Jicheng

Jicheng becomes the hinge of Kong Ming’s campaign to win Jiang Wei: by making the defense of Jiang Wei’s mother a military vulnerability, and by turning uncertainty about Jiang Wei’s allegiance against him, Kong Ming takes the city and leaves Jiang Wei with fewer and fewer places to turn.

Setting and Strategic Role

Jicheng lies near Tianshui and is important in the struggle over the region because Jiang Wei’s mother lives there. Kong Ming uses that connection to draw Jiang Wei away from Tianshui while Shu forces also move against Shanggui, a supply town. The city is therefore both a personal refuge for Jiang Wei’s family and a strategic target in a broader effort to weaken Tianshui.

The Campaign for the City

Kong Ming sends Wei Yan toward Jicheng under the apparent pretext of besieging it, with the actual aim of capturing Jiang Wei’s mother. When Jiang Wei hears of the attack, he asks Tianshui’s governor, Ma Zun, for permission to go to her aid. He sets out with three thousand men; another three thousand are dispatched to protect Shanggui. Outside Jicheng, Wei Yan appears to flee before Jiang Wei’s attack, allowing Jiang Wei to enter the city and hurry to his mother’s home.

At the same time, Zhao Zilong lets enemy troops enter Shanggui. Kong Ming’s pressure on both cities pulls Wei’s forces in different directions and makes the movements around Jicheng part of a larger plan rather than a single siege.

Deception and Capture

Kong Ming also manipulates Xiahou Mao, a prisoner offered a chance to live. He falsely tells him that Jiang Wei has agreed to surrender Jicheng in exchange for Xiahou Mao’s release, then arranges for supposed refugees to reinforce the story. Xiahou Mao instead rides to Ma Zun at Tianshui and reports what he believes is Jiang Wei’s betrayal. During a later night attack on Tianshui, a Shu soldier disguised as Jiang Wei appears among the attackers, deepening the confusion over where Jiang Wei stands.

Meanwhile, Kong Ming attacks Jicheng. The Shu army appears to retreat, leaving its supply wagons behind, and draws Jiang Wei away from the city, whose provisions are already low. Shu forces then take Jicheng. When Jiang Wei returns, he finds the city in enemy hands and flees toward Tianshui. He is intercepted by Zhang Bao; after his men are lost, Jiang Wei alone escapes. Tianshui’s defenders then fire arrows at him, believing he has joined the enemy, and Shanggui also refuses him entry for the same reason. His route toward Chang’an is blocked by Guan Xing and his men, and Kong Ming confronts him from his carriage. With his options exhausted, Jiang Wei surrenders.

Consequences and Significance

Jicheng’s capture changes the campaign by turning a family tie into leverage and by helping isolate Jiang Wei from the Wei strongholds that might otherwise shelter him. The city’s fall does not itself secure Jiang Wei’s allegiance; rather, Kong Ming’s coordinated pressure, false reports, staged appearances, and the resulting distrust across the region leave Jiang Wei trapped between hostile forces and suspicious defenses. Jicheng thus marks the pivotal step in the sequence that ends with Jiang Wei’s surrender to Kong Ming.