Strategic Studies: Three Kingdoms, Part 4

...and others engaged in battle, but Sima Yi crushed them. He then advanced and besieged Xiangping The capital of the Liaodong region. In the autumn, heavy rains poured down, and the Liao River surged. Supply ships traveled from the mouth of the Liao directly to the city walls. The rain did not stop for over two months; the flat ground was submerged under several feet of water. The three armies were terrified and wished to move the camp. Sima Yi issued an order to the army: "Whoever dares to suggest moving the camp shall be executed." An administrative officer Commandant's Registrar: a junior official responsible for military records and orders violated the order and was executed. The army’s discipline was then restored.

The rebels relied on the floodwaters and continued gathering firewood and grazing their herds as if nothing was wrong. The various generals wanted to capture them, but Sima Yi would not permit it. Sima Chen Gui said: "In the past when we attacked Shangyong, eight divisions advanced together, resting neither day nor night. Thus, we were able to capture a fortified city and execute Meng Da A general who defected to Shu-Han and was swiftly defeated by Sima Yi in 228 AD in only half a xun: a ten-day period; here referring to fifteen days. Today, we have come from afar and yet remain stationary and slow. I humbly find this perplexing."

Sima Yi replied: "Meng Da had few troops but supplies to last a year. Our army was four times the size of Da’s, but our grain could not sustain us for a month. To overcome a year's worth of provisions with only one month’s supply, how could we not act with speed? Using four to strike one, even if we lost half our men to attain victory, it was still the right course of action. That is why..."