Battle of Jieting 街亭之戰

In the 5th year of Jianxing (227) Zhuge Liang led the armies north to Hanzhong and was stationed at Mianyang. In the spring of the 6th year (228) he spread word that he would take Mei County by way of the Xie Valley road and had Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi occupy the Ji Valley as a decoy force, and Wei's General-in-Chief Cao Zhen came out with his whole host to resist them. Zhuge Liang himself led the armies to attack Mount Qi; his ranks were orderly, his rewards and punishments strict and his commands clear. When the three commanderies of Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding rebelled against Wei and went over to him, all of Guanzhong was shaken. Records, Shu 5 §24 · 31–32

Emperor Ming of Wei came west to hold Chang'an and had Zhang He resist Zhuge Liang. The Annals of Emperor Ming say that the General-in-Chief Cao Zhen was put in command of the region west of the passes and advanced together with him, and the Biography of Cao Zhen records that Cao Zhen was stationed at Mei with the armies under his command. Zhang He was given the additional rank of Specially Advanced and, in command of the armies, went to stop Ma Su at Jieting. Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Wei 3 §8Records, Wei 9 §65Records, Wei 17 §51

Zhuge Liang put Ma Su in command of the armies at the front. The part of the Biography of Ma Liang on Ma Su records that there were veteran generals such as Wei Yan and Wu Yi, and that those who discussed the matter all said they should be made the vanguard, but Zhuge Liang went against the general opinion, promoted Ma Su and had him lead the main army at the front. Earlier, on his deathbed, Liu Bei had said that Ma Su's words exceeded his substance and that he should not be given great responsibility, but Zhuge Liang thought otherwise, made him an Army Adviser and constantly talked with him from day until night. Records, Shu 5 §32Records, Shu 9 §17

Wang Ping had been attached to Ma Su's vanguard. According to the Biography of Wang Ping, Ma Su abandoned the water and went up the hill, and his arrangements were confused and disorderly; Wang Ping repeatedly remonstrated, but Ma Su would not accept his advice. The Biography of Zhang He records that Ma Su relied on the steep ground of the southern hill and did not come down to hold the town, so Zhang He cut off his route for drawing water, attacked and routed him. The soldiers all scattered like stars; only the thousand men under Wang Ping beat their drums and held their ranks, so that Zhang He suspected an ambush and did not close in, and Wang Ping slowly gathered the stragglers from the various camps and returned. Records, Shu 13 §35–36Records, Wei 17 §51Records, Shu 9 §17

The Shu army was also defeated at Lieliucheng. Guo Huai's biography records that Gao Xiang was stationed at Lieliucheng, and that Zhang He attacked Ma Su while Guo Huai attacked Gao Xiang's camp, defeating both. The Annals of Emperor Ming say that when Zhang He, General of the Right, attacked Zhuge Liang at Jieting and routed him, Zhuge Liang fled in defeat and the three commanderies were pacified. The Biography of Zhang He says that Zhang He attacked and pacified all three commanderies, and the Biography of Cao Zhen records that Yang Tiao and other people of Anding who were holding Yuezhi City bound themselves and came out when Cao Zhen arrived, and all three commanderies were pacified. Records, Wei 26 §68Records, Wei 3 §8Records, Wei 17 §51Records, Wei 9 §65

With nowhere to base himself if he advanced, Zhuge Liang removed more than a thousand households of Xi County and returned to Hanzhong. At the Ji Valley, Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi, whose troops were weak against a strong enemy, also suffered a setback, but they gathered their men and held firm and so avoided a great defeat; Zhao Yun was demoted to General Who Guards the Army. Zhuge Liang put Ma Su to death to make amends to the army. The Biography of Wang Ping says that Zhuge Liang executed Ma Su and the Shu generals Zhang Xiu (張休) and Li Sheng and took away the troops of the general Huang Xi and others, and the Biography of Ma Liang records that when Ma Su died after being imprisoned, Zhuge Liang wept for him, and that Ma Su was thirty-nine at the time. Xiang Lang's biography records that when Ma Su fled, Xiang Lang, who had long been his friend, knew the circumstances but did not report him, and lost his office. Records, Shu 9 §18Records, Shu 5 §33Records, Shu 6 §41Records, Shu 13 §36Records, Shu 11 §14

Zhuge Liang submitted a memorial saying that the disobedience of orders at Jieting and the lack of vigilance at the Ji Valley were both his own fault, for having no proper method in entrusting men with command, and asked to be demoted three grades; he then acted in the affairs of the Chancellor as General of the Right. Wang Ping was singled out for distinction, given the additional post of Army Adviser and made General Who Suppresses Bandits and a village marquis, and Zhang He received an additional fief of 1,000 households. Jiang Wei went over to Zhuge Liang at this time and returned with him. The following year an edict, saying that the fault for the battle of Jieting stemmed from Ma Su, restored Zhuge Liang as Chancellor. Records, Shu 5 §33–36Records, Shu 13 §36Records, Wei 17 §51–52Records, Shu 14 §30–31