Battle of Xiakou: Difference between revisions
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==Modern references== |
==Modern references== |
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The Battle of Xiakou and the Battle of Jiangxia were incorporated into one, and is reenacted in video games such as ''[[Dynasty Warriors 4]]'' and ''[[Dynasty Warriors 5]]''. In the latter games, the battle is given more significance when [[Ling Tong]] became a playable character. Also in Dynasty Warriors 5 it was incorrectly stated that the battle of Xiakou was fought in the year 208. |
The Battle of Xiakou and the Battle of Jiangxia were incorporated into one, and is reenacted in video games such as ''[[Dynasty Warriors 4]]'' and ''[[Dynasty Warriors 5]]''. In the latter games, the battle is given more significance when [[Ling Tong]] became a playable character. Also in ''Dynasty Warriors 5'' it was incorrectly stated that the battle of Xiakou was fought in the year 208. |
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==Notes== |
==Notes== |
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Revision as of 04:49, 2 November 2010
| Battle of Xiakou | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the wars of the Three Kingdoms | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Sun Quan | Huang Zu | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Ling Cao† | Huang Zu | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| several thousand at most | 30,000 at least | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| minimal | minimal | ||||||
The Battle of Xiakou (not to be confused with the battle of Jiangxia at 208) was fought between Sun Quan's force and Huang Zu's force along the Chang Jiang in 203 AD in an attempt to take over the walled city of Jiangxia during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period in China. Huang Zu retreated from the battlefield, but Sun Quan's forces were not able to achieve their military goal.
Background
Sun Quan, after inheriting the Jiangdong government from his brother Sun Ce, was confirmed by Cao Cao to be a legitimate leader of the Jiangdong territories, and was appointed by the Han authority as the Grand Administrator of Kuaiji[1]. In 202 AD, Sun Quan subdued the rebellion led by Li Shu, and merged Li's 30,000 troops into his own. As a consequence, in 203 AD, Sun Quan's control of the Wu commandery was quite secure, so he started to follow Lu Su's advise, which was to take Jingzhou and incorporated all the lands of southern China into one, then use Chang Jiang as a natural barrier to defend northern invaders. The first block on Sun Quan's path was Jiangxia, which acted as the Western gate guarding the prosperous Jingzhou governed by Liu Biao. In addition, Sun had a personal stake in taking the city of Jiangxia, as the Prefect of Jiangxia, Huang Zu, was the one who should be responsible for Sun Jian's (Sun Jian was Sun Quan's father) death twelve years earlier[2].
Battle
Sun Quan appointed Ling Cao to lead the vanguard to mobilize first, and kept his larger vessels with himself for a slower advance. On the other hand, Huang Zu led his army out of Jiangxia city to Xiakou, and set up a defense line in anticipation of the Sun Quan's forces. Therefore, en route to Jiangxia, Ling Cao was stopped by the grand formation of Huang Zu's navy guarding the riverbank of Xiakou with large vessels laying far and wide[3]. Even Ling Cao was at a numerical disadvantage at the time, he considered wiping out any enemy in front of his lord's path the responsibility of a vanguard. Undaunted, he charged ahead of all his men, and dashed uninterruptedly to the commanding heart of Huang Zu's army. Since Huang Zu did not expect such a small unit would engage his much larger force, he was not prepared for his opponent's storming strike, and before Huang Zu could react to the situation, Ling Cao had cleared a path to the front of him. To run for his own life, Huang Zu abandoned his commanding ship and boarded a small boat, leaving his massive navy impaired to function[4]. When the soldiers saw their commander running in the direction of their home town, they started to desert their post and hurried in retreating, resulting in a total collapse of the formation. In pursuit of Huang Zu, Ling Cao broaded a light vessel amongst the midst of chaos and fighting, and while he was so close to claiming Huang's head, a stray arrow fired by Gan Ning killed him[5]; thus, Huang Zu was able to retreat to his base at Jiangxia safely. Huang stayed inside the walled city of Jiangxia thereafter, and did not respond to the challenge of Sun Quan's main army. Unable to breach the city walls, Sun Quan soon returned to the Wu territory to deal with the Shanyue barbarians who constantly invaded his domain[6].
Aftermath
Even Gan Ning saved Huang Zu's life at such a critical moment, Huang Zu did not appreciate him at all just because of his pirate past[7]. The unhappy pirate then heeded the advice of his comrade, Su Fei, to defect to the Sun's camp, with confidential information of Huang Zu's forces, and persuaded Sun Quan to launch a full assault on Jiangxia three years later. Though not commanding troops directly, Gan Ning acted as a staff of Sun Quan's forces during the battle of Jiangxia in 208 AD.
Modern references
The Battle of Xiakou and the Battle of Jiangxia were incorporated into one, and is reenacted in video games such as Dynasty Warriors 4 and Dynasty Warriors 5. In the latter games, the battle is given more significance when Ling Tong became a playable character. Also in Dynasty Warriors 5 it was incorrectly stated that the battle of Xiakou was fought in the year 208.
Notes
- ^ Generals of the South: The foundation and early history of the Three Kingdoms state of Wu, page 227.
- ^ Dian Lüe
- ^ Records of Three Kingdoms Scroll 55 Wu Book 10.
- ^ Chronicles of Wu
- ^ "祖军败奔走，追兵急，宁以善射，将兵在后，射杀校尉凌操" Chronicles of Wu.
- ^ Records of Three Kingdoms Scroll 47 Wu Book 2.
- ^ "祖既得免，军罢还营，待宁如初。"Chronicles of Wu
References
- Wei, Zhao. Chronicles of Wu.
- Yu, Huan. Dian Lüe
- Chen Shou (2002). San Guo Zhi. Yue Lu Shu She. ISBN 7-80665-198-5.
- Template:Harvrefcol. Internet Edition.
