Zhuge Ke's Campaign Against Wei at Xincheng

Zhuge Ke’s campaign against Wei at Xincheng turns a Wu victory over an invading Wei army into a failed expedition of retaliation. Though the defeat of Sima Shi’s forces emboldens Zhuge Ke to invade Wei, his army cannot capture Xincheng; the retreat exposes both the limits of his command and the political danger of his overreach.

Background and Political Setting

After Sun Quan’s death, Zhuge Ke, son of Zhuge Jin, rises to power and enthrones Sun Liang as emperor. The narrative presents him as ambitious and foolish: he takes control of the court, lives extravagantly, and has opponents killed, spreading fear through the country. His authority thus precedes the campaign as both its instrument and a source of growing resentment.

Sima Shi’s decision to invade Wu gives Zhuge Ke an opportunity to answer Wei militarily. Although others warn Sima Shi against the move, he marches south; Zhuge Ke leads Wu’s forces north to meet him at the border. Through plots and stratagems, Wu inflicts heavy losses on the Wei army and forces it to retreat. That defensive success changes Zhuge Ke’s aim: he now wants to carry the war into Wei in revenge.

The Expedition and Siege

Zhuge Ke dismisses omens that appear to foretell misfortune and presses ahead. He also writes to the Shu ruler and Jiang Wei, proposing that they join the war. The campaign is therefore framed not simply as a local siege but as an attempted retaliation with the prospect of cooperation between Wu and Shu.

The offensive yields no captured territory. At Xincheng, the governor outwits the besieging Wu army, and the city does not fall. Zhuge Ke is wounded by an arrow. Summer heat, despair, and poor management by the commanders compound the failure: many soldiers desert, while illness leaves those who remain unable to fight effectively. The army is forced to withdraw without achieving its objective.

Defeat and Political Consequences

The retreat compounds Zhuge Ke’s earlier political liabilities. Embarrassed by the failure, he hides at home and pretends to be ill. Meanwhile, resentment over his abuse of power leads members of the Sun family to plot against him. Sun Jun petitions the emperor for permission to execute Zhuge Ke, and the conspirators arrange a banquet at which the emperor’s signal is to authorize the killing.

Zhuge Ke’s defeat at Xincheng is thus followed by a reversal at court. Although he initially turns back when setting out for the banquet, two officials persuade him to continue. At the gathering, Sun Jun announces the emperor’s order against a traitor and kills Zhuge Ke with a single stroke of his sword. His brother Zhang Yue is also killed; their bodies are wrapped in reed mats and discarded in an unmarked paupers’ burial place outside the city.

Significance

The campaign’s course links military judgment to political security. Zhuge Ke’s earlier success in forcing Wei to retreat encourages a riskier offensive, but his confidence does not overcome Xincheng’s defenses or the army’s deteriorating condition. The result is no territorial gain, a withdrawal weakened by desertion and illness, and a further loss of standing for a ruler already feared and resented.

The narrative makes the defeat consequential beyond the battlefield: Zhuge Ke’s retreat and concealment leave the court plot to proceed, and the expedition’s failure becomes part of the immediate context for his removal. The contrast between the successful defense against Wei and the unsuccessful siege of Xincheng gives the campaign its decisive shape.