Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions 諸葛亮北伐

Zhuge Liang, having campaigned in the south in the spring of the 3rd year of Jianxing (225) and pacified it all by autumn, saw the state grow rich from the military supplies produced there, and so put his forces in order, drilled them in martial arts and waited for a great campaign. In the 5th year (227) he led the armies north to be stationed at Hanzhong and submitted a memorial saying that since the south was pacified and weapons and armor were sufficient, he would lead the three armies north to pacify the Central Plain, restore the house of Han and return to the old capital. The Biography of the Later Sovereign records that in the spring of that year he encamped at Shima in Yangping, north of the Mian River. Records, Shu 5 §24 · 29 · 31Records, Shu 3 §8

In the spring of the 6th year (228) Zhuge Liang spread word that he would take Mei County by the Xie Valley road, placed Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi in the Ji Valley to draw out Cao Zhen's main army, and himself attacked Mount Qi. The three commanderies of Nan'an, Tianshui and Anding rebelled against Wei and went over to him, but Ma Su, leading the advance, was heavily defeated by Zhang He at the Battle of Jieting, and Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi also suffered a setback at the Ji Valley. Zhuge Liang removed more than a thousand households of Xi County, returned to Hanzhong and put Ma Su to death, and, demoting himself three grades, acted in the affairs of the Chancellor as General of the Right. At this time Jiang Wei of Tianshui Commandery came over to him. Records, Shu 5 §32–34Records, Shu 6 §41Records, Shu 14 §30–31

That winter Zhuge Liang came out again through San Pass and besieged Chencang, but when Cao Zhen blocked him his provisions ran out and he went back, defeating and beheading the Wei general Wang Shuang, who pursued him. The Annals of Emperor Ming date this to the 12th month, and the Biography of Cao Zhen records that because Cao Zhen had earlier had Hao Zhao and Wang Sheng hold Chencang and repair its walls, Zhuge Liang could not take it. Zhang He, summoned by Emperor Ming, was given 30,000 men and set out, predicting that Zhuge Liang's provisions would not last ten days. Records, Shu 5 §35Records, Wei 3 §10Records, Wei 9 §65–66Records, Wei 17 §52–53

In the 7th year (229) Zhuge Liang sent Chen Shi (陳式) to attack Wudu and Yinping, and when Guo Huai, Wei's Inspector of Yong Province, moved to attack Chen Shi, Zhuge Liang went out in person as far as Jianwei, whereupon Guo Huai withdrew and the two commanderies were at last pacified. In an edict the Later Sovereign, citing his merits in beheading Wang Shuang, putting Guo Huai to flight, winning the surrender of the Di and Qiang and recovering the two commanderies, restored Zhuge Liang as Chancellor. In the autumn of the 8th year (230) Wei sent Sima Yi, Zhang He and Cao Zhen by three routes to attack Hanzhong, but when heavy rain fell for more than thirty days and the plank roads were cut, an edict recalled the armies. That year Wei Yan entered the lands of the Qiang and heavily defeated Wei's Fei Yao and Guo Huai at Yangxi. Records, Shu 5 §35–36Records, Shu 3 §10–11Records, Wei 9 §66–67Records, Wei 3 §19Records, Shu 10 §58

In the 2nd month, spring, of the 9th year (231) Zhuge Liang again besieged Mount Qi and for the first time used wooden oxen to carry provisions. The Annals of Emperor Ming record that the Grand Marshal Cao Zhen died in the 3rd month, and that when Zhuge Liang raided Tianshui, the General-in-Chief Sima Yi was ordered to resist him. Sima Yi and Zhang He went to the relief of Mount Qi, and Wang Ping, holding the southern siege lines, did not budge even under Zhang He's attack. The biography of Qian Zhao records that Zhuge Liang, at Mount Qi, allied with Kebineng of the Xianbei. In the 6th month, summer, when his provisions ran out and he withdrew, Zhang He, who pursued him, was struck by an arrow and died. Li Ping (Li Yan), when the long rains broke the supply line, called Zhuge Liang back and then tried to put the blame on him, but was exposed and dismissed. Records, Shu 3 §12Records, Shu 5 §37Records, Wei 3 §21Records, Shu 13 §37Records, Wei 26 §59Records, Wei 17 §55Records, Shu 10 §46–47

In the 10th year (232) Zhuge Liang rested his troops and encouraged farming at Huangsha and completed the gliding horses and wooden oxen, and in the winter of the 11th year (233) he had the armies carry rice and gather it at the mouth of the Xie Valley, where he built storehouses. Records, Shu 3 §13–14

In the 2nd month, spring, of the 12th year (234) Zhuge Liang came out through the Xie Valley with his entire army, using gliding horses to carry provisions, occupied the Wuzhang Plains in Wugong and faced Sima Yi south of the Wei River. Always worried that his provisions would not hold out, he divided his troops to farm military colonies, and though the soldiers working the fields mingled with the inhabitants along the Wei River, the people were at ease. Emperor Ming told Sima Yi to strengthen his ramparts and hold fast, and sent Xin Pi as Military Adviser to the General-in-Chief to restrain Sima Yi, who wanted to fight. After more than a hundred days of standoff, in the 8th month of that year Zhuge Liang died of illness in camp at the age of fifty-four. Records, Shu 5 §38Records, Shu 3 §15Records, Wei 3 §36 · 40Records, Wei 25 §22

After the army had withdrawn, Sima Yi inspected Zhuge Liang's camps and ramparts and said, "A rare genius of the realm!" On the way back Wei Yan and Yang Yi attacked each other, and Wei Yan was beheaded. In his assessment Chen Shou called Zhuge Liang an excellent talent who understood governance, second only to Guan Zhong and Xiao He, yet said that since he moved his host year after year without achieving success, generalship that adapts to changing circumstances was perhaps not his strength. Records, Shu 5 §38 · 66–67Records, Shu 3 §15