uld　not　penetrate　it。　No　one　knew　what　to　call　it；　and　when　they　consulted　the　soothsayers；　they　obtained　the　reply；　'Inplete　shape；　silent　mouth：　A　state　is　near　destruction。'　These　prodigies　are　all　inauspicious。　Flee　from　evil　and　strive　to　walk　in　fair　fortune's　way。　Make　no　move　without　most　careful　thought。〃

This　second　remonstrance　enraged　Gongsun　Yuan　still　more；　and　he　sent　Lun　Zhi　to　death　with　Jia　Fan。　Both　were　executed　in　the　public　place。

Gongsun　Yuan　then　prepared　to　make　a　bid　for　empire。　He　raised　an　army　of　one　hundred　fifty　thousand；　appointed　Bei　Yan　as　mander；　and　Yang　Zuo　as　Leader　of　the　Van。　This　army　set　out　for　the　Middle　Land。

Ruler　of　Wei　was　alarmed　at　the　report　of　this　rising；　and　sent　for　Sima　Yi。

Sima　Yi　was　not　greatly　perturbed；　and　said；　〃My　forty　thousand　troops　will　be　equal　to　the　task。〃

The　Ruler　of　Wei　replied；　〃The　task　is　heavy；　for　your　troops　are　few　and　the　road　is　long。〃

〃The　strength　of　an　army　is　not　in　numbers；　but　in　strategy。　Aided　by　Your　Majesty's　good　fortune；　I　shall　certainly　be　able　to　bring　this　fellow　Gongsun　Yuan　a　captive　to　your　feet。〃

〃What　do　you　think　will　be　the　rebel's　plan？〃　asked　the　Ruler　of　Wei。

〃His　high　plan　would　be　flight　before　our　army　can　arrive；　his　middle　plan　would　be　defending　his　position　in　Liaodong；　his　low　plan　would　be　to　try　to　hold　Xiangping。　In　the　last　case　I　shall　certainly　capture　him。〃

〃How　long　will　the　expedition　take？〃

〃We　have　to　cover　one　thousand　five　hundred　miles　which　will　take　a　hundred　days。　Attack　will　consume　another　hundred。　The　return　will　need　a　hundred；　and　with　sixty　days　to　rest　we　shall　take　a　year。〃

〃Suppose　during　that　year　we　are　attacked　by　Wu　or　Shu。〃

〃My　plans　provide