Jiang Wei attacked Wei and died in battle against Xiahou Bang

Jiang Wei’s campaign against Wei in the winter of 263 ends with Xiahou Ba’s death and a forced retreat, turning a carefully prepared offensive into a costly setback. Jiang Wei has rebuilt his stockades, assembled supplies, sent ships downriver, and summoned his army, but opposition at court and the threat posed by Deng Ai shape both the campaign and its abrupt conclusion.

Background and Objectives

The campaign takes place amid fatigue with repeated wars against Wei. Liu Shan and many of his councillors oppose another invasion; even Liao Hua, one of Jiang Wei’s generals, doubts the plan, citing Deng Ai’s ability and the people’s weariness. Jiang Wei answers that Kong Ming tried six times to conquer Wei and calls this his own eighth attempt. He insists that anyone opposing him will be executed, then advances despite the objections.

Jiang Wei’s immediate plan is to attack Taoyang while using that operation to draw Deng Ai and his forces away from a second attack on the Qishan hills pass. The attack on Taoyang is therefore both a territorial objective and a diversion intended to occupy Wei’s forces while the broader campaign unfolds.

The Assault on Taoyang

Jiang Wei sends Xiahou Ba to capture Taoyang. On arrival, Xiahou Ba finds the city apparently deserted, with people fleeing through the back gate. The appearance of an undefended city draws the Shu force inside, but the situation reverses: soldiers emerge on the walls and shut the gates, trapping the attackers. Xiahou Ba dies in the assault, along with almost all his men.

The loss of Xiahou Ba and his troops is an immediate blow to Jiang Wei’s campaign. The apparent withdrawal of the city’s inhabitants has concealed the defenders’ position and turned the target itself into a trap. Rather than securing Taoyang, the assault leaves the Shu army exposed to Wei’s next move.

Counterattack and Withdrawal

Encouraged by the victory at Taoyang, Deng Ai launches a night raid on Jiang Wei’s camp, throwing the Shu army into confusion. Jiang Wei refuses to concede, and the two commanders contend for weeks, each trying to outwit the other. Jiang Wei eventually manages to gain the upper hand, but his advantage does not determine the outcome: the Shu ruler’s court orders him to return, and the recall is delivered three times in one day.

The order follows Huang Hao’s intervention, which has raised doubts about Jiang Wei’s reliability in the mind of Liu Shan. With no option to continue the campaign, Jiang Wei retreats to Hanzhong and then proceeds to the capital. A potential military reversal is thus cut short by political interference at home.

Consequences and Significance

After meeting an old friend, Jiang Wei learns of Huang Hao’s schemes and swears to kill him. The campaign’s military and political outcomes are closely linked: Xiahou Ba’s death and the night raid weaken the expedition, while the court’s distrust ends it even after Jiang Wei has regained an advantage. His threatened retaliation marks the conflict’s continuation inside Shu, where the campaign’s defeat becomes an accusation against the court that recalled him.