2 : Kongming Uses A Stratagem -

"There is an ambush," Sima Yi whispered, his brow furrowed. "Kongming is a master of traps. This silence is a lure to draw us into the city where his hidden 'millions' await."

Approaching him was , leading a massive force of 150,000 elite troops. To fight was suicide. To flee was impossible. 2 : Kongming Uses a Stratagem

This became known as the —the ultimate victory of psychological warfare over physical might. "There is an ambush," Sima Yi whispered, his brow furrowed

As the sound of the Wei horses faded, the officials in Xicheng collapsed in relief, drenched in cold sweat. They asked Kongming how he knew it would work. To fight was suicide

He ordered his soldiers to dress as civilians and sweep the streets in front of the four gates, acting as if the city were merely waking up for a quiet morning. Then, Kongming donned his simple Taoist robe and climbed to the highest point of the gate tower. He sat down, lit a stick of incense, and placed his guqin (zither) across his lap.

Fearing a massive counter-attack hidden within the city's alleyways, Sima Yi ordered a total retreat. The 150,000 soldiers turned and marched away in a cloud of dust.

The drums of the Wei army thundered, a rhythmic death knell echoing through the gates of Xicheng. , known as Kongming, stood atop the city wall, watching the horizon. His main army was away on a campaign; he was left with only a handful of civil officials and 2,500 exhausted soldiers.