Zhou Yu orders Zhuge Liang to supervise the making of one hundred thousand arrows. Zhuge Liang promises to finish in three days. Zhou Yu does not believe him. However, Zhuge Liang writes a military pledge under martial law, on which Lu Su stands as a guarantor. Lu Su urges Zhuge Liang to make arrows, but Zhuge Liang postpones it all the time, offering only excuses. On the third day Zhuge Liang decides to start making arrows. Lu Su says he would never make it in time. Then Zhuge Liang looks frightened and begs Lu Su to find a way to save him. Lu Su wants Zhuge Liang to run away, but Zhuge Liang is not willing to. Eventually, Zhuge Liang deceives Lu Su, claiming that he has the ability to create arrows by magic. Zhuge Liang agrees for Lu Su to come with him to see how he does this.
曹操看到書的內容，大動其怒認爲蔡瑁、張允原來就不是好人，能拿劉表的基業換我的功名富貴，也能拿我的頭換取周瑜的功名富貴，命人將蔡、張二人推去斬首。殺過之後，曹操醒悟，實際上中了周瑜的反間計。