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Battle of Jieting

Coordinates: 35°00′07″N 105°58′19″E / 35.0020074°N 105.9718660°E / 35.0020074; 105.9718660
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Battle of Jieting
Part of the first of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions

A Qing dynasty illustration of Ma Su's execution
Datec. February – May 228[1]
Location
Longcheng Town, Qin'an County, Gansu, China
Result Wei victory
Belligerents
Cao Wei Shu Han
Commanders and leaders
Zhang He Ma Su Executed
Wang Ping
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
Battle of Jieting
Traditional Chinese街まち亭てい之の戰たたかえ
Simplified Chinese街まち亭てい之の战

The Battle of Jieting was fought between the states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 228 during the Three Kingdoms period in China. The battle was part of the first Northern Expedition led by Shu's chancellor-regent, Zhuge Liang, to attack Wei. The battle concluded with a decisive victory for Wei.

Opening moves[edit]

Zhuge Liang first sent generals Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi as a decoy force to Ji Valley (箕み谷たに) and pretend to attack Mei County (郿縣; southeast of present-day Fufeng County, Shaanxi) via Xie Valley (斜はす谷だに) as a way to lure the main Wei forces of the region, while Zhuge Liang personally led a force towards Mount Qi. Cao Zhen led his army to oppose Zhao Yun while the three Wei-controlled commanderies – Nan'an (南みなみ安やす; around present-day Longxi County, Gansu), Tianshui and Anding (安定あんてい; around present-day Zhenyuan County, Gansu) – responded to the Shu invasion by defecting to the Shu side.[2][3]

People of Wei saw Liu Bei as the main hero of Shu Han. Following his death, there were a few years of peace. Thus, the western lands were unprepared for such a dire situation.[4] When they learned that there was a massive risk of losing the Guanzhong region. Cao Rui, the emperor of Wei, personally moved to Chang'an and assembled a secondary force under Zhang He to attack Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang chose generals Ma Su as the vanguard commander along with Wang Ping to intercept Zhang He, rather than the suggested veterans officers Wei Yan or Wu Yi.[5][6]

The battle[edit]

Zhuge Liang's first and second northern expeditions against Cao Wei

Jieting was a crucial region for the securing of supplies, and Zhuge Liang sent Ma Su and Wang Ping to guard the region. Ma Su went accompanied by Wang Ping but did not listen to his sound military advice. Relying purely on books of military tactics, Ma Su chose to "take the high ground" and set his base on the mountains instead of in a city as it has been instructed by Zhuge Liang. Ignoring Wang Ping's advice to make camp in a valley well supplied with water. Wang Ping, however, managed to persuade Ma Su to give him command of a portion of the troops, and later Wang Ping set up his base camp near Ma Su's camp, in order to offer assistance when Ma Su was in danger.[7][8]

Due to this tactical mistake, the Wei army led by Zhang He encircled the hill and cut off the water supply to the Shu troops and defeated them.[9] Amidst the panic, Ma Su is recorded to have left his post leaving the army with no commander.[10] Wang Ping rallied Ma Su's army and with only a handful of soldiers did his best to keep the retreat organized and ordered his soldiers to beat their drums loudly to create the impression that reinforcements had arrived. Zhang He believed this to possibly be a sign of an ambush and so he did not pursue.[11] When Zhuge Liang arrived, he attempted to defeat Zhang He however he didn't find a way to take a position and so the Shu army had to retreat to Hanzhong.[12]

Though he survived the battle, Ma Su's army suffered a heavy defeat (Wang Ping was able to regroup Ma Su's remaining troops and gather the Shu army's scattered supplies.), so he was soon arrested and sentenced to execution by a reluctant and tearful Zhuge Liang.[13][a]

Aftermath[edit]

A large number of Shu Han's generals were punished. Ma Su was sentenced to death by Zhuge Liang as a way to soothe the masses.[14] Zhang Xiu (張ちょう休きゅう) and Li Sheng (李り盛もり) were also executed.[15] According to the Jin Shu, Chen Shou's father[b] was implicated and sentenced to kun (髡), a punishment involving the shaving of a person's head.[16] Xiang Lang was dismissed from his position as Chief Clerk because he didn't report that Ma Su fled due to their friendship.[17] Huang Xi (黃き襲かさね) and other generals were relieved of the command of their soldiers by Zhuge Liang. Wang Ping, on the other hand, was promoted to General Who Attacks Bandits (討寇將軍しょうぐん) for his efforts in minimizing casualties and for trying to prevent Ma Su's actions. Zhuge Liang, himself sent a memorial to the Emperor Liu Shan requesting to be demoted for the defeat at Jieting which he was.[18]

Before his execution Ma Su wrote a letter to Zhuge Liang: "You wise lord regarded me like a son and myself looked upon you as a father. I dearly hope that this is the righteousness of the execution of Gun leading to the rise of Yu the Great. May our whole life's relationship not be reduced by this. Though I shall die, I shall bear no resentments against the yellow earth."[19] At the time, many among the army wept for his death.[20]

Because of the loss of Jieting, the supply situation became dire for Zhuge Liang's army and he had to retreat to his main base at Hanzhong while the Wei forces under Cao Zhen and Zhang He then used the opportunity to quell the rebellions in the three commanderies and restore peace. The defeat at Jieting caused the First Northern Expedition to result in failure.[21]

Location[edit]

The exact location of the battle is not certain, according to research by the Gansu Financial Daily [zh] newspaper, there are several plausible locations:[22]

A memorial of the battle is located in Longcheng town. Topographical evidence and weapons found suggest that Longcheng is the most likely location, although there is no consensus among experts. [22]

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms[edit]

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ma Su was executed on the order of a tearful Zhuge Liang, whose continued high appraisal for Ma's intelligence made that a very reluctant decision. The scene has also been reenacted in Chinese opera. A Chinese proverb, "wiping away tears and executing Ma Su" (挥泪斩马谡; 揮淚斬き馬謖ばしょく; Huī Lèi Zhán Mǎ Sù), refers specifically to this incident, meaning "punishing a person for his wrongdoings regardless of relations or his abilities. A Japanese equivalent is "tearfully executing Ma Su" (泣ないて馬謖ばしょくを斬きる, Naite Bashoku wo kiru).

In the novel, the loss of Jieting exposed Zhuge Liang's current location, the defenceless Xicheng (西城さいじょう). Zhuge Liang used the Empty Fort Strategy to ward off the enemy before retreating.

In many stories, including the novel, the battle includes Sima Yi on the Wei side, but this event is impossible according to his biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms. Moss Roberts comments on this in his fourth volume of his English translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms on (page 2179 under Chapter 95 Notes, fourth and last paragraph of the chapter notes):

The historical Sima Yi was not at the western front for the "vacant city ruse" but at the more important southern front with the Southland [Wu]. Sima Yi did not come to the western front until Kongming's [Zhuge Liang] fourth offensive [Battle of Mount Qi]. The fictional tradition tends to attach more importance to the Wei-Shu conflict than the Wei-Wu conflict, and Three Kingdoms accordingly builds up the Kongming-Sima Yi rivalry and the events of AD 228.[23]

In the abstract theory above, Roberts explains and compares historic history with fictional tales and the most likely reason Sima Yi was included before the Battle of Mount Qi. Based on Robert's view of the fictional novel's tendency to build up the rivalry between Sima Yi and Zhuge Liang, and the contradiction of Sima Yi's location at the time of this event, some share Robert's opinion that the event did not happen. However, many historians agree that Sima Yi's absence alone cannot disprove the occurrence. The historical basis for the event comes from an anecdote shared by Guo Chong (郭かく沖おき) in the early Jin dynasty (266–420). The anecdote is translated as follows:

"Zhuge Liang garrisoned at Yangping (陽平ようへい; around present-day Hanzhong, Shaanxi) and ordered Wei Yan to lead the troops east. He left behind only 10,000 men to defend Yangping. Sima Yi led 200,000 troops to attack Zhuge Liang and he took a shortcut, bypassing Wei Yan's army and arriving at a place 60 li away from Zhuge Liang's location. Upon inspection, Sima Yi realised that Zhuge Liang's city was weakly defended. Zhuge Liang knew that Sima Yi was near, so he thought of recalling Wei Yan's army back to counter Sima Yi, but it was too late already and his men were worried and terrified. Zhuge Liang remained calm and instructed his men to hide all flags and banners and silence the war drums. He then ordered all the gates to be opened and told his men to sweep and dust the ground. Sima Yi was under the impression that Zhuge Liang was cautious and prudent, and he was baffled by the sight before him and suspected that there was an ambush. He then withdrew his troops. The following day, Zhuge Liang clapped his hands, laughed, and told an aide that Sima Yi thought that there was an ambush and had retreated. Later, his scouts returned and reported that Sima Yi had indeed retreated. Sima Yi was very upset when he found out later."

Later, in the fifth century, Pei Songzhi added the anecdote as an annotation to Zhuge Liang's biography in the Sanguozhi. Since Zhuge Liang wrote on the use of this tactic in his compilation work, "Thirty Six Stratagems", going so far as to detail how the psychology employed works, and why:

"When the enemy is superior in numbers and your situation is such that you expect to be overrun at any moment, then drop all pretense of military preparedness, act calmly, and taunt the enemy, so that the enemy will think you have a huge ambush hidden for them. It works best by acting calm and at ease when your enemy expects you to be tense. This ploy is only successful if in most cases you do have a powerful hidden force and only sparsely use the empty fort strategy."

Also worthy of note is that Zhuge Liang wrote this passage in his sixth chapter, titled "Desperate Stratagems", (敗戰はいせん計けい／败战计, Bài zhàn jì), further supporting the implication that he had experience in using this tactic, and his description does match the situation described by Guo Chong. However, there are a number of texts that dispute the accuracy of Guo Chong's anecdote.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Although the text simply says that Ma Su died ("wugu"; 物故ぶっこ), the implication is clear that he was executed.
  2. ^ The identity of Chen Shou's father is unknown.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Zizhi Tongjian vol. 71.
  2. ^ (諸しょ葛かずら亮あきら圍かこえ祁山，南みなみ安やす、天水てんすい、安定あんてい三さん郡ぐん反應はんのう亮あきら。) Sanguozhi vol. 9.
  3. ^ (六ろく年ねん春はる，揚あげ聲ごえ由よし斜はす谷道たにみち取と郿，使つかい趙ちょう雲くも、鄧芝為ため疑うたぐ軍ぐん，據よりどころ箕み谷たに，魏ぎ大將軍だいしょうぐん曹真舉衆拒こばめ之これ。亮あきら身み率りつ諸しょ軍ぐん攻おさむ祁山，戎えびす陣じん整齊せいせい，賞罰しょうばつ肅而號令ごうれい明あかり，南みなみ安やす、天水てんすい、安定あんてい三さん郡ぐん叛魏應おう亮あきら，關せき中ちゅう響ひびき震しん。) Sanguozhi vol. 35.
  4. ^ (《魏ぎ略りゃく》曰：始はじめ，國家こっか以蜀中ちゅう惟おもんみ有ゆう劉りゅう備。備既死し，數すう歲さい寂然じゃくねん無聲むせい，是ぜ以略無む備預；而卒聞亮出で，朝野ちょうや恐懼きょうく，隴右、祁山尤ゆう甚，故こ三さん郡ぐん同時どうじ應おう亮あきら。) Weilue annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 35.
  5. ^ (建けん興きょう六ろく年ねん，亮あきら出で軍ぐん向こう祁山，時じ有ゆう宿將しゅくしょう魏ぎ延のべ、吳ご壹いち等とう，論者ろんしゃ皆みな言げん以為宜よろし令れい為ため先鋒せんぽう，而亮違たがえ眾拔謖，統みつる大だい眾在前まえ，) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  6. ^ (諸しょ葛かずら亮あきら出で祁山。加か郃位特進とくしん，遣や督とく諸しょ軍ぐん，拒こばめ亮あきら將はた馬謖ばしょく於街亭てい。謖依阻南山なんざん，不ふ下した據よりどころ城じょう。郃絕其汲道どう，擊げき，大破たいは之の。) Sanguozhi vol. 17.
  7. ^ (与あずか魏ぎ將はた張ちょう邰戰于街亭てい，為ため邰所破やぶ，士卒しそつ离散。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  8. ^ (建けん興きょう六ろく年ねん，屬ぞく參さん軍ぐん馬謖ばしょく先鋒せんぽう。謖舍水上みずかみ山さん，舉措煩はん擾，平ひら連れん規ぶんまわし諫謖，謖不能ふのう用よう，大敗たいはい於街亭てい。) Sanguozhi vol. 43.
  9. ^ (諸しょ葛かずら亮あきら出で祁山。加か郃位特進とくしん，遣や督とく諸しょ軍ぐん，拒こばめ亮あきら將はた馬謖ばしょく於街亭てい。謖依阻南山なんざん，不ふ下した據よりどころ城じょう。郃絕其汲道どう，擊げき，大破たいは之の。) Sanguozhi vol. 17.
  10. ^ (朗ろう素もと與あずか馬謖ばしょく善ぜん，謖逃亡とうぼう，朗ろう知ち情じょう不ふ舉，亮あきら恨之，免官めんかん還かえ成都せいと。) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
  11. ^ (眾盡星ぼし散ち，惟おもんみ平ひら所領しょりょう千せん人にん，鳴な鼓こ自じ持じ，魏ぎ將はた張ちょう郃疑其伏兵へい，不ふ往偪也。於是平ひら徐徐じょじょ收おさむ合ごう諸しょ營遺迸ほとばし，率りつ將士しょうし而還。) Sanguozhi vol. 43.
  12. ^ (亮あきら進すすむ無む所ところ据すえ，退すさ軍ぐん還かえ漢かん中ちゅう。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  13. ^ (謖下獄げごく物故ぶっこ，亮あきら為之ためゆき流涕りゅうてい。良りょう死時しにどき年ねん三さん十じゅう六ろく，謖年三さん十じゅう九きゅう。) Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  14. ^ ((亮あきら)戮謖以謝眾。) (literally (Zhuge) Liang had to execute (Ma) Su as an apology to the citizens.) Chen Shou. Records of Three Kingdoms, Volume 35, Biography of Zhuge Liang.
  15. ^ (丞相じょうしょう亮あきら既すんで誅馬謖及將軍しょうぐん張ちょう休きゅう、李り盛もり，奪だつ將軍しょうぐん黃き襲かさね等とう兵へい，平ひら特とく見み崇たかし顯あきら，加か拜はい參さん軍ぐん，統すべ五ご部ぶ兼けん當とう營事。) Sanguozhi vol. 43.
  16. ^ (壽ことぶき父ちち為ため馬謖ばしょく參さん軍ぐん，謖為諸しょ葛かずら亮あきら所しょ誅，壽ことぶき父ちち亦また坐すわ被ひ髡，諸しょ葛かずら瞻又輕けい壽ことぶき。壽ことぶき為ため亮あきら立たて傳つて，謂いい亮あきら將しょう略りゃく非ひ長ちょう，無む應おう敵てき之の才ざい，言げん瞻惟工こう書しょ，名めい過か其實。) Jin Shu vol. 82.
  17. ^ (朗ろう素もと與あずか馬謖ばしょく善ぜん，謖逃亡とうぼう，朗ろう知ち情じょう不ふ舉，亮あきら恨之，免官めんかん還かえ成都せいと。) Sanguozhi vol. 41.
  18. ^ (丞相じょうしょう亮あきら既すんで誅馬謖及將軍しょうぐん張ちょう休きゅう、李り盛もり，奪だつ將軍しょうぐん黃き襲かさね等とう兵へい，平ひら特とく見み崇たかし顯あきら，加か拜はい參さん軍ぐん，) Sanguozhi vol. 43.
  19. ^ (襄じょう陽ひ記き曰：謖臨終りんじゅう與あずか亮あきら書しょ曰：「明あきら公おおやけ視し謖猶子こ，謖視明あかり公こう猶なお父ちち，原はら深ふかし惟おもんみ殛鯀興きょう禹之義よし，使つかい平生へいぜい之の交不虧於此，謖雖死し無む恨於黃き壤也。」) Xiangyang Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  20. ^ (於時十じゅう萬之眾為之垂涕。) Xiangyang Ji annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 39.
  21. ^ (帝みかど遣や真ま督とく諸しょ軍ぐん軍ぐん郿，遣や張ちょう郃擊亮あきら將はた馬謖ばしょく，大破たいは之の。安定あんてい民みん楊條等とう略りゃく吏民保月ほうづき支ささえ城じょう，真ま進軍しんぐん圍かこえ之これ。條じょう謂いい其衆曰：「大將軍だいしょうぐん自じ來き，吾われ願ねがい早はや降くだ耳みみ。」遂とげ自縛じばく出で。三さん郡ぐん皆みな平たいら。) Sanguozhi vol. 9.
  22. ^ a b "街がい亭てい之の战位在ざい何なん处" [Where was the Battle of Jieting?]. Gansu Financial Daily [zh] (in Chinese). 2 September 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  23. ^ Roberts, Moss (1976). Three Kingdoms Volume IV. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. p. 2179. ISBN 978-7-119-00590-4.

35°00′07″N 105°58′19″E / 35.0020074°N 105.9718660°E / 35.0020074; 105.9718660

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