Xiangcheng is the first named target of the rebellion led by Wen Qin and Guanqiu Jian against the Sima brothers. Its role is chiefly strategic: the rebels establish their camp there, prompting Sima Shi to lead Wei forces against them despite his illness. The city anchors the campaign’s opening movement, although the narrative’s account centers on the rebel raid and its eventual defeat rather than on Xiangcheng’s capture or condition.

Setting and Role in the Revolt

The uprising begins in Huainan under Wen Qin, governor of Yangzhou, and Guanqiu Jian, a prominent general. They oppose the Sima brothers’ assumption of imperial power and the death of Cao Shuang, and make Xiangcheng their first target, setting up camp there. The narrative thus introduces the city as a military objective within a wider political challenge to Sima rule.

Sima Shi’s Response

Sima Shi has recently undergone a painful operation to remove a mole below his left eye. When news of the revolt arrives, he would rather not take the field, but judges that his absence could encourage the rebellion to grow. He therefore leads the army against the rebels, making Xiangcheng the point around which the regime’s immediate military response is organized.

The Campaign and Its Limits

The account shifts from the city to Wen Yang’s daring raid on the Wei camp. Though only eighteen, Wen Yang leads the attack with a steel whip, causing confusion among the Wei troops. The rebels’ intended supporting force does not arrive; Wei reinforcements instead trap Wen Yang inside the camp. He fights his way out and escapes, but the raid does not alter the campaign’s outcome: the rebellion is suppressed in early 255. The narrative does not specify Xiangcheng’s fate, describe a siege there, or say whether the rebels’ camp was captured. Xiangcheng’s significance lies in its function as the revolt’s initial objective and the setting that draws Sima Shi into the field.