The Battle of Ruxu, also known as the Battle of Ruxukou, took place in 222-223 between the forces of

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' < Middle Chinese: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period. The battle was the third battle taking place between the Cao and Sun clan at Ruxu, but this particular conflict was the only of the three to take place actually during the Three Kingdoms period, as the other two took place in 213 and 217.

Background

Following the Shu Han defeat at the

Battle of Xiaoting The Battle of Xiaoting (猇亭之戰), also known as the Battle of Yiling and the Battle of Yiling and Xiaoting, was fought between the state of Shu and the state of Wu, between the years 221 and 222 in the early Three Kingdoms period of Chin ...

, the alliance between

Cao Pi Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...

and Sun Quan was tested, because the protection the agreement held was no longer needed as the Shu forces reestablished their own relations with the Sun clan. After Sun Deng, the crown prince and eldest son of Sun Quan, was demanded by Cao Pi as hostage, Sun Quan's relations with Wei ultimately plummeted. However, Cao Pi was trying to sour diplomatic relations between the Liu clan and the Sun clan. In November 222, Sun Quan declared himself independent once again from Wei, and Cao Pi responded with force. The plan for Wei was to strike Wu in three different ways along the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

. Wei generals

Xiahou Shang Xiahou Shang (died May or June 226),According to the ''Book of Jin'', Xiahou Shang died in the 4th month of the 7th year of the ''Huangchu'' era of Cao Pi's reign. This corresponds to 14 May to 12 June 226 in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. ( ...

and

Cao Zhen Cao Zhen (died April or May 231), courtesy name Zidan, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was an adopted son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power in the late Eastern Han dynasty and l ...

attacked Jiangling and

Nan Commandery Nan Commandery ( zh, 南郡, "Southern Commandery") was a Chinese commandery that existed from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. Its territories covered present-day central and western Hubei province, as well as parts of Chongqing. The seat ...

Cao Xiu Cao Xiu (died 29 September 228?), courtesy name Wenlie, was a Chinese military general of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. A distant younger relative of the warlord Cao Cao, Cao Xiu started his career in the late Ea ...

and

Zang Ba Zang Ba ( 162–230s), courtesy name Xuangao, was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He served the warlord Tao Qian initially, followed by Lü Bu and finally Cao Cao and his su ...

attacked

Dongkou Dongkou County () is a county in the Province of Hunan, China, it is under the administration of Shaoyang City. Located in west-central Hunan, the county is bordered to the northeast by Longhui County, to the northwest by Xupu County and Hongjia ...

, and

Cao Ren Cao Ren () (168 – 6 May 223), courtesy name Zixiao, was a military general serving during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his older second cousin. He continued serving in the state of Cao Wei � ...

attacked Ruxu.

The battle

Cao Ren led a large army against the position but first disseminated false information indicating that he was going to attack Xianxi. The general defending Ruxu, Zhu Huan, took the bait and sent much of his army to Xianxi. After the ploy succeeded, Cao Ren attacked Ruxu. Zhu Huan soon realized his mistake, but there was no time for him to recall his soldiers before Cao Ren attacked. Cao Ren’s army experienced great success initially and destroyed all of Zhu Huan’s armies in the field. Zhu Huan had a plan though. He decided to make his army look even smaller than it really was in order to lure Cao Ren out and ambush him. He hid his soldiers in the homes of civilians, struck his banners, and stilled his drums to make the city look almost deserted. Cao Ren believed that Zhu Huan sent nearly all of his men to Xianxi, so he had his son Cao Tai attack the city. He also sent a naval force under Chang Diao, Zhuge Qian, and Wang Shuang to capture a certain island in the river where the families of Zhu Huan’s officers stayed. Cao Ren himself remained at the rear to offer support. Cao Tai and the others fell right into Zhu Huan’s trap. Cao Tai attacked the city, thinking it was undefended, and Zhu Huan was able to ambush him with the hidden soldiers and force him to retreat. He also ambushed the naval force sent to the island, killing Chang Diao, capturing Wang Shuang and dealing heavy losses to the Wei army. This earned Zhu Huan a brief respite, during which time he was able to recall his soldiers. Cao Ren now personally took command of the siege and attacked Ruxu, but Zhu Huan was able to regroup his soldiers and defend the city. After several months of furious battle, disease and loss took enough of a toll on the Wei army that Cao Pi decided to order Cao Ren to retreat.

Aftermath

Cao Ren died after the battle ended in 223. He was posthumously named "Marquis Zhong" (忠侯).

Order of battle

Wei forces

* Minister of War (大司马)

** Chang Diao ** Wang Shuang

Wu forces

* Area Commander of Ruxu

Zhu Huan Zhu Huan (177–238), courtesy name Xiumu, was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Although he started his career early under the warlord Sun Quan, he did not receive any important responsibil ...

** Zhou Shao,

Zhou Tai Zhou Tai () (died 223), courtesy name Youping, was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under Sun Ce, Sun Quan's elder brother a ...

's son **

Luo Tong Luo Tong (193–228), courtesy name Gongxu, was an official serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Luo Tong was from Wushang County (烏傷縣), Kuaiji Commandery, wh ...

** Yan Gui

References

Chen Shou Chen Shou (; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work, the '' Records of ...

. '' Records of the Three Kingdoms'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Rafe de Crespigny. ''Generals of the South'', Chapter Seven: Claim to the Mandate 222-229. * Rafe de Crespigny. (2007). A biographical dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Ruxu (222-223) Ruxu 222-223 Ruxu 222 223