Conquest of Wu by Jin
Encyclopedia
The conquest of Wu by Jin was a military campaign launched by the Jin Dynasty against the state of Eastern Wu
in 280 towards the end of the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. The campaign concluded with the fall of Wu and the reunification of China under the Jin Dynasty.
regent Sima Zhao
planned the first outline for the conquest of Wei's rival states, Eastern Wu and Shu Han
, by eliminating Shu first, then take on Wu three years later. However, the conquest of Shu
in the following year severely strained Wei's resources and Wei desperately needed time to recover. Compounding the problem, Wei lacked an adequate naval force required for the campaign on Wu. Sima Zhao therefore postponed the planned conquest of Wu and started to consolidate power in Wei first. In 265, Sima Zhao died and was succeeded by his son, Sima Yan
. In the same year, Sima Yan forced the last Wei emperor, Cao Huan
, to abdicate, and proclaimed himself Emperor
of the Jin Dynasty. By then, only Wu was left of the Three Kingdoms
.
In comparison with Wei and the subsequent Jin Dynasty, Wu experienced greater problems of its own: the succession from the third Wu emperor, Sun Xiu, was marred with bloodshed and internal conflict. Sun Xiu's successor, Sun Hao
, was a tyrant who made little effort to prepare for the imminent invasion by the Jin Dynasty. Besides, Sun Hao's rule was more harsh as compared to the later part of the reign of Sun Quan
, Wu's founding emperor. This caused a continuous wave of peasant uprisings and military mutinies, which mainly took place in present-day Zhejiang
and Guangdong
. Not only did Sun Hao refuse to accept advice to strengthen Wu's defenses and reduce the burden on its people, he also executed around four dozen high ranking officials who provided good counsel on governance. As a result, the Wu imperial court had already lost the popular support of the people, and many regional commanders stationed at the border defected to the Jin Dynasty.
was granted the rank of "Duke of Anle", and over fifty former subjects of Shu were awarded the titles of marquises. Zhuge Liang
's grandson, Zhuge Jing (諸葛京), also received important appointments in the Jin imperial court. At the same time, Jin sent envoys to Wu to cease hostilities between the two states, in order to buy time for making preparations. Wu's emperor Sun Hao, in turn, viewed such actions as a sign of weakness of Jin, and further let down his guard.
On Yang Hu's recommendation, Emperor Wu of Jin
(Sima Yan) appointed Wang Jun
as the viceroy of Yi Province, (益州; covering the Sichuan Basin
) in 272, and soon after, on Du Yu
's advice, Emperor Wu promoted Wang Jun to the rank of General of the Uplifting Dragon. Wang Jun was put in charge of building a strong navy for the conquest of Wu. An ambitious general who was already turned 70, Wang Jun was eager to establish fame by the conquest of Wu, and while he was only an Administrator of Yi Province, he already begun the process. The new ranks sped up the process tremendously by enabling Wang Jun to draft much more men: in comparison to the 500 to 600 workers previously available, every commandery within his control must provide him with 10,000 men. As a result, the remaining work of the naval construction project was completed in a year.
To make up for their lack of experience of naval warfare in comparison to Wu's navy, Wang Jun built many large ships with ram bows. The largest ship was in excess of 170 metres and could carry around 2,000 troops on board. The fortifications on these ships were three stories tall and was claimed to be the largest at the time. It took Wang Jun a total of seven years to build the navy he needed to conquer Wu and the only thing left to do was to train his soldiers and sailors.
In October 276, the preparation was roughly completed and Yang Hu suggested to the emperor to launch the attack. Yang Hu's suggestion was initially accepted but then delayed due to Grand Commandant Jia Chong
's opposition, because Xianbei
leaders had rebelled in northwestern China. In July 277, additional assignments were given in order to prepare for the campaign against Wu:
After Yang Hu's death, Du Yu
succeeded him and was awarded the rank of Senior General Who Conquers the South, taking charge of military affairs in Jing Province from November 278.
did was nearly nothing. During Wang Jun's naval construction, the leftover wooden pieces flowed downstream and were picked up by the Administrator of Jianping (建平, present-day Zigui County, Hubei
), Wu Yan (吾彥). Wu Yan sent the wooden pieces to Sun Hao as evidence of the imminent attack and asked for reinforcements, but the request was ignored, as with similar suggestions from Lu Kang
(son of Lu Xun
) and others.
After Lu Kang's death, his military command was split among his five sons as follows:
The division greatly weakened Wu's defenses and three of Lu Kang's sons were killed in the battles when Jin conquered Wu.
thought that it was time to launch the decisive attack on Wu, and as with similar petitions submitted previously, it was strongly objected by nearly all subjects in the Jin imperial court, with the exception of two, General Who Conquers the South Du Yu
and Imperial Secretary Zhang Hua
, who strongly supported Wang Jun's idea. Furthermore, the two managed to convince Emperor Wu of Jin
to agree with them, and the strategy of Jin was basically the one planned by Yang Hu
when he was alive. 200,000 troops out of the 500,000 strong regular army of Jin were deployed for the campaign, and by this time, the Jin navy was also at least equal if not stronger than Wu's.
in five routes to support the main attack force led by Wang Jun
from Sichuan
, going downstream along the Yangtze.
Wang Hun (王渾) and Sima Zhou
were tasked to tie down the main force of Wu, preventing it from reinforcing the upstream Yangtze River by threatening Wu's capital, Jianye (present-day Nanjing
, Jiangsu
). Wang Rong, Du Yu
and Hu Fen (胡奮) were tasked to take all strongholds of Wu located to the west of Xiakou (夏口; present-day Wuchang District, Hubei
) to coordinate with the 70,000 strong main force led by Wang Jun. After the attacking forces had joined together, they would push toward east along the Yangtze River and the capture of Jianye would be the responsibility of Wang Hun, Sima Zhou and Wang Jun. To better coordinate the attack, Emperor Wu of Jin
ordered that Wang Jun would be under Du Yu's command after reaching Jianping, and after reaching Jianye, he would be under Wang Hun's command.
did not believe that the Jin was capable of taking Wu and the overconfidence in the Yangtze River
as the natural defensive barrier, barely anything was done to prepare for the incoming campaign. However, Wu did reinforce its defense by deploying iron awls linked together by iron chains in the Three Gorges to prevent ships from passing, but Sun Hao and his followers were so overconfident about this additional measure that not a single soldier was deployed to guard the region.
's navy began its downstream Yangtze River
attack in December 279 after being joined by his deputy, Tang Bin (唐彬) in charge of Badong commandery (巴東, present-day Fengjie County, Chongqing
). The combined force totaled 70,000. A month later, in January 280, Du Yu
begun his attack on Jiangling from Xiangyang and sent three of his advisors, Fan Xian (樊顯), Yin Lin (尹林), Deng Gui (鄧圭), along with Administrator of Xiangyang, Zhou Qi (周奇), westward along the Yangtze River to join Wang Jun, attacking the strongholds of Wu between them from both the east and the west. By February 280, Wang Jun's army had taken Danyang (丹楊, east of present-day Zigui County, Hubei
) from Wu, and captured its Supervisor Sheng Ji (盛紀).
The Jin fleet under Wang Jun's command continued on after taking Danyang and upon reaching Xiling Gorge
, they had met obstacles set up by Wu, the iron awls linked together by iron chains in water. However, Wang Jun had already captured most of Wu's agents, as well as many prisoners-of-war, and based the information obtained from the captives, the Jin forces already had a detailed knowledge of Wu's defenses, knowing exactly where the weakest spots were and where to attack. The Jin navy deployed dozens of rafts ahead of the fleet and when the iron awls struck the rafts, they were stuck. The rafts were full of dummies soaked in oil which were lit, causing the iron chains and awls to melt. After several hours, those man-made obstacles were completely cleared and the Jin fleet continued advancing.
By February 3, 280, Jin forces had taken Xiling (西陵; northwest of present-day Yichang
, Hubei), and two days later, Jingmen
and Yidao (夷道; present-day Yidu
, Hubei) also fell under Jin control. All major Wu commanders, including Liu Xian (留憲), Cheng Ju (成據), Yu Zhong (虞忠), and Lu Yan (陸晏) were captured and then executed. The victorious Jin fleet continued its offensive against Lexiang (樂鄉; northeast of present-day Songzi
, Hubei), defeating the local Wu forces who ventured out of the protection of city walls in an attempt to stop the Jin assault.
In the mean time, Du Yu had sent his subordinate Zhou Zhi
to cross the Yangtze River with 800 horsemen at night to plant many flags in Mount Ba (巴山; southwest of present-day Songzi, Hubei), appearing to be a much larger force, while laying ambush just outside Lexiang. As the local Wu garrison went out earlier to engage Wang Jun's force retreated back to the city after their defeat, Zhou Zhi and his men were able to sneak into the city and capture it. The Commander of Lexiang, Sun Xin (孫歆), was captured by Zhou Zhi and sent to Du Yu. Wang Jun, in his report to the Jin imperial court, claimed that Sun Xin was killed in action. In fact, it was Wu's naval commander-in-chief, Lu Jing (陸景), who was killed when Lexiang fell to the Jin forces. Du Yu's army subsequently conquered Jiangling and killed its Commander Wu Yan (伍延).
strengthened the main force under Wang Jun
's command by redeploying troops under other commanders:
Following Emperor Wu's orders, Wang Jun continued his offensive and Wu general Meng Tai (孟泰) surrendered with his forces guarding Qichun and Zhu (邾; present day Huanggang
, Hubei). The next target was also captured without much fight: after Wang Rong's force led by Luo Shang (羅尚) and Liu Qiao (劉喬) joined Wang Jun and begun their offensive, Wu's Administrator of Wuchang, Liu Lang (劉朗), lost his will to resist and surrendered without a fight. With the exception of Jianping, which was defended by Wu Yan (吾彦), the Administrator of Jianping, all other territories of Wu on the upper Yangtze River had fallen under the Jin Dynasty's control.
By this time, Grand Commandant Jia Chong
, the Jin commander-in-chief of the campaign who had opposed the campaign from the start, had found the opportunity to suggest a conclusion of the campaign. Jia Chong claimed that it was good to withdraw after the continuous victories because if the war continues, it would exhaust the resources of the state and troops remain the south would suffer from epidemics. However, the war progressed much faster and better than Jia Chong had predicted and his suggestion was ignored.
took Tuzhong (涂中), sending his subordinate, Liu Hong (劉弘), to solidify the newly captured territory on the northern shore of the Yangtze River. Meanwhile, Sima Zhou sent Wang Heng (王恆) to cross the Yangtze River to continue attacking Wu. Wang Heng's army captured Wu general Cai Ji (蔡機) and killed more than 60,000 Wu troops in the battle.
Surprised with the news of attack, Sun Hao ordered Zhang Ti
, Zhuge Jing (諸葛靓), Shen Ying (沈瑩) and Sun Zhen (孫震) to lead a 30,000 strong army to engage the enemy. Zhang Ti decided the only chance for Wu was to immediate venture out to stop the enemy before the morale collapse, and if the enemy's advance could be beaten back or at least checked, his force would join the Wu forces in the upstream Yangtze River to strengthen their position. In March 280, Zhang Ti led his force across the Yangtze and besieged Wang Hun's subordinate Zhang Qiao (張喬). Zhang Qiao only had 7,000 troops and surrendered. Zhuge Jing suspected that the surrender was a trick and asked Zhang Ti to execute Zhang Qiao, but Zhang Ti refused, and instead, accepted Zhang Qiao's surrender. As a precaution measure, Zhang Ti did order Zhang Qiao to remain by his side so that Zhang Qiao would not have the chance to escape back to Jin.
As the Wu army continued on, they encountered Jin forces led by Zhang Han (張翰) and Zhou Jun (周濬). Shen Ying personally led 5,000 crack troops from Danyang to charge into the Jin army's formation thrice, but was beaten back with heavy losses. The defeat of the elite force seriously demoralized the rest of the Wu soldiers, and the result was a disorganized retreat. Seizing on the opportunity, Jin generals Xue Sheng (薛勝) and Jiang Ban (蔣班) launched a surprise counterattack, defeating the Wu forces and killing over 5,800 enemy troops. As the surviving Wu forces fled from the battlefield, the surrendered Zhang Qiao attacked the fleeing Wu soldiers from the opposite direction at Banqiao (版橋), inflicting a further 2,000 fatalities on the already defeated Wu army. Zhang Ti, Shen Ying, and Sun Zhen were all killed in the decisive battle that shocked Wu. Only Zhuge Jing managed to escape alive back to the Wu capital Jianye. Wang Hun's subordinate urged him to press on to attack Jianye immediately, but he refused under the excuse that he was ordered by Emperor Wu of Jin
to secure the northern shore of Yangtze River only and wait for Wang Jun. Wang Hun was in fact, taking a more cautious approaching by attempting to join forces with Wang Jun to ensure the final victory, but such prudence cost him the glory of capturing the enemy capital city, the highest honor in the campaign.
Wang Jun's 80,000 strong army, meanwhile, reached Niuzhu (牛渚) on March 14, 280, after leaving Wuchang (武昌, present-day Ezhou
, Hubei) and the Wu emperor Sun Hao
ordered Zhang Xiang (張象) to lead a 10,000 strong navy to engage the enemy. However, when both fleets met, the demoralized Wu navy surrendered en masse, including Zhang Xiang himself. Wang Hun ordered Wang Jun to see him so that they could discuss their next move, but Wang Jun answered that his fleet had already passed Wang Hun's camp and could not turn back due to the current, and continued on toward Jianye.
As Wang Jun's forces advanced on to Sanshan (三山) on March 14, 280, just southeast of Jianye, Wu general Tao Jun (陶濬) organized a 20,000 strong army to make a last stand, but nearly all the Wu troops deserted on the very same night, and Tao Jun and his few "die-hard" followers were killed subsequently in their futile struggle against the Jin invaders. Sun Hao adopted a last attempt suggested by his subjects Xue Ying
and Hu Chong (胡沖) by sending letters of surrender to Sima Zhou, Wang Jun and Wang Hun, in a move to stir up internal conflict among the Jin commanders in order to buy time, but such a tactic proved useless.
On March 15, 280, Sun Hao stripped all clothing on his upper body and tied himself up (a traditional way of presenting prisoners-of-war to the victors) and walked to Wang Jun's camp to surrender. Prior to that, Sun Hao issued his last imperial decree, asking his people not to be upset with the end of Wu, but prepare themselves to serve the new dynasty. Sun Hao was then taken to the Jin capital Luoyang
with his imperial chariot, but was not allowed to ride on it. Instead, he travelled on foot as he was now a prisoner-of-war. After hearing of Sun Hao's surrender, the last pocket of Wu resistance in Jianping, led by Administrator Wu Yan (吾彥), followed suit even after having successfully defended against all Jin attacks throughout the campaign.
period, and China was unified again under the Jin Dynasty. The Jin commanders who participated in the campaign were handsomely rewarded, and ironically, Jia Chong
, the overall commander who had opposed the campaign received the largest reward, the tax income of 8,000 households. Wang Hun was furious upon learning the news of Wang Jun taking Jianye, and angrily proclaimed to his subordinates that he had watched Sun Hao for nearly a hundred days, but Wang Jun took the advantage at last. Wang Hun wrote to the imperial court to complain, claiming that Wang Jun disobeyed orders and embezzled war spoils. Wang Jun also wrote to the imperial court to defend himself, claiming that what Wang Hun had said was slander. However, Wang Hun was much more powerful and influential in the Jin court, thus had gained an upper hand, with his followers suggesting that Wang Jun be jailed. In the end, Emperor Wu of Jin put an end to the conflict by rewarding Wang Jun handsomely.
} General Who Stabilizes the South (鎮南將軍) Liu Xian (留憲)
} General Who Conquers the South (征南將軍) Cheng Ju (成據)
} Administrator of Yidu (宜都太守) Yu Zhong (虞忠)
} Commander of Jiangling (江陵督) Wu Yan (伍延)
} General of the Standard (牙門將軍) Meng Tai (孟泰)
} Administrator of Wuchang (武昌太守) Liu Lang (劉朗) Lu Jing (陸景), served as commander of the naval force (水軍都督)
} Lu Ji, served as deputy commander of the naval force (水軍副督)
} Administrator of Danyang (丹陽太守) Shen Ying (沈瑩)
} General Who Protects the Army (護軍將軍) Sun Zhen (孫震) General of Guerrilla Force (游擊將軍) Zhang Xiang (張象) Commander of Xuling (徐陵督) Tao Jun (陶濬) Administrator of Jianping (建平太守) Wu Yan (吾彥)
's historical novel Romance of Three Kingdoms, the task of building a navy for the Jin Dynasty was credited to Zhong Hui
before the fall of Shu
, when Zhong recommended to Sima Zhao
that constructing a large navy to attack Wu was a diversion to trick Shu into letting down its guard, and when it was time to truly attack Wu after the conquest of Shu, the navy would be ready. In reality, however, the idea of constructing a large navy originated from Wang Jun
and Emperor Wu of Jin
, and the plan was set into motion only after the fall of Shu.
In the novel, the last event before the campaign ended was described to be Zhang Xiang's surrender when he led a 10,000 strong navy to engage Jin forces. Since the Wu imperial court had not received news of Zhang Xiang's surrender yet, Wang Jun ordered Zhang Xiang to return to the Wu capital Jianye to trick the Wu defenders into opening the city gates. Zhang Xiang followed as instructed and Jin forces swiftly conquered Jianye. The Wu emperor Sun Hao surrendered and that marked the end of Wu. In history, however, before Sun Hao's surrender, there was one last battle at Sanshan (三山), just southeast of Jianye, between Wang Jun's army and a smaller force led by Wu general Tao Jun (陶濬).
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
in 280 towards the end of the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. The campaign concluded with the fall of Wu and the reunification of China under the Jin Dynasty.
Background
As early as 262, Cao WeiCao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
regent Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
planned the first outline for the conquest of Wei's rival states, Eastern Wu and Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
, by eliminating Shu first, then take on Wu three years later. However, the conquest of Shu
Conquest of Shu by Wei
The conquest of Shu by Wei was a military campaign launched by the state of Cao Wei against its rival Shu Han in 263 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The campaign culminated in the fall of Shu and the tripartite equilibrium maintained in China for over 40 years since the end of...
in the following year severely strained Wei's resources and Wei desperately needed time to recover. Compounding the problem, Wei lacked an adequate naval force required for the campaign on Wu. Sima Zhao therefore postponed the planned conquest of Wu and started to consolidate power in Wei first. In 265, Sima Zhao died and was succeeded by his son, Sima Yan
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
. In the same year, Sima Yan forced the last Wei emperor, Cao Huan
Cáo Huàn
Cao Huan , formally known as Emperor Yuan of Wei, was the fifth and last emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
, to abdicate, and proclaimed himself Emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
of the Jin Dynasty. By then, only Wu was left of the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
.
In comparison with Wei and the subsequent Jin Dynasty, Wu experienced greater problems of its own: the succession from the third Wu emperor, Sun Xiu, was marred with bloodshed and internal conflict. Sun Xiu's successor, Sun Hao
Sun Hao
Sun Hao , style name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the style name Yuanzong , was the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time crown prince of the founding emperor Sun Quan...
, was a tyrant who made little effort to prepare for the imminent invasion by the Jin Dynasty. Besides, Sun Hao's rule was more harsh as compared to the later part of the reign of Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, Wu's founding emperor. This caused a continuous wave of peasant uprisings and military mutinies, which mainly took place in present-day Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
and Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. Not only did Sun Hao refuse to accept advice to strengthen Wu's defenses and reduce the burden on its people, he also executed around four dozen high ranking officials who provided good counsel on governance. As a result, the Wu imperial court had already lost the popular support of the people, and many regional commanders stationed at the border defected to the Jin Dynasty.
Prelude
To stabilize the newly conquered state of Shu, as well as showing benevolence toward the people of Wu so that they would defect or surrender to the Jin Dynasty, the surrendered Shu emperor Liu ShanLiu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
was granted the rank of "Duke of Anle", and over fifty former subjects of Shu were awarded the titles of marquises. Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
's grandson, Zhuge Jing (諸葛京), also received important appointments in the Jin imperial court. At the same time, Jin sent envoys to Wu to cease hostilities between the two states, in order to buy time for making preparations. Wu's emperor Sun Hao, in turn, viewed such actions as a sign of weakness of Jin, and further let down his guard.
Jin preparations
Jin preparation for the conquest of Wu begun in 269, when three places were selected as bases to launch the attack. New assignments were given as follows:- Imperial Secretary Yang HuYang HuNot to be confused with Yang Hu :zh:阳虎/陽虎, the Spring and Autumn retainer-usurper in the state of Lu.Yang Hu , style name Shuzi , was a military general during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
was appointed as the viceroy of Jing Province and stationed at Xiangyang. - Senior General Who Conquers the East Wei GuanWei GuanWei Guan , style name Boyu , formally Duke Cheng of Lanling , was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of Cao Wei.-Early life and career:...
was appointed as the viceroy of Qing Province and stationed at Linzi (臨菑; northeast of present-day ZiboZiboZibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
, ShandongShandong' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
). - Prince of Langye and Senior General Who Stabilizes the East Sima ZhouSima ZhouSima Zhou was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the sixth son of Sima Yi. Sima Zhou was known in Cao Wei as the "Fire General"...
was appointed as the viceroy of Xu Province and stationed at Xiapi (下邳; northwest of present-day Suining County, JiangsuJiangsu' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
).
On Yang Hu's recommendation, Emperor Wu of Jin
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
(Sima Yan) appointed Wang Jun
Wang Jun (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
as the viceroy of Yi Province, (益州; covering the Sichuan Basin
Sichuan basin
The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...
) in 272, and soon after, on Du Yu
Du Yu
Du Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
's advice, Emperor Wu promoted Wang Jun to the rank of General of the Uplifting Dragon. Wang Jun was put in charge of building a strong navy for the conquest of Wu. An ambitious general who was already turned 70, Wang Jun was eager to establish fame by the conquest of Wu, and while he was only an Administrator of Yi Province, he already begun the process. The new ranks sped up the process tremendously by enabling Wang Jun to draft much more men: in comparison to the 500 to 600 workers previously available, every commandery within his control must provide him with 10,000 men. As a result, the remaining work of the naval construction project was completed in a year.
To make up for their lack of experience of naval warfare in comparison to Wu's navy, Wang Jun built many large ships with ram bows. The largest ship was in excess of 170 metres and could carry around 2,000 troops on board. The fortifications on these ships were three stories tall and was claimed to be the largest at the time. It took Wang Jun a total of seven years to build the navy he needed to conquer Wu and the only thing left to do was to train his soldiers and sailors.
In October 276, the preparation was roughly completed and Yang Hu suggested to the emperor to launch the attack. Yang Hu's suggestion was initially accepted but then delayed due to Grand Commandant Jia Chong
Jia Chong
Jia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
's opposition, because Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
leaders had rebelled in northwestern China. In July 277, additional assignments were given in order to prepare for the campaign against Wu:
- General who Establishes Might Wang Hun (王渾) was put in charge of military affairs of Yang Province
- Senior General Who Stabilizes the South Sima LiangSima LiangSima Liang , courtesy name Ziyi , formally Prince Wencheng of Ru'nan , was briefly a regent during the reign of Emperor Hui during Jin Dynasty . He was the first of the eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes.-Biography:Sima Liang was the fourth son of Sima Yi, by his...
was put in charge of military affairs of Yu Province - General of the Left Hu Fen (胡奮) was put in charge of military affairs along the northern shore of the Yangtze RiverYangtze RiverThe Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
After Yang Hu's death, Du Yu
Du Yu
Du Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
succeeded him and was awarded the rank of Senior General Who Conquers the South, taking charge of military affairs in Jing Province from November 278.
Wu preparations
In comparison to the active preparation of its adversary, what the Wu emperor Sun HaoSun Hao
Sun Hao , style name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the style name Yuanzong , was the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time crown prince of the founding emperor Sun Quan...
did was nearly nothing. During Wang Jun's naval construction, the leftover wooden pieces flowed downstream and were picked up by the Administrator of Jianping (建平, present-day Zigui County, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), Wu Yan (吾彥). Wu Yan sent the wooden pieces to Sun Hao as evidence of the imminent attack and asked for reinforcements, but the request was ignored, as with similar suggestions from Lu Kang
Lu Kang
Lu Kang , style name Youjie , was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Lu Xun and a maternal grandson of Sun Ce. He was praised for his talent and wisdom....
(son of Lu Xun
Lu Xun (Three Kingdoms)
Lu Xun was a military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is best known for defeating Liu Bei's forces at the Battle of Xiaoting in 222.-Early life:...
) and others.
After Lu Kang's death, his military command was split among his five sons as follows:
- Oldest son Lu Yan (陸晏) was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the land force
- Second son Lu Jing (陸景) was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the navy
- Third son Lu Xuan (陸玄) was appointed as the deputy commander-in-chief of the land force
- Fourth son Lu Ji was appointed as the deputy commander-in-chief of the navy
- Fifth son Lu Yun (陸雲) was appointed as the commander of the local garrison
The division greatly weakened Wu's defenses and three of Lu Kang's sons were killed in the battles when Jin conquered Wu.
Strategic planning
In 279, Wang JunWang Jun (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
thought that it was time to launch the decisive attack on Wu, and as with similar petitions submitted previously, it was strongly objected by nearly all subjects in the Jin imperial court, with the exception of two, General Who Conquers the South Du Yu
Du Yu
Du Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
and Imperial Secretary Zhang Hua
Zhang Hua
Zhang Hua , style name Maoxian , was a Jin Dynasty official and poet. He was a native of Fangcheng County, Zhili.-Background:...
, who strongly supported Wang Jun's idea. Furthermore, the two managed to convince Emperor Wu of Jin
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
to agree with them, and the strategy of Jin was basically the one planned by Yang Hu
Yang Hu
Not to be confused with Yang Hu :zh:阳虎/陽虎, the Spring and Autumn retainer-usurper in the state of Lu.Yang Hu , style name Shuzi , was a military general during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
when he was alive. 200,000 troops out of the 500,000 strong regular army of Jin were deployed for the campaign, and by this time, the Jin navy was also at least equal if not stronger than Wu's.
Jin strategy
The Jin army did not enjoy numerical superiority because it faced the entire Wu force of 230,000 and over 5,000 ships that defended the state. However, the morale of Jin was much higher than Wu. Furthermore, the Wu forces was scattered along the several thousand miles long border, and the attacking Jin armies could concentrate their forces to attack the isolated pockets of Wu resistance. Based on this principle, Jin would attack Wu along the Yangtze RiverYangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
in five routes to support the main attack force led by Wang Jun
Wang Jun (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
from Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, going downstream along the Yangtze.
Wang Hun (王渾) and Sima Zhou
Sima Zhou
Sima Zhou was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the sixth son of Sima Yi. Sima Zhou was known in Cao Wei as the "Fire General"...
were tasked to tie down the main force of Wu, preventing it from reinforcing the upstream Yangtze River by threatening Wu's capital, Jianye (present-day Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). Wang Rong, Du Yu
Du Yu
Du Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
and Hu Fen (胡奮) were tasked to take all strongholds of Wu located to the west of Xiakou (夏口; present-day Wuchang District, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) to coordinate with the 70,000 strong main force led by Wang Jun. After the attacking forces had joined together, they would push toward east along the Yangtze River and the capture of Jianye would be the responsibility of Wang Hun, Sima Zhou and Wang Jun. To better coordinate the attack, Emperor Wu of Jin
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
ordered that Wang Jun would be under Du Yu's command after reaching Jianping, and after reaching Jianye, he would be under Wang Hun's command.
Wu strategy
Since the Wu emperor Sun HaoSun Hao
Sun Hao , style name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the style name Yuanzong , was the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time crown prince of the founding emperor Sun Quan...
did not believe that the Jin was capable of taking Wu and the overconfidence in the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
as the natural defensive barrier, barely anything was done to prepare for the incoming campaign. However, Wu did reinforce its defense by deploying iron awls linked together by iron chains in the Three Gorges to prevent ships from passing, but Sun Hao and his followers were so overconfident about this additional measure that not a single soldier was deployed to guard the region.
Battles at the upstream of the Yangtze River
Wang JunWang Jun (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
's navy began its downstream Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
attack in December 279 after being joined by his deputy, Tang Bin (唐彬) in charge of Badong commandery (巴東, present-day Fengjie County, Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
). The combined force totaled 70,000. A month later, in January 280, Du Yu
Du Yu
Du Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
begun his attack on Jiangling from Xiangyang and sent three of his advisors, Fan Xian (樊顯), Yin Lin (尹林), Deng Gui (鄧圭), along with Administrator of Xiangyang, Zhou Qi (周奇), westward along the Yangtze River to join Wang Jun, attacking the strongholds of Wu between them from both the east and the west. By February 280, Wang Jun's army had taken Danyang (丹楊, east of present-day Zigui County, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) from Wu, and captured its Supervisor Sheng Ji (盛紀).
The Jin fleet under Wang Jun's command continued on after taking Danyang and upon reaching Xiling Gorge
Xiling Gorge
Xiling Gorge is a gorge on the Yangtze River in China. It is located in Zigui County and Yiling District of Hubei Province, from Xiangxi down to the western suburbs of Yichang, and is the largest and farthest downstream of the Three Gorges....
, they had met obstacles set up by Wu, the iron awls linked together by iron chains in water. However, Wang Jun had already captured most of Wu's agents, as well as many prisoners-of-war, and based the information obtained from the captives, the Jin forces already had a detailed knowledge of Wu's defenses, knowing exactly where the weakest spots were and where to attack. The Jin navy deployed dozens of rafts ahead of the fleet and when the iron awls struck the rafts, they were stuck. The rafts were full of dummies soaked in oil which were lit, causing the iron chains and awls to melt. After several hours, those man-made obstacles were completely cleared and the Jin fleet continued advancing.
By February 3, 280, Jin forces had taken Xiling (西陵; northwest of present-day Yichang
Yichang
Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province after the province capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.-History:In ancient times Yichang...
, Hubei), and two days later, Jingmen
Jingmen
Jingmen is a prefecture-level city in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. Jingmen is within an area where cotton and oil crops are planted. The population of the city is approximately 2,984,000 . The urban area of Jingmen City has a population of about 350,000...
and Yidao (夷道; present-day Yidu
Yidu, Hubei
Yidu is a county-level city in Hubei, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Yichang....
, Hubei) also fell under Jin control. All major Wu commanders, including Liu Xian (留憲), Cheng Ju (成據), Yu Zhong (虞忠), and Lu Yan (陸晏) were captured and then executed. The victorious Jin fleet continued its offensive against Lexiang (樂鄉; northeast of present-day Songzi
Songzi
Songzi City is a city in the southwest of Hubei Province , China and in the middle reach and south bank of Changjiang River . Under its administration, there are 16 townships and 2 development zones, 235,000 household, a population of 896,800...
, Hubei), defeating the local Wu forces who ventured out of the protection of city walls in an attempt to stop the Jin assault.
In the mean time, Du Yu had sent his subordinate Zhou Zhi
Zhou Zhi
Zhou Zhi was a military general of the Jin Dynasty. Between 279 and 280, he participated in the campaign against Eastern Wu under the command of Du Yu. He led 800 ships in a naval attack on Xiakou, and was credited with slaying the enemy generals Sun Xin and Shen Ying....
to cross the Yangtze River with 800 horsemen at night to plant many flags in Mount Ba (巴山; southwest of present-day Songzi, Hubei), appearing to be a much larger force, while laying ambush just outside Lexiang. As the local Wu garrison went out earlier to engage Wang Jun's force retreated back to the city after their defeat, Zhou Zhi and his men were able to sneak into the city and capture it. The Commander of Lexiang, Sun Xin (孫歆), was captured by Zhou Zhi and sent to Du Yu. Wang Jun, in his report to the Jin imperial court, claimed that Sun Xin was killed in action. In fact, it was Wu's naval commander-in-chief, Lu Jing (陸景), who was killed when Lexiang fell to the Jin forces. Du Yu's army subsequently conquered Jiangling and killed its Commander Wu Yan (伍延).
Redeployment of Jin forces
On February 28, 280, Emperor Wu of JinEmperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
strengthened the main force under Wang Jun
Wang Jun (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
's command by redeploying troops under other commanders:
- Du YuDu YuDu Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
to attack southward to take Lingling, (零陵; present-day YongzhouYongzhouYongzhou is a prefecture-level city in the Hunan province of China.YongZhou is located in the central and south of China, on the southern side of Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan; it is 2000 years old...
, HunanHunan' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), Guiyang (桂陽; present-day Chen County 郴縣, Hunan), and Hengyang (衡陽; west of present-day XiangtanXiangtanXiangtan is a city in China's Hunan Province that is located on the lower reaches of Xiang river. The hometowns of several founding leaders of the Chinese Communist Party, including Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, and Peng Dehuai are in the Xiangtan Municipal District, as well as the hometowns of Qing...
, Hunan), and 10,000 troops under Du Yu's command would be reassigned to Wang Jun, and another 7,000 troops under Du Yu's command would be reassigned to Wang Jun's deputy Tang Bin (唐彬).
- Hu Fen (胡奮) would take Xiakou (夏口; present-day Wuchang District, HubeiHubei' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) together with Wang Jun's force, and after the city was taken, 7,000 troops under Hu Fen's command would be reassigned to Wang Jun.
- Wang Rong would join forces with Wang Jun to take Wuchang (武昌; present-day EzhouEzhou-Geography and climate:Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang , and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge...
, Hubei), and after the city was taken, 6,000 troops under Wang Rong's command would be reassigned to Wang Jun's deputy Tang Bin.
- After taking Baqiu (巴丘; present-day YueyangYueyangYueyang is a prefecture-level city at the northeastern corner of Hunan province, South Central China, on the southern shores of Dongting Lake.The Yueyang metropolitan area occupies 14,896 km². and the city proper occupies 304 km²...
, Hunan), Wang Jun's force would join forces with other commanders to take other cities as mentioned above, and then continue on toward Jianye, the capital of Eastern Wu.
Following Emperor Wu's orders, Wang Jun continued his offensive and Wu general Meng Tai (孟泰) surrendered with his forces guarding Qichun and Zhu (邾; present day Huanggang
Huanggang
Huanggang is a city in Hubei, China.Huanggang may also refer to:* Huanggang, Shenzhen, area in Shenzhen, China* Huanggang, Funan County, town in Anhui, China...
, Hubei). The next target was also captured without much fight: after Wang Rong's force led by Luo Shang (羅尚) and Liu Qiao (劉喬) joined Wang Jun and begun their offensive, Wu's Administrator of Wuchang, Liu Lang (劉朗), lost his will to resist and surrendered without a fight. With the exception of Jianping, which was defended by Wu Yan (吾彦), the Administrator of Jianping, all other territories of Wu on the upper Yangtze River had fallen under the Jin Dynasty's control.
By this time, Grand Commandant Jia Chong
Jia Chong
Jia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, the Jin commander-in-chief of the campaign who had opposed the campaign from the start, had found the opportunity to suggest a conclusion of the campaign. Jia Chong claimed that it was good to withdraw after the continuous victories because if the war continues, it would exhaust the resources of the state and troops remain the south would suffer from epidemics. However, the war progressed much faster and better than Jia Chong had predicted and his suggestion was ignored.
Battles midstream and downstream of the Yangtze River
At the midstream and downstream of the Yangtze River, starting in January 280, Wang Hun (王渾) conquered Wu's territories of Xunyang (尋陽; southwest of present-day Huangmei County, Hubei), Gaowang (高望; southwest of present-day Pu County 浦縣), and Laixiang (賴鄉), capturing Wu general Zhou Xing (周興). Sima ZhouSima Zhou
Sima Zhou was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the sixth son of Sima Yi. Sima Zhou was known in Cao Wei as the "Fire General"...
took Tuzhong (涂中), sending his subordinate, Liu Hong (劉弘), to solidify the newly captured territory on the northern shore of the Yangtze River. Meanwhile, Sima Zhou sent Wang Heng (王恆) to cross the Yangtze River to continue attacking Wu. Wang Heng's army captured Wu general Cai Ji (蔡機) and killed more than 60,000 Wu troops in the battle.
Surprised with the news of attack, Sun Hao ordered Zhang Ti
Zhang Ti
Zhang Ti , style name Juxian , was a minister and chancellor of Eastern Wu during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Zhang, along with many others, defended Eastern Wu from an invasion by the Jin Dynasty. Shen Ying offered to Zhang to submit to Jin, but ended up refusing, saying he...
, Zhuge Jing (諸葛靓), Shen Ying (沈瑩) and Sun Zhen (孫震) to lead a 30,000 strong army to engage the enemy. Zhang Ti decided the only chance for Wu was to immediate venture out to stop the enemy before the morale collapse, and if the enemy's advance could be beaten back or at least checked, his force would join the Wu forces in the upstream Yangtze River to strengthen their position. In March 280, Zhang Ti led his force across the Yangtze and besieged Wang Hun's subordinate Zhang Qiao (張喬). Zhang Qiao only had 7,000 troops and surrendered. Zhuge Jing suspected that the surrender was a trick and asked Zhang Ti to execute Zhang Qiao, but Zhang Ti refused, and instead, accepted Zhang Qiao's surrender. As a precaution measure, Zhang Ti did order Zhang Qiao to remain by his side so that Zhang Qiao would not have the chance to escape back to Jin.
As the Wu army continued on, they encountered Jin forces led by Zhang Han (張翰) and Zhou Jun (周濬). Shen Ying personally led 5,000 crack troops from Danyang to charge into the Jin army's formation thrice, but was beaten back with heavy losses. The defeat of the elite force seriously demoralized the rest of the Wu soldiers, and the result was a disorganized retreat. Seizing on the opportunity, Jin generals Xue Sheng (薛勝) and Jiang Ban (蔣班) launched a surprise counterattack, defeating the Wu forces and killing over 5,800 enemy troops. As the surviving Wu forces fled from the battlefield, the surrendered Zhang Qiao attacked the fleeing Wu soldiers from the opposite direction at Banqiao (版橋), inflicting a further 2,000 fatalities on the already defeated Wu army. Zhang Ti, Shen Ying, and Sun Zhen were all killed in the decisive battle that shocked Wu. Only Zhuge Jing managed to escape alive back to the Wu capital Jianye. Wang Hun's subordinate urged him to press on to attack Jianye immediately, but he refused under the excuse that he was ordered by Emperor Wu of Jin
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
to secure the northern shore of Yangtze River only and wait for Wang Jun. Wang Hun was in fact, taking a more cautious approaching by attempting to join forces with Wang Jun to ensure the final victory, but such prudence cost him the glory of capturing the enemy capital city, the highest honor in the campaign.
Wang Jun's 80,000 strong army, meanwhile, reached Niuzhu (牛渚) on March 14, 280, after leaving Wuchang (武昌, present-day Ezhou
Ezhou
-Geography and climate:Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang , and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge...
, Hubei) and the Wu emperor Sun Hao
Sun Hao
Sun Hao , style name Yuanzong , originally named Sun Pengzu with the style name Yuanzong , was the fourth and last emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He was the son of Sun He, a one-time crown prince of the founding emperor Sun Quan...
ordered Zhang Xiang (張象) to lead a 10,000 strong navy to engage the enemy. However, when both fleets met, the demoralized Wu navy surrendered en masse, including Zhang Xiang himself. Wang Hun ordered Wang Jun to see him so that they could discuss their next move, but Wang Jun answered that his fleet had already passed Wang Hun's camp and could not turn back due to the current, and continued on toward Jianye.
As Wang Jun's forces advanced on to Sanshan (三山) on March 14, 280, just southeast of Jianye, Wu general Tao Jun (陶濬) organized a 20,000 strong army to make a last stand, but nearly all the Wu troops deserted on the very same night, and Tao Jun and his few "die-hard" followers were killed subsequently in their futile struggle against the Jin invaders. Sun Hao adopted a last attempt suggested by his subjects Xue Ying
Xue Ying
Xue Ying , style name Daoyan , was a minister of Eastern Wu during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Xue Zong. The inept ruler of Wu, Sun Hao, was prepared to commit suicide because the Jin Dynasty's army had invaded Eastern Wu's capital...
and Hu Chong (胡沖) by sending letters of surrender to Sima Zhou, Wang Jun and Wang Hun, in a move to stir up internal conflict among the Jin commanders in order to buy time, but such a tactic proved useless.
On March 15, 280, Sun Hao stripped all clothing on his upper body and tied himself up (a traditional way of presenting prisoners-of-war to the victors) and walked to Wang Jun's camp to surrender. Prior to that, Sun Hao issued his last imperial decree, asking his people not to be upset with the end of Wu, but prepare themselves to serve the new dynasty. Sun Hao was then taken to the Jin capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
with his imperial chariot, but was not allowed to ride on it. Instead, he travelled on foot as he was now a prisoner-of-war. After hearing of Sun Hao's surrender, the last pocket of Wu resistance in Jianping, led by Administrator Wu Yan (吾彥), followed suit even after having successfully defended against all Jin attacks throughout the campaign.
Aftermath
The fall of Jianye marked the end of Wu and the Three KingdomsThree Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period, and China was unified again under the Jin Dynasty. The Jin commanders who participated in the campaign were handsomely rewarded, and ironically, Jia Chong
Jia Chong
Jia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, the overall commander who had opposed the campaign received the largest reward, the tax income of 8,000 households. Wang Hun was furious upon learning the news of Wang Jun taking Jianye, and angrily proclaimed to his subordinates that he had watched Sun Hao for nearly a hundred days, but Wang Jun took the advantage at last. Wang Hun wrote to the imperial court to complain, claiming that Wang Jun disobeyed orders and embezzled war spoils. Wang Jun also wrote to the imperial court to defend himself, claiming that what Wang Hun had said was slander. However, Wang Hun was much more powerful and influential in the Jin court, thus had gained an upper hand, with his followers suggesting that Wang Jun be jailed. In the end, Emperor Wu of Jin put an end to the conflict by rewarding Wang Jun handsomely.
Order of battle
To boost morale, some of the Jin commanders received new ranks, while in contrast, Wu did almost nothing to reinforce its own defense.Jin forces
- Grand Viceroy (大都督) Jia ChongJia ChongJia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
- General of Champions (冠軍將軍) Yang Ji (楊濟), served as Jia Chong's deputy
- Imperial Secretary of Budgeting (度支尚書) Zhang HuaZhang HuaZhang Hua , style name Maoxian , was a Jin Dynasty official and poet. He was a native of Fangcheng County, Zhili.-Background:...
, was in charge of supplies and logistics- Prince of Langya / General Who Stabilizes the Army (瑯琊王 / 鎮軍將軍) Sima ZhouSima ZhouSima Zhou was an official of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the sixth son of Sima Yi. Sima Zhou was known in Cao Wei as the "Fire General"...
, would attack Tuzhong (涂中) from Xiapi (下邳)- Chancellor of Langya (瑯琊相) Liu Hong (劉弘)
- Chief Clerk (長史) Wang Heng (王恆)
- General Who Pacifies the East (安東將軍) Wang Hun (王渾), would attack Hezhou (和州) from Yang Province (揚州)
- General Who Protects the Army (護軍將軍) Zhang Han (張翰)
- Inspector of Yang Province (揚州刺史) Zhou Jun (周濬)
- Xue Sheng (薛勝)
- Jiang Ban (蔣班)
- Senior General Who Conquers the South (征南大將軍) Du YuDu YuDu Yu , style name Yuankai , was a military general of Cao Wei during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the Jin Dynasty after the end of the Three Kingdoms period. Also a prolific author, it is said that Du Yu read the Zuozhuan so often that he was addicted to the book...
, would attack Jiangling (江陵) from Xiangyang (襄陽)- Army Advisor (參軍) Fan Xian (樊顯)
- Army Advisor Yin Lin (尹林)
- Army Advisor Deng Gui (鄧圭)
- Administor of Xiangyang (襄陽太守) Zhou Qi (周奇)
- General of the Standard (牙門將軍) Zhou ZhiZhou ZhiZhou Zhi was a military general of the Jin Dynasty. Between 279 and 280, he participated in the campaign against Eastern Wu under the command of Du Yu. He led 800 ships in a naval attack on Xiakou, and was credited with slaying the enemy generals Sun Xin and Shen Ying....
- General Who Establishes Might (建威將軍) Wang Rong, would attack Wuchang (武昌; present-day EzhouEzhou-Geography and climate:Ezhou is located in southeastern Hubei province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River east of Wuchang , and across the river from the city of Huanggang, to which it is connected by the Ehuang Bridge...
, HubeiHubei' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) from Yu Province (豫州)- Army Advisor (參軍) Luo Shang (羅尚)
- Army Advisor Liu Qiao (劉喬)
- Commandant of Chengyang (成陽都尉) Zhang Qiao (張喬)
- General Who Subdues the South (平南將軍) Hu Fen (胡奮), would attack Xiakou (夏口; present-day Wuchang District, Hubei) from Jing Province (荊州)
- General of the Uplifting Dragon (龍驤將軍) Wang JunWang Jun (Three Kingdoms)Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
, would attack downstream from SichuanSichuan' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
along the Yangtze RiverYangtze RiverThe Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
- General of Vast Martial (廣武將軍) Tang Bin (唐彬), defended Badong (巴東; present-day Fengjie County, ChongqingChongqingChongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
)
- General of Vast Martial (廣武將軍) Tang Bin (唐彬), defended Badong (巴東; present-day Fengjie County, Chongqing
- Prince of Langya / General Who Stabilizes the Army (瑯琊王 / 鎮軍將軍) Sima Zhou
Before February 280
Grand Viceroy (大都督) Lu Yan (陸晏)-
- Lu Xuan (陸玄), served as Lu Yan's deputy
- (P.O.W.Prisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
) General of Military Might (武威將軍) Zhou Xing (周興) - (P.O.W.Prisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
) Cai Ji (蔡機) - (P.O.W.Prisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
) Supervisor of Danyang (丹楊監) Sheng Ji (盛紀)
- (P.O.W.
- Lu Xuan (陸玄), served as Lu Yan's deputy
} General Who Stabilizes the South (鎮南將軍) Liu Xian (留憲)
} General Who Conquers the South (征南將軍) Cheng Ju (成據)
} Administrator of Yidu (宜都太守) Yu Zhong (虞忠)
-
-
- Commander of Lexiang (樂鄉督) Sun Xin (孫歆)
-
} Commander of Jiangling (江陵督) Wu Yan (伍延)
} General of the Standard (牙門將軍) Meng Tai (孟泰)
} Administrator of Wuchang (武昌太守) Liu Lang (劉朗) Lu Jing (陸景), served as commander of the naval force (水軍都督)
} Lu Ji, served as deputy commander of the naval force (水軍副督)
After February 280
Chancellor (丞相) Zhang TiZhang Ti
Zhang Ti , style name Juxian , was a minister and chancellor of Eastern Wu during the late Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Zhang, along with many others, defended Eastern Wu from an invasion by the Jin Dynasty. Shen Ying offered to Zhang to submit to Jin, but ended up refusing, saying he...
-
- Deputy Military Counselor (副軍師) Zhuge Jing (諸葛靓)
} Administrator of Danyang (丹陽太守) Shen Ying (沈瑩)
} General Who Protects the Army (護軍將軍) Sun Zhen (孫震) General of Guerrilla Force (游擊將軍) Zhang Xiang (張象) Commander of Xuling (徐陵督) Tao Jun (陶濬) Administrator of Jianping (建平太守) Wu Yan (吾彥)
In fiction
In Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of Three Kingdoms, the task of building a navy for the Jin Dynasty was credited to Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhong Yao, a calligrapher and politician of Wei....
before the fall of Shu
Conquest of Shu by Wei
The conquest of Shu by Wei was a military campaign launched by the state of Cao Wei against its rival Shu Han in 263 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The campaign culminated in the fall of Shu and the tripartite equilibrium maintained in China for over 40 years since the end of...
, when Zhong recommended to Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
that constructing a large navy to attack Wu was a diversion to trick Shu into letting down its guard, and when it was time to truly attack Wu after the conquest of Shu, the navy would be ready. In reality, however, the idea of constructing a large navy originated from Wang Jun
Wang Jun (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Jun , style name Shizhi , was a military general during the late Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was appointed Imperial Protector of Yi Province and Prancing Dragon General...
and Emperor Wu of Jin
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
, and the plan was set into motion only after the fall of Shu.
In the novel, the last event before the campaign ended was described to be Zhang Xiang's surrender when he led a 10,000 strong navy to engage Jin forces. Since the Wu imperial court had not received news of Zhang Xiang's surrender yet, Wang Jun ordered Zhang Xiang to return to the Wu capital Jianye to trick the Wu defenders into opening the city gates. Zhang Xiang followed as instructed and Jin forces swiftly conquered Jianye. The Wu emperor Sun Hao surrendered and that marked the end of Wu. In history, however, before Sun Hao's surrender, there was one last battle at Sanshan (三山), just southeast of Jianye, between Wang Jun's army and a smaller force led by Wu general Tao Jun (陶濬).