Northern Expeditions
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To the left is a very detailed map of the expeditions, click on thumbnail to open a bigger version. Size is 145 KB.
The Death of Ma Su and the Lost of Jieting
At Jieting, the strategic outpost crucial to future Shu supplies, he found the larger part of the advanced guard of Shu under Ma Su entrenched on a nearby mountain top. By forfeiting access to water supplies, Ma was easily defeated. The minor part of the vanguard stationed on the mountain road broke through Wei ranks and the remnants of Ma Su's force escaped south, only escaping total annihilation due to Zhang He's fear of ambush. Meanwhile Zhao Yun's small intrusion against Meicheng meant with stiff resistance and Zhuge Liang ordered a general withdrawal to Hanzhong in the prospect of an outflanking motion by the Wei army. Following his defeat, Zhuge Liang had Ma Su executed, with tears, for the tactical blunder at Jieting (this later became an idiom) and then published a memorial to the Shu Emperor, in which he chastised himself for the failure. Not long after this, Wu inflicted a defeat on Wei at Shiting, in the Hefei battlegrounds. Fearing a breakthrough in the Huai valley, the Wei court decided to reinforce the east by transferring troops from the west.
The Second Northern Expedition
Thus, in the winter of the same year, Zhuge Liang struck through Qinling in his second Northern Expedition with the aim of capturing Chencang, communication thoroughfare of the Wei River.
The walled city was held by Hao Zhao with only 5000 soldiers. Although hugely outnumbered by the 20,000 or more Shu troops, Hao refused requests to surrender. Soon Zhuge Liang brought to bear an array of siege equipment, including scaling ladders, battering rams and archery towers. Nevertheless, Chencang could not be broken and the Wei soldiers provided stubborn resistance with various incendiary devices. After three weeks, Zhang He arrived with relief troops and food supplies. Zhuge, himself short of grain, ordered a retreat to Hanzhong once more. One of Zhang He's subordinates, Wang Shuang decided to pursue through Qinling and was killed by an ambush arranged by Zhuge. This incident, with the victim as one of the champions personally accredited by the Wei emperor, was a shock reminder of the skills of Zhuge Liang as a master of ambuscades, a reputation built up since his years at Xinye and one to strike fear into his adversaries even after his death.
Above map courtesy of RTKweb.com
The Third Northern Expedition
The Spring of 229 saw Zhuge Liang make his third expedition, the objective being still the Longyou region - with the immediate goal being the capture of the territories of Wudu and Yinping. These areas, on the western foothills of Qinling were swiftly occupied and they would presumably be used as a launch pad for a further strike toward the Wei River. Zhang He, stationed at Tianshui, ordered Guo Huai south to counter the Shu army. With timely intelligence, Zhuge Liang immediately reinforced his vanguard and met Guo's forces in open battle northwest of Wudu, at Jianwei. Guo Huai was defeated but he retreated and prepared a defensive position and effectively checked any plans Zhuge Liang had of a quick advance to Tianshui. Frustrated that the tactical victory at Jianwei did not reap significant strategic benefits, and fearing that a stalemate against a well-defended enemy would be a drain on manpower and rations, Zhuge Liang retreated back to Hanzhong. The withdrawal meant an abandonment of the territory of Wudu and Yinping, further taxing Shu's credibility with the residents of that region.
Beginning in the winter of 229 and into the spring of 230, Hanzhong was the scene of a new military development. On knowledge of a Wei offensive, Zhuge Liang initiated extensive defensive preparations including two defensive barriers on the Hanzhong plain, running 200 kilometres. The Wei court had decided to abandon its defensive strategy and launched a three-pronged attack with the objective of Hanzhong led by Sima Yi, Cao Zhen and Zhang He. In the fall of 230, when the Wei offensive began, Wei Yan was sent north with a mixed cavalry-infantry force behind enemy lines to incite dissension amongst the various non-Han peoples, while at the same time sell the famous Chengdu silk brocades in return for horses and weapons. From the start the Wei attack ran into problems: heavy rain ensured that the narrow valleys were impassable, while Zhang He in the west had to deal with the threat from the rear. After a month or a half of little progess, the disastrous campaign was terminated. Zhuge Liang made a daring march northwest to relieve Wei Yan, who was besieged by Guo Huai on his return, and then prudence dictated a return to Hanzhong.