Welcome to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms podcast.

This is episode 122.

Last time, just as things were looking good for Zhuge Liang on his northern expedition,

the Wei Emperor wised up and recalled the one man that Zhuge Liang on his northern expedition, the Wei emperor wised up and recalled the one

man that Zhuge Liang was wary of, Sima Yi. Sima Yi did not waste any time being a thorn

in Zhuge Liang's side, swiftly putting down an internal uprising by the renegade

general Meng Da. Then he made straight for Jieting, a small but crucial location that, if it fell into

Sima Yi's hands, would mean the end of Zhuge Liang's campaign, if not the end of

Zhuge Liang himself.

So, Zhuge Liang sent his military counselor Ma Su and the general Wang Ping to go defend Jieting,

reminding them time and again to be careful and to set up camp on the road so that the enemy

couldn't just sneak around them. But of course, within minutes of arriving at Jieting,

Ma Su allowed his ego to get the better of him,

and decided that, hey, I know better than Zhuge Liang and I am going to set up camp on that hill over there instead of on the road.

Wang Ping objected, but to no avail, so he ended up taking a small detachment of troops and setting up an auxiliary camp near the hill.

Sima Yi, meanwhile, had gotten word of this development, and he came to check things out for himself.

He and about a hundred riders arrived at Jeting on a clear moonlit night, and they took a good look at the hill where Ma Su had garrisoned his forces.

As they rode off, Ma Su watched them from atop the hill and laughed.

If you want to live, then you would not dare to come attack this hill, he boasted.

He then told his officers,

if the enemy comes, watch for a red flag on the hilltop. When it waves, that is your signal

to lead your men and attack down the hillside. Meanwhile, Sima Yi returned to camp

...