Shitou

Shitou is the final stronghold in the Jin conquest of Wu, where the last resistance gives way not through a decisive assault but through surrender at the gates. Its fall brings Sun Hao’s rule to an end and marks the reunification of the realm under one ruler.

Final Stronghold

As Jin forces approach, Wang Jun presses toward Shitou, determined to be the commander who captures the city. The balance is already shifting against Wu: the remaining troops are demoralized, and the surrender of Zhang Xiang gives Wang Jun a way to approach the walls under a new banner. He tests Zhang Xiang’s allegiance by entrusting him with the vanguard.

The Gates Open

The defenders see Zhang Xiang’s surrender and open the gates to him and the Jin army. Shitou thus falls through a change of allegiance and the opening of its defenses, rather than a described storming of the city. For Wang Jun, the surrender makes possible the capture he had sought; for Wu, the open gates signal that its last stand is over.

Sun Hao’s Surrender

Sun Hao recognizes that the cause is lost. Though he initially considers suicide, he is persuaded to follow Liu Shan’s example and surrender. Wang Jun accepts him and treats him as an honored guest, like a prince. The transfer of power at Shitou is therefore presented not only as military defeat but also as the submission of the defeated ruler to his new victor.

Image and Historical Consequence

A poem about the fall evokes the surrender flag over Shitou and the disappearance of Wu’s royal rule. Its image of the city’s bare fortifications, compared to autumn trees, gives the conquered stronghold a desolate place in the account’s closing movement. After Wu falls, its people and wealth are united under Jin; Du Yu opens the grain stores, and ordinary people at last have enough to eat and welcome the new rulers. Shitou’s capture thus closes the conflict and leads into the narrative’s final image of political reunification and restored food supplies.