Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...

Yi Province Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a '' zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong, Ba, Guanghan, Shu, Wenshan, Jianwei, ...

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <

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 Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

period.

Background

After the

Battle of Red Cliffs The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in the winter of AD 208–209 at the end of the Han dynasty, about twelve years prior to the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. T ...

,

Sun Quan Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime es ...

invited Liu Bei to take Yi Province with him, but the latter strongly rebutted the former, saying: "if you're going to conquer the land of Shu, I will loosen my hair and become a hermit in the deep hills. Earth under Heaven can hear my promise, and I'll live up to my words!" Believing Liu Bei, Sun Quan aborted his plan; however, Liu Bei was actually trying to take Yi Province for himself and negotiated Yiling County 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 ...

from Sun Quan. In 211, Liu Zhang, the Governor of Yi Province, heard that

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...

was planning to attack Zhang Lu in Hanzhong Commandery. As Hanzhong Commandery was a strategic location and the "gateway" into Yi Province, Liu Zhang sent

Fa Zheng Fa Zheng (176–220), courtesy name Xiaozhi, was a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Born in a family of high social status and of noble descent, Fa Zheng travelled to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan ...

to form an alliance with Liu Bei after

Zhang Song Zhang Song (died 212), courtesy name Ziqiao, was an official and adviser serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Zhang Song was from Shu Commandery (蜀郡), which is located within present-day Ch ...

convinced him to do so. Liu Bei then led his men to Yi Province under the pretence of helping Liu Zhang conquer Hanzhong Commandery.

The campaign

Takeover of Jiameng

In 211, Liu Bei led an expedition force of tens of thousands of soldiers into Yi Province after leaving behind

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...

,

Guan Yu Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him on ...

,

Zhang Fei Zhang Fei () (died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who were among the earlies ...

and

Zhao Yun Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...

to guard

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

. When Liu Bei entered Yi province, it was as if he was returning home. When he arrived at Fu County (涪縣; in present-day

Fuling District Fuling District () is a district in central Chongqing, China. The area is known for ''zha cai'', a hot pickled mustard tuber, as well as serving as the location of former U.S. Peace Corps teacher Peter Hessler's best-selling memoir '' River Tow ...

,

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

) Liu Zhang led 30 000 soldiers into flambloyant display to welcome Liu Bei warmly; it was the occasion of a great meeting where they feasted for more than 100 days. Liu Zhang provided Liu Bei with more provisions and equipment for his army before they parted ways. During this meeting; Fa Zheng told Liu Bei that Zhang Song along with Pang Tong wanted to use this opportunity to capture Liu Zhang and force him to hand over Yi Province to Liu Bei however Liu Bei didn't follow this plan because he felt that the plan was too hasty and that he should first win the hearts of the people of Yi province. Many of Liu Zhang's retainers protested against his decision to invite Liu Bei into the Yi province. Among them were Liu Ba and Huang Quan with Wang Lei (王累) committing suicide. Yan Yan famously remarked that Liu Zhang's decision was the equivalent of setting a tiger free to defend himself. Liu Bei's army totalled more than 30,000 soldiers, all well equipped along with many supplies. They headed to Jiameng Pass (southwest of present-day

Guangyuan Guangyuan () is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, China, bordering the provinces of Shaanxi to the northeast and Gansu to the northwest. The city has a population of 2,305,657 as of the 2020 census. Located roughly between the provin ...

, Sichuan) at the border between Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu's territories. However, instead of engaging Zhang Lu, Liu Bei halted his advance and focused on building up connections and gaining influence around the area in preparation for his takeover of Yi Province. Since he was kind and virtuous, many among the masses soon joined him. Among them was an eccentric man named

Peng Yang (Han dynasty) Peng Yang (178–214), courtesy name Yongnian, was an official serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early life Peng Yang was from Guanghan Commandery (廣漢郡), which is around present-day Guanghan, S ...

, he quickly became friend with Pang Tong and under his recommendation along with Fa Zheng's support joined Liu Bei's staff; he revealed himself a highly talented military instructor and became even more favoured by Liu Bei. Next year in 212, Liu Bei send a letter to Liu Zhang where he told him that he needed more troops to divert Cao Cao's attention away from the east (where Sun Quan was under attack and asked for his help) and support Guan Yu against Yue Jin in Jing Province; he also mentioned that Zhang Lu was only looking to preserve his state and wouldn't engage into aggressive actions. Therefore, he requested for another 10,000 soldiers and additional provisions to aid in the defense of Jing Province. Liu Zhang gave him 40% of the troops and half of the others he asked for. When he saw that Liu Zhang didn't fulfill his demands, Liu Bei rallied his men and asked them how Liu Zhang could expect them to risk their lives for him when he accumulated wealth while being picky about the distribution of their reward. When Fa Zheng, Zhang Song and Meng Da heard that there were discussion about Liu Bei leaving to defend Jing province, they pressed Liu Bei to stay into Yi province. Soon, Zhang Su (張肅), Zhang Song's brother, discovered his brother's secret communications with Liu Bei, feared that he would be victim if it failed and reported the issue to Liu Zhang. Liu Zhang was furious and stunned when he heard that Zhang Song had been helping Liu Bei to plot against him; he executed Zhang Song and ordered his military officers guarding the passes to Chengdu to keep secret his knowledge of Liu Bei's intention. When Wei officials heard about the starting conflict between Liu Bei and Liu Zhang, there were discussions about who would overcome the other. Zhao Jian (趙戩) believed that Liu Bei didn't have the talent to accomplish such a task glossing over his past failures and highlighting the Yi province natural defences making it easy to defend and a arduous mission to conquer it. However Fu Gan (傅幹) argued that: "Liu Bei is benevolent and tolerant and his men are willing to give their lives in his service. Zhuge Liang is a perspicacious administrator who quickly grasp the changing situations. He is honorable, talented in planning and work as his chancellor. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu are brave and also possess righteousness. Both of them are known as warriors who are a match for ten thousand men (萬人敵) and are his commanders. These three men are heroes. Knowing of Liu Bei's awareness along with those three heroes assisting him. How he could not succeed?"

Early Success

However from secret communications, Liu Bei still heard about what happened to Zhang Song. Fa Zheng and Meng Da found a way to defect to Liu Bei's side before Yang Huai () and Gao Pei (), Liu Zhang's subordinates guarding Boshui Pass, knew about Liu Bei's true motive. Now, there was no other choice than to conquer Yi Province.

Pang Tong Pang Tong () (179–214), courtesy name Shiyuan, was a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In his youth, Pang Tong was disregarded because he was plain looking, however Sima Hui highly esteemed him call ...

outlined three plans for Liu Bei to choose from: The first was to advance swiftly to seize

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...

, the capital of Yi Province, from Liu Zhang. The second was to take command of Liu Zhang's armies in the north and then move to capture Chengdu. The third one was to return to

Baidicheng Baidicheng or Baidi Fortress is an ancient fortress and temple complex on a hill on the northern shore of the Yangtze River in China, 8 km east of the present day Fengjie County seat in Chongqing municipality. Overview The name ''Baidichen ...

to await further action. Liu Bei chose the second option and lured Yang Huai and Gao Pei into a trap and executed them under the pretense of behaving disrespectfully towards him. Wei Yan at this time, just began to serve under Liu Bei and was appointed as a bodyguard in his retinue; he made numerous achievements in several battles. When they learned of Liu Bei's attack, Zheng Du (鄭度) suggested to Liu Zhang a scorched earth policy by forcing the civilians of Baxi (巴西) and Zitong (梓潼) commanderies to relocate elsewhere and destroy all the suppliers depots in the commanderies. His basic for his plan was that Liu Bei's army was low on supplies and composed of new recruits who may not be loyal to him (this statement was proven truth when Lu Dai reported that many of Liu Bei's men deserted). Following this strategy along with a solid defence into the fortress while refusing any engagement in open battles would force Liu Bei to retreat and allow Liu Zhang to launch a counter attack. Liu Bei felt greatly disturbed when he learned about their plan however Fa Zheng reassured him that Liu Zhang would never follow this plan. Indeed he was proven right as Liu Zhang refused to use his plan and told his subordinates: "I have heard of fighting the enemy to save the people; not of disrupting the people to avoid the enemy." Furthermore he removed Zheng Du from office. Finally, Liu Bei had Huang Zhong and Zhuo Ying (卓應) lead his soldiers against Liu Zhang. During this campaign, Huang Zhong would show great martial skills and was always the first to break the ennemy's formations. When he entered the different passes; he took the commanders as hostage along with their family, wives and children. Then, he took command of their troops, led his army along with Huang Zhong and Zhuo Ying to attack Fu County (涪縣; present-day

Mianyang Mianyang (; formerly known as Mienchow) is the second largest prefecture-level city of Sichuan province in Southwest China. Located in north-central Sichuan covering an area of consisting of Jiangyou, a county-level city, five counties, and thre ...

,

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

) and occupied the city. Following those success, Liu Bei organized a banquet where he expressed his great joy having conquered all the passes. He said to Pang Tong that today is an auspicious day. However Pang Tong answered that celebrating warfare isn't what a benevolent man should do. Liu Bei was angry at his response and told him that he should leave. Liu Bei came to regret his actions and asked for Pang Tong to rejoin him. Pang Tong then drank and eat as before, when Liu Bei asked him who was in the wrong previously, he answered both of them. Liu Bei greatly laughed and feasted as before. In the spring of 213, Liu Zhang sent Liu Gui (劉璝), Leng Bao (冷苞),

Zhang Ren Zhang Ren () (died 213) was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Zhang Ren was from Shu Commandery (蜀郡), Yi Province, which is around present-day Chengdu, Sichua ...

, Deng Xian (鄧賢), Wu Yi along with other officers to stop him at Fu. However all of them were defeated and had to retreat to

Mianzhu Mianzhu ( zh, s=绵竹, t=綿竹, w=Mienchu, p=Miánzhú) is a county-level city of Deyang, Sichuan province in Southwest China. It has an area of and a population of 510,000 in 2004. The city was heavily damaged during the 2008 Sichuan earthq ...

. They were either killed or captured by Liu Bei's forces. Despite being the most trusted vassal of Liu Zhang, Wu Yi soon changed allegiance. Li Yan and Fei Guan were also sent to help them at Mianzhu, but they surrendered to Liu Bei as well. With each victories, Liu Bei's army became stronger therefore he could dispatch commanders to pacify the other commanderies. After he conquered

Mianzhu Mianzhu ( zh, s=绵竹, t=綿竹, w=Mienchu, p=Miánzhú) is a county-level city of Deyang, Sichuan province in Southwest China. It has an area of and a population of 510,000 in 2004. The city was heavily damaged during the 2008 Sichuan earthq ...

, Ma Liang's brother Ma Su who accompanied him was left in charge to act as his Prefect (令). While Liu Bei led his army deeper into Yi province, Huo Jun was left in charge of the defence of Jiameng pass; a strategic point between Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu's territories. Zhang Lu wanted to use this opportunity to conquer Jiameng and had Yang Bo (楊帛) sent to deceive Huo Jun into opening the gate however Huo Jun saw through this and told him that they could take his head; never the fortress. Yang Bo could only withdrew his troops. After this, Liu Zhang's generals Fu Jin (扶禁), Xiang Cun (向存) and others led an army of more than 10 000 soldiers and attacked his position. Even if he only disposed of just a few hundred men; Huo Jun stalwart defence allowed him to resist their assault. After a siege that lasted one year, discipline within Liu Zhang's army was low. Huo Jun used this opportunity and selected his best soldiers to lead a sortie; he inflicted them a heavy defeat beheading Xiang Cun during the battle.

Defence of Luo County

Liu Zhang's eldest son, Liu Xun (劉循), took command of the remnants and retreated to Luo County (雒縣; north of present-day

Guanghan Guanghan ( zh, s=广汉, t=廣漢, p=Guǎnghàn; formerly known as Hanchow) is a county-level city under the administration of Deyang in Sichuan province, southwest China, and only from Chengdu. The predominant industries are tourism, pharmaceut ...

,

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

) to join forces with Zhang Ren. Zhang Ren, attempted to break the siege by leading his men onto the Wild Goose Bridge and charging Liu Bei's forces, but he was defeated and captured. His loyalty and bravery were well known, so Liu Bei ordered his army to force the captive into submission. However, Zhang Ren said, "A loyal subject will never serve two masters!" Liu Bei lamented his determination and had him executed. While they besieged Luo county, Fa Zheng wrote to Liu Zhang a letter to convince him to surrender however it Liu Zhang ignored it. Liu Bei ordered his troops to surround Luo County and sent his adviser

Pang Tong Pang Tong () (179–214), courtesy name Shiyuan, was a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In his youth, Pang Tong was disregarded because he was plain looking, however Sima Hui highly esteemed him call ...

to lead a major assault on the castle. However, the defenders fought back with projectiles and Pang Tong was killed by a stray arrow. Thus following Pang Tong's death, the siege became a prolonged one that lasted nearly a year. During this time, Lu Dai met Liu Bei who reported to Sun Quan that his army was in disarray and since they were stuck into a lasting siege inside an hostile territory many of his soldiers also deserted. Lu Dai himself believed Liu Bei would fall to conquer Yi province against Wu Fan's opinion, another Wu official. Such a situation forced Liu Bei to call forth reinforcements from

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

. Zhang Fei led an army from Jing Province to attack Jiangzhou (in present-day

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...

), where he defeated Zhao Zan (趙筰) the Administrator of Ba Commandery who tried to stopped their advance and captured an enemy officer, Yan Yan. Facing Zhang Fei's insults, Yan Yan condemned him for invading Yi Province. Yan Yan was originally ordered to be executed by the angry Zhang Fei, but his fearlessness of death impressed Zhang, who pardoned the captive's life. Following the Dian River (垫江), Zhang Fei broke through a thin defence line, guarded by an enemy major, and rendezvoused with Liu Bei. Zhang Fei also defeated another army along the way sent by Liu Zhang and led by Zhang Yi to intercept Liu Bei's reinforcement at Deyang; thereafter, he could lead his army to Chengdu. During this campaign, Liu Bei's adopted son; Liu Feng followed the reinforcement army. He was just more than 20 but he impressed many with his martial skills and extraordinary strength. Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang also conquered the surrounding counties and commanderies in the area before their arrival from another route.

Fall of Chengdu

After a siege of near one year; Luo County finally fell. Liu Bei then surrounded Chengdu with the other armies

Ma Chao Ma Chao () (176–222), courtesy name Mengqi, was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan, Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma ...

, a former Liang Province warlord and a vassal of Zhang Lu was hated by Zhang Lu's subordinate Yang Bai (楊柏) along with others who were jealous of his ability and wanted to harm him therefore Ma Chao wanted to use this opportunity to join Liu Bei. Liu Bei was pleased to hear this and exclaimed "Yi province is mine." He had Li Hui that recently joined him when he was at

Mianzhu Mianzhu ( zh, s=绵竹, t=綿竹, w=Mienchu, p=Miánzhú) is a county-level city of Deyang, Sichuan province in Southwest China. It has an area of and a population of 510,000 in 2004. The city was heavily damaged during the 2008 Sichuan earthq ...

welcome Ma Chao and provided him soldiers and supplies to besiege the city. Upon seeing Ma Chao's army to the north of Chengdu, the citizens inside the city were terrified and within 10 days following his arrival, Liu Zhang promptly surrender. Moreover, the morale of Liu Zhang's army was at an all-time low and only a few of his generals such as Huang Quan wouldn't yield to Liu Bei and keep their defenses intact. After a siege that lasted several weeks, Liu Bei decided to send his longtime adviser,

Jian Yong Jian Yong ( 180s–210s), courtesy name Xianhe, was a Chinese politician serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He started working under Liu Bei since the very beginning of Liu Bei's career; he originally se ...

, whom Liu Zhang was already fond of before the war broke out, to speak to Liu Zhang. Jian Yong managed to convince Liu Zhang to surrender. Thus, Liu Zhang opened Chengdu's gates and surrendered to Liu Bei; at this time the city still possessed 30 000 soldiers along with enough supplies for a year; many among the officials and people wanted to fight to death however Liu Zhang refused stating that he didn't want to see further bloodshed; everyone inside the city wept for his sacrifice. Liu Bei then succeeded Liu Zhang as Governor of Yi Province, and he conferred on the latter the seal and tassel of General of Vehement Might (奮威將軍) before expatriating him and Liu Chan to

Gong'an County Gong'an County () is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hunan to the south. It is under the administration of Jingzhou City. History During the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, Gong'an County was k ...

in

Jing province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

. Since the Yi Province was prosperous, Liu Bei was able to start a great banquet. He used the gold and silver recently won to reward his soldiers and commanders; moreover he gave grain and silk to the common people. After he assumed the position of Governor of Yi Province, he promoted his followers, new and old to higher ranks; even those recently employed by Liu Zhang such as Dong He, Huang Quan and Li Yan or related to him by marriage such as Fei Guan and Wu Yi. All of them were put into position of power to make use of their talent. Among the elite with talent; there were none who did not compete for Liu Bei's attention. Then, he married Wu Yi's sister in an attempt to solidify his control on the newly conquered domain. Moreover a new code of law was applied to Yi Province called the Shu Ke (蜀科) formulated by Liu Bei's followers, Zhuge Liang and Yi Ji along with recently retainers of Liu Zhang; Fa Zheng, Li Yan and Liu Ba. According to Zhuge Liang's biography; although the new code of law was strict nobody complained because he was fair.

Aftermath

Upon hearing Liu Bei had taken Yi Province, Sun Quan sent envoys to ask him for the return of the commanderies in

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

, but Liu Bei said: "Jing Province will be returned after I take Liang Province." Sun Quan was furious when his envoy reported Liu Bei's words, and he sent

Lü Meng Lü Meng () (178 – January or February 220), courtesy name Ziming, was a Chinese military general and politician who served under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early in his career, he fought in several batt ...

and

Ling Tong Ling Tong () (189–217), courtesy name Gongji, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He started his service under Sun Quan when he was still a teenager and, throughout his ...

with another four officers to retake southern Jing Province. After Lü Meng and his colleagues captured three commanderies, Liu Bei returned to Gong'an County and prepared to seize back the three commanderies by force. However, he eventually arrived at a border treaty with Sun Quan when he heard Cao Cao was planning to attack Hanzhong Commandery.(二十年，孫權以先主已得益州，使使報欲得荊州。先主言：「須得涼州，當以荊州相與。」權忿之，乃遣呂蒙襲奪長沙、零陵、桂陽三郡。先主引兵五萬下公安，令關羽入益陽。是歲，曹公定漢中，張魯遁走巴西。先主聞之，與權連和，分荊州、江夏、長沙、桂陽東屬，南郡、零陵、武陵西屬，引軍還江州。) Sanguozhi vol. 32.

Order of battle

Liu Bei forces

*

Liu Bei Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...

, commander *

Fa Zheng Fa Zheng (176–220), courtesy name Xiaozhi, was a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Born in a family of high social status and of noble descent, Fa Zheng travelled to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan ...

, advisor, defected over from Liu Zhang's side prior to battle *

Meng Da Meng Da () (died 228), courtesy name Zidu, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the early Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served the warlords Liu Zhang and Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty before defec ...

, general, defected over from Liu Zhang's side prior to battle *

Pang Tong Pang Tong () (179–214), courtesy name Shiyuan, was a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In his youth, Pang Tong was disregarded because he was plain looking, however Sima Hui highly esteemed him call ...

, director general until 214 * Peng Yang, advisor *

Ma Su Ma Su (190–228), courtesy name Youchang, was a military general and strategist of the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. Ma Su had conspicuous talent in military theories and was admired by the Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang. ...

, advisor *

Liu Feng Liu Feng (died 220) was an adopted son of Liu Bei, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He traced his lineage to a certain marquis whose family name was "Kou ...

, Lt. general *

Huang Zhong Huang Zhong (, ) (died 220), courtesy name Hansheng, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Mount Dingjun in 219, in which ...

, general * Zhuo Ying (卓膺), general *

Wei Yan Wei Yan () (died October 234), courtesy name Wenchang, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dyna ...

, Lt. general *

Huo Jun Huo Jun ( 178–217), courtesy name Zhongmiao, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Liu Bei thought very highly of Huo Jun and in a letter to Zhuge Liang praised him as a great warrio ...

, general *

Jian Yong Jian Yong ( 180s–210s), courtesy name Xianhe, was a Chinese politician serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He started working under Liu Bei since the very beginning of Liu Bei's career; he originally se ...

, advisor, diplomat * Zhang Cun, advisor * Xi Zhen, advisor * Deng Fang, general *

Zhang Fei Zhang Fei () (died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who were among the earlies ...

, general *

Zong Yu Zong Yu (late 180s - 264), courtesy name Deyan, was a military general and diplomat of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Like Liao Hua and Zhang Yi, Zong was one of few officials who served the Shu-Han state throug ...

, served in Zhang Fei's army *

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...

, director general after 214 *

Zhao Yun Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...

, general * Fu Kuang, served in Liu Bei's army * Li Hui, advisor, diplomat defected over from Liu Zhang's side to Liu Bei *

Ma Chao Ma Chao () (176–222), courtesy name Mengqi, was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan, Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma ...

, general defected over from Zhang Lu's side to Liu Bei

Liu Zhang forces

* Liu Zhang *Wang Lei (王累), committed suicide to warn Liu Zhang against inviting Liu Bei into Yi Province *

Zhang Song Zhang Song (died 212), courtesy name Ziqiao, was an official and adviser serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Zhang Song was from Shu Commandery (蜀郡), which is located within present-day Ch ...

executed by Liu Zhang; when he learned his secret communications with Liu Bei *

Zhang Ren Zhang Ren () (died 213) was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Zhang Ren was from Shu Commandery (蜀郡), Yi Province, which is around present-day Chengdu, Sichua ...

* Wu Lan (吳蘭) * Lei Tong (雷銅) * Liu Xun (劉循) *

Pang Xi Pang Xi ( 190s–210s) was an official serving under the warlords Liu Yan, Liu Zhang (Liu Yan's son) and Liu Bei during the Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Pang Xi was from Henan County (), Henan Yin (), which is in present-day Luoyang, H ...

* Yang Huai (楊懷) * Gao Pei (高沛) * Liu Gui (劉璝) * Leng Bao (冷苞) * Xiang Cun () * Fu Jin (扶禁) * Deng Xian (鄧賢) * Wu Yi * Li Yan * Fei Guan * Zhang Yi * Zhang Yi * Yan Yan * Huang Quan

In popular culture

The campaign is featured as one of the playable stages in

Koei Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on p ...

's video game series ''

Dynasty Warriors is a series of Japanese hack and slash action video games created by Omega Force and Koei (now is Koei Tecmo). The series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy '' Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' series, based upon the Chinese novel of ...

''. In the game, all the battles in the campaign were aptly summed up in one single battle, called the "Battle of Chengdu", although technically, there was no battle fought at Chengdu at all in the campaign. In ''

Dynasty Warriors 3 is a hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force (ω-force) and published by Koei (with distribution handled by THQ for the PlayStation 2 in PAL regions). It is third in the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series in North America and the second in ...

'' and '' 4'', Liu Zhang's surrender is optional and often a special requirement for certain unlockable items. The concept was removed in ''

Dynasty Warriors 5 is a hack and slash video game set in China and the fifth installment in the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is based on the Chinese novel ''Roma ...

'' and Liu Zhang surrenders immediately after his defeat. In ''

Dynasty Warriors 6 is a hack and slash video game set in Ancient China, during a period called Three Kingdoms (around 200AD). This game is the sixth official installment in the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game ...

'', the battle is renamed to "Pacification of Chengdu" and the geographical design of the stage has changed but the events remain almost the same. In ''

Dynasty Warriors 7 is a hack and slash video game and the seventh official installment of the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series. It is developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei. The story is based on the 14th-century Chinese historical novel ''Romance of th ...

'', the campaign is split into two battles with the Battle of Luo Castle and battle of Chengdu. Battle of Luo Castle has Liu Xun as commander of Liu Zhang's forces and Pang Tong as commander of Liu Bei's forces. The battle serves as Pang's only appearance in Story Mode. The Battle of Chengdu follows Lou Castle with Zhuge Liang as commander after Pang's death.

Notes

References

* Chen, Shou. ''

Records of the Three Kingdoms The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220– ...

'' (''Sanguozhi''). *

Chang Qu Chang Qu () (c. 291 – c. 361 CE) was a 4th-century Chinese historian of the Cheng Han dynasty, who wrote the ''Chronicles of Huayang'' or ''Records of the States South of Mount Hua Mount Hua () is a mountain located near the city of Huayi ...

(4th century). ''

Chronicles of Huayang The ''Chronicles of Huayang'' or ''Huayang Guo Zhi'' () is the oldest extant gazetteer of a region of China. It was compiled by Chang Qu during the Jin Dynasty. It contains roughly 110,000 characters. Its contents comprise history, geography an ...

'' (''Huayang Guo Zhi''). * Pei, Songzhi. ''

Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, Pei ...

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). * {{cite book , author-link=Sima Guang, last=Sima , first= Guang , year=1084 , title=

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

Campaigns of the Han dynasty Rebellions during the end of the Han dynasty 210s conflicts