Battle of Wuzhang Plain
|
|
The Battle of Wuzhang Plain (234 A.D.) was a showdown between the kingdoms of Wei and Shu.
In the legend from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it was said that Zhuge Liang led six expeditions from Hanzhong through Qishan to battle with Sima Yi, Wei's top strategist and Liang's biggest rival.
In the 1st expedition, his efforts were undermined by the loss of Jieting, a passageway into Hanzhong. This was due to the defiance of Ma Su, who refused to listen to the Prime Minister's orders to barricade the pathway. This forced Zhuge Liang to retreat as the loss of Jieting meant that there was a imminent danger for the safety of Hanzhong. He used his wits and reverse psychology to scare off Sima Yi when he deployed the 'empty city' tactic. He opened the city gates and sat high up on the gates, playinf the zither calmly. This made Sima Yi think that Zhuge Liang had an ambush in the city and thus retreated. This was aided by the shout and roars of the Shu soldiers.
Unfortunately, the commander and strategist Zhuge Liang died of an illness on the battlefields of Wuzhang. Once Sima Yi caught wind of the mishap he immediately issued an all out attack. When the Kingdom of Shu heard of the charging Wei forces they immediately devised ambush parties and traps. When Sima Yi thought he had finally gotten the Shu forces were he wanted them, the Shu forces dressed a soldier up like Zhuge Liang, and placed him with the counter forces. When Sima Yi saw the figure he immediately took it as a trap and retreated. Many ambush parties took the Wei forces by surprise creating a Shu victory. Thus, the troops of the Kingdom of Shu could return safely to their own land under the leadership of Jiang Wei, Liang's self-appointed successor.
When Sima Yi was fleeing, Wei Yan chased after him against orders and Shu thought this to be a rebellion by Wei Yan. This eventually led to Yan's assassination at the hands of fellow Shu officers.
See also: Three KingdomsTemplate:China-stub