Battle
Battle of Jiangxia 江夏之戰
About this event
The Battle of Jiangxia was the battle in the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (208) in which Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu, Liu Biao's Administrator of Jiangxia, put his city to the sword and killed Huang Zu. Sun Quan had also attacked Huang Zu in the 8th year of Jian'an (203) without taking the city, and in the 12th year (207) he carried off his people and returned; and Gan Ning, who had come over from Huang Zu, proposed the plan that to take Jing Province he should first take Huang Zu. When Dong Xi and Ling Tong cut the ropes of the mengchong warships blocking Miankou and Lü Meng cut down Huang Zu's Area Commander Chen Jiu, Huang Zu abandoned the city and fled, and was beheaded. Records, Wu 2 §7 · 10–11Records, Wu 18 §3Records, Wu 10 §55–57 · 49–50Records, Wu 9 §58–59
Chen Shou recorded this battle in the Biography of the Lord of Wu in Records of Wu 2 and in the biographies of Zhou Yu, Lü Meng, Dong Xi, Gan Ning, Ling Tong and Wu Fan in Records of Wu 9, 10 and 18. The Romance depicts this battle in the latter half of the title of Chapter 38, "The Sun Family Takes Revenge on the Yangtze," and at the beginning of Chapter 39. Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 9 §8 · 58–59Records, Wu 10 §49–50 · 55–57 · 73Records, Wu 18 §3Romance, Ch. 38 §42Romance, Ch. 39 §1–3
Course of events in the Records
In the 8th year of Jian'an (203) Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu in the west and destroyed his navy but could not take his city, and in the 12th year of Jian'an (207) he again attacked Huang Zu and returned with captured people. The biography of Zhou Yu records that in between, in the 11th year of Jian'an (206), when Huang Zu sent his general Deng Long with several thousand men into Chaisang, Zhou Yu captured Deng Long alive and sent him to Wu. According to the biography of Wu Fan, when Sun Quan earlier intended to attack Huang Zu, Wu Fan said that this year held little advantage and he should wait for the following year, the wuzi year, when Liu Biao too would die; Sun Quan went ahead anyway and did not win. Records, Wu 2 §7 · 10Records, Wu 9 §8Records, Wu 18 §3
According to the biography of Gan Ning, Gan Ning, who had not been employed by Liu Biao and had then moved to rely on Huang Zu but was treated as an ordinary man, came over to Wu, and on the recommendation of Zhou Yu and Lü Meng was treated the same as an old retainer. Gan Ning said that Liu Biao lacked foresight and his sons were incompetent, so Sun Quan should plan to take Jing Province before Cao Cao did, and that to do so he should first take Huang Zu, who was old and badly senile, short of wealth and grain, and resented by his officers and soldiers, and then establish himself at the Chu Pass in the west and plan for Ba and Shu. Zhang Zhao objected that the land of Wu was unsettled, but Sun Quan raised his wine cup and told Gan Ning that he entrusted this campaign to him. Records, Wu 10 §54–57
When Sun Quan attacked Huang Zu again in the spring of the 13th year of Jian'an (208), Zhou Yu became Chief Commander of the Vanguard. Huang Zu had two mengchong warships set crosswise to guard Miankou, anchored by great ropes of twisted palm fiber tied to stones, and a thousand men on board shot crossbows in crossfire, so that the army could not advance. Dong Xi and Ling Tong formed the vanguard, each leading a hundred men sworn to die, every man wearing two suits of armor, and charged in large boats in among the mengchong; when Dong Xi personally cut the two ropes with his sword, the mengchong drifted sideways and the main army advanced. The biography of Ling Tong says that Ling Tong went on ahead of the main force, cut down Huang Zu's general Zhang Shuo and captured the men of his boat. Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 9 §8Records, Wu 10 §49 · 73
According to the biography of Lü Meng, Huang Zu had his Area Commander Chen Jiu come out against them with the navy, but Lü Meng led the vanguard and personally cut off Chen Jiu's head, and the officers and men, riding on their victory, attacked the city. The Biography of the Lord of Wu says that Lü Meng broke their vanguard and Ling Tong, Dong Xi and others threw all their best troops into the attack and at last put the city to the sword. Huang Zu escaped alone; the Biography of the Lord of Wu says that the cavalryman Feng Ze pursued him, cut off his head and displayed it, while the biography of Wu Fan records that Huang Zu, who fled by night, was caught around the fifth watch. Tens of thousands of men and women were taken captive. Records, Wu 9 §58–59Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 18 §3
At the banquet the next day Sun Quan raised his cup to Dong Xi, saying, "Today's banquet is owed to the merit of cutting the ropes," and, saying that the success was due to Chen Jiu having been taken first, made Lü Meng General of the Household Who Sweeps the Plains. Gan Ning was given troops and stationed at Dangkou. In Jing Province, after Huang Zu's death, Liu Biao's eldest son Liu Qi went out to become Administrator of Jiangxia. Records, Wu 10 §50 · 57Records, Wu 9 §59Records, Shu 5 §10
In the Romance
In Chapter 38 of the Romance, in the spring of the year after his mother, the Dowager Lady Wu, died, Sun Quan discussed attacking Huang Zu, and Lü Meng brought in Gan Ning, who had just come over from Huang Zu. Gan Ning said that to plan for Jing Province before Cao Cao he should first take Huang Zu, and that Huang Zu, old and muddle-headed, cared only for wealth and had lost the people's hearts, so after defeating him he should take the Chu Pass in the west and plan for Ba and Shu. Sun Quan made Zhou Yu Grand Commander, Lü Meng vanguard, and Dong Xi and Gan Ning lieutenants, and set out in person with a great army of 100,000. Romance, Ch. 38 §39 · 42–47
Huang Zu made Su Fei his chief general and Chen Jiu and Deng Long his vanguard, blocking Miankou with mengchong warships, each equipped with more than a thousand bows and crossbows and moored to the water with thick ropes. Gan Ning put fifty picked soldiers in each of more than a hundred small boats, cut the ropes, leapt onto the mengchong and cut down Deng Long, and Lü Meng, after burning the ships, cut down Chen Jiu as he tried to get ashore. Su Fei was captured by Pan Zhang, and Sun Quan attacked Xiakou day and night. Romance, Ch. 38 §48–51
In Chapter 39, Huang Zu abandoned Jiangxia and fled toward Jingzhou, but ran into Gan Ning, who was lying in ambush outside the east gate. Fearing that Cheng Pu, who was coming up behind, would contend for the credit, Gan Ning shot Huang Zu in the back with an arrow, cut off his head and presented it to Sun Quan, and Sun Quan resolved to offer it before his father's spirit tablet on returning to Jiangdong. Following Zhang Zhao's advice, Sun Quan abandoned Jiangxia and returned, and later, at Gan Ning's request, spared Su Fei's life. Romance, Ch. 39 §1–5
Where the Romance differs
Who killed Huang Zu: In Chapter 39 of the Romance, Gan Ning shot the fleeing Huang Zu with an arrow and cut off his head. In the Records, the Biography of the Lord of Wu says that the cavalryman Feng Ze pursued him and cut off his head, the biography of Lü Meng records that soldiers pursued and captured him, and the biography of Dong Xi that soldiers pursued and beheaded him, while the biography of Gan Ning says only that Sun Quan captured Huang Zu. Romance, Ch. 39 §2Records, Wu 2 §11Records, Wu 9 §59Records, Wu 10 §50 · 57
Who cut the ropes: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Gan Ning cut the ropes of the mengchong with more than a hundred small boats and cut down Deng Long. In the biography of Dong Xi in the Records, Dong Xi and Ling Tong each led a hundred men sworn to die in the charge and Dong Xi personally cut the two ropes, and Sun Quan praised his merit at the banquet. Romance, Ch. 38 §49Records, Wu 10 §49–50
Deng Long: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Deng Long came out as Huang Zu's vanguard in this battle and was cut down by Gan Ning. In the biography of Zhou Yu in the Records, Deng Long entered Chaisang with several thousand men in the 11th year of Jian'an (206), was captured by Zhou Yu and sent to Wu. Romance, Ch. 38 §48–49Records, Wu 9 §8
When Gan Ning came over: In Chapter 38 of the Romance, Gan Ning surrendered through Lü Meng while this campaign was being discussed, fearing Wu's resentment because he had rescued Huang Zu and shot Ling Cao dead. In the biography of Gan Ning in the Records, Gan Ning had already come over before the campaign and was being well treated on the recommendation of Zhou Yu and Lü Meng, and the biography of Ling Tong records only that Ling Cao entered Xiakou at the head of the assault and was killed by a stray arrow. Romance, Ch. 38 §42–44Records, Wu 10 §55 · 70
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 | Wu | Liu Biao faction |
| Commanders | Gan Ning, Ling Tong, Lü Meng, Zhou Yu, Sun Quan, Dong Xi(董襲) | Huang Zu, Chen Jiu |
| Casualties | 虜其男女數萬口 |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Wu 2 §11