Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions 姜維北伐

After Zhuge Liang's death, Jiang Wei followed the General-in-Chief Jiang Wan to be stationed at Hanzhong in the 1st year of Yanxi (238), and as Jiang Wan's Major (sima) he several times led detached forces westward. Guo Huai's biography in Records of Wei 26 records that in the 1st year of Zhengshi (240) Jiang Wei went out to Longxi but withdrew when Guo Huai pursued him as far as Qiangzhong. In the 10th year of Yanxi (247) Jiang Wei went out to the borders of Longxi, Nan'an and Jincheng and fought Wei's Guo Huai and Xiahou Ba at Taoxi, and the Hu king Zhi Wudai and others surrendered with their tribes. Guo Huai's biography records that around this time Jiang Wei attacked Weichi, held by Xiahou Ba, but withdrew when Guo Huai arrived, and that later, when he went out to Shiying to meet Zhi Wudai, he left Liao Hua at Mount Chengzhong to build a fortress, but when Guo Huai attacked Liao Hua he hurried back to rescue him. Records, Shu 14 §33–34Records, Wei 26 §71–76

Jiang Wei, considering himself well versed in the customs of the west and confident in his talent and martial prowess, believed that if he made the various Qiang and Hu his wings, the land west of Long could be cut off and taken. But Fei Yi always held him back, and the troops he was given never exceeded 10,000 men. Jiang Wei's biography says that in the 12th year of Yanxi (249) he was granted the Tally (jiajie) and went out to Xiping but did not prevail, while the Biography of the Later Sovereign records that in the autumn of that year he attacked Yong Province without success, that the generals Gou An and Li Shao surrendered to Wei, and that in the 13th year he went out to Xiping. According to Chen Tai's biography, Jiang Wei built two forts on Mount Qu and had Gou An and Li Xin hold them, but Chen Tai surrounded the forts, cut off their supply route and the water outside the walls, and moved to block the line of retreat of Jiang Wei, who had come to the rescue by way of Mount Niutou; Jiang Wei fled and Gou An and the others surrendered. Guo Huai's biography places this in the 1st year of Jiaping (249). Records, Shu 14 §34–35Records, Shu 3 §29–30Records, Wei 22 §39–41Records, Wei 26 §77

When Fei Yi died in the spring of the 16th year of Yanxi (253), that summer Jiang Wei led tens of thousands of men out to Shiying and by way of Dongting besieged Nan'an, but when Wei's Inspector of Yong Province, Chen Tai, came as far as Luomen, Jiang Wei's provisions ran out and he withdrew. In the 6th month of the following year he went out to Longxi again, and Li Jian, Chief of Didao County, surrendered with his city; Jiang Wei besieged Xiangwu, clashed with the Wei general Xu Zhi and defeated him. In this battle Zhang Ni of Shu went into the battle line and lost his life. Jiang Wei returned bringing with him the people of the three counties of Heguan, Didao and Lintao. Records, Shu 14 §36Records, Shu 3 §33–34Records, Shu 13 §63

In the 18th year of Yanxi (255), when Jiang Wei again proposed sending out the army, Zhang Yi alone argued against it at court, saying that the state was small and the people weary, but Jiang Wei would not listen; taking Zhang Yi, Xiahou Ba and others, he went out to Didao and inflicted a crushing defeat on Wei's Inspector of Yong Province, Wang Jing, at Taoxi. Jiang Wei's biography says that in this Battle of Didao tens of thousands of Wang Jing's men died, Zhang Yi's biography says that those who died in the Tao River were counted by the ten thousand, and in the 10th month of that year an edict of the Wei emperor said that the officers and men who died numbered in the thousands. Zhang Yi said that it was now time to stop, but Jiang Wei besieged Wang Jing, who had fallen back into the city of Didao. Records, Shu 15 §15Records, Shu 14 §37Records, Wei 4 §57–58

Chen Tai rejected the advice of Deng Ai and others to hold the passes and wait for an opening, crossed the Gaocheng Ridge, and by night reached the high hills southeast of Didao, where he lit beacon fires and sounded drums and horns. At this sudden relief Jiang Wei's army was greatly alarmed; Jiang Wei came at him along the hills and was driven back, and on hearing that Chen Tai meant to head for his line of retreat together with Wang Jing, he fled and halted at Zhongti. Records, Wei 22 §44–50Records, Shu 14 §37

In the spring of the 19th year of Yanxi (256) Jiang Wei, now General-in-Chief, arranged to meet the General-in-Chief Who Guards the West Hu Ji at Shanggui, but Hu Ji did not come. Deng Ai's biography records that Jiang Wei headed for Mount Qi, but on finding that Deng Ai was prepared he turned from Dongting toward Nan'an; failing to win the contest for the strongpoints at Mount Wucheng, he crossed the Wei River by night and was making for Shanggui when he was heavily defeated at Duangu. The Biography of the Later Sovereign records it as an event of the 8th month, in autumn. A great many died, the people grumbled and the land west of Long was in turmoil, so Jiang Wei acknowledged his fault and asked to be demoted himself, and as General of the Rear he acted in the office of General-in-Chief. Records, Shu 14 §38Records, Wei 28 §65Records, Shu 3 §36

In the 20th year of Yanxi (257), when Wei's Zhuge Dan rebelled in Huainan and the troops of Guanzhong were sent east, Jiang Wei led tens of thousands of men out through the Luo Valley and reached Shenling Ridge. Changcheng had large stores of grain and few defenders, but Sima Wang and Deng Ai encamped at Changcheng, and although Jiang Wei, who had set up camp against the hills on the Mang River, offered battle many times, they held firm beside the Wei River and did not respond. In the 1st year of Jingyao (258), on hearing that Zhuge Dan had been defeated, Jiang Wei returned to Chengdu. Records, Shu 14 §39–40Records, Wei 28 §66

In the 5th year of Jingyao (262) Jiang Wei went out to Houhe, was defeated by Deng Ai, and returned to stay at Tazhong; the Annals of the Three Young Emperors record this as Deng Ai defeating him at Houhe when he raided Taoyang in the 10th month of the 3rd year of Jingyuan (262). When the eunuch Huang Hao secretly sought to remove Jiang Wei and set up Yan Yu in his place, Jiang Wei felt himself in danger and never returned to Chengdu again. The following year, saying that Jiang Wei was farming at Tazhong and harshly exploiting the Qiang, Wei sent Deng Ai, Zhuge Xu and Zhong Hui to attack Shu. Records, Shu 14 §43Records, Wei 4 §122 · 124–125

Chen Shou assessed that Jiang Wei possessed a rough measure of both civil and military ability and was set on achieving merit and fame, but that he handled his forces lightly and used his army recklessly, and his clear judgment did not reach far enough, so that in the end he came to his death; and he asked how a tiny, insignificant state could be disturbed so often. Zhang Yi was praised for having stood up to Jiang Wei's sharp momentum. Records, Shu 14 §52Records, Shu 15 §85