Liu Bei's capture of the southern commanderies is the campaign that transforms his precarious position in Jingzhou into a more secure territorial base. Acting on Ma Liang's plan, he moves against Lingling, Guiyang, Wuling, and Changsha; the cities change hands by different routes, from a feigned defection and carefully staged release to military defeat and popular revolt. The gains bring Liu Bei four resource-rich districts and capable new allies, while the repeated reassurances that captured populations will be spared distinguish the campaign's political purpose from conquest alone.

Strategic Background

Liu Bei's immediate problem is how to keep his recent gains. Yi Ji, who had saved his life from Cai Mao's plot, points him toward the scholars of the region, and Liu Bei summons Ma Liang, foremost of five renowned brothers. Ma Liang's counsel makes territorial expansion part of a broader plan: Liu Bei should strengthen Liu Qi's position in Jingzhou by securing an imperial appointment for him, surrounding him with former provincial leaders, and allowing him to govern through his family's standing while recovering his health. With Liu Qi placed in this position, Liu Bei could turn south for a more dependable base.

Ma Liang specifies both the strategic objective and the sequence: take Lingling first, then Wuling; cross east of the river to Guiyang, and finally capture Changsha. These districts, he argues, would provide abundant money and food. The plan thus links political security in Jingzhou to control of its southern commanderies, treating the cities not as isolated prizes but as the foundation for a stable supply and governing position.

Lingling: Stratagem and Submission

Liu Bei sends Zhang Fei against Lingling. The governor, persuaded by his son Liu Xian, places confidence in the warrior Xing Daorong and expects him to turn back the assault. When Xing rides out, he is confronted by Kong Ming, appearing in his Daoist robes in a carriage among the troops. Xing rejects the offer to surrender and charges after the carriage, only to meet Zhang Fei; when he flees, Zhao Zilong intercepts him. Defeated and captured, Xing is brought before Liu Bei, who initially favors executing him.

Kong Ming instead offers Xing his life in return for helping capture Liu Xian. Xing accepts, promises to assist an attack at night, and is released to return to the opposing camp. But he immediately tells Liu Xian about the proposal, and the two prepare an ambush. Their forces set fire to the undergrowth and drive back the attackers, then pursue them until they discover that the apparent retreat has drawn them away from their own position. When they turn back, Zhang Fei is already at their camp. Liu Xian proposes raiding the enemy in turn, but Zhao Zilong's troops block the way; Zhao kills Xing, and Liu Xian is captured.

Liu Xian pleads that Xing had misled him. Rather than punish him, Kong Ming orders him released, gives him fresh clothes and wine, and sends him back to his father with the task of describing his treatment and urging surrender. Liu Xian carries out the instruction. The governor yields Lingling, remains in office under Liu Bei, and sends Liu Xian to join Liu Bei's army stationed at Gong'an. The account emphasizes the civilian consequence: the city's inhabitants rejoice that its change of rulers has not brought harm to them.

Guiyang: A Limited Force and a Reversed Ruse

For the next advance, Liu Bei calls for a volunteer. Zhao Zilong offers, but Zhang Fei also wants the command, and their disagreement sharpens into a contest over who can take the city with fewer troops. Kong Ming gives the assignment to Zhao because he volunteered first; when Zhang Fei objects, they draw lots, and the result again favors Zhao. Zhang Fei claims he could succeed with three thousand men, and Zhao answers that he can do the same. He departs with that force, to Kong Ming's evident satisfaction.

Guiyang's governor, Zhao Fan, is prepared to surrender because he knows Zhao Zilong's reputation. Chen Ying, a younger officer, persuades him to allow a defense first, arguing that surrender remains possible if the attempt fails. Chen rides out with three thousand men but is quickly defeated. Zhao pursues him, captures him, and spares his life on the condition that he return to Zhao Fan and persuade the governor to submit. Since surrender had already been Zhao Fan's intention, the governor comes to Zhao's camp and yields in person.

The surrender also produces an unexpected personal bond: Zhao Fan says that he and Zhao Zilong share a surname and hometown, Zhending, and that their families were one five hundred years earlier; the two become sworn brothers. Zhao Zilong enters the city with little fighting, and the inhabitants line the road with incense, relieved by the peaceful transition. He assures them of their safety. The initial settlement is later overturned by Zhao Fan's plot involving a proposed marriage and an attempt to seize Zhao Zilong. Zhao turns the trap back on him by winning over the five hundred men involved; they return to Guiyang that night, persuade the guards to admit them, and seize Zhao Fan at the gate. Zhao Zilong enters the city a second time and again reassures its people.

When Liu Bei and Kong Ming arrive, Kong Ming questions Zhao Fan about the marriage offer. Liu Bei frees Zhao Fan and restores him to his post, while Zhao Zilong receives substantial rewards. The episode therefore ends not with the governor's permanent removal but with his reinstatement, despite his failed scheme, and with the city's control secured through Zhao Zilong's counterplot.

Wuling: Military Failure and Popular Reversal

Zhao Zilong's success intensifies Zhang Fei's wish to prove himself. He offers to take Wuling with three thousand troops and promises to bring its governor, Jin Xuan, before Liu Bei. Kong Ming agrees on condition that Zhang Fei sign the same military-law pledge Zhao Zilong had undertaken, making him accountable if he failed. Zhang Fei accepts and marches with the stated force.

Jin Xuan consults his officers about the approaching army. Gong Zhi alone argues that resistance is pointless and that Wuling should submit; Jin Xuan would have him punished, but the other officers dissuade the governor. Jin Xuan leads the attack himself, which fails badly. When he retreats to the city gate, he finds that Gong Zhi has taken control and declared that the people have chosen to join Liu Bei. Jin Xuan's own men turn against him, and his head is delivered to Zhang Fei as his followers seek terms. Gong Zhi then surrenders the city and is appointed its governor by Liu Bei.

As at Lingling and Guiyang, Liu Bei reassures the population that it will not be harmed. Yet Wuling's transfer differs from the earlier surrenders: it follows the governor's failed attack and an internal seizure of power, with Gong Zhi explicitly claiming popular support. The episode makes local opposition to a ruler part of the mechanism by which the campaign advances.

Changsha and the Campaign's Outcome

After hearing that Zhao Zilong has taken Guiyang and Zhang Fei Wuling, Guan Yu asks to lead the attack on Changsha. Kong Ming warns that its governor, Han Xuan, is not the main danger; the veteran general Huang Zhong, nearly sixty, should not be underestimated, and Guan Yu will need more troops than the three thousand used in the earlier expeditions. Guan Yu rejects the caution, declaring that he will take his own five hundred fighters and bring back the heads of both men. Kong Ming fears he may fail, so Liu Bei and Kong Ming set out after him to provide support if necessary.

The fighting between Guan Yu and Huang Zhong turns on reciprocal acts of restraint. After an inconclusive encounter in which Huang's horse falls, Guan Yu lets him go rather than take advantage. The next day Huang is ordered to shoot Guan Yu, but cannot reconcile obedience to Han Xuan with the obligation he feels after Guan Yu spared him. He first releases the bowstring without an arrow, then repeats the gesture; on the third attempt, he sends an arrow into the top notch of Guan Yu's helmet. Guan Yu recognizes the deliberate warning and orders his men to lift the siege. Han Xuan interprets Huang's actions as disloyalty and orders him executed. Wei Yan rescues Huang and turns against the governor; the following day he leads a crowd into the city, kills Han Xuan, and offers the governor's head and Changsha to Guan Yu.

Kong Ming initially orders Wei Yan's death, reasoning that a man who has betrayed his ruler may not be trusted. Liu Bei refuses, arguing that killing him would discourage future surrenders. Wei Yan is spared and remains available to serve. With Changsha added to the other three commanderies, Liu Bei is established in four new districts rich in resources and has gained capable men. The campaign's outcome is therefore both territorial and political: the planned southern base is secured, local officials are retained or replaced according to the circumstances of each city, and Liu Bei's refusal to punish every defector helps make surrender a viable alternative to continued resistance.