Eastern Wu campaign against Cao Wei (241)

Eastern Wu campaign against Cao Wei
Part of the wars of the Three Kingdoms period
Date Fourth–sixth lunar months of 241 Location Shou County, Lu'an, Anhui; Fancheng and Xiangzhou districts, Xiangyang, Hubei, China Result Cao Wei victory
Belligerents
Cao Wei	Eastern Wu
Commanders and leaders
Sima Yi Wang Ling Sun Li Hu Zhi	Sun Quan Quan Cong Zhuge Ke Zhu Ran Zhuge Jin

The Eastern Wu campaign against Cao Wei was a military offensive launched in 241 by the state of Eastern Wu against its rival state, Cao Wei, during the Three Kingdoms period in China. The campaign was initiated by Wu's founding emperor, Sun Quan, two years after the death of the second Wei emperor, Cao Rui. The campaign ended in overall failure.

In the spring of 241, when Sun Quan was preparing for an offensive on Wei, Yin Zha (殷札), the Administrator of the Wu-controlled Lingling Commandery (零陵郡; present-day Lingling District, Yongzhou, Hunan), advised him to attack Wei in coordination with Wu's ally state, Shu Han. According to Yin Zha's suggested plan, the Shu forces would attack Wei from the west of Chang'an, while the Wu forces would attack Wei from three directions: Zhuge Jin and Zhu Ran to attack Xiangyang Commandery (襄陽郡; present-day Xiangyang, Hubei); Lu Xun and Zhu Huan to attack Shouchun (壽春; present-day Shou County, Lu'an, Anhui); Sun Quan to attack the Huaiyang (淮陽) region and enter Xu Province. Yin Zha explained that this coordinated campaign would wear down Wei's defences because they were unable to fend off attacks from different fronts. However, Sun Quan did not follow his plan.

In the fourth lunar month, Wu forces attacked Wei at four different locations: Quan Cong attacked the Huainan region and clashed with Wei forces at Quebei (芍陂; south of present-day Shou County, Lu'an, Anhui); Zhuge Ke attacked Lu'an; Zhu Ran attacked Fancheng (樊城; present-day Fancheng District, Xiangyang, Hubei); Zhuge Jin attacked Zuzhong (柤中; in present-day Xiangyang, Hubei). On the Wei side, Wang Ling and Sun Li led troops to resist Quan Cong at Quebei, defeated him, and drove him back. Hu Zhi (胡質) also led lightly-armed forces from Jing Province to reinforce Fancheng. Someone warned Hu Zhi that the Wu forces attacking Fancheng had superiority in numbers and advised him to refrain from resisting them. However, Hu Zhi said, "The defences at Fancheng are weak. We should advance there to reinforce them, or else there will be big trouble." Having said that, he led his troops to Fancheng and restored stability in Fancheng.

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