Battle of Yiling
222 CE · Xiaoting, Yiling (around modern Yichang, Hubei) · China · Ancient
Lu Xun held out until the enemy was exhausted, then burned the linked camps and crushed the Shu army
Belligerents
Eastern Wu
- Commanders
- Lu Xun
- Strength
- Wu army, about 50,000
Shu Han
- Commanders
- Liu Bei
- Strength
- Shu army, about 40,000-50,000
Background
After Guan Yu lost Jingzhou and was killed, Liu Bei marched east against Wu to avenge him and retake Jingzhou. Lu Xun avoided the enemy's spearhead and held fast, waiting for the Shu army to grow tired and push deep.
Course of the battle
- Shu campaign eastLiu Bei led his army down the Yangtze deep into Wu territory, with camps strung out for hundreds of li
- Lu Xun holds outLu Xun avoided battle and held fast, maintaining a stalemate with the Shu army into midsummer
- Burned the linked campsLu Xun used the wind to set fire to the linked camps, and the Shu army was routed and fled back to Baidicheng
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 222 CE |
|---|---|
| Place | Xiaoting, Yiling (around present-day Yichang, Hubei) |
| Result | Lu Xun held out until the enemy was exhausted, then burned the linked camps and crushed the Shu army |
| Winner | Eastern Wu |
| Casualties | The Shu army was almost entirely annihilated, losing nearly all its boats and equipment |
| Territorial change | Shu Han was gravely weakened and its eastward ambitions were checked, while the Wu–Shu border stabilized |
Impact
One of the three great battles of the Three Kingdoms period, it crippled Shu Han and consolidated the tripartite division.
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