Battle
Battle of Jianwei 建威之戰
About this event
The Battle of Jianwei was the battle in the 7th year of Jianxing (229) in which Zhuge Liang of Shu sent Chen Shi (陳式) to attack Wei's two commanderies of Wudu and Yinping and, going out in person as far as Jianwei, drove off Wei's Inspector of Yong Province Guo Huai, who tried to stop him. When Guo Huai withdrew, Shu at last pacified the two commanderies, and the Later Sovereign, citing this merit, restored as Chancellor Zhuge Liang, who had been reduced to General of the Right after the defeat at Jieting. It was the third campaign of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions. Records, Shu 5 §35–36Records, Shu 3 §10
Chen Shou recorded this briefly in the Biography of Zhuge Liang in Records of Shu 5 and the Biography of the Later Sovereign in Records of Shu 3. The Romance begins at the end of Chapter 98, with Zhuge Liang taking Jianwei and having Jiang Wei and Wang Ping attack Wudu and Yinping, and depicts the battle in Chapter 99, "Zhuge Liang Crushes the Wei Army." Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §10Romance, Ch. 98 §43–44Romance, Ch. 99 §1–15
Course of events in the Records
Zhuge Liang, having withdrawn from Chencang in the winter of the 6th year of Jianxing (228), sent Chen Shi (陳式) in the 7th year (229) to attack Wudu and Yinping. When Wei's Inspector of Yong Province Guo Huai led his host to attack Chen Shi, Zhuge Liang went out in person as far as Jianwei, and Guo Huai withdrew and went back, so the two commanderies were at last pacified. The Biography of the Later Sovereign likewise records that in the spring of the 7th year Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi to attack Wudu and Yinping and pacified the two commanderies. Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §10
The Later Sovereign issued an edict saying that the fault for the battle of Jieting had stemmed from Ma Su, but that Zhuge Liang had taken the blame upon himself and deeply humbled himself. It went on to say that the year before he had displayed the army's might and taken Wang Shuang's head, and that this year he had marched out and put Guo Huai to flight, gathered the surrender of the Di and Qiang and recovered the two commanderies, so that his might held down the violent and his merit was manifest; and it restored Zhuge Liang as Chancellor. Records, Shu 5 §35–36
In the winter of that year Zhuge Liang moved the camp of his Chancellor's office to the plain below the southern hills and built the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng. Records, Shu 3 §10
In the Romance
At the end of Chapter 98 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang, having gained Chencang and San Pass, came out by way of Chencang and the Xie Valley and took Jianwei, with Chen Shi, sent by the Later Sovereign, coming to assist. Encamping again at Mount Qi, Zhuge Liang judged that the Wei army would guard Yong and Mei, and aiming to divide the Wei forces by taking Yinping and Wudu, which bordered on Han territory, he had Jiang Wei attack Wudu and Wang Ping attack Yinping, each with 10,000 men. Guo Huai left Sun Li in charge of the city of Yong and held the city of Mei himself. Romance, Ch. 98 §43–45
In Chapter 99, Sima Yi, having reached Chang'an in the 4th month, summer, of the 7th year of Jianxing, encamped at Mount Qi with Zhang He as vanguard and had Guo Huai and Sun Li take side roads to relieve Wudu and Yinping and fall on the rear of the Shu army. But the two commanderies had already been taken by Wang Ping and Jiang Wei, and Guo Huai and Sun Li, caught between Zhuge Liang with Guan Xing and Zhang Bao (張苞) waiting on the road and Wang Ping and Jiang Wei striking from behind, were heavily defeated, abandoned their horses and fled by clambering up the mountain. Zhang Bao, pursuing them, fell into a ravine stream and injured his head. Romance, Ch. 99 §1–8
Sima Yi, reasoning that Zhuge Liang must have left his camp to pacify the people of the two commanderies, had Zhang He and Dai Ling strike the rear of the Shu camp, but the two fell into an ambush, and Zhang He broke through the encirclement, rescued Dai Ling and barely escaped. Watching Zhang He, Zhuge Liang said that if this man were left alive he would surely be a bane to Shu. Sima Yi held fast and would not come out, and Zhuge Liang, after declining the edict brought by Fei Yi, accepted the post of Chancellor. Romance, Ch. 99 §9–17
Where the Romance differs
Who attacked the two commanderies: In Chapters 98–99 of the Romance, Jiang Wei took Wudu and Wang Ping took Yinping. In the Records, Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi to attack Wudu and Yinping (Biography of Zhuge Liang, Biography of the Later Sovereign). Romance, Ch. 98 §44Romance, Ch. 99 §5Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §10
The fight with Guo Huai: In Chapter 99 of the Romance, Guo Huai went with Sun Li to relieve the two commanderies, was heavily defeated by Zhuge Liang's ambush, and fled abandoning his horse. In the Biography of Zhuge Liang in the Records, when Guo Huai moved to attack Chen Shi, Zhuge Liang went out in person as far as Jianwei, and Guo Huai withdrew and went back. There is no record of a clash between them. Romance, Ch. 99 §4–8Records, Shu 5 §35
Jianwei and Mount Qi: In Chapter 98 of the Romance, after taking Jianwei Zhuge Liang encamped again at Mount Qi and faced Sima Yi and Zhang He. The entries for that year in the Biography of Zhuge Liang and the Biography of the Later Sovereign in the Records have no march to Mount Qi; Jianwei is where Zhuge Liang went out in person to meet Guo Huai. Romance, Ch. 98 §43Romance, Ch. 99 §1Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Shu 3 §10
Wei's response: In Chapter 99 of the Romance, Sima Yi faced Zhuge Liang at Mount Qi with Zhang He and Dai Ling, and Zhang He and Dai Ling fell into an ambush. In this passage of the Biography of Zhuge Liang in the Records, the only Wei commander who appears is Guo Huai, Inspector of Yong Province. Romance, Ch. 99 §1 · 9–14Records, Shu 5 §35
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Belligerents
| Item | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Factions | Wei | Shu |
| Commanders | Guo Huai | Zhuge Liang, Chen Shi(陳式) |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Shu 5 §35