During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang was in charge of the military and political power of Shu Han, and he unswervingly wanted to revive the Han dynasty and end the rule of Cao Wei. In order to achieve this goal, he personally led tens of thousands of elite divisions along the hidden Golden Bull Road to Chencang, an important town of the Wei army. However, this small city became a stumbling block for Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition.
An unknown Wei general Hao Zhao, led a defender of more than 1,000 people, and was impregnable in Chencang City, and he simply resisted the fierce offensive of the Shu army. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle of attack and defense around the city, where wit and courage were contested. Zhuge Liang used all kinds of strategies, but he was never able to break through this fortified city. Even the secret plan to dig tunnels was discovered by Hao Zhao, and in the end the Shu army had to withdraw. This battle brought huge losses to Shu Han, but what kind of battle made it impossible for the 40,000 Shu army to capture a small city?
The strategic layout of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition
As a military strategist and politician of the Shu Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang has always had the ambition of reviving the Han dynasty after taking charge of the military and political power. He knew that in order to achieve this goal, he must first get rid of the predicament of being surrounded by Cao Wei and open a way out to the Central Plains. Therefore, the Northern Expedition has become the top priority of Zhuge Liang's strategic deployment.
Before the Second Northern Expedition, Zhuge Liang repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, and finally decided to abandon the Qishan route that he had often taken before and take a more hidden Golden Bull Road instead. The route was winding and rugged, making it difficult to march, but it was able to avoid the main Wei defense line and penetrate directly under the city of Chencang. Zhuge Liang knows very well that only by surprise can he attack his must.
In order to ensure the concealment of the march, Zhuge Liang strictly required the whole army to maintain absolute discipline, and no one should have the slightest omission. The Shu soldiers carried only the simplest outfits and weapons, and all other surplus supplies were strictly forbidden to ensure the mobility of the march. Throughout the march, Zhuge Liang always sent scout squads to explore the way, and he personally saw every report on the enemy's situation to make the most accurate strategic decisions.
In this way, the Shu army was like a ghost walking at night, quietly passing through many checkpoints, and finally arrived at the city of Chencang. Zhuge Liang ordered the whole army to be deployed immediately, and he knew that this surprise attack must be taken by surprise in order to achieve a decisive victory.
When the army of the Shu army pressed the border, the defenders in Chencang City did not panic at all. Above the city, a general in battle armor was inspecting the city defenses, he was Hao Zhao, the defender of this small city. Although the strength of the Shu army was several times that of his own, Hao Zhao had no fear, and he ordered the whole city to be on guard and prepare for the attack of the Shu army.
Faced with such a strong city, Zhuge Liang did not rush to war, but first sent people to persuade him to surrender. However, Hao Zhao turned a blind eye to the persuasion of the Shu army to surrender, and he firmly stated that even if he was martyred, he would never surrender to the Shu army. Seeing that there was no hope of persuasion, Zhuge Liang had no choice but to order a full-scale war, and a tragic offensive and defensive battle began.
Preparations for the defense of Chen Cangcheng
In the face of the sudden attack of the Shu army, although the defenders in Chencang City were few in number, they did not panic at all. All this is due to the wise command and careful deployment of Hao Zhao, the general of the Wei army.
Hao Zhao was originally just an obscure miscellaneous general, and he was not prominent in the Wei army. However, his mastery of military defense and loyalty to duty led him to play a key role in the campaign. As early as before the Shu army arrived, Hao Zhao had already begun to strengthen the fortifications of Chencang City.
First, he ordered his soldiers to repair the walls, renovate the dilapidated walls, and add firing holes at key points to allow the defenders to shoot arrows and counterattack. At the same time, the city was thoroughly cleaned up, and all weak points that could be attacked were reinforced.
Secondly, Hao Zhao strictly controlled the material reserves in the city. He ordered all the grain, grass, weapons, and other military supplies to be stored in the cellars, and heavily guarded them to ensure that these precious resources were not destroyed or wasted. At the same time, he also organized personnel to carry out a thorough overhaul of the wells in the city to ensure that there were sufficient reserves of fresh water in the city for long-term fighting.
In terms of personnel, Hao Zhao carried out strict training and management of the defenders. He personally made his rounds, reviewing the martial arts of his soldiers and severely punishing those who did not behave well. At the same time, he encouraged the defenders from time to time to build up their determination to win.
In order to deal with the various siege methods that the Shu army might take, Hao Zhao also made careful preparations. He organized a large number of rockets, incendiary bombs, and other improvised weapons in the city in case of emergency. At the same time, he also ordered his soldiers to prepare a large number of stone mills and ropes in order to throw them down and inflict heavy damage when the Shu army attacked the city.
At the same time that Hao Zhao was commanding the city defense work, the army of the Shu army had already begun to approach Chencang City. When the vanguard of the Shu army arrived at the city, they were surprised to find that this small city, which originally seemed to be ordinary, had now been strengthened as a fortified city made of steel. On top of the city walls, arrows are stacked, and soldiers are armed with spears, ready for battle.
Facing the forced gaze of the Shu army, Hao Zhao did not show any panic. He personally ascended to the top of the city, inspected the surrounding defenses, and issued a final order to the defenders: "Today's battle will determine our life and death! Although our numbers are small, the sharp sword in our hands will surely cut off the enemy's sharp spirit! Don't forget Cao Wei's kindness, don't disgrace the glory of the soldiers! Defend Chen Cang to the death with one heart and one mind with me!"
A duel of wits between the two sides
In the offensive and defensive battle of Chen Cangcheng, Zhuge Liang and Hao Zhao, two military experts, launched a protracted battle of wisdom. Both sides have exerted all their skills in the use of tactics and strategic arrangements, making this battle unique.
Zhuge Liang, as the most outstanding strategist in the Shu Han army, was naturally the leader in the use of wisdom in this battle. In the early days of the siege, he ordered the Shu army to build tall ladders and strong rushing carts, preparing to directly attack the city gates. But soon, he discovered the tightness of Hao Zhao's defense, and a simple direct siege of the city would not work.
So, Zhuge Liang turned to a more secretive tactic - digging tunnels. He selected a special force of experienced miners and ordered them to quietly dig a tunnel through the city and outside the city at night. The unit was divided into several squads and worked on a rotational basis to ensure the continuity of the work.
In order to hide their eyes, they put the excavated earth into sacks, then quietly transported it, and disguised it as a wasteland at the entrance of the tunnel to avoid being discovered by the Wei army. The whole project was carried out so silently that even the defenders of the city were unaware. Zhuge Liang himself often personally went to the tunnel construction site to inspect and check the progress of the project.
However, despite Zhuge Liang's meticulous plan, Hao Zhao, a scheming Wei general, soon discovered the conspiracy of the Shu army. One night, Hao Zhao suddenly heard a faint sound of digging under the city, and he immediately realized that the Shu army might be secretly digging tunnels.
In response to this crisis, Hao Zhao immediately deployed a countermeasure plan. He ordered the defenders to dig a deep horizontal ditch in the city, with the aim of cutting off the Shu army's tunnels. At the same time, he also sent an elite team to monitor suspicious movements outside the city at all times in case there was any abnormal movement of the Shu army.
The underground war between the two sides began. The miners of the Shu army stepped up the progress of the project, and they worked continuously day and night, for fear of being discovered and obstructed by the Wei army. And the defenders in the city are also digging horizontal ditches day and night, and they use all their strength, hoping to cut off the tunnels of the Shu army as soon as possible.
In this invisible battle, both sides showed tenacious perseverance and extraordinary resourcefulness. The miners of the Shu army struggled through the narrow tunnels, lit only by dim lights, thin air, and harsh conditions. But they gritted their teeth and pushed forward little by little, eager to break through.
And the defenders in the city are also racing against time, they dig horizontal ditches in the shadow of the city wall, and always watch out for the sneak attack of the Shu army. Hao Zhao personally supervised the battle, inspected the construction site from time to time, and spurred morale. At one point, he even went down to the ditch to observe the situation to ensure the quality of the work.
Just when the two sides were back and forth, Hao Zhao's defenders finally had the opportunity to win. One day, when they were digging a horizontal ditch, they suddenly heard a faint knocking sound, and it turned out that the tunnel of the Shu army had been dug nearby! The defenders immediately accelerated the progress of the project, and soon completely cut off the tunnel of the Shu army.
When the Shu miners dug to the end, they were shocked to find that the road ahead had been cut off by a deep ditch, and the ditch was also covered with sharp wooden stakes, and it was heavily defended. Their efforts were in vain.
After Zhuge Liang learned of this, although he was convinced by Hao Zhao's resourcefulness, he also felt deep regret and helplessness. He had to abandon the tunnel plan and consider other siege methods instead. Hao Zhao, on the other hand, was greatly boosted by this victory, and strengthened his determination to defend Chen Cang.
The final outcome of the campaign and its implications
Although the Battle of Chencang was only an episode of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, its results and impact were far from being a small offensive and defensive battle that could be summed up. This battle not only determined the defeat of Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition, but also greatly affected the later military trend of Shu Han.
After a siege that lasted for more than 20 days, Zhuge Liang finally made the decision to withdraw his troops. This decision was not taken lightly, but was based on the actual situation at the time. The casualties of the Shu army under the city of Chencang were already beyond the controllable range, and the grain, grass and supply lines were even more precarious. At the same time, the reinforcements of the Wei army were already on the way, and if they were to rest on their laurels, the Shu army would likely fall into the predicament of being flanked from front to back.
Faced with such a grim situation, Zhuge Liang had to abandon this seemingly impregnable small city. He ordered the whole army to retreat in an orderly manner and slowly move north along the Golden Bull Road where they came. Along the way, the wounded of the Shu army continued to increase, and there was little grain and grass left. Fortunately, Zhuge Liang was prepared, and he set up a number of supply stations along the way, providing reliable logistics support for the withdrawal of troops.
In this way, the Shu army left the city of Chencang in a mess. Although Hao Zhao in the city was victorious, his defenders also paid a heavy price. The city of Chencang is full of traces left by the Shu army when it attacked the city, the city wall was destroyed by artillery fire, and the city was covered with corpses. Hao Zhao himself was seriously injured in the battle, and although he finally saved the city, he also paid the price with his life.
The retreat of the Shu army was undoubtedly a major setback for Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition. He originally hoped to use the hidden road of the Golden Bull Road to break through the heart of the Wei army and open the road to the Central Plains. However, the defeat in the Battle of Chencang made his plan go to waste. However, Zhuge Liang did not give up, and he immediately began to plan the next Northern Expedition.
At the same time, the outcome of the Battle of Chencang also gave Cao Wei a new understanding of the threat posed by Shu Han. They realized that although the population of Shu Han was withered, under the leadership of Zhuge Liang, the military strength should not be underestimated. In order to prevent the further expansion of Shu Han, Cao Wei strengthened the defense of the border and sent a large army to garrison the fortress to guard against the surprise attack of the Shu army.
In the following years, Zhuge Liang did launch several Northern Expeditions, but none of them were able to achieve decisive victories. It was not until 227 AD that Zhuge Liang died of illness in the army during the Fifth Northern Expedition, and Shu Han's dream of the Northern Expedition was completely shattered. However, Zhuge Liang's efforts during his lifetime were not entirely in vain, and although his Northern Expedition strategy was not realized, it greatly depleted Cao Wei's national strength and won a precious respite for future generations of Shu Han.
Looking back at the Battle of Chencang, it is not difficult for us to find that the victory or defeat of this battle was actually determined by the strategy and command ability of the generals on both sides. Although Zhuge Liang had a strong army, his siege strategy was too simple to take full advantage of the Shu army, while Hao Zhao finally defused the Shu army's attack with careful deployment of the city defense and flexible tactics.
It is precisely because of the contest of wisdom and courage of the generals on both sides that the battle of Chencang will be so tragic and unforgettable. It not only witnessed the superb strategy of the military strategists during the Three Kingdoms period, but also demonstrated the loyalty and dedication of the soldiers to the country and ideals. Although the outcome of this battle was only an episode on the road of the Northern Expedition of Shu Han, its impact went far beyond the battlefield itself, and had a profound impact on the Three Kingdoms period and even the entire historical process.