Battle of Wuzhang Plains
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Wuzhang Plains was a standoff between the contending states of Cao Wei
and Shu Han
in 234 during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. The battle was part of the fifth and last of the Northern Expeditions led by Shu Han's chancellor Zhuge Liang
, who fell ill and died during the standoff.
, hoping that Wu would attack Cao Wei concurrently. In April, Shu forces reached the Wuzhang Plains
near the Wei River
and made camp there. The Cao Wei commander Sima Yi
was well-prepared with a 200,000 strong army and a fortified position on the southern bank of the Wei River.
suggested that Sima Yi should form a position in the northern part of the Plains, since Zhuge Liang would likely strike there. Sima Yi agreed, and sent Guo Huai to set camp there. Shu forces attacked the Wei camp there while it was being built, but Guo Huai was able to hold them off.
. Zhuge Liang understood the problem, and implemented the tuntian
system to sustain his troops.
The Shu army awaited an agreed offensive by Wu for the moment to strike. However, Sun Quan's armies in the Huai River
region were defeated by forces led by the Wei emperor
Cao Rui
and succumbed to an endemic disease. Thus the stalemate remained in place and continued for hundreds of days. Shu forces tried to engage the Wei forces several times, but Sima Yi remained firmly in camp and refused to engage the enemy.
In an attempt to provoke Sima Yi to attack him, Zhuge Liang sent women's clothing to Sima, suggesting that Sima should be a woman since he did not dare to attack him. Sima Yi's subordinates were enraged by the insult, but Sima himself remained calm. To appease his men, Sima Yi asked Cao Rui for permission to engage the enemy. Cao Rui understood the situation and sent minister Xin Pi
to persuade the Wei army to be patient.
In August, Zhuge Liang fell ill due to exhaustion and his condition worsened day by day. News reached the Shu emperor, Liu Shan
, who sent minister Li Fu (李福) to ask Zhuge Liang about future plans for Shu. Zhuge Liang replied that Jiang Wan
could succeed him, and Fei Yi
could succeed Jiang. When Li Fu asked again about Fei Yi's successor, Zhuge Liang fell silent. Li Fu then returned to the capital Chengdu
.
Zhuge Liang also gave instructions on how the Shu forces should withdraw back to Hanzhong
: Yang Yi
and Fei Yi would lead the army while Jiang Wei
and Wei Yan
would lead a force to defend the rear; if Wei Yan disobeyed orders, the army would proceed on without him. Zhuge Liang eventually died at the age of 54 in the early autumn of 234.
then had Yang Yi
turn around and pretend to strike. Seeing this, Sima Yi feared that Zhuge Liang had faked his death to lure him out, and immediately retreated. Common folklore tells of a double, or a wooden statue, disguised as Zhuge Liang, driving Sima Yi away in this incident. Another folktale tells that Jiang Wei dressed up as Zhuge Liang. In any case, word that Sima Yi fled from the already dead Zhuge Liang spread, spawning a popular saying, "A dead Zhuge scares away a living Zhongda (Sima Yi's style name
)" (死諸葛嚇走活仲達). When Sima Yi heard of such ridicule, he laughingly responded, "I can predict the living, but not the dead."
News of Zhuge Liang's death were kept secret until the Shu army had reached the safety of the Baoye valley to return to Hanzhong. Sima Yi, fearful that the announcement was false and merely another opportunity for Zhuge Liang to demonstrate his talent for ambuscade, hesitated to pursue. Only after his inspection of the empty Shu encampment did he resolve that pursuit was appropriate. However, upon reaching Baoye, Sima Yi decided that they had insufficient supplies to support the advance, so he ordered a retreat back to the Wei River
.
, dismayed that the Shu forces are retreating "over the death of one man", gathered his men and rode ahead of the main army and razed the gallery road
behind them to prevent the main army from returning home. Yang Yi
, who held a personal grudge against Wei Yan, sent the emperor Liu Shan
a letter accusing Wei Yan of treason; Wei Yan did likewise against Yang Yi. Liu Shan asked Dong Yun
and Jiang Wan
for their opinions, and both were suspicious of Wei Yan. Liu Shan then sent Jiang Wan to lead a force of imperial guards north to cope with the disorders.
Later, Yang Yi led the main army through the mountains despite the loss of the gallery roads and confronted Wei Yan's detachment at Southern Valley Pass (南谷口). There, Wei Yan sent troops to attack Yang Yi while Yang ordered Wang Ping to resist Wei Yan. Upon meeting, Wang Ping scolded Wei Yan, "His Excellency (Zhuge Liang) has died recently and his body has yet to turn cold; how dare you act this way!" Hearing this, Wei Yan's forces scattered, knowing their commander was in the wrong. Wei Yan, along with his sons and a few followers, fled to Hanzhong. Yang Yi sent Ma Dai
to give chase, and soon Ma chopped off Wei Yan's head and sent it to Yang Yi. Yang Yi stepped on Wei Yan's head and issued orders for the extermination of Wei's clan.
Jiang Wan was about ten li
away from the capital Chengdu
when he heard news of Wei Yan's death, so he returned.
Sima Yi's success and subsequent rise in prominence paved the way for his grandson Sima Yan
's founding of the Jin Dynasty, which would eventually bring an end to the Three Kingdoms period.
. The more recent installments of the game took liberties with the original account of the battle: certain characters such as Cao Cao
and Liu Bei
, who had historically died more than a decade before the battle, survived until then to participate in the battle.
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
and Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
in 234 during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. The battle was part of the fifth and last of the Northern Expeditions led by Shu Han's chancellor Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
, who fell ill and died during the standoff.
Background
In the spring of 234, Zhuge Liang led 100,000 troops through Xiagu Pass (斜谷口) after three years of preparation since his last Northern Expedition. At the same time, Zhuge Liang sent an emissary to Shu Han's ally state Eastern WuEastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
, hoping that Wu would attack Cao Wei concurrently. In April, Shu forces reached the Wuzhang Plains
Wuzhang Plains
The Wuzhang Plains are plateaus near the Wei River in China. They are now in the Shaanxi province, 56 kilometres from Baoji. The name "Wuzhang" means "five zhang", where zhang is a Chinese unit of measurement which converts to 3⅓ metre. In actuality, the plains are situated 12 m from sea level,...
near the Wei River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
and made camp there. The Cao Wei commander Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
was well-prepared with a 200,000 strong army and a fortified position on the southern bank of the Wei River.
Initial clashes
Guo HuaiGuo Huai
Guo Huai , style name Boji , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao. During Cao Pi's reign, Guo rose up the ranks and became a grand marshal under Sima Yi...
suggested that Sima Yi should form a position in the northern part of the Plains, since Zhuge Liang would likely strike there. Sima Yi agreed, and sent Guo Huai to set camp there. Shu forces attacked the Wei camp there while it was being built, but Guo Huai was able to hold them off.
Stalemate
Sima Yi would not engage the Shu forces, instead trying to make the enemy retreat through attritionAttrition warfare
Attrition warfare is a military strategy in which a belligerent side attempts to win a war by wearing down its enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and matériel....
. Zhuge Liang understood the problem, and implemented the tuntian
Tuntian
The Tuntian or Duntian system was a system of government-encouraged agriculture originated in the Western Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
system to sustain his troops.
The Shu army awaited an agreed offensive by Wu for the moment to strike. However, Sun Quan's armies in the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
region were defeated by forces led by the Wei emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
Cao Rui
Cao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
and succumbed to an endemic disease. Thus the stalemate remained in place and continued for hundreds of days. Shu forces tried to engage the Wei forces several times, but Sima Yi remained firmly in camp and refused to engage the enemy.
In an attempt to provoke Sima Yi to attack him, Zhuge Liang sent women's clothing to Sima, suggesting that Sima should be a woman since he did not dare to attack him. Sima Yi's subordinates were enraged by the insult, but Sima himself remained calm. To appease his men, Sima Yi asked Cao Rui for permission to engage the enemy. Cao Rui understood the situation and sent minister Xin Pi
Xin Pi
Xin Pi, style name Zuozhi , was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He originally served the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period. He had an older brother, Xin Ping. He switched allegiance to Cao Cao after Yuan's defeat and served as a...
to persuade the Wei army to be patient.
Death of Zhuge Liang
In another attempt to force Sima Yi to go to battle, Zhuge Liang sent an emissary to urge Sima to fight him. However, Sima Yi refused to discuss military issues with the messenger, and instead inquired about Zhuge Liang's daily tasks. The emissary replied that Zhuge Liang had been personally overseeing all affairs in the army, ranging from strategic planning to his men's daily meals, and that Zhuge himself had not been eating and sleeping well. Sima Yi later told an aide that Zhuge Liang would not last long.In August, Zhuge Liang fell ill due to exhaustion and his condition worsened day by day. News reached the Shu emperor, Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
, who sent minister Li Fu (李福) to ask Zhuge Liang about future plans for Shu. Zhuge Liang replied that Jiang Wan
Jiang Wan
Jiang Wan , style name Gongyan , was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. After Zhuge Liang's death, he succeeded Zhuge as the regent for the Shu emperor, Liu Shan.-Early career:...
could succeed him, and Fei Yi
Fei Yi
Fei Yi, style name Wenwei , was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He succeeded Jiang Wan as regent of Shu Han, and avoided major expedition against rival state, Cao Wei...
could succeed Jiang. When Li Fu asked again about Fei Yi's successor, Zhuge Liang fell silent. Li Fu then returned to the capital Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
.
Zhuge Liang also gave instructions on how the Shu forces should withdraw back to Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
: Yang Yi
Yang Yi
Yang Yi , style name Weigong , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He hailed from Xiangyang and was originally a subject of Cao Wei and later defected to Guan Yu, who sent him to Liu Bei...
and Fei Yi would lead the army while Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
and Wei Yan
Wei Yan
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
would lead a force to defend the rear; if Wei Yan disobeyed orders, the army would proceed on without him. Zhuge Liang eventually died at the age of 54 in the early autumn of 234.
The Shu retreat
Following Zhuge Liang's death, the Shu forces quietly withdrew from their camps while not revealing news of Zhuge's death. Sima Yi was convinced by the locals that Zhuge Liang had died, so he gave chase to the retreating enemy. Jiang WeiJiang Wei
Jiang Wei was a military general and regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He originally served Shu's rival state, Cao Wei, as a middle-level military officer, but defected to the Shu strategist Zhuge Liang, leaving his mother in Wei. After that, Jiang...
then had Yang Yi
Yang Yi
Yang Yi , style name Weigong , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He hailed from Xiangyang and was originally a subject of Cao Wei and later defected to Guan Yu, who sent him to Liu Bei...
turn around and pretend to strike. Seeing this, Sima Yi feared that Zhuge Liang had faked his death to lure him out, and immediately retreated. Common folklore tells of a double, or a wooden statue, disguised as Zhuge Liang, driving Sima Yi away in this incident. Another folktale tells that Jiang Wei dressed up as Zhuge Liang. In any case, word that Sima Yi fled from the already dead Zhuge Liang spread, spawning a popular saying, "A dead Zhuge scares away a living Zhongda (Sima Yi's style name
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
)" (死諸葛嚇走活仲達). When Sima Yi heard of such ridicule, he laughingly responded, "I can predict the living, but not the dead."
News of Zhuge Liang's death were kept secret until the Shu army had reached the safety of the Baoye valley to return to Hanzhong. Sima Yi, fearful that the announcement was false and merely another opportunity for Zhuge Liang to demonstrate his talent for ambuscade, hesitated to pursue. Only after his inspection of the empty Shu encampment did he resolve that pursuit was appropriate. However, upon reaching Baoye, Sima Yi decided that they had insufficient supplies to support the advance, so he ordered a retreat back to the Wei River
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
.
Conflict between Wei Yan and Yang Yi
Wei YanWei Yan
Wei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
, dismayed that the Shu forces are retreating "over the death of one man", gathered his men and rode ahead of the main army and razed the gallery road
Gallery road
The archaeological gallery roads were roads through remote mountain areas of China. They consisted of wooden planks erected on holes cut into the sides of cliffs. They were most notably used in the Qin Mountains linking the Wei River and the Han River valleys. The first gallery roads were built...
behind them to prevent the main army from returning home. Yang Yi
Yang Yi
Yang Yi , style name Weigong , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He hailed from Xiangyang and was originally a subject of Cao Wei and later defected to Guan Yu, who sent him to Liu Bei...
, who held a personal grudge against Wei Yan, sent the emperor Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
a letter accusing Wei Yan of treason; Wei Yan did likewise against Yang Yi. Liu Shan asked Dong Yun
Dong Yun
Dong Yun , style name Xiuzhao , was a minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
and Jiang Wan
Jiang Wan
Jiang Wan , style name Gongyan , was an official of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. After Zhuge Liang's death, he succeeded Zhuge as the regent for the Shu emperor, Liu Shan.-Early career:...
for their opinions, and both were suspicious of Wei Yan. Liu Shan then sent Jiang Wan to lead a force of imperial guards north to cope with the disorders.
Later, Yang Yi led the main army through the mountains despite the loss of the gallery roads and confronted Wei Yan's detachment at Southern Valley Pass (南谷口). There, Wei Yan sent troops to attack Yang Yi while Yang ordered Wang Ping to resist Wei Yan. Upon meeting, Wang Ping scolded Wei Yan, "His Excellency (Zhuge Liang) has died recently and his body has yet to turn cold; how dare you act this way!" Hearing this, Wei Yan's forces scattered, knowing their commander was in the wrong. Wei Yan, along with his sons and a few followers, fled to Hanzhong. Yang Yi sent Ma Dai
Ma Dai
Ma Dai was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He previously served under his uncle, the warlord Ma Teng...
to give chase, and soon Ma chopped off Wei Yan's head and sent it to Yang Yi. Yang Yi stepped on Wei Yan's head and issued orders for the extermination of Wei's clan.
Jiang Wan was about ten li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
away from the capital Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
when he heard news of Wei Yan's death, so he returned.
Long-term influences
After Zhuge Liang's death, Jiang Wan took his post, but Jiang was more interested in domestic affairs than military expansion. Thus the death of Zhuge Liang ended a huge strategic threat to Cao Wei and the Wei court soon began development of ambitious public works.Sima Yi's success and subsequent rise in prominence paved the way for his grandson Sima Yan
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
's founding of the Jin Dynasty, which would eventually bring an end to the Three Kingdoms period.
Modern references
The battle is featured as one of the final playable stages in Koei's video game series Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
. The more recent installments of the game took liberties with the original account of the battle: certain characters such as Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
and Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, who had historically died more than a decade before the battle, survived until then to participate in the battle.