Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province
partof= the wars of the Three Kingdoms


caption=
date= 219
place= Hubei, China
casus=
territory=
result= Sun Quan victory
combatant1=Sun Quan
combatant2=Liu Bei
commander1=Lü Meng
commander2=Guan Yu†
strength1=
strength2=
casualties1=
casualties2=

Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province was a campaign fought in 219 between Lü Meng, under Sun Quan, and Guan Yu, under Liu Bei, during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period in China, and was the result of the Battle of Fancheng.

Background

Cao Cao's advisor Sima Yi sent an emissary to Sun Quan, requesting him to flank Guan Yu’s rear and Jiangnan would then be awarded to Sun Quan as spoils of war and that the forces at Fan would then be dissolved. At first, Sun Quan sent an emissary to Guan Yu relating his wish for a marriage be arranged between his own son and Guan Yu’s daughter. Guan Yu insulted the emissary and rejected the marriage proposal making Sun Quan was furious.

Battle

It was revealed that Lü Meng was ill, and he was recalled to Sun Quan's headquarters while Lu Xun was sent to take his place as acting commander at Lukou. Lü Meng's sickness was real, but that didn't prevent him from planning operations with Sun Quan. The main striking force was brought up to strength by gradual reinforcements, but it was gathered at Xunyang city, behind the frontier. Guan Yu's intelligence service gave him no warning, and he was, sufficiently disdainful of Sun Quan's reactions that he seized some supplies for his armies from one of Sun Quan's storage bases on the Xiang River.

In about early December of 219, Sun Quan's forces moved against the west. Jiang Qin was in command of a fleet which moved up the Han to guard against any counter-stroke. Sun Jiao brought his men forward to the region about the junction of the two rivers, to act as a reserve and also as a holding force in case Cao Cao's forces sought to intervene against their line of communications. Lü Meng led the main attack, starting from the rearward position at Xunyang, and moving upstream along the Yangzi with most of his troops hidden in barges, while the ships were rowed by men dressed in plain clothes to look like merchants and traders. They took Guan Yu's outposts by surprise and captured them one by one before they could get out word.

Guan Yu's two chief defense posts were at Gongan, commanded by Fu Shiren, and Jiangling, held by Mi Fang. Mi Fang and General Fu Shiren, felt that Guan Yu looked down on them. Ever since Guan Yu sent out his troops to war, Mi Fang and Fu Shiren were in charge of army supplies, but they didn't assist in the battle. Guan Yu’s reply was to mete out the respective punishments once he returns. Upon hearing this, Mi Fang and Fu Shiren were fearful and Mi Fang secretly agreed to defect. When Lü Meng attacked the city, he came out of the city with beef and wine and surrendered. Sun Quan chanced upon their shaken loyalty and enticed them to surrender, after which they allowed the Wu army to enter the land. Because of this surrender, Lü Meng had changed the military strategy of the region. Guan Yu abandoned his operations at Fan and came southwards. He wasn't followed by Cao Cao's forces. He was faced with a military coup, and admirable propaganda.

Cao Cao sent Xu Huang to assist Cao Ren; Guan Yu was unsuccessful in this conquest thus called for a retreat, but Sun Quan’s troops had already taken over Jiangling and held hostage the wives and children of Guan Yu’s army, leading to the dispersion of Guan Yu’s troops. Because Lü Meng allowed Guan Yu's messengers to meet with captured families, showing how well people were treated when captured including what little gain came from confrontation, Guan Yu's men were inclined to desert than to join him in an attack against their own homes. Knowing that he had no more support, Guan Yu fled to Maicheng.

By the eleventh month, a few weeks after the start of the operation, Guan Yu was isolated in Maicheng (麥城, southeast of present day Dangyang, Hubei) with Sun Quan's forces on three sides and Cao Cao's at the north. West to Zhangxiang, everyone left Guan Yu and surrendered. As Guan Yu attempt to escape, he and his surviving followers including his son Guan Ping, his Inspector General Zhao Lei were captured in an ambush in Zhang (章) Township (east of modern day Anyuan 远安 County, Hubei) by Eastern Wu generals Zhu Ran and Pan Zhang Sun Quan had sent. Jingzhou was taken, and later Lü Meng executed Guan Yu, his son Guan Ping and Zhao Lei at Lingju.

In "Romance of the Three Kingdoms"

In the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" by Luo Guanzhong, Guan Yu heard that Wu’s Lu Xun was appointed to fight him, Guan Yu dismissed his worries as he didn't fear the significantly younger officer. Guan Yu paid the heavy price of underestimating his opponent and lost all his troops in a night raid by Wu.

Modern references

Lü Meng's invasion of Jing Province appears in "Dynasty Warriors 4" and "Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends" as the Battle of Mai Castle. Wei is included in the battle, although they didn't participate in actual history.

References

* [http://kongming.net/novel/sgz/guanyu.php Guan Yu Sanguozhi biography]
* [http://kongming.net/novel/sgz/lumeng.php Lü Meng Sanguozhi biography]
* [http://www.anu.edu.au/asianstudies/decrespigny/gos_ch6.pdf "Generals of the South", Rafe de Crespigny] (pages 22-25)