Xuande's conquest of Chengdu

Xuande’s conquest of Chengdu brings Liu Zhang’s rule in Yizhou to an end and gives Xuande control of Shu. The surrender follows Ma Chao’s arrival at Jiameng Pass to serve Xuande: as the combined armies approach Chengdu, Liu Zhang recognizes that resistance is futile and opens the gates. Xuande’s restraint toward opponents and his decision not to redistribute the land mark the transition from military victory to political rule.

Background and approach to Chengdu

The immediate opening comes when Ma Chao, trapped between enemies and unwanted allies, accepts Xuande’s offer. Yang Song has spread rumors that Ma Chao intends to overthrow Zhang Lu, while Zhang Lu’s demands leave Ma Chao with no acceptable path forward. Sent by Kong Ming, Li Hui explains that Cao Cao regards Ma Chao as an enemy, Liu Zhang has no use for him, and Yang Song has poisoned Zhang Lu against him. Ma Chao welcomes the offer, reaches Xuande at Jiameng Pass within days, and joins the campaign against Chengdu.

The change of allegiance quickly becomes public. Several of Ma Chao’s men desert and return to Chengdu with news that he has joined Xuande. Learning that the combined forces are heading for the city gates, Liu Zhang seals the city and prepares for a siege. Ma Chao and his brother Ma Dai ride to the gate and ask Liu Zhang to speak with them from the city wall. Hearing Ma Chao personally explain his decision, Liu Zhang understands that the situation is lost.

Liu Zhang’s surrender

Liu Zhang opens Chengdu’s gates because he genuinely wants to spare the people further suffering. Some of his commanders still favor fighting, but a soothsayer’s pronouncement that the stars indicate the arrival of a bright new ruler confirms Liu Zhang’s inclination to surrender. That ruler is Xuande. The population welcomes Xuande’s entry into the city with rejoicing, turning the capitulation into a public transition of power rather than a final battle for the capital.

Xuande initially wants to keep Liu Zhang in Chengdu out of respect. Kong Ming objects that the city cannot accommodate two lords and argues that Liu Zhang’s indecision has cost him the right to rule. Xuande accepts the need to remove his former rival from the seat of power: Liu Zhang is sent to Jingzhou, where he lives under comfortable house arrest, and receives an honorific title in compensation.

Taking possession and governing Shu

Xuande forbids retaliation against those who opposed him, including Huang Quan and Liu Ba. Both men still oppose him at first, but Xuande’s refusal to punish them moves them to surrender. The episode presents clemency as more than a gesture: it changes the position of opponents who remain within the newly conquered territory.

Those who joined Xuande receive offices, titles, and money, while treasures are sent to Guan Yu in Jingzhou. A separate question concerns the land itself. Xuande considers redistributing the conquered territory to his followers, but Zhao Zilong strongly opposes the plan. The people, he points out, have already suffered enough; generosity toward them now can secure support in the future. Xuande leaves the land undivided, and Shu comes under his control.

The new rule also brings administrative changes. Laws are overhauled, corrupt or excessively severe local governors are kept in check, and the land is settled. The conquest thus concludes not simply with possession of Chengdu, but with a reorganization of governance across the territory.

Political and narrative significance

The surrender secures Xuande’s position through a combination of battlefield pressure and restraint after victory. Ma Chao’s defection changes the military balance and brings the combined army to Chengdu; Liu Zhang’s concern for the people leads him to yield, while Xuande’s protection of opponents and restraint over land distribution help turn conquest into rule. The stars’ apparent confirmation of a new ruler reinforces the political handover, but the practical terms of that handover are shown through decisions about Liu Zhang, dissenting officials, rewards, land, and local administration.

The event is a decisive expansion in Xuande’s fortunes: the territory that becomes the foundation of his Shu power is no longer merely an objective of the campaign but a realm under his control. Its settlement also exposes the tension between rewarding military followers and winning the people’s support. Zhao Zilong’s intervention places the future stability of the land ahead of immediate rewards, while Xuande’s conduct toward Liu Zhang and his remaining opponents distinguishes his consolidation of power from simple vengeance.