ure；　he　rode　out　himself　with　a　small　reconnoitering　party　and　inspected　the　empty　camps。　Then　he　bade　them　count　the　stoves。　Next　day　he　paid　a　second　visit　to　another　empty　camp；　and　again　the　cooking　stoves　were　counted。　The　count　showed　an　increase　of　a　half。

〃I　felt　sure　that　Zhuge　Liang　would　have　more　troops　ready。　He　has　increased　the　cooking　arrangements；　and　so；　if　we　pursue；　he　will　be　ready　for　us。　No；　we　also　will　retire　and　await　another　opportunity。〃

So　there　was　no　pursuit；　and　Zhuge　Liang　did　not　lose　a　soldier　on　his　retreat　to　Hanzhong。

By　and　by；　people　came　in　from　the　River　Lands　to　say　that　the　retreat　was　a　fact；　and　that　only　the　cooking　arrangements　had　been　increased；　not　the　soldiers。

Sima　Yi　knew　that　he　had　been　tricked；　and　looking　up　the　sky；　he　sighed；　〃Zhuge　Liang　imitated　the　ruse　of　Sun　Bin　to　rouse　my　suspicion。　His　thinking　is　superior　to　mine。〃

And　Sima　Yi　set　out　for　Changan。

When　players　of　equal　skill　are　matched；

Then　victory　hovers　between；

Perhaps　your　opponent's　a　genius；

So　put　on　your　lowliest　mien。

What　happened　when　Zhuge　Liang　returned　to　Chengdu　will　be　told　next。

Main　Next　to　Chapter　101　》》

Romance　of　Three　Kingdoms　…　by　Luo　Guanzhong　…　Chapter　101

Chapter　101

Going　Out　From　Longshang；　Zhuge　Liang　Dresses　As　A　God；

Dashing　Toward　Saber　Pass；　Zhang　He　Falls　Into　A　Snare。

By　means　of　the　artifice　just　described；　Zhuge　Liang　withdrew　his　army　safely　into　Hanzhong；　while　Sima　Yi　retreated　upon　Changan。　Zhuge　Liang　distributed　the　rewards　for　success　and　then　went　to　Capital　Chengdu　for　audience。

〃Your　Majesty　recalled　me　just　as　I　was　about　to　advance　upon　Changan。　What　is　the　important　matter？〃　said　the