Battle of Wuzhang Plains
Wuzhang Plains, Shaanxi, China
What happened
The Shu Han army of the chancellor Zhuge Liang faced the Cao Wei army of Sima Yi. Zhuge Liang led his last northern campaign against Wei and camped by the Wei River, where his soldiers farmed alongside local people. Sima Yi, under orders, refused to fight, even when Zhuge Liang sent him women's ornaments as an insult. The standoff lasted more than 100 days until Zhuge Liang died of illness, and the Shu army withdrew.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Zhuge Liang's death removed a major threat to Wei. Sima Yi's rise helped his grandson later found the Jin dynasty, which ended the Three Kingdoms period.
What came next
Shu kept the news of Zhuge Liang's death secret at first while its army withdrew. The later novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms portrayed him as a model of wisdom and loyalty.
Did you know?
People joked that 'a dead Zhuge scares away a living Zhongda', and Sima Yi (Zhongda) laughed that he could predict the living but not the dead.
Timeline
- 221Zhuge Liang becomes chancellor of Shu Han.
- 228His first northern campaign begins.
- Spring 234The campaign to the Wuzhang Plains begins.
- Autumn 234Zhuge Liang dies in camp.