been　to　spend　myself　to　the　utmost　to　restore　Han　to　its　glory　and　to　regain　the　Middle　Land。　But　Heaven　decrees　it　otherwise。　My　end　is　not　far　away。　I　have　written　a　book　in　twenty…four　chapters；　104；112　words；　treating　the　Eight　Needfuls；　the　Seven　Cautions；　the　Six　Fears；　and　the　Five　Dreads　of　war。　But　among　all　those　about　me　there　is　no　one　fit　to　receive　it　and　carry　on　my　work　save　you。　I　pray　you　not　to　despise　it。〃

He　gave　the　treatise　to　Jiang　Wei；　who　received　it　sobbing。

〃I　have　also　a　plan　for　a　multiple　crossbow；　which　I　have　been　unable　to　execute。　The　weapon　shoots　ten　bolts　of　eight　inches　length　at　every　discharge。　The　sketches　are　quite　ready；　and　the　weapons　can　be　made　according　to　them。〃

Jiang　Wei　took　the　papers　with　a　deep　bow。

The　dying　man　continued；　〃There　is　no　part　of　Shu　that　causes　anxiety；　save　the　Yinping　Mountains。　That　must　be　carefully　guarded。　It　is　protected　naturally　by　its　lofty　precipices；　but　it　will　surely　be　the　cause　of　great　losses。〃

Next　Zhuge　Liang　sent　for　Ma　Dai；　to　whom　he　gave　certain　whispered　instructions；　and　then　said；　〃You　are　to　follow　out　my　instructions　after　my　death。〃

Soon　after；　Yang　Yi　entered　the　tent　and　went　to　the　couch。　He　received　a　silken　bag　containing　certain　secret　orders。

As　Zhuge　Liang　gave　it　to　him；　he　said；　〃After　my　death；　Wei　Yan　will　turn　traitor。　When　that　happens　and　the　army　is　in　danger；　you　will　find　herein　what　to　do。〃

Just　as　these　arrangements　were　finished；　Zhuge　Liang　fell　into　a　swoon；　from　which　he　did　not　revive　till　late　in　the　evening。　Then　he　set　himself　to　pose　a　memorial　to　the　Latter　Ruler。

When　this　reached　the　Latter　Ruler；　he　was　greatly　alarmed　and　at　once　sent　Chief　Secretary　Li　Fu　to　visit　and　confer