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Battles

Battle of Jieting

Records

The defeat that stopped Zhuge Liang’s first advance from Qishan. The Wei commander was Zhang He, not Sima Yi. Zhao Yun’s loss at Jigu is a separate action and is often confused with Jieting.

Drawn from the Records of the Three Kingdoms and Pei Songzhi’s notes. Famous novel scenes are not stated as fact.

Date
Shu Jianxing 6 / Wei Taihe 2 (228)
Outcome
Ma Su loses Jieting. Zhuge Liang’s first northern expedition fails and he demotes himself

In the spring of 228 Zhuge Liang opened his first northern expedition from Qishan. Nan’an, Tianshui, and Anding answered, and Guanzhong was alarmed. He did not take Wei Yan’s risky plan to go out by the Ziwu valley. He sent Ma Su forward to hold Jieting against Zhang He. Jieting, near modern Zhuanglang in Gansu, is a throat between Longyou and Guanzhong. It is not under the walls of Hanzhong.

Ma Su left the water and camped on the mountain, against Zhuge Liang’s instructions. Zhang He cut the water. The soldiers broke. Zhuge Liang had nothing to advance on, withdrew, and moved the population of Xi county. He demoted himself in a memorial and executed Ma Su. Chen Shou says he was killed, not merely bound by a theatrical military pledge.

On the same expedition Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi held a side column at Jigu and also lost. Zhao Yun kept the men together and was demoted without a total collapse. Jigu is not Jieting. Sima Yi was not yet the commander against Shu, and the empty fort is not a record of this battle. Jieting shows the limit of Zhuge Liang’s appointment and of supply in the mountains. It is not a duel written to the full by the novel.