Battle of Xingshi 興勢之戰

Deng Yang and others, wishing Cao Shuang to establish his authority and renown throughout the realm, urged him to attack Shu, and Sima Yi tried to stop him but could not. In the 2nd month, in spring, of the 5th year of Zhengshi (244) an edict was issued for Cao Shuang to lead his forces against Shu, and Xiahou Xuan, General Who Conquers the West in command of the troops of Yong and Liang Provinces, joined him in launching the Luo Valley campaign. Cao Shuang levied 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers on a large scale at Chang'an and entered the Luo Valley. Records, Wei 9 §74 · 122Records, Wei 4 §15

The passage on Wang Ping records that when Cao Shuang led more than 100,000 foot and horse toward Hanchuan and his vanguard had already reached the Luo Valley, the troops defending Hanzhong numbered fewer than 30,000, and the generals were greatly alarmed. Some proposed holding only the two cities of Hancheng and Lecheng, letting the enemy in and waiting for the troops from Fu County, but Wang Ping said that it was nearly a thousand li from Hanzhong to Fu County and that if the enemy took the passes it would be a disaster; he proposed that Protector of the Army Liu and Army Adviser Du (杜) hold Xingshi while he himself held the rear, and that if the enemy headed for Huangjin, he would face them with a thousand men. Only Liu Min, Protector of the Army, agreed with Wang Ping, and they carried this out at once. Records, Shu 13 §39–40

The passage on Liu Min records that, against the view that the enemy would withdraw of their own accord if the cities alone were held, Liu Min held that with men and women scattered over the fields and the grain still standing in them, letting the enemy in would mean the end of everything, and together with Wang Ping he made Xingshi his base and set out many banners stretching over more than a hundred li. Meanwhile, on the Wei side, Guanzhong and the Di and Qiang could not keep up the supplies, so that many oxen, horses, mules and donkeys died and the people and tribesmen wailed on the roads, and though the army went several hundred li into the valley, it was blocked by an enemy holding fast in the mountains and could not advance. Records, Shu 14 §17Records, Wei 9 §74

Shu granted the General-in-Chief Fei Yi the Tally (jiajie) and had him lead forces to resist. When preparations for departure were complete, the Grand Master of the Palace Lai Min came to see him and asked for a game of weiqi, and Fei Yi played without any sign of impatience; Lai Min said that he would surely deal with the enemy. On the Wei side, Cao Shuang's Army Adviser Yang Wei argued that unless they hurried back they would be defeated, and that Deng Yang and Li Sheng were about to ruin the state's affairs and should be beheaded; Cao Shuang was displeased, but turned his army back. The passage on Guo Huai records that when Xiahou Xuan attacked Shu, Guo Huai, who led the vanguard, judged that the situation was unfavorable and at once pulled his army out, so that it did not suffer a great defeat. Records, Shu 14 §25Records, Wei 9 §75Records, Wei 26 §72

The Annals of the Three Young Emperors say that Cao Shuang brought his army back on the bingwu day of the 5th month, and the Biography of the Later Sovereign records that in the intercalary month the General-in-Chief Who Guards the North Wang Ping held the Xingshi positions, and that when Fei Yi hurried to the rescue at the head of the various armies, the Wei army withdrew. The passage on Wang Ping records that when the various armies from Fu County and Fei Yi arrived from Chengdu one after another, the Wei army withdrew, just as Wang Ping had planned, and that at this time Deng Zhi in the east, Ma Zhong in the south and Wang Ping on the northern frontier each made their names known. For this achievement Fei Yi was enfeoffed as Marquis of Chengxiang. Records, Wei 4 §15Records, Shu 3 §24Records, Shu 13 §40Records, Shu 14 §25

This campaign was spoken of long afterward. Jiang Wei's biography records that the First Sovereign had Wei Yan fill the various strongpoints of Hanzhong with troops to keep out the enemy, and that Wang Ping's holding off of Cao Shuang in the Xingshi campaign also followed this system. In Wei, Xiahou Xuan was criticized by people of the time for having launched the Luo Valley campaign together with Cao Shuang. Records, Shu 14 §41Records, Wei 9 §122