Sima Shi

Sima Shi is the eldest son of Sima Yi and a leading Wei commander in the later struggles against Shu. His encounters with Jiang Wei show the military pressure facing Wei, while his death in 255 transfers authority to his younger brother, Sima Zhao, and advances the Sima family’s growing control of the state.

Identity and Position

Sima Shi enters the account as the son who will inherit authority from Sima Yi. By the time Jiang Wei renews his northern campaign, Sima Shi commands Wei forces at Yangping Pass. His position places him at the intersection of two conflicts: the contest between Wei and Shu, and the unsettled succession within the Sima family.

Confrontation with Jiang Wei

At Yangping Pass, Sima Shi confronts Jiang Wei directly. The two charge at one another, but after three rounds Sima Shi turns and flees. Jiang Wei then occupies the fort at the pass, where the defenders’ arrows reveal that Kong Ming’s ten-arrow bow machine has been built and is working. The weapon inflicts heavy losses on Sima Shi’s men, giving the encounter a striking reversal: his initial retreat precedes a costly attempt to approach the fortified position.

The wider invasion fails at an even greater cost to Shu. Sima Shi loses countless men to the bow machines, but Jiang Wei loses tens of thousands and withdraws to Hanzhong. Sima Shi and the other Wei commanders return to Luoyang. The outcome checks Jiang Wei’s advance, though the account makes clear that the victory is not bloodless for Wei.

Death and Transfer of Authority

In late summer of 255, while the rebellion against Wei is being suppressed, Sima Shi’s illness worsens and he knows he is dying. He summons Sima Zhao and tells him that the heavy responsibility cannot be set aside; he must pass it on. His warning is stark: Sima Zhao must trust no one, because misplaced trust could destroy their clan. Sima Zhao accepts the seal of authority in tears, but when he begins to ask for further counsel, Sima Shi’s final cry interrupts him and he dies.

The succession is therefore presented as both a family handover and a political precaution. Sima Shi’s warning frames the authority he passes on as a burden that requires vigilance, while his death leaves Sima Zhao to carry the family’s power forward. The emperor, Cao Mao, orders Sima Zhao to remain where he is amid fears of an attack by Wu; when Sima Zhao later moves his army back and then into the capital, the court’s unease reflects how consequential the transfer has become.

Narrative Role

Sima Shi’s story is compressed into a sequence of reversals and inheritance: a retreat before Jiang Wei, losses to a newly built weapon, and a costly but successful defense, followed by illness and the transfer of authority. The campaign gives concrete form to the military contest between Shu and Wei; his death shifts attention to the political power accumulating within the Sima family. His final warning, followed by Sima Zhao’s rise in influence, makes the handover a hinge between battlefield conflict and court politics.