als　leaving　their　panies　and　going　away。　He　rode　after　them　and　cut　some　of　them　down。　But　this　did　not　stay　the　movement；　they　continued　to　go。　The　only　steady　portion　of　his　own　army　was　that　manded　by　Ma　Dai。　They　stood　their　ground。

〃Will　you　really　help　me？〃　said　Wei　Yan。　〃I　will　surely　remember　you　in　the　day　of　success。〃

The　two　then　went　in　pursuit　of　He　Ping；　who　fled　before　them。　However；　it　was　soon　evident　that　He　Ping　was　not　to　be　overtaken；　and　the　pursuers　halted。　Wei　Yan　mustered　his　now　small　force。

〃What　if　we　go　over　to　Wei？〃　said　Wei　Yan。

〃I　think　your　words　unwise；〃　said　Ma　Dai。　〃Why　should　we　join　anyone？　A　really　strong　person　would　try　to　carve　out　his　own　fortune　and　not　be　ready　to　crook　the　knee　to　another。　You　are　far　more　able　and　brave　than　any　leader　in　the　River　Lands。　No　one　would　dare　to　stand　up　to　you。　I　pledge　myself　to　go　with　you　to　the　seizure　of　Hanzhong；　and　thence　we　will　attack　the　West　River　Land。〃

So　they　marched　together　toward　Nanzheng；　where　Jiang　Wei　stationed。　From　the　city　wall　Jiang　Wei　saw　their　approach　and　marked　their　proud；　martial　look。　He　ordered　the　drawbridge　to　be　raised　and　sent　to　tell　his　colleague；　Yang　Yi。

As　they　drew　near；　both　Wei　Yan　and　Ma　Dai　shouted　out；　〃Surrender！〃

In　spite　of　the　smallness　of　their　following；　Jiang　Wei　felt　that　Ma　Dai　acting　with　Wei　Yan　was　a　dangerous　bination；　and　he　wanted　the　advice　of　Yang　Yi。

〃Wei　Yan　is　valorous；　and　he　is　having　the　help　of　Ma　Dai。　How　shall　we　repel　them？〃　asked　Jiang　Wei。

Yang　Yi　replied；　〃Just　before　his　death；　the　Prime　Minister　gave　me　a　silken　bag；　which　he　said　I　was　to　open　when　Wei　Yan's　mutiny　reached　a　critical　point。　It　contains　a　plan　to　rid　ourselves　of　this　traitor；　and　it