The Battle of Yiling - Zhuge Liangs Alliance Breaks - Three Kingdoms Clash of Wu and Shu

The Battle of Yiling The Battle of Yiling, also known as the Battle of Shaoden, was the last of the three major battles during the Three Kingdoms period. It originated from the territorial dispute over Jingzhou, between the Kingdom of Shuhan and the Kingdom of Eastern Wu. In 219 AD, the Eastern Wu broke the alliance, attacked and captured Jingzhou, and killed Guan Yu. The Liu Bei group lost this strategically important area in 221 AD. After Liu Bei declared himself emperor, he personally led an army of about 50,000 troops on an eastern expedition, claiming to avenge Guan Yu. In fact, he was trying to recapture the strategically important Jingzhou and intimidate the Eastern Wu. As Sun Quan's attempt to seek peace failed, he appointed Lu Xun as the Grand Commander with an army of about 50,000 troops and ordered him to deploy defenses along the Yangtze River. War was on the verge of breaking out. From autumn 221 AD to spring 202 AD, Liu Bei took Fengxi and Jiangnan-S, the vanguards, and advanced eastward along the south bank of the Yangtze River. He captured Wushan County and Zigui County and stationed his troops in Xiaoden, Naoyichan, Hubei Province. Lu Xun, on the other hand, adopted a strategic retreat, giving up hundreds of miles of mountainous areas from Wushan to Yiling, luring the enemy deep into the territory. He took advantage of the complex terrain of the three gorges to hold the strategic passes, limiting the cavalry advantage of the Shu army and forcing Liu Bei to set up camps in a narrow and long area. Summer 202 AD, Liu Bei gave up using the naval forces and launched an attack from the land. He commanded the Shu army to set up camps in a continuous line for 700 li, establishing dozens of fortified camps from Fengxi to Yiling, but he neglected the logistics support. During this period, Liu Bei sent troops to provoke Lu Xun in an attempt to force him into battle and achieve a quick victory. However, Lu Xun accurately grasped the weaknesses of the Shu army and adopted a strategy of firmly holding his position and not engaging in battle. He held his ground for half a year, wearing down the fighting spirit of the Shu army and creating a situation of waiting for the exhausted enemy with a well-rested army. It was the height of summer and the Shu army was short of water and food, exhausted, and its morale was low. In the intercalary sixth month, Lu Xun seized the opportunity. First, he sent a small force to test the enemy and then launched a surprise attack with fire. Taking advantage of the southeast wind in summer, he set fire to the continuous camps of the Shu army. With the wind, the Wu army launched a full-scale counterattack. Fengxi and Zhang Nan were killed in action. Liu Bei retreated to Manshan, now northwest of Yichang, Hebei province and led the remaining troops back to Baidi city, now Fengji, Chongqing. The Shu army was almost completely annihilated and its elite forces were severely depleted. Liu Bei died in Baidi city the following year and the Shu Han retreated to Yizhou. This battle demonstrated the importance of holding strategic passes and waiting for the right opportunity in mountain defense warfare. Lu Xun became another military commander of the eastern Wu after Zhou Yu and his tactic of striking later to gain the upper hand was recorded in military books. The battle of Yiling ended in a disastrous defeat for the Shu Han. However, it unexpectedly contributed to the long-term balance of power among the states of Wei, Shu and Wu. The Cao Wei was unable to launch a southern expedition. The Shu Han turned to a northern expedition and the eastern Wu focused on governing Jiangdong. This battle changed the power balance among the three kingdoms and ultimately led to the political situation of the tripartite confrontation of the three kingdoms. Thanks for watching.