Was 司马懿 a crossdresser? I'm reading an abridged version of 三国演义。(I don't think I could read the original, too difficult for me.)

（诸葛亮）故意激怒司马懿，派人送了一套女人的衣服，并辱骂他像女人一样，缩头不战。司马懿心里恼怒，但却穿上衣服，文使者：“诸葛亮忙吗？吃饭睡觉情况怎么样？”

Did 司马懿 put on women's clothes to meet 诸葛亮's envoy? Or is this just a bad book?
Did 司马懿 put on women's clothes to meet 诸葛亮's envoy?


I don't think 司马懿 really put on the clothes.

From the original:

(emphasis mine)


  且说孔明自引一军屯于五丈原，累令人搦战，魏兵只不出。孔明乃取巾帼并妇人缟素之服，盛于大盒之内，修书一封，遣人送至魏寨。诸将不敢隐蔽，引来使入见司马懿。懿对众启盒视之，内有巾帼妇人之衣，并书一封。懿拆视其书，略曰：“仲达既为大将，统领中原之众，不思披坚执锐，以决雌雄，乃甘窟守土巢，谨避刀箭，与妇人又何异哉！今遣人送巾帼素衣至，如不出战，可再拜而受之。倘耻心未泯，犹有男子胸襟，早与批回，依期赴敌。”司马懿看毕，心中大怒，乃佯笑曰：“孔明视我为妇人耶！”即受之，令重待来使。


受之 only means 司马懿 received / took in / accepted the clothes.

Here's an English version:

(emphasis mine)


  Then he confirmed the order to remain strictly on the defensive till
  some change of circumstances on the part of the enemy should promise
  advantage.
  
  After his army had settled into camp on the Wuzhang Hills, Zhuge Liang
  continued his attempts to provoke a battle. Day after day, parties
  went to challenge the army of Wei, but they resisted all provocation.
  
  One day Zhuge Liang put a dress made of deer hide in a box, which he
  sent, with a letter, to his rival. The insult could not be concealed,
  so the generals led the bearer of the box to their chief. Sima Yi
  opened the box and saw the deer hide dress. Then he opened the letter,
  which read something like this:
  
  "Friend Sima Yi, although you are a Commander-in-Chief and lead the
  armies of the Middle Land, you seem but little disposed to display the
  firmness and valor that would render a contest decisive. Instead, you
  have prepared a comfortable lair where you are safe from the keen edge
  of the sword. Are you not very like a deer? Wherefore I send the
  bearer with a suitable gift, and you will humbly accept it and the
  humiliation, unless, indeed, you finally decide to come out and fight
  like a warrior. If you are not entirely indifferent to shame, if you
  retain any of the feelings of a tiger, you will send this back to me
  and come out and give battle."
  
  Sima Yi, although inwardly raging, pretended to take it all as a joke
  and smiled.
  
  "So he regards me as a deer," said he.
  
  He accepted the gift and treated the messenger well.