This　remark　also　angered　Zhuge　Liang；　who　replied；　〃It　is　my　fault　that　a　defeated　army　has　returned　without　any　gain　of　territory。　What　injury　to　Wei　was　the　loss　of　Jiang　Wei？〃

Fei　Yi　tried　again；　saying；　〃But　with　an　army　of　one　hundred　thousand　bold　veterans；　you　can　attack　Wei　again。〃

Said　Zhuge　Liang；　〃When　we　were　at　Qishan　and　Gu　Valley；　we　outnumbered　the　enemy；　but　we　could　not　conquer　them。　On　the　contrary；　they　beat　us。　The　defect　was　not　in　the　number　of　soldiers；　but　in　the　leadership。　Now　we　must　reduce　the　army；　discover　our　faults；　reflect　on　our　errors；　and　mend　our　ways　against　the　future。　Unless　this　is　so；　what　is　the　use　of　a　numerous　army？　Hereafter　everyone　will　have　to　look　to　the　future　of　his　country。　But　most　diligently　each　of　you　must　fight　against　my　shortings　and　blame　my　inefficiencies。　Then　we　may　succeed；　rebellion　can　be　exterminated；　and　merit　can　be　set　up。〃

Fei　Yi　and　the　officers　acknowledged　the　aptness　of　these　remarks。　Fei　Yi　went　back　to　the　capital；　leaving　Zhuge　Liang　in　Hanzhong　resting　his　soldiers　and　doing　what　he　could　for　the　people；　training　and　heartening　his　troops　and　turning　special　attention　to　the　construction　of　apparatus　for　assaults　on　cities　and　crossing　rivers。　He　also　collected　grain　and　fodder　and　built　battle　rafts；　all　for　future　use。

The　spies　of　Wei　got　to　know　of　these　doings　in　the　River　Lands　and　reported　to　Luoyang。　The　Ruler　of　Wei　called　Sima　Yi　to　council　and　asked　how　Shu　might　be　annexed。

〃Shu　cannot　be　attacked；〃　was　the　reply。　〃In　this　present　hot　weather　they　will　not　e　out；　but；　if　we　invade；　they　will　only　garrison　and　defend　their　strategic　points；　which　we　should　find　it　hard　to　overe。〃

〃What　shall　we　do　if　they　invade　us　again？〃

〃I