Poyang

Poyang is a Wu-governed region in the account of Zhou Fang’s feigned surrender to Wei. Its governor’s secret offer becomes the lure for a military trap: Wei advances expecting to gain a friendly territory, while Sun Quan and Lu Xun prepare to exploit the army’s misplaced trust. The episode makes Poyang a contested point in the struggle between Wu and Wei, defined less by a detailed description of the place than by the conflicting claims and plans directed through it.

Political Setting

The episode begins with a letter from Zhou Fang, identified as the governor of Poyang, offering to surrender his region to Wei and requesting troops to support the change of allegiance. Cao Xiu, the Wei commander in Yangzhou, receives the report and seeks assistance. Jia Kui cautions that Zhou Fang is known for cunning and that the offer may conceal a trap, but Cao Rui sends a substantial army to investigate rather than dismissing the possibility of gaining the region.

The Feigned Surrender

Zhou Fang meets Cao Xiu and responds to doubts about his loyalty with a calculated performance. He attempts to kill himself with his own sword, anticipating that Cao Xiu will stop him, and then cuts off his hair as a sign of allegiance to Wei. The gestures persuade Cao Xiu to trust him and accept his proposed battle plans. Jia Kui, meanwhile, receives reports of Wu troops assembling and continues to distrust the supposed defector; Cao Xiu reacts angrily to this challenge, further weakening confidence within the Wei army.

The Trap and Its Consequences

Zhou Fang’s offer is a deception coordinated with Sun Quan, who has learned of the plan and mobilizes Wu forces to take advantage of Wei’s advance. Sun Quan gives command to Lu Xun, who identifies Cao Xiu as the weakness in the opposing army and devises a series of feigned retreats to draw Wei into ambushes. Zhou Fang leads Cao Xiu’s forces into this trap. The defeat is described as total, although Cao Xiu escapes with Jia Kui’s help.

Narrative Significance

Poyang’s role in the episode rests on the uncertainty of political allegiance: a governor’s apparent surrender becomes a weapon against the army sent to receive it. The competing readings of Zhou Fang’s conduct shape the outcome. Jia Kui’s suspicion is borne out, while Cao Xiu’s trust in the staged signs of loyalty exposes the Wei force to Lu Xun’s stratagem. The place thus anchors a reversal in which the promised transfer of territory instead furnishes Wu with the means to defeat Wei.