Three Rebellions in Shouchun
Encyclopedia
The Three Rebellions in Shouchun, also known as Three Rebellions in Huainan, were a series of revolts that occurred in the state of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. The rebellions broke out in the later years of Cao Wei when the Sima clan, headed by Sima Yi
, usurped state power. The military leaders in charge of the city of Shouchun (present-day Shou County
, Anhui
) rose in revolt thrice in the name of a punitive campaign to remove the Sima clan from power. The respective leaders of the three rebellions were Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian
and Wen Qin
, and Zhuge Dan
. All the rebellions were eventually suppressed.
, Sima Yi
seized power from Cao Shuang
in a coup d'etat
and had Cao's entire clan executed. Since then, the imperial authority of Cao Wei was controlled by the Simas. After Sima Yi's death, the power was inherited by his oldest son Sima Shi
, and was later passed on to his second son Sima Zhao
when Sima Shi died.
, Sima Yi promoted Wang Ling, the general in charge of Shouchun, to the rank of Grand Commandant. Wang Ling and his nephew Linghu Yu (令狐愚) felt that the emperor Cao Fang
was too young to rule, and saw that Sima Yi was actually the one in control of state power. They planned to depose Cao Fang and replace him with the Prince of Chu, Cao Biao (曹彪). Linghu Yu sent his subordinate Zhang Shi (張式) to contact Cao Biao.
In 251, Wang Ling seized the opportunity to send a petition to the Wei court, asking for permission to attack Eastern Wu
forces in Tushui (塗水). The campaign against Wu was actually a mask for Wang Ling's intention to rebel. Wang Ling did not receive any reply so he sent Yang Hong (楊弘) to inform Huang Hua (黃華), the Inspector of Yan Province, of their plans, in hope that Huang would support him. However, Yang Hong and Huang Hua reported Wang Ling to Sima Yi instead. Sima Yi then personally led an army to suppress the revolt. Wang Ling was aware that he was outmatched so he agreed to surrender after Sima Yi promised to pardon him for treason. Wang Ling knew that he would be sentenced to death anyway, so he committed suicide while being escorted as a prisoner on the way to the capital Luoyang
. Wang Ling's clan was also exterminated and Cao Biao was ordered to commit suicide.
died in 251 and his oldest son Sima Shi
inherited his position in the Wei political arena. In 254, Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan
and Zhang Ji (張緝) planned to overthrow Sima Shi, but their plan was leaked out and they were all executed. The emperor Cao Fang
was unhappy with Sima Shi's authoritarian attitude and incurred the displeasure of Sima. Months later, Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang and replaced him with Cao Mao
. General Guanqiu Jian
, who was stationed in Shouchun, and the Inspector of Yang Province, Wen Qin
, heard news about the deaths of Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan and Zhang Ji, and became afraid of being implicated. Guanqiu Jian's son, Guanqiu Xun
, kept persuading his father to stage a military uprising to defend their state's sovereignty from Sima Shi.
The following year, Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin rose in revolt in Shouchun in the name of starting a punitive war against Sima Shi and attacked Xiangcheng (present-day Xiangcheng City
, Henan
). News of the revolt reached the rival state of Eastern Wu
, and the Wu emperor Sun Liang
sent troops to support Guanqiu Jian. The Wu forces were led by their chancellor Sun Jun, Lü Ju
and Liu Zan (留贊). Sima Shi personally led an army to suppress the revolt. He sent the Inspector of Jing Province, Wang Ji
, to capture Nandun (南頓) before the rebels did. The armies led by Zhuge Dan
, Hu Zun (胡遵) and Deng Ai
arrived and merged with Sima Shi's main force. Sima Shi ordered his troops not to advance any further. Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin were unable to engage the enemy and were worried that they might be ambushed if they retreated back to Shouchun. As most of the rebels' families were in the region north of the Huai River
, their morale gradually plunged and they deserted. Only the newly recruited civilians remained in the rebel army.
At the same time, Deng Ai led his troops to garrison at Yuejia (樂嘉). Guanqiu Jian saw that Deng Ai's army was quite weak so he sent Wen Qin to attack. When Wen Qin reached there he saw that Sima Shi's main army had arrived so he ordered a retreat. Sima Shi sent his Chief Clerk Sima Ban (司馬班) to give chase. Wen Qin's army was routed and he managed to escape barely as his son Wen Yang fought bravely to protect him. The palace guard Yin Damu (尹大目) caught up with Wen Qin and attempted to persuade him to surrender but Wen refused. When Guanqiu Jian heard of Wen Qin's defeat, he escaped at night and his army was disbanded. Guanqiu Jian was later killed by a civilian called Zhang Shu (張屬) in Shen County (慎縣) and his head was sent to the capital Luoyang
. When Wen Qin returned to Xiang County (項縣) he saw that Shouchun had fallen to Zhuge Dan and the rebel army had disbanded. He fled to Eastern Wu. When the Wu forces led by Sun Jun arrived at Dongxing (present-day Dongxing
, Guangxi
), they heard that Shouchun had been overtaken by Zhuge Dan so they retreated as well. Zhuge Dan sent Jiang Ban (蔣班) to pursue and attack the retreating Wu forces. The Wu general Liu Zan was killed in the ensuing battle.
and Wen Qin
was suppressed, Sima Shi
died of illness and his second brother Sima Zhao
inherited his place in the Wei court. Shouchun was guarded by the East-Conquering General Zhuge Dan
after the second rebellion was suppressed. Zhuge Dan had witnessed the deaths of Wang Ling and Guanqiu Jian after their failed rebellions and he felt uneasy. He tried to increase his popularity amongst the people in the Huai River
region and gain their support. At the same time, he hired a group of bodyguards to protect himself.
Sima Zhao wanted to eliminate the remaining loyalists to the state, so he heeded Jia Chong
's advice to force Zhuge Dan to rebel. Zhuge Dan received an imperial decree to report to the Wei court and assume the post of Excellency of Works. However, Zhuge Dan became afraid after receiving the decree, so he killed the Inspector of Yang Province, Yue Lin, and rose in rebellion against Sima Zhao. He sent his Chief Clerk Wu Gang (吳綱) to Eastern Wu
with his son Zhuge Jing (諸葛靚) as a hostage, asking for reinforcements from Wu.
Sima Zhao personally led 260,000 troops to suppress the rebellion and stationed his army in Qiutou (丘頭). He sent Wang Ji
and Chen Qian (陳騫) to lead an army to besiege Shouchun. He sent Shi Bao (石苞), Hu Zhi (胡質) and Zhou Tai (州泰) to hold off the Eastern Wu forces. The Wu forces led by Wen Qin
, Tang Zi
and Quan Yì (全懌) managed to enter Shouchun before the encirclement by the Wei forces was completed. Subsequently, Wen Qin led his men to break out of the siege several times but failed. The Wu general Zhu Yi garrisoned at Anfeng (安豐), southwest of Shouchun, as backup, but was defeated by Zhou Tai. Sun Lin moved his army to Chaohu. He sent Zhu Yi, along with Ding Feng and Li Fei (黎斐) to break the siege on Shouchun, but were defeated by Shi Bao and Zhou Tai. The Wei general Hu Lie (胡烈) led a surprise attack on the Wu forces and succeeded in destroying the enemy's supplies.
Zhu Yi's army was unable to advance any further as they had lost their supplies. Sun Lin was furious and had Zhu Yi executed. Sun Lin then ordered a retreat to the Wu capital Jianye (present-day Nanjing
, Jiangsu
). Zhuge Dan's forces were besieged in Shouchun for a long time without any reinforcements arriving. Zhuge Dan's deputies Jiang Ban (蔣班) and Jiao Yi (焦彝) advised him to concentrate on attacking a single flank of the encirclement to break the siege. Wen Qin opposed the suggestion and insisted that Wu reinforcements will arrive soon. Zhuge Dan did not heed Jiang Ban and Jiao Yi's advice and wanted to kill them instead. Jiang Ban and Jiao Yi escaped from Shouchun and defected over to Sima Zhao's side. Sima Zhao followed Zhong Hui
's strategy, by faking letters from Quan Hui (全輝) and Quan Yí (全儀) to trick Quan Yī (全禕) and Quan Duan (全端) to surrender. When Quan Yī received the letters, he thought that they were real and surrendered to Sima Zhao. Zhuge Dan's forces were taken by surprise.
In the first lunar month of the second year, Zhuge Dan, Wen Qin and Tang Zi attempted to break out of the siege again but failed and suffered heavy casualties. By then, supplies in the city were running out soon and several troops had surrendered. Wen Qin suggested release the northerners and Wu forces in the city to conserve supplies. Zhuge Dan ignored Wen Qin's suggestion and had him killed in anger. Wen Qin's sons, Wen Yang and Wen Hu
, heard of their father's death and escaped from Shouchun and surrendered to Sima Zhao. The surrender of Wen Yang and Wen Hu caused the rebel army's morale to further plummet. In the second lunar month, Sima Zhao's forces succeeded in penetrating Shouchun. Zhuge Dan fled from the city and was killed by Hu Fen (胡奮)'s men during his escape. The Wu general Yu Quan
was killed in battle while Tang Zi and Wang Zuo (王祚) of Wu surrendered to Sima Zhao.
led a coup to oust Sima Zhao from power but failed and was killed by Sima's men. In 263, Wei invaded Shu
and annexed it within a year. Not long after Sima Zhao's death in 265, his son Sima Yan
forced the last Wei ruler, Cao Huan
, to abdicate in his favour, thus ending Wei's existence and founding the Western Jin Dynasty, which united the land after Wu
surrendered in 280.
Wei forces
of Koei's Dynasty Warriors
video game series.
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. The rebellions broke out in the later years of Cao Wei when the Sima clan, headed by Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
, usurped state power. The military leaders in charge of the city of Shouchun (present-day Shou County
Shou County
Shou County is a county in Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, under the jurisdiction of Lu'an City. It has population is 1,280,000 and its area is 2986 square kilometers...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
) rose in revolt thrice in the name of a punitive campaign to remove the Sima clan from power. The respective leaders of the three rebellions were Wang Ling, Guanqiu Jian
Guanqiu Jian
Guanqiu Jian , style name Zhonggong , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
and Wen Qin
Wen Qin
Wen Qin , style name Zhongruo , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the protector of Yang Province. Enraged at Sima Shi on the displacement of the emperor Cao Fang, then starting a rebellion with Guanqiu Jian. During the rebellion, Wen...
, and Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan , style named Gongxiu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. When he held military positions during his middle to late career, he got involved in all Three Rebellions in Shouchun, which aimed to drive the de facto ruler of Cao Wei, Sima...
. All the rebellions were eventually suppressed.
Background
In 249, during the Incident at Gaoping TombsIncident at Gaoping Tombs
The Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249 was a coup d'etat that occurred in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The parties involved were Cao Shuang and Sima Yi. Sima Yi seized power during the coup and had Cao Shuang killed...
, Sima Yi
Sima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
seized power from Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang
Cao Shuang , style name Zhaobo , was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Cao Zhen...
in a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
and had Cao's entire clan executed. Since then, the imperial authority of Cao Wei was controlled by the Simas. After Sima Yi's death, the power was inherited by his oldest son Sima Shi
Sima Shi
Sima Shi , style name Ziyuan , was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, allowing the Sima family to become paramount authority in the state, and he...
, and was later passed on to his second son Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
when Sima Shi died.
Wang Ling's rebellion
After the Incident at Gaoping TombsIncident at Gaoping Tombs
The Incident at Gaoping Tombs in 249 was a coup d'etat that occurred in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The parties involved were Cao Shuang and Sima Yi. Sima Yi seized power during the coup and had Cao Shuang killed...
, Sima Yi promoted Wang Ling, the general in charge of Shouchun, to the rank of Grand Commandant. Wang Ling and his nephew Linghu Yu (令狐愚) felt that the emperor Cao Fang
Cao Fang
Cao Fang , formally known as Duke Li of Shaoling, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He retained the title Prince of Qi after he was deposed by the regent Sima Shi...
was too young to rule, and saw that Sima Yi was actually the one in control of state power. They planned to depose Cao Fang and replace him with the Prince of Chu, Cao Biao (曹彪). Linghu Yu sent his subordinate Zhang Shi (張式) to contact Cao Biao.
In 251, Wang Ling seized the opportunity to send a petition to the Wei court, asking for permission to attack Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
forces in Tushui (塗水). The campaign against Wu was actually a mask for Wang Ling's intention to rebel. Wang Ling did not receive any reply so he sent Yang Hong (楊弘) to inform Huang Hua (黃華), the Inspector of Yan Province, of their plans, in hope that Huang would support him. However, Yang Hong and Huang Hua reported Wang Ling to Sima Yi instead. Sima Yi then personally led an army to suppress the revolt. Wang Ling was aware that he was outmatched so he agreed to surrender after Sima Yi promised to pardon him for treason. Wang Ling knew that he would be sentenced to death anyway, so he committed suicide while being escorted as a prisoner on the way to the capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. Wang Ling's clan was also exterminated and Cao Biao was ordered to commit suicide.
Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion
Sima YiSima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
died in 251 and his oldest son Sima Shi
Sima Shi
Sima Shi , style name Ziyuan , was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, allowing the Sima family to become paramount authority in the state, and he...
inherited his position in the Wei political arena. In 254, Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan
Xiahou Xuan
Xiahou Xuan , style name Taichu , was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the son of Xiahou Shang. Xiahou Xuan's mother was Cao Shuang's aunt , and thus he was close to Cao Shuang's faction. Despite this, he survived the overthrow and execution of Cao...
and Zhang Ji (張緝) planned to overthrow Sima Shi, but their plan was leaked out and they were all executed. The emperor Cao Fang
Cao Fang
Cao Fang , formally known as Duke Li of Shaoling, was the third emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He retained the title Prince of Qi after he was deposed by the regent Sima Shi...
was unhappy with Sima Shi's authoritarian attitude and incurred the displeasure of Sima. Months later, Sima Shi deposed Cao Fang and replaced him with Cao Mao
Cao Mao
Cao Mao , formally known as the Duke of Gaogui, was the fourth emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a grandson of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi. Described as intelligent and studious, Cao Mao made repeated attempts to seize back state power...
. General Guanqiu Jian
Guanqiu Jian
Guanqiu Jian , style name Zhonggong , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
, who was stationed in Shouchun, and the Inspector of Yang Province, Wen Qin
Wen Qin
Wen Qin , style name Zhongruo , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the protector of Yang Province. Enraged at Sima Shi on the displacement of the emperor Cao Fang, then starting a rebellion with Guanqiu Jian. During the rebellion, Wen...
, heard news about the deaths of Li Feng, Xiahou Xuan and Zhang Ji, and became afraid of being implicated. Guanqiu Jian's son, Guanqiu Xun
Guanqiu Xun
Guanqiu Xun was the son of Guanqiu Jian, a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-See also:*List of people of the Three Kingdoms...
, kept persuading his father to stage a military uprising to defend their state's sovereignty from Sima Shi.
The following year, Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin rose in revolt in Shouchun in the name of starting a punitive war against Sima Shi and attacked Xiangcheng (present-day Xiangcheng City
Xiangcheng City
Xiangcheng is a county-level city in Zhoukou, Henan, People's Republic of China. It borders Shenqiu to the east, Shangcai to the west, Huaiyang to the north, Pingyu to the southeast, and the province of Anhui on all other sides.Xiangcheng is known to be the birthplace of the first president of the...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). News of the revolt reached the rival state of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
, and the Wu emperor Sun Liang
Sun Liang
Sun Liang was the second emperor of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the founding emperor Sun Quan's youngest son and heir...
sent troops to support Guanqiu Jian. The Wu forces were led by their chancellor Sun Jun, Lü Ju
Lu Ju
Lü Ju , style name Shiyi , was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the second son of Lü Fan. When the Wei army invaded Wu's territory after the death of Sun Quan, Lü Ju went out to battle along with Dong Xing, under the command...
and Liu Zan (留贊). Sima Shi personally led an army to suppress the revolt. He sent the Inspector of Jing Province, Wang Ji
Wang Ji (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Ji , style name Boyu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Wang became famous in Cao Wei for suppressing Guanqiu Jian's revolt. During Zhuge Dan's rebellion, Wang led the vanguard, defeating both Zhu Yi and Tang Zi and killing Yu Quan. It is...
, to capture Nandun (南頓) before the rebels did. The armies led by Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan , style named Gongxiu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. When he held military positions during his middle to late career, he got involved in all Three Rebellions in Shouchun, which aimed to drive the de facto ruler of Cao Wei, Sima...
, Hu Zun (胡遵) and Deng Ai
Deng Ai
Deng Ai was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. It was said that whenever he saw a hill or wide valley, he would immediately size up the best places to store grain and position troops. His talent was recognized by Sima Yi, who recommended him to take up...
arrived and merged with Sima Shi's main force. Sima Shi ordered his troops not to advance any further. Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin were unable to engage the enemy and were worried that they might be ambushed if they retreated back to Shouchun. As most of the rebels' families were in the region north of the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
, their morale gradually plunged and they deserted. Only the newly recruited civilians remained in the rebel army.
At the same time, Deng Ai led his troops to garrison at Yuejia (樂嘉). Guanqiu Jian saw that Deng Ai's army was quite weak so he sent Wen Qin to attack. When Wen Qin reached there he saw that Sima Shi's main army had arrived so he ordered a retreat. Sima Shi sent his Chief Clerk Sima Ban (司馬班) to give chase. Wen Qin's army was routed and he managed to escape barely as his son Wen Yang fought bravely to protect him. The palace guard Yin Damu (尹大目) caught up with Wen Qin and attempted to persuade him to surrender but Wen refused. When Guanqiu Jian heard of Wen Qin's defeat, he escaped at night and his army was disbanded. Guanqiu Jian was later killed by a civilian called Zhang Shu (張屬) in Shen County (慎縣) and his head was sent to the capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. When Wen Qin returned to Xiang County (項縣) he saw that Shouchun had fallen to Zhuge Dan and the rebel army had disbanded. He fled to Eastern Wu. When the Wu forces led by Sun Jun arrived at Dongxing (present-day Dongxing
Dongxing, Guangxi
-Climate:...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
), they heard that Shouchun had been overtaken by Zhuge Dan so they retreated as well. Zhuge Dan sent Jiang Ban (蔣班) to pursue and attack the retreating Wu forces. The Wu general Liu Zan was killed in the ensuing battle.
Zhuge Dan's rebellion
Not long after the revolt by Guanqiu JianGuanqiu Jian
Guanqiu Jian , style name Zhonggong , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
and Wen Qin
Wen Qin
Wen Qin , style name Zhongruo , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the protector of Yang Province. Enraged at Sima Shi on the displacement of the emperor Cao Fang, then starting a rebellion with Guanqiu Jian. During the rebellion, Wen...
was suppressed, Sima Shi
Sima Shi
Sima Shi , style name Ziyuan , was a military general and regent of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In 249, he assisted his father Sima Yi in overthrowing the emperor Cao Fang's regent Cao Shuang, allowing the Sima family to become paramount authority in the state, and he...
died of illness and his second brother Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao
Sima Zhao was a military general, politician and regent of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
inherited his place in the Wei court. Shouchun was guarded by the East-Conquering General Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan
Zhuge Dan , style named Gongxiu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. When he held military positions during his middle to late career, he got involved in all Three Rebellions in Shouchun, which aimed to drive the de facto ruler of Cao Wei, Sima...
after the second rebellion was suppressed. Zhuge Dan had witnessed the deaths of Wang Ling and Guanqiu Jian after their failed rebellions and he felt uneasy. He tried to increase his popularity amongst the people in the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
region and gain their support. At the same time, he hired a group of bodyguards to protect himself.
Sima Zhao wanted to eliminate the remaining loyalists to the state, so he heeded Jia Chong
Jia Chong
Jia Chong , style name Gonglü , formally known as Duke Wu of Lu , was an official of the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history...
's advice to force Zhuge Dan to rebel. Zhuge Dan received an imperial decree to report to the Wei court and assume the post of Excellency of Works. However, Zhuge Dan became afraid after receiving the decree, so he killed the Inspector of Yang Province, Yue Lin, and rose in rebellion against Sima Zhao. He sent his Chief Clerk Wu Gang (吳綱) to Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
with his son Zhuge Jing (諸葛靚) as a hostage, asking for reinforcements from Wu.
Sima Zhao personally led 260,000 troops to suppress the rebellion and stationed his army in Qiutou (丘頭). He sent Wang Ji
Wang Ji (Three Kingdoms)
Wang Ji , style name Boyu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Wang became famous in Cao Wei for suppressing Guanqiu Jian's revolt. During Zhuge Dan's rebellion, Wang led the vanguard, defeating both Zhu Yi and Tang Zi and killing Yu Quan. It is...
and Chen Qian (陳騫) to lead an army to besiege Shouchun. He sent Shi Bao (石苞), Hu Zhi (胡質) and Zhou Tai (州泰) to hold off the Eastern Wu forces. The Wu forces led by Wen Qin
Wen Qin
Wen Qin , style name Zhongruo , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served as the protector of Yang Province. Enraged at Sima Shi on the displacement of the emperor Cao Fang, then starting a rebellion with Guanqiu Jian. During the rebellion, Wen...
, Tang Zi
Tang Zi
Tang Zi was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Once, Tang was sent to lead reinforcements to assist Zhuge Dan's rebellion against the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao. After Zhuge's defeat, Tang defected to Cao Wei and rose to a prominent position in the...
and Quan Yì (全懌) managed to enter Shouchun before the encirclement by the Wei forces was completed. Subsequently, Wen Qin led his men to break out of the siege several times but failed. The Wu general Zhu Yi garrisoned at Anfeng (安豐), southwest of Shouchun, as backup, but was defeated by Zhou Tai. Sun Lin moved his army to Chaohu. He sent Zhu Yi, along with Ding Feng and Li Fei (黎斐) to break the siege on Shouchun, but were defeated by Shi Bao and Zhou Tai. The Wei general Hu Lie (胡烈) led a surprise attack on the Wu forces and succeeded in destroying the enemy's supplies.
Zhu Yi's army was unable to advance any further as they had lost their supplies. Sun Lin was furious and had Zhu Yi executed. Sun Lin then ordered a retreat to the Wu capital Jianye (present-day Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). Zhuge Dan's forces were besieged in Shouchun for a long time without any reinforcements arriving. Zhuge Dan's deputies Jiang Ban (蔣班) and Jiao Yi (焦彝) advised him to concentrate on attacking a single flank of the encirclement to break the siege. Wen Qin opposed the suggestion and insisted that Wu reinforcements will arrive soon. Zhuge Dan did not heed Jiang Ban and Jiao Yi's advice and wanted to kill them instead. Jiang Ban and Jiao Yi escaped from Shouchun and defected over to Sima Zhao's side. Sima Zhao followed Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui
Zhong Hui was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhong Yao, a calligrapher and politician of Wei....
's strategy, by faking letters from Quan Hui (全輝) and Quan Yí (全儀) to trick Quan Yī (全禕) and Quan Duan (全端) to surrender. When Quan Yī received the letters, he thought that they were real and surrendered to Sima Zhao. Zhuge Dan's forces were taken by surprise.
In the first lunar month of the second year, Zhuge Dan, Wen Qin and Tang Zi attempted to break out of the siege again but failed and suffered heavy casualties. By then, supplies in the city were running out soon and several troops had surrendered. Wen Qin suggested release the northerners and Wu forces in the city to conserve supplies. Zhuge Dan ignored Wen Qin's suggestion and had him killed in anger. Wen Qin's sons, Wen Yang and Wen Hu
Wen Hu
Wen Hu was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Wen Hu was the son of Wen Qin. Wen Hu joined his father when he assisted Zhuge Dan in rebelling against the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao...
, heard of their father's death and escaped from Shouchun and surrendered to Sima Zhao. The surrender of Wen Yang and Wen Hu caused the rebel army's morale to further plummet. In the second lunar month, Sima Zhao's forces succeeded in penetrating Shouchun. Zhuge Dan fled from the city and was killed by Hu Fen (胡奮)'s men during his escape. The Wu general Yu Quan
Yu Quan
Yu Quan was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:When the Cao Wei general Zhuge Dan rebelled against the regent Sima Zhao, Yu was appointed to lead an army to Shouchun to support Zhuge. Wang Ji, a general under Sima, asked Yu if he wished...
was killed in battle while Tang Zi and Wang Zuo (王祚) of Wu surrendered to Sima Zhao.
Aftermath
The failure of the three rebellions strengthened the influence of the Sima clan in Wei as several loyalists to the state were eliminated. After the rebellions, most officials in Wei turned to support Sima Zhao. In 260, the emperor Cao MaoCao Mao
Cao Mao , formally known as the Duke of Gaogui, was the fourth emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a grandson of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi. Described as intelligent and studious, Cao Mao made repeated attempts to seize back state power...
led a coup to oust Sima Zhao from power but failed and was killed by Sima's men. In 263, Wei invaded Shu
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
and annexed it within a year. Not long after Sima Zhao's death in 265, his son Sima Yan
Emperor Wu of Jìn
Emperor Wu of Jin, , personal name Sima Yan , style name Anshi , was the grandson of Sima Yi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin Dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, last ruler of the state of Cao Wei, to abdicate to him. He reigned from 265 to 290, and after conquering the...
forced the last Wei ruler, Cao Huan
Cáo Huàn
Cao Huan , formally known as Emperor Yuan of Wei, was the fifth and last emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
, to abdicate in his favour, thus ending Wei's existence and founding the Western Jin Dynasty, which united the land after Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
surrendered in 280.
Wang Ling's rebellion
Wang Ling forces Wang Ling-
- Linghu Yu (令狐愚)
- Zhang Shi (張式)
Wei forces
- Sima YiSima YiSima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
- Huang Hua (黃華)
- Yang Hong (楊弘), reported Wang Ling to Sima Yi
Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin's rebellion
Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin forces Guanqiu Jian Guanqiu Jian Guanqiu Jian , style name Zhonggong , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:...
Wu forces
} Liu Zan (留贊) |
Wei forces
|
Zhuge Dan's rebellion
Zhuge Dan forces Zhuge Dan Zhuge Dan Zhuge Dan , style named Gongxiu , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. When he held military positions during his middle to late career, he got involved in all Three Rebellions in Shouchun, which aimed to drive the de facto ruler of Cao Wei, Sima... } Jiang Ban (蔣班) } Jiao Yi (焦彝) Wu forces
} Wen Yang } Wen Hu Wen Hu Wen Hu was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Wen Hu was the son of Wen Qin. Wen Hu joined his father when he assisted Zhuge Dan in rebelling against the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao... } Quan Yì (全懌) } Quan Duan (全端) } Tang Zi Tang Zi Tang Zi was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Once, Tang was sent to lead reinforcements to assist Zhuge Dan's rebellion against the Cao Wei regent Sima Zhao. After Zhuge's defeat, Tang defected to Cao Wei and rose to a prominent position in the... } Wang Zuo (王祚) } Yu Quan Yu Quan Yu Quan was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:When the Cao Wei general Zhuge Dan rebelled against the regent Sima Zhao, Yu was appointed to lead an army to Shouchun to support Zhuge. Wang Ji, a general under Sima, asked Yu if he wished... |
Wei forces
|
Modern references
All the three rebellions were featured as playable stages in the seventh installmentDynasty Warriors 7
is a hack and slash video game and the seventh official installment of the Dynasty Warriors series. It is developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game has been confirmed to be PS3 exclusive in Japan. The story is based on Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms....
of Koei's Dynasty Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
video game series.