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The Battle of Fancheng was a military offensive launched in 241 by the state of Eastern Wu against its rival state, Cao Wei, during the Three Kingdoms period of China. The campaign was initiated by Wu's founding emperor, Sun Quan, two years after the death of the second Wei emperor, Cao Rui. The campaign ended with a decisive defeat for the Wu forces.

Prelude

In the spring of 241, Sun Quan prepared to launch a campaign against Wei. Yin Zha (殷札), the administrator of Wu Commandery, advised Sun Quan to attack Wei in coordination with their ally state, Shu Han. According to Yin Zha's suggested plan, the Shu forces would attack Wei from the west of Chang'an, while the Wu forces would attack Wei from three directions: Zhuge Jin and Zhu Ran to attack Xiangyang; Lu Xun to attack Shouchun (壽春; present-day Shou County, Anhui); Sun Quan to attack the Huai River region and enter Xu Province. Yin Zha explained that this coordinated campaign would wear down Wei's defences because they were unable to fend off attacks on two fronts. However, Sun Quan did not follow this plan.

The battle

Sometime between 28 April and 27 May, Wu forces attacked Wei at four different locations: Quan Cong attacked the Huai River region and clashed with Wei forces at Quebei (芍陂; south of present-day Shou County, Anhui); Zhuge Ke attacked Lu'an; Zhu Ran and Sun Lun (孫倫) attacked Fancheng (樊城; present-day Fancheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei); Zhuge Jin and Bu Zhi attacked Zhazhong (柤中; in present-day Xiangyang, Hubei).

In response to the Wu assault, Hu Zhi (胡質) led lightly armed forces from Jing Province to reinforce Fancheng. Someone warned Hu Zhi that the Wu forces attacking Fancheng had superiority in numbers and advised him to refrain from resisting them. However, Hu Zhi said, "The defences at Fancheng are weak. We should advance there to reinforce them, or else there will be big trouble." Having said that, he led his troops to Fancheng and restored stability in Fancheng.

Even after Hu Zhi reinforced Fancheng, the Wu forces did not withdraw from Jing Province. Sima Yi, the regent of Wei, heard about it and requested permission to lead troops to resist the enemy. However, there were some officials in the Wei imperial court who argued that there was no need to take swift action since Fancheng was strong enough to withstand attacks and that the enemy would be worn out after travelling a long distance. Sima Yi disagreed and pointed out that the Wu invasion posed a huge threat to Wei, because he knew that the loss of Fancheng would place Wei in a dangerous position. Between 26 June and 25 July, Sima Yi led an army from the Wei imperial capital, Luoyang, to fight the invaders. The Wei emperor Cao Fang personally saw them off at Luoyang's Jinyang Gate (津陽門). Upon reaching Fancheng, Sima Yi knew that he should not linger for too long because of the heat of summer. He then sent lightly armed cavalry to harass the Wu forces but his main army remained in position. Later, he ordered the troops to pretend as if they were going to attack, so as to scare the enemy away. The Wu forces fell for the ruse and retreated overnight. Sima Yi and the Wei forces pursued the retreating Wu forces to the intersection of the Han, Bai, and Tang rivers, where they defeated and killed over 10,000 enemy soldiers and captured their boats, equipment, and other resources.

Aftermath

The Wei emperor Cao Fang sent a Palace Attendant (侍中) as an emissary to meet Sima Yi at Wan (宛; in present-day Nanyang, Henan) to congratulate him and host a banquet to celebrate the victory. In August 241, the Wei imperial court added two counties to Sima Yi's marquisate and enfeoffed 11 of his relatives as marquises as a reward for his contributions.

In Wu, Zhuge Jin died sometime between 26 July and 23 August. His second son, Zhuge Rong, inherited his father's marquisate and military appointment and was stationed at Gong'an County. Zhuge Jin's eldest son, Zhuge Ke, did not inherit his father's marquisate because he already had a marquisate of his own. Two years later, in 243, Zhuge Ke sent spies to scout the strategic locations near Shouchun (壽春; present-day Shou County, Anhui) in preparation for an attack on Shouchun. In October 243, Sima Yi led troops from Luoyang to attack Zhuge Ke at Wan (皖; present-day Qianshan County, Anhui). When Sima Yi and the Wei army reached Shu County (舒縣; present-day Shucheng County, Anhui), Zhuge Ke gave orders to burn down all the supplies stockpiled in Wan, abandon the garrison, and retreat. Sun Quan eventually reassigned Zhuge Ke to guard Chaisang Commandery (柴桑郡; near present-day Jiujiang, Jiangxi). Lü Ju, a son of the Wu veteran general Lü Fan, was also promoted to Lieutenant-General (偏將軍) for his contributions in the campaign.

After successfully repelling the Wu invasion, the Wei imperial court wanted to promote agriculture and build up an abundant stockpile of food supplies in Yang and Yu provinces in preparation for a future campaign against Wu. Deng Ai was sent to survey the lands in the Huai River region from Chen Commandery (陳郡; around present-day Zhoukou, Henan) east to Shouchun, and he proposed constructing a series of canals to irrigate the lands. Sima Yi approved Deng Ai's plan. The project commenced in the following year and helped to resolve not only food shortages but also flooding problems once it was in place.

References

1. (春，吳人將伐魏。零陵太守殷札言於吳主曰：「今天棄曹氏，喪誅累見，虎爭之際而幼童涖事。陛下身自御戎，取亂侮亡，宜滌荊、揚之地，舉強羸之數，使強者執戟，羸者轉運。西命益州，軍于隴右，授諸葛瑾、朱然大衆，直指襄陽，陸遜、朱桓別征壽春，大駕入淮陽，歷青、徐。襄陽、壽春，困於受敵，長安以西，務禦蜀軍，許、洛之衆，勢必分離，掎角並進，民必內應。將帥對向，或失便宜，一軍敗績，則三軍離心；便當秣馬脂車，陵蹈城邑，乘勝逐北，以定華夏。若不悉軍動衆，循前輕舉，則不足大用，易於屢退，民疲威消，時往力竭，非上策也。」吳主不能用。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.
2. (夏，四月，吳全琮略淮南，決芍陂，諸葛恪攻六安，朱然圍樊，諸葛瑾攻柤中。征東將軍王淩、揚州刺史孫禮與全琮戰於芍陂，琮敗走。荊州刺史胡質以輕兵救樊，或曰：「賊盛，不可迫。」質曰：「樊城卑兵少，故當進軍為之外援，不然，危矣。」遂勒兵臨圍，城中乃安。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.
3. (二年夏五月，吳將全琮寇芍陂，朱然、孫倫圍樊城，諸葛瑾、步騭掠柤中， ...) Jin Shu vol. 1.
4. (... 帝請自討之。議者咸言，賊遠來圍樊，不可卒拔。挫於堅城之下，有自破之勢，宜長策以御之。帝曰：「邊城受敵而安坐廟堂，疆埸騷動，衆心疑惑，是社稷之大憂也。」) Jin Shu vol. 1.
5. (吳兵猶在荊州，太傅懿曰：「柤中民夷十萬，隔在水南，流離無主，樊城被攻，歷月不解，此危事也，請自討之。」六月，太傅懿督諸軍救樊；吳軍聞之，夜遁，追至三州口，大獲而還。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.
6. (六月，乃督諸軍南征，車駕送出津陽門。帝以南方暑溼，不宜持久，使輕騎挑之，然不敢動。於是休戰士，簡精銳，募先登，申號令，示必攻之勢。吳軍夜遁走，追至三州口，斬獲萬餘人，收其舟船軍資而還。天子遣侍中常侍勞軍于宛。) Jin Shu vol. 1.
7. (六月，乃督諸軍南征，車駕送出津陽門。帝以南方暑溼，不宜持久，使輕騎挑之，然不敢動。於是休戰士，簡精銳，募先登，申號令，示必攻之勢。吳軍夜遁走，追至三州口，斬獲萬餘人，收其舟船軍資而還。) Jin Shu vol. 1.
8. (天子遣侍中常侍勞軍于宛。) Jin Shu vol. 1.
9. (秋七月，增封食郾、臨潁，并前四縣，邑萬戶，子弟十一人皆為列侯。) Jin Shu vol. 1.
10. (閏月，吳大將軍諸葛瑾卒。瑾太子恪先已封侯，吳主以恪弟融襲爵，攝兵業，駐公安。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.
11. (四年秋九月，帝督諸軍擊諸葛恪， ... 軍次于舒，恪焚燒積聚，棄城而遁。) Jin Shu vol. 1.
12. (吳諸葛恪遠遣諜人觀相徑要，欲圖壽春。太傅懿將兵入舒，欲以攻恪，吳主徙恪屯於柴桑。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.
13. (朱然攻樊，據與朱異破城外圍，還拜偏將軍，入補馬閑右部督，遷越騎校尉。) Sanguozhi vol. 56.
14. (朝廷欲廣田畜穀於揚、豫之間，使尚書郎汝南鄧艾行陳、項以東至壽春。艾以為：「昔太祖破黃巾，因為屯田，積穀許都以制四方。今三隅已定，事在淮南，每大軍出征，運兵過半，功費巨億。陳、蔡之間，土下田良，可省許昌左右諸稻田，幷水東下，令淮北二萬人，淮南三萬人，什二分休，常有四萬人且田且守；益開河渠以增溉灌，通漕運。計除衆費，歲完五百萬斛以為軍資，六、七年間，可積二千萬斛於淮上，此則十萬之衆五年食也。以此乘吳，無不克矣。」太傅懿善之。是歲，始開廣漕渠，每東南有事，大興軍衆，汎舟而下，達于江、淮，資食有儲而無水害。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.

• Chen, Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
• Fang, Xuanling. Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
• Sima, Guang. Zizhi Tongjian.

• 241
• Campaigns of the Three Kingdoms