Qiu　Ben　dissuaded　him。

〃Do　not　go　out　to　battle；〃　said　he。　〃Rather　overe　him　by　some　unexpected　stroke。〃

So　Deng　Ai　laid　his　plans。　He　sent　Wang　Qi；　Governor　of　Tianshui；　and　Qian　Hong；　Governor　of　Longxi；　to　lie　in　wait　in　the　rear　while　he　led　the　main　body。

Zhuge　Zhan　happened　to　be　close　at　hand　seeking　battle。　When　he　heard　the　enemy　was　near；　he　led　out　his　army　eagerly　and　rushed　into　the　midst　of　the　invaders。　Then　Deng　Ai　fled　as　though　worsted；　so　luring　on　Zhuge　Zhan。　But　when　the　pursuit　had　lasted　some　time；　the　pursuers　were　attacked　by　those　who　lay　in　wait；　and　the　Shu　troops　were　defeated。　They　ran　away　into　Mianzhu。

Therefore　Deng　Ai　besieged　Mianzhu；　and　the　troops　of　Wei　shouted　about　the　city　and　watched　the　ramparts；　thus　keeping　the　defenders　close　shut　in　as　if　held　in　an　iron　barrel。

Zhuge　Zhan　was　desperate；　seeing　no　way　of　escape　without　help　from　outside。　Wherefore　he　wrote　a　letter　to　East　Wu　begging　for　assistance；　and　he　gave　this　letter　to　Peng　He　to　bear　through　the　besiegers。

Peng　He　fought　his　way　through　and　reached　Wu；　where　he　saw　the　Ruler　of　Wu；　Sun　Xiu。　And　he　presented　the　letter　showing　the　wretched　plight　of　Zhuge　Zhan　and　his　urgent　need。

Then　the　Ruler　of　Wu　assembled　his　officers　and　said　to　them；　〃The　land　of　Shu　being　in　danger；　I　cannot　sit　and　look　on　unconcerned。〃

He　therefore　decided　to　send　fifty　thousand　troops；　over　whom　he　set　the　Veteran　General　Ding　Feng；　with　two　able　assistants………Sun　Yin　and　Ding　Fung。　Having　received　his　edict；　Ding　Feng　sent　away　his　manders　with　twenty　thousand　troops　to　Mianzhu；　and　he　himself　went　with　thirty　thousand　troops　toward　Shouchun。　The　army　marched　in　three　divisions。

In　the　city　of　Mianzhu；　Zhuge　Zhan　waited　for　th