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Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province - Wikipedia Jump to content

Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province

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Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province
Part of the wars at the end of the Han dynasty

A Ming dynasty illustration of Cao Cao (right, on horseback) departing to attack Xu Province.
Date193–194 CE
Location
Jiangsu, China
Result Inconclusive, Cao Cao retreat
Belligerents
Cao Cao Tao Qian
Tian Kai
Commanders and leaders
Cao Cao
Cao Ren		 Tao Qian
Liu Bei
Cao Bao
Strength
More than 5,000
Casualties and losses
Over 100,000 civilians

Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province was a punitive invasion launched by the warlord Cao Cao against Tao Qian, the Governor of Xu Province, in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The casus belli for the invasion was the murder of Cao Cao's father, Cao Song, in Xu Province. Although Tao Qian's culpability was questionable, Cao Cao nonetheless held him responsible. The invasion took place in two separate waves in 193 and 194, during each of which Cao Cao captured a number of towns and engaged in collective punishment of the civilian populace.

Background[edit]

Main article: Cao Song § Death

Cao Cao's father Cao Song was living in his hometown Qiao (譙; present-day Bozhou, Anhui) after retirement until it became a battlefield during the Campaign against Dong Zhuo. So Cao Song along with the rest of his family moved to Langya (琅邪; present-day Linyi, Shandong) in Xu Province. By 193, Cao Cao had established a base in Yan Province (covering present-day southwestern Shandong and eastern Henan), and invited his father over to his territory. Cao Song was very wealthy, and had brought with him a baggage train consisting of more than 100 covered carts full of his effects. In or near Hua County (near Mount Tai), on the border of Xu Province and Yan Province, Cao Song and his son Cao De (曹德) were ambushed and killed. There were two accounts of how they were murdered. According to the Book of the Later Han and Zizhi Tongjian, Tao Qian had garrisoned men nearby at Yinping, who were tempted by greed for Cao Song's riches and murdered him for his wealth en route to his destination.[1][2] According to Wei Zhao's Book of Wu – the official history of Eastern Wu – Tao Qian despatched 200 bodyguards led by Commandant of the Capital Zhang Kai (張ちょう闓) to escort Cao Song, but Zhang instead murdered Cao and made off with his riches.[3] Regardless of Tao Qian's culpability, Cao Cao intended to hold him responsible for the murder of his father.[4]

The first invasion[edit]

In the summer or autumn[1] of 193, Cao Cao invaded Xu Province with an unspecified number of troops and easily captured over ten cities.[5][6][7] After conquering Pengcheng (彭城; present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu), Cao Cao killed possibly more than 10,000 defenders.[2] Tao Qian fled to Tan (剡; present-day Tancheng County, Linyi, Shandong), he was joined by Tian Kai, with the reinforcements Tao Qian was able to resist Cao Cao. Cao Cao's forces eventually ran out of supplies and had to withdraw back to Yan Province.[5][6][8]

Thwarted and low on rations[9] Cao Cao turned his army around, in the process sacking the counties of Qulü (取と慮おもんばか), Suiling (睢陵), and Xiaqiu (夏なつ丘たかし).[3][10] The local population was swollen with refugees from the violence of the capital regions. Cao Cao's army killed over 100,000 civilians, including both men and women, such that the Si River was stoppered up with their corpses. His army took the chickens and dogs for food and tore down the villages into ruins.[11][12]

The second invasion[edit]

In the spring of 194, Cao Cao's army returned to Xu Province, and Tao Qian begged aid from Tian Kai in the nearby Qing Province (青あお州しゅう). Tian Kai sent Tao Qian a force of some thousand men commanded by Liu Bei. Tao Qian, seeking to open a southern front against Cao Cao,[13] appointed Liu Bei as the Inspector of Yu Province, and transferred 4,000 soldiers into his service.[14][15] Along with Tao Qian's officer Cao Bao, Liu Bei encamped east of Tan (郯).[16][17]

Cao Cao's army plundered Langya and Donghai (東海とうかい; near present-day Tancheng, Shandong), destroying all in its path. Returning west, Cao Cao engaged and defeated Tao Qian's forces led by Liu Bei.[16][17] According to one source, Cao Cao conquered the nearby city of Xiangben (襄じょう賁) after this.[18]

Xu Province was only granted reprieve when Zhang Miao betrayed Cao Cao and invited Lü Bu to take over Cao Cao's home base in Yan Province (兗州). Cao Cao broke off his vengeance against Tao Qian and turned his army back to attack Lü Bu.[19]

Aftermath[edit]

Liu Bei characterisctically shifted his alliance from Tian Kai towards Tao Qian and he remained in Xu Province after Cao Cao left. When Tao Qian died of illness later in 194, his sons Tao Shang (陶とう商しょう) and Tao Ying (陶とう應おう)[20] were passed over for governorship by the local elite in favour of Liu Bei. Thus Liu Bei gained his first territory as a result of Cao Cao's campaign.[21]

In popular culture[edit]

Cao Cao's invasion of Xu Province is featured as playable stages in the seventh and eighth instalments of Koei's Dynasty Warriors video game series.

Notes and References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The Zizhi Tongjian (60.1945) has "autumn", while the Records of the Three Kingdoms (1.11) has "summer". History of Chinese Warfare specifies "the sixth month" (vol. 4, p 67), which would have been around August.
  2. ^ This casualty statistic, which appears in Tao Qian's biography in Records of the Three Kingdoms (8.249), is attached to a phrase describing the Si River being dammed with the bodies of the dead. According to Rafe de Crespigny (To Establish Peace, volume 1, internet edition (2004), p. 68 note 24 [internet pagination]), this is unsupported by geography and probably happened during Cao Cao's massacre of civilians somewhat farther south, not during his battle at Pengcheng. Thus, the casualty figure is most probably not reliable.
  3. ^ The Book of the Later Han (73.2367) also includes Pengcheng and Fuyang (傅でん陽よう; in present-day Linyi, Shandong) among Cao Cao's ravages.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, 60.1945.
  2. ^ Book of the Later Han, 73.2367.
  3. ^ Wei Zhao, Book of Wu, cited in Annotated Records of the Three Kingdoms, 1.11 n. 1.
  4. ^ Records of the Three Kingdoms, 1.11, biography of Cao Cao: 興きょう平ひらた元もと年春としはる，太ふとし祖そ自じ徐じょ州しゅう還かえ，初はつ，太ふとし祖父そふ嵩かさ去さ官かん後ご還かえ譙，董ただし卓たく之の亂みだれ，避難ひなん琅邪，為ため陶とう謙けん所しょ害がい，故こ太ふとし祖そ志こころざし在ざい復讎ふくしゅう東ひがし伐き。
  5. ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, 60.1945: 秋あき，操みさお引兵擊げき謙けん，攻おさむ拔十餘あまり城じょう，至いたり彭城，大戰たいせん，謙けん兵へい敗はい，走はし保ほ郯。
  6. ^ a b Records of the Three Kingdoms, 8.249, biography of Tao Qian: 初はつ平たいら四よん年ねん，太ふとし祖そ征せい謙けん，攻おさむ拔十餘あまり城じょう，至いたり彭城大戰たいせん。謙けん兵へい敗走はいそう，死者ししゃ萬まん數すう，泗水しすい為ため之の不流ふりゅう。謙けん退すさ守もり剡。
  7. ^ History of Chinese Warfare, vol. 4, p 67
  8. ^ (曹公得とく謙けん上うえ事ごと，知ち不ふ罷やめ兵へい。乃進攻しんこう彭城，多た殺人さつじん民みん。謙けん引兵擊げき之の，青あお州しゅう刺史しし田た楷亦以兵救すくい謙けん。公おおやけ引兵還かえ。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 08.
  9. ^ Records of the Three Kingdoms, 8.249, biography of Tao Qian: 太ふとし祖そ以糧少しょう引軍還かえ。
  10. ^ Book of the Later Han, 73.2367: 謙けん退すさ保ほ郯，操みさお攻おさむ之の不能ふのう克かつ，乃還。過か拔取ぬきと慮おもんばか、雎陵、夏なつ丘たかし，皆みな屠ほふ之これ。
  11. ^ Book of the Later Han, 73.2367: 凡殺男女だんじょ數すう十じゅう萬まん人にん，雞犬無む餘あまり，泗水しすい為ため之の不流ふりゅう，自じ是ぜ五ご縣けん城じょう保たもて，無む復ふく行ぎょう迹。
  12. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, 60.1945: 初はつ，京きょう、雒遭董ただし卓たく之の亂みだれ，民みん流りゅう移うつり東出とうで，多た依よ徐じょ土ど，遇ぐう操みさお至いたり，坑あな殺ころせ男女だんじょ數すう十じゅう萬まん口くち於泗水すい，水みず為ため不流ふりゅう。
  13. ^ To Establish Peace, 1.13 n 6
  14. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, 61.1949–50: 陶とう謙けん告つげ急きゅう於田楷，楷與平原へいげん相しょう劉りゅう備救之の。備自有ゆう兵へい數すう千せん人にん，謙けん益えき以丹陽ひ兵へい四よん千せん，備遂去さ楷歸謙けん，謙けん表おもて為ため豫よ州しゅう刺史しし，屯たむろ小しょう沛。曹操そうそう軍ぐん食しょく亦また盡つき，引兵還かえ。
  15. ^ History of Chinese Warfare, 4.68
  16. ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, 61.1950: 曹操そうそう使し司馬しば荀彧、壽ことぶき張ちょう令れい程ほど昱守甄城，復ふく往攻陶とう謙けん，遂とげ略りゃく地ち至いたり琅邪、東海とうかい，所しょ過か殘ざん滅めつ。還かえ，擊破げきは劉りゅう備於郯東。謙けん恐おそれ，欲ほし走はし歸かえり丹陽たんよう。
  17. ^ a b Records of the Three Kingdoms, 8.249, biography of Tao Qian: 興きょう平ひらた元年がんねん，復ふく東征とうせい，略ほぼ定てい琅邪、東海とうかい諸しょ縣けん。謙けん恐おそれ，欲ほし走はし歸き丹に楊。會かい張ちょう邈叛迎むかえ呂りょ布ぬの，太ふとし祖そ還かえ擊げき布ぬの。
  18. ^ Records of the Three Kingdoms, 1.11, biography of Cao Cao: 太ふとし祖そ擊破げきは之の，遂とげ攻おさむ拔襄賁，所しょ過多かた所しょ殘ざん戮。
  19. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, 61.1950: 會かい陳ひね留とめ太守たいしゅ張ちょう邈叛操みさお迎むかえ呂りょ布ぬの，操みさお乃引軍ぐん還かえ。
  20. ^ Records of the Three Kingdoms, 8.250 n 2, biography of Tao Qian: 謙けん二に子し：商しょう、應おう，皆みな不ふ仕つかまつ。
  21. ^ Records of the Three Kingdoms, 32.873, biography of Liu Bei: 謙けん病びょう篤あつし，謂いい別べつ駕が麋おうしか笁曰：「非ひ劉りゅう備不能ふのう安やす此州也。」謙けん死し，笁率州しゅう人じん迎むかえ先さき主ぬし，先さき主ぬし未み敢當。 ...先さき主ぬし遂とげ領りょう徐じょ州しゅう。

Sources[edit]

  • Chen Shou, 三國志さんごくし (Records of the Three Kingdoms), 280s or 290s. Pei Songzhi, annotation, 429. Hong Kong: Zhonghua Publishing, 1971. 5 vols.
  • Sima Guang (2004). To Establish Peace: Being the Chronicle of the Later Han dynasty for the years 189 to 200 AD as recorded in Chapters 59 to 63 of the Zizhi Tongjian of Sima Guang (PDF). Translated by Rafe de Crespigny. Faculty of Asian Studies, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-7315-2537-9. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2023-09-09.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  • Fan Ye, et al., 後こう漢書かんしょ (Book of the Later Han), 445. Beijing: Zhonghua Publishing, 1965. 12 vols.
  • Sima Guang, et al., 資し治ち通どおり鑒 (Zizhi Tongjian), 1084. Hu Sanxing, annotation, 1286. Beijing: Zhonghua Publishing, 1956. 20 vols.
  • Wu Guoqing (武たけ國こく卿きょう); Mu Zhongyue (慕中岳だけ). History of Chinese Warfare 中國ちゅうごく戰爭せんそう史し. Vol. 4. Beijing: Gold Wall Press.
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