and the officers of Shu — Fan Jian, Qiao Zhou, Xi Zheng, and others — were given ranks of nobility. The Latter Ruler expressed his thanks and left.

Huang Hao, whose evil influence had brought the kingdom to nought, and who had oppressed the people, was put to death with ignominy in the public place.

When Huo Yi heard all these things, he came with his officers and yielded submission.

Next day the Latter Ruler went to the residence of Sima Zhao to thank him for his bounty, and a banquet was prepared. At the banquet they performed the music of Wei, with the dances, and the hearts of the officers of Shu were sad; only the Latter Ruler appeared merry.

Half way through the feast, Sima Zhao said to Jia Chong, “The man lacks feeling; that is what has ruined him. Even if Zhuge Liang had lived, he could not have maintained such a man. It is no wonder that Jiang Wei failed.”

Turning to his guest, Sima Zhao said, “Do you never think of Shu?”

“With such music as this, I forget Shu,” replied the Latter Ruler.

Presently the Latter Ruler rose and left the table.

Xi Zheng went over to him and said, “Why did Your Majesty not say you missed Shu? If Your Majesty are questioned again, weep and say that in Shu are the tombs of your forefathers and no day passes that Your Majesty do not grieve to be so far away. The Duke of Jin may let Your Majesty return.”

The Latter Ruler promised he would.

When the wine had gone round several more times, Sima Zhao put the same question a second time: “Do you never think of Shu?”

The Latter Ruler replied as he had been told. He also tried to weep, but failed to shed a tear. So he shut his eyes.

“Is not that just what Xi Zheng told you to say?” asked Sima Zhao.

“It is just as you say,” was the reply.

They all laughed. But really Sima Zhao was pleased with the frank answer and felt that nothing was to be feared from him.

Laughter loving, pleasure pursuing,

Rippling smiles over a merry face,

Never a thought of his former glory

In his callous heart finds place.

Childish joy in a change of dwelling,

That he feels and that alone;

Manifest now that he was never

Worthy to sit on his father's throne.

The courtiers thought that so grand an exploit as the conquest of the west was worthy of high honor, so they memorialized the Ruler of Wei, Cao Huang, to confer the rank Prince of Jin on Sima Zhao. At that time, Cao Huang ruled in name only, for he had no authority. The whole land was under Sima Zhao, whose will the Emperor himself dared not cross. And so, in due course, the Duke of Jin became Prince of Jin.

After being made Prince of Jin, Sima Zhao posthumously created his father, Sima Yi, the Original Prince and his late elder brother, Sima Shi, the Wonderful Prince.

The wife of Sima Zhao was the daughter of Wang Su. She bore to him two sons, the elder of whom was named Sima Yan. Sima Yan was huge of frame, his flowing hair reached to the ground when he stood up, and both hands hung down below his knees. He was clever, brave, and skilled in the use of arms.

The second son, Sima You, was mild of disposition, a filial son and a dutiful brother. His father loved him dearly. As Sima Shi had died without leaving sons, this youth, Sima You, was regarded as his son, to continue that line of the family. Sima Zhao used to say: “The empire was really my brother's.”

Becoming a prince, it was necessary for Sima Zhao to choose his heir, and he wished to name his younger son Sima You. But Shan Tao remonstrated.

“It is improper and infelicitous to prefer the younger,” said Shan Tao.

And Jia Chong, He Zeng, and Pei Xiu followed in the same strain.