Biography
Early life
Guanqiu Jian was born in Wenxi, Hedong Commandery (present-day Wenxi County, Shanxi).
His courtesy name was Zhonggong.
His father was Guanqiu Xing, who served as Administrator of Wuwei and Director of Palace Construction and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Gaoyang.
Guanqiu Jian inherited his father’s marquis title.
Service under Cao Pi
During the Huangchu era (220-226), Guanqiu Jian was selected by Cao Pi, Emperor Wen of Wei, to serve as Literary Adviser to the Prince of Pingyuan (Cao Rui, the future Emperor Ming of Wei).
He served alongside Zheng Cheng, Wei Zhen, and other famous teachers and officials responsible for the prince’s education.
Service under Cao Rui
In 226 CE, Cao Rui succeeded to the throne as Emperor Ming of Wei.
Because Guanqiu Jian had served in the Eastern Palace for six years, he was deeply trusted by Cao Rui.
His career progressed smoothly.
He successively served as Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, Commandant of the Feathered Forest, and Director of Agriculture of Luoyang.
Literary works
Guanqiu Jian wrote “Rhapsody on the Dew-Receiving Plate” and “Inscription on the Dew-Receiving Plate.”
He once wrote inscriptions for the famous Han dynasty bronze immortal dew-receiving plate together with Cao Zhi, Prince of Yongqiu.
After gaining fame, he became acquainted with Xiahou Xuan, Ji Kang, and other famous scholars.
Remonstrance against palace construction
At that time, Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu Han, was launching northern expeditions.
Emperor Ming was undertaking large-scale construction projects.
Gao Rou, Wang Lang, and other ministers repeatedly remonstrated against this.
Guanqiu Jian was among them.
He pointed out: “In my humble opinion, what should be eliminated first in the realm are the two bandits Wu and Shu. What should be sought most is abundant food and clothing. Now, the two bandits Wu and Shu have not been eliminated, and the people are still suffering from hunger and cold. Even if the palaces are beautiful, there is no benefit.”
Emperor Ming promoted him to Inspector of Jing Province to guard Xiangyang.
Campaign against Gongsun Yuan
In 235 CE, the third year of Qinglong, Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of Shu Han, died, and the western front was temporarily quiet.
Guanqiu Jian, understanding the emperor’s intentions, memorialized to campaign against Liaodong.
He proposed a detailed military plan.
To strengthen the emperor’s resolve, he concluded: “Since Your Majesty succeeded to the throne, there has been nothing worthy of being recorded in history. Wu and Shu rely on natural barriers to resist Great Wei. The court has repeatedly used troops over the years but has never eliminated them. We should take advantage of this period of truce to shift our strategic focus elsewhere and recover Liaodong.”
Appointment as Inspector of You Province
Wei Zhen and other close ministers believed that Gongsun Yuan was powerful and Guanqiu Jian’s plan was too risky.
They firmly opposed it.
However, Emperor Ming had long been dissatisfied with Gongsun Yuan’s separatist rule in Liaodong and his ambiguous attitude between Wei and Wu.
He already had the intention to campaign against Liaodong.
He praised Guanqiu Jian for having ability and strategy and gladly adopted his plan.
He appointed Guanqiu Jian as Inspector of You Province, promoted him to General Who Crosses the Liao, and granted him imperial credentials and the position of Protector of the Wuhuan.
From then on, Guanqiu Jian officially began his military career.
First campaign against Liaodong
In 236 CE, the fourth year of Qinglong, after Guanqiu Jian had repeatedly impeached Gongsun Yuan, he finally received Emperor Ming’s approval to use troops against Liaodong Commandery.
Through diplomatic means, he persuaded Kou Loudun, Wuhuan chieftain of Youbeiping, Wang Huliu, Wuhuan commander of Liaoxi, and those who had followed Yuan Shang into exile in Liaodong, totaling more than five thousand followers, to surrender.
After removing Gongsun Yuan’s potential allies, he secretly led the combined forces of You Province, Xianbei, and Wuhuan to Xiangping (the commandery seat of Liaodong Commandery).
They reached Liaosui nearby, set up an ambush, and sent people with letters and seals to summon Gongsun Yuan to the capital to report on his duties.
Everything proceeded according to plan, waiting only for Gongsun Yuan to submit or come out of the city.
Gongsun Yuan’s resistance
However, the army’s movements leaked, which alarmed Gongsun Yuan.
Because he had previously shown disrespect to Luoyang, he was already like a startled bird.
When he discovered the Wei army lying in ambush, he was both shocked and angry.
He falsely claimed that the Inspector of You Province was falsely transmitting the imperial edict and plotting to harm him.
He used this as an excuse to refuse to obey the edict and sent troops to resist the Wei army.
The battle at Liaosui
The two armies fought at Liaosui.
The battle dragged on for a long time.
Then there was ten days of heavy rain, and the Liao River flooded.
Although the Wei army had come prepared, the Liaodong army occupied favourable terrain and weather.
The war was extremely difficult, and victory and defeat were hard to determine.
After reading the battle report, Emperor Ming ordered Guanqiu Jian to immediately withdraw the army and retreat to Beiping to wait for reinforcements from Luoyang for a second campaign.
Second campaign against Liaodong
After the first campaign returned without success, Gongsun Yuan became even more arrogant and domineering.
On one hand, he instructed his advisors to memorialize Emperor Ming, symbolically admitting guilt and seeking peace, blaming Guanqiu Jian.
On the other hand, he openly declared independence and prepared for war, proclaiming himself King of Yan, establishing officials and carving seals, and sending envoys to Eastern Wu to seek foreign aid.
However, Sun Quan, who had been deceived once, refused to send troops.
Joint campaign with Sima Yi
After the campaign returned without success, Emperor Ming did not blame Guanqiu Jian.
He ordered Guanqiu Jian to concurrently serve as deputy commander of Sima Yi’s army and prepare for a second campaign.
In 237 CE, the first year of Jingchu, Sima Yi’s forty thousand reinforcements arrived.
Guanqiu Jian joined forces with him and led his own You Province troops to campaign against Yan again.
During this period, Goguryeo also sent several thousand soldiers to join the Wei army.
After a year of hard fighting, the combined forces finally defeated the Yan army.
Gongsun Yuan was killed by Sima Yi.
Liaodong Commandery was recovered.
Enfeoffment as Marquis of Anyi
After the war, Cao Rui, Emperor Ming of Wei, rewarded achievements.
Guanqiu Jian was enfeoffed as Marquis of Anyi for this campaign, with a fief of three thousand nine hundred households.
Campaigns against Goguryeo
Although Liaodong Commandery was successfully recovered, during and after the war, many soldiers died, civilians migrated, and there was slaughter during the war.
The northeastern region of You Province saw a decrease in Han people, creating a power vacuum.
The control and influence were actually weaker than under the Gongsun family.
External forces represented by Goguryeo took advantage of this to cause trouble and began harassing the border and encroaching on Wei territory.
First campaign against Goguryeo
In 244 CE, the fifth year of Zhengshi, Goguryeo took advantage of the weakness to invade the border and captured Xianping.
Guanqiu Jian organized the Wei army to launch a counterattack.
He personally led more than ten thousand elite infantry and cavalry out of Xuantu Commandery to campaign against Goguryeo.
The Goguryeo king Weigong led twenty thousand troops to meet them.
Although outnumbered, Guanqiu Jian “formed a square formation and fought to the death.”
He twice defeated the Goguryeo army at Feiliushui and Liangkou, killing more than eighteen thousand Goguryeo soldiers.
Weigong fled with his wife and more than a thousand cavalry to Dongwuju to take refuge.
Capture of Wandu
Guanqiu Jian did not pursue the Eastern Chuan King but instead advanced to his capital Wandushan City.
After surveying the terrain and finding that the northwest mountain was steep and the defenders were weak, he immediately adopted the strategy of avoiding the strong and attacking the weak.
He feigned an attack from the front and attacked from the northwest.
He selected skilled climbers, carrying weapons and long ropes, climbed up the cliff, killed the defenders, and cleverly captured the north gate.
He “tied up horses and suspended chariots” and captured Wandu, burned the palace, executed many officials, and destroyed the ruling centre.
The massacre of Wandu
After capturing the city, the Wei soldiers “massacred Wandu,” killing more than eight thousand people.
However, they made an exception for the family of Peizhe Delai, who had previously remonstrated with the king not to offend Wei, and did not punish them.
Guanqiu Jian ordered the various armies: “Do not damage his tomb, do not cut down his trees. If you capture his wife and children, release them all.”
After pacifying the rebellion, he cut through mountains and dug canals locally, assisting residents with agricultural irrigation and transportation construction, combining kindness with authority and strengthening Wei’s influence.
Second campaign against Goguryeo
In 245 CE, the sixth year of Zhengshi, the exiled Weigong moved the capital and attempted to rebel again.
Guanqiu Jian led the army to campaign against Goguryeo again.
Weigong fled at the news and fled to Maigou (present-day Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, North Korea).
The Wei army destroyed his secondary capital Bunaicheng (also called Guoneicheng, present-day Ji’an, Jilin).
The pursuit
Guanqiu Jian was determined to sweep through the Far East, uprooting the power that Goguryeo had built up over hundreds of years, while also intimidating the four barbarians.
He divided his forces into two routes at the ruins of Wandu City.
One route sent Wang Qi, Administrator of Xuantu, to lead troops north to the cold regions, seizing the northern regions of Goguryeo and searching for the Eastern Chuan King.
The other route had Liu Mao, Administrator of Lelang, and Gong Zun, Administrator of Daifang, lead troops south to sweep through the Korean Peninsula and eliminate Goguryeo’s allies and vassal forces.
Guanqiu Jian personally led the remaining troops and stationed at Wandu, pacifying the surrounding areas.
The northern pursuit
Guanqiu Jian sent Wang Qi as an envoy to Fuyu (north of Goguryeo) and obtained the support of Fuyu King Juyiwei.
Juyiwei had always been friendly to Wei and sent people to transport military supplies for the Wei army.
Wang Qi led the northern expeditionary force to continue pursuing Weigong.
He greatly defeated the Goguryeo remnants at Zhuling.
Weigong’s army suffered heavy casualties and was routed.
Weigong himself barely broke through and fled north again with his wife, daughter, and trusted followers.
The southern campaign
Wang Qi’s army pursued the victory and again defeated the Goguryeo vassal forces in Dongwuju (Nanwuju) territory.
They attacked and liquidated the settlements that had sheltered and assisted the Goguryeo king, beheading more than three thousand, to warn the various Donghu states.
Dongwuju surrendered.
Weigong fled to Beiwuju (Zhigoulou) territory.
No one dared to provide assistance, fearing Wei army retaliation.
The Wei army still pursued relentlessly.
Weigong continued to flee north, far to Sushen, and died of illness the following year.
The end of the campaigns
Wang Qi’s army also penetrated deep into the bitter cold.
After Beiwuju, they pursued more than a thousand li again, passing through Yilou and reaching the southern border of Sushen (present-day Primorsky Krai, Russia), facing the sea and asking about the islands (some say present-day Hokkaido), before stopping.
At this point, under the attacks of Guanqiu Jian, Wang Qi, and others, Goguryeo existed in name only, and its territory was all incorporated into Xuantu Commandery.
The southern campaign
The other southern expeditionary Wei army also won consecutive victories.
Gong Zun and Liu Mao first worked together to defeat the combined forces of the various Huimo settlements and forced the Bunaijiehou to surrender with his settlement, break off relations with Goguryeo, and order him to regularly go to the commandery city to swear allegiance to Wei officials and receive the household registration, taxes, and corvée labour of the local Huimo residents.
Thus, they also recovered the territory of the former Lintun Commandery (in the central and eastern Korean Peninsula), which had been abandoned in the early Eastern Han, into the territory again.
Completion of the campaigns
The Wei army issued proclamations throughout the peninsula, demanding that the eight states of Chenhan in the south be incorporated into Wei’s Lelang Commandery.
Due to translation errors, this led to the various Han states rising up in resistance and attacking Daifang Commandery.
Gong Zun and Administrator Liu Mao led troops south together to suppress the rebellion.
Combining the forces of Daifang, Lelang, and the new territory (Lintun), they completely defeated the Han army, destroyed Chenhan, successfully suppressed the Han uprising, and ended the peninsula war.
The actual ruling territory and control of the Central Plains dynasty over the Korean Peninsula reached an unprecedented scale.
Return and rewards
The entire conquest war basically ended in early 245 CE, the sixth year of Zhengshi.
Guanqiu Jian, Wang Qi, Kou Loudun, and other expeditionary force commanders erected a stone stele at the site of Guoneicheng to be passed down to later generations.
In the fifth month of 245 CE, the sixth year of Zhengshi, they returned triumphantly.
Wang Qi, Liu Mao, and other local officials remained to guard the area.
The officers and soldiers were rewarded according to merit, and more than one hundred people were enfeoffed as marquises.
Transfer to Yu Province
After this, Guanqiu Jian was transferred to General of the Left, granted imperial credentials, and concurrently served as Inspector of Yu Province.
He was later changed to General Who Guards the South and supervised the various military affairs of Yu Province.
The Battle of Hefei
In 252 CE, the third year of Jiaping, the Wei army was greatly defeated at the Battle of Dongxing, and its strength was severely damaged.
Wu took advantage of the situation to launch a large-scale invasion.
To save the eastern front from decline, Sima Shi, the then regent and Grand General of Wei, transferred Guanqiu Jian to General Who Guards the East and Commander of Yang Province to resist the Wu army.
Defence against Zhuge Ke
After taking office, Guanqiu Jian performed his duties conscientiously, rectified border defence, reconciled conflicts between soldiers and officials, and promoted some talents whose status and position were not valued, such as Zhang Te, a Major, as defender of Hefei New City.
Later, Zhuge Ke, Grand Tutor of Wu, mobilized the entire country’s strength and launched a large-scale northern expedition with two hundred thousand troops.
Facing the Wu army’s invasion, Guanqiu Jian adopted a defensive posture, directing various units to hold cities and forts firmly and wait for reinforcements.
Among them, Hefei New City, defended by his subordinate Zhang Te, attracted a large number of Wu troops.
The victory
The front line was long, and Guanqiu Jian had limited troops and could not be everywhere.
Fortunately, Zhang Te successfully held out with a small number of soldiers, and the defensive line was not breached.
After learning that the Wu army camp had an epidemic and the soldiers’ combat effectiveness had seriously declined, and that Sima Fu’s Luoyang reinforcements had arrived, Guanqiu Jian directed the various generals to counterattack.
The Wei army changed from defence to attack and charged the Wu army camp.
After days of consumption, the Wu army’s morale was low.
Under the fierce attack of the Wei army, they were routed.
Some fell into moats, some surrendered, some fled, and some cried for mercy.
Wen Qin’s unit alone beheaded more than ten thousand.
Countless were captured.
The Wu army was routed.
Zhuge Ke abandoned the old, weak, sick, and disabled and fled in panic.
After returning to the country, he lost all prestige and was soon killed after losing power.
Promotion
Guanqiu Jian was promoted again for this campaign and was promoted to General Who Guards the East.
All other officers and soldiers were rewarded according to merit.
After the Battle of New City ended, Guanqiu Jian specifically memorialized the court.
He did not seek merit for himself but only described the deeds of meritorious officers and soldiers and loyal and righteous people one by one throughout the memorial, handling aftermath and consolation.
Cao Fang, Emperor of Wei, gladly adopted it.
The Gaopingling Incident
In 249 CE, the tenth year of Zhengshi, the Gaopingling Incident occurred.
Cao Shuang, Grand General, was killed by Sima Yi.
Wen Qin, who was closely related to Cao Shuang, was deeply afraid.
Later, because of disputes over battle merit statistics with Sima Shi, he harboured resentment.
Wen Qin was arrogant and rough and rude.
He and Zhuge Dan disliked each other and never cooperated.
However, Guanqiu Jian treated Wen Qin with great courtesy.
The two became friends and gradually grew closer.
The execution of Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng
Guanqiu Jian was a scholar by origin and longed for fame and achievement, often comparing himself to “flying geese” and “phoenixes.”
However, he did not like factional struggles and kept himself clean.
Therefore, both the Cao Shuang and Sima Yi factions that came to power successively allowed Guanqiu Jian to hold heavy troops and guard border fortresses.
Sima Shi, who succeeded his father in power and lacked prestige, also treated Guanqiu Jian with great respect.
However, this situation soon changed.
In the third month of 254 CE, the sixth year of Jiaping, Xiahou Xuan, Li Feng, and other important ministers plotted to replace Sima Shi’s position as regent.
The matter was exposed, and they were executed along with their entire clans.
The deposition of Cao Fang
In the ninth month of the same year, Cao Fang, Emperor of Wei, unwilling to let power fall into others’ hands, wanted to take advantage of Sima Zhao being summoned for the campaign against Shu to counterattack, seize the troops commanded by Sima Zhao, and attack Grand General Sima Shi.
However, the matter was exposed.
Sima Shi launched another coup, forcing Empress Dowager Guo to depose Cao Fang and install Cao Mao, Duke of Gaoguixiang, as emperor, manipulating state affairs.
The decision to rebel
Guanqiu Jian had always been loyal to the Wei dynasty and was also friendly with Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng.
Their deaths had already made Guanqiu Jian uneasy.
At the same time, he was also angry that the heir of Emperor Ming had been deposed.
Feeling the favour that Emperor Ming had shown him in the past, he began to plan to overthrow the dictatorial Sima Shi.
Wen Qin, Inspector of Yang Province, also had the intention to restore Cao.
However, Guanqiu Jian always hesitated.
It was not until his eldest son Guanqiu Dian, who was a hostage in the Luoyang court, encouraged his father to raise troops.
In his letter, he tactfully and bravely wrote: “Father, you hold the important responsibility of a regional governor. When the state is collapsing, you remain calm and guard yourself. You will be blamed by all under heaven.”
With such a son, Guanqiu Jian wept with emotion and finally made up his mind to raise troops against Sima and make a desperate struggle for the Wei dynasty.
The rebellion
In the first month of 255 CE, the second year of Zhengyuan, a huge comet crossed the southeastern sky, dragging a tail dozens of zhang long and crashing toward the northwest.
Heaven had sent an auspicious sign.
Great Wei could rise.
Guanqiu Jian and Wen Qin were very happy.
The time to punish Sima Shi had come.
The attempt to recruit Zhuge Dan
To increase their strength, Guanqiu Jian secretly sent someone to Yu Province to deliver a letter to Zhuge Dan, General Who Guards the South, who had been Cao Shuang’s confidant and Xiahou Xuan’s friend, inviting him to raise troops together.
However, Zhuge Dan actually killed the messenger and exposed the letter to the Luoyang court.
Deng Ai, Inspector of Yan Province, did the same.
The raising of troops
Since the plan had been exposed, Luoyang would certainly react.
To gain as much advantage as possible, Guanqiu Jian, General Who Guards the East of Wei, and Wen Qin, Inspector of Yang Province, decided to raise troops in advance.
They gathered a large army and supplies, summoned all the generals and officials stationed in Huainan to Shouchun City (present-day Shou County, Anhui), built an altar west of the city, displayed the edict of Empress Dowager Guo (disputed), and swore an oath with the various generals to raise troops to rescue the king and campaign against Sima Shi.
The advance
Guanqiu Jian left the old and weak to guard Shouchun and personally led sixty thousand elite troops across the Huai River.
They advanced rapidly and penetrated six hundred li into the Central Plains, intending to fight quickly and directly reach Luoyang.
Shouchun and Hefei defensive lines had always been the primary military focus of Wei.
The Huainan army was composed of brave and battle-hardened veterans and elite soldiers.
They broke through passes and captured cities along the way, unstoppable.
However, when the journey was halfway, they encountered stubborn resistance at Lejia.
Deng Ai had already led Taishan troops day and night to reinforce Lejia, making the city defence even more solid and difficult to capture.
The halt at Xiangcheng
Guanqiu Jian could not capture it by force.
Coupled with the lengthening supply line and soldiers being tired from days of rushing and fighting, he had to rest temporarily.
He therefore stationed at Xiangcheng (present-day Xiangcheng County, Henan), reorganized his troops, accumulated supplies, built fortifications, and planned countermeasures.
The proclamation
Guanqiu Jian, who had lost the advantage of striking first, formally issued a proclamation to Wei to expose Sima Shi’s eleven major crimes and announce them to the world, intending to invite regional lords to form an alliance to campaign against the traitor.
However, the Sima family had controlled state affairs for many years and had a stable foundation.
They also controlled the vast majority of the army in the country.
Intimidated by their terrifying strength and ruthless methods, regional lords either watched and did not move, observing the changes, or sided with the court to resist the righteous army.
The battle
Deng Ai, Inspector of Yan Province, had previously killed the messenger and exposed the secret.
He led his own troops to attack the Huai army and show loyalty to Sima Shi.
Guanqiu Jian could only rely on this sixty-thousand-strong Huainan elite army.
However, the situation was severe.
Among the enemy generals were Deng Ai, Wang Ji, and others who were well-versed in military strategy.
The progress of raising troops was difficult step by step.
Sima Shi’s response
Sima Shi adopted his advisors’ suggestions and decided to personally campaign and mobilize the entire country’s strength to suppress the Huai army’s “rebellion.”
Because he feared the battle-hardened and powerful Huai army soldiers, and also to break Guanqiu Jian’s tactic of fighting quickly, Sima Shi and his advisors decided on a strategy of attrition and encirclement.
The encirclement
While mobilizing more than one hundred thousand central army troops from Luoyang, Sima Shi deployed various armies in sequence.
He ordered Deng Ai to hold Lejia firmly and not to fight before the capital’s main force arrived.
He ordered Zhuge Dan, General Who Guards the South stationed in Yu Province, to attack east from Anfeng Commandery, threatening Shouchun (while also destroying the Wei army’s grain route).
He ordered Hu Zun, General Who Conquers the East, to lead the armies of Qing and Xu out of Qiao and Song.
He ordered Wang Chang, Grand General Who Conquers the South, to attack north to outflank the Huainan Wei army’s retreat route.
Finally, he ordered Wang Ji, Inspector of Jing Province, to lead the Jing Province army north to join him.
However, Wang Ji did not follow orders and led his army east on his own, rushing to the battlefield.
The defeat
The sixty-thousand Huai army fought alone.
The lengthening front line made supply increasingly difficult.
Zhuge Dan had already advanced toward Shouchun, and there were strong enemies on all sides.
Considering that the grain route could be cut off at any time, Guanqiu Jian decided to open a new grain route.
He gathered heavy troops to attack Nandun Fortress, which had huge grain reserves, and ordered Wen Qin to seize the grain and supplies, intending to bypass Deng Ai’s Lejia and directly capture Xuchang and Luoyang.
However, Wen Qin’s progress was slow.
Wang Ji had already led his own troops to occupy Nandun first and fortified it.
At this time, Sima Shi had already led the central army main force to the battlefield, threatening Xiangcheng.
Wen Qin abandoned attacking Nandun, which Wang Ji occupied, and returned near Xiangcheng.
The final battle
After Sima Shi’s great army joined forces with Wang Ji and Deng Ai’s armies, they rested their troops, built defensive lines, and confronted the Huai army, waiting for the eastern encirclement to tighten.
The situation deteriorated rapidly.
Guanqiu Jian was unwilling to sit trapped in an isolated city and launched attacks again, continuously charging the Jin army’s defensive lines.
However, the three Jin armies occupied a huge advantage in numbers.
They held strong cities and relied on moats and fortifications to defend strictly, not engaging in a decisive battle.
The Huai army could never break through.
The collapse
After days of no progress, supplies gradually ran out, and morale began to waver.
Many Huai army officers and soldiers, because their families were in the north, longed for home and abandoned camp to surrender.
Only the newly recruited farmers from Huainan remained loyal and maintained combat formation.
As the encirclement gradually took shape, Sima Shi saw that the time was ripe and decided on an attack plan.
He ordered Deng Ai to lead more than ten thousand defenders of Lejia out of the city to lure the enemy.
Sima Shi personally led the great army to near Lejia and hid, intending to surround and annihilate the Huainan Wei army.
Wen Qin’s defeat
Wen Qin and Wen Yang were eager to fight and led the Huai army elite in two routes to attack Deng Ai.
That night, Wen Yang’s unit first arrived at the outskirts of Lejia City and unexpectedly discovered Sima Shi’s main force.
Wen Yang launched a night attack and charged Sima Shi’s camp.
Sima Shi’s condition deteriorated sharply, and his eye fell out.
Then the army counterattacked.
Wen Yang’s unit was outnumbered and soon fell into a passive position.
Wen Qin’s unit did not arrive for a long time.
Seeing that he could not defeat the enemy, Wen Yang had no choice but to lead his unit to retreat.
Deng Ai, Le Lin, Sima Lian, and others led the Jin army to continue pursuing.
By dawn the next day, they encountered Wen Qin and his son, who had just joined together and had not yet withdrawn.
The Jin army converged from multiple directions and had superior numbers.
The Huai army main force was heavily surrounded.
The two armies fought, and the strength was悬殊.
Although Wen Yang was brave and fought desperately, he still could not reverse the defeat.
The Huai army formations were repeatedly pierced by the Jin army.
Soldiers suffered heavy casualties and finally collapsed.
Wen Qin and his son fought to break through and fled south to Eastern Wu.
The flight
After annihilating Wen Qin’s main force, the Jin army advanced to Xiangcheng and surrounded Guanqiu Jian and his remaining troops.
Wang Ji’s vanguard unit took the lead and was about to attack the city.
The Huai army main force had already been destroyed.
The remaining troops were powerless to turn the tide.
Guanqiu Jian felt that the situation was hopeless and led his remaining troops to abandon the city and break through before the Jin army surrounded it again.
The death
The Jin army pursued the victory.
The Huai army became fewer and fewer.
Guanqiu Jian fled to Shen County territory.
When he learned that Shouchun had been attacked and occupied by Zhuge Dan and the return route was cut off, the final troops also began to lose morale, and many soldiers fled.
Guanqiu Jian was unwilling to accept defeat.
He adjusted his route and changed direction to go north (intending to go to You Province to rise again).
The pursuing troops pursued relentlessly and set up a dragnet.
Guanqiu Jian and his group slept in the wilderness, hungry and exhausted.
When they reached Anfengjin in Shen County territory, they encountered pursuing troops.
Guanqiu Jian, his younger brother Guanqiu Xiu, and grandson Guanqiu Zhong hid in the reeds by the river.
Guanqiu Jian was shot and killed.
The commoner Zhang Shu was enfeoffed as a marquis for killing Guanqiu Jian.
Guanqiu Jian’s head was cut off and sent to Luoyang.
Guanqiu Xiu and Guanqiu Zhong were able to escape and fled to Eastern Wu with Wen Qin and Wen Yang.
The remaining Huai army officers and soldiers either surrendered or died.
The aftermath
Guanqiu Jian’s eldest son Guanqiu Dian and his relatives who were hostages in Luoyang were all implicated and killed.
Later, when Western Jin destroyed Wu, his descendants in Eastern Wu were pardoned by the Jin court and returned to the Central Plains.
Some even became officials.
Guanqiu Jian’s grandson Guanqiu Ao served as Supervisor of Badong and Inspector of Yi Province under Jin.
Personality
Guanqiu Jian was described as having “talent, knowledge, and ability.”
He was a scholar by origin and longed for fame and achievement.
However, he did not like factional struggles and kept himself clean.
He was loyal to the Wei dynasty and was willing to sacrifice everything for it.
Military achievements
Campaign against Gongsun Yuan
Guanqiu Jian participated in the campaigns against Gongsun Yuan and helped recover Liaodong Commandery.
Campaigns against Goguryeo
Guanqiu Jian led two campaigns against Goguryeo and achieved great victories.
He captured Wandu, massacred the city, and pursued the Goguryeo king far to Sushen.
He also recovered the former Lintun Commandery territory.
Defence against Wu
Guanqiu Jian successfully defended against Zhuge Ke’s northern expedition and achieved victory.
Relationships
With Cao Rui
Guanqiu Jian served as Literary Adviser to Cao Rui when Cao Rui was Prince of Pingyuan.
He was deeply trusted by Cao Rui.
With Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng
Guanqiu Jian was friendly with Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng.
Their deaths made him uneasy and contributed to his decision to rebel.
With Wen Qin
Guanqiu Jian treated Wen Qin with great courtesy, and the two became friends.
They raised troops together against Sima Shi.
With Sima Shi
Guanqiu Jian rebelled against Sima Shi because of his deposition of Cao Fang and execution of Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng.
Anecdotes
The remonstrance
Guanqiu Jian remonstrated against Emperor Ming’s large-scale palace construction, pointing out that eliminating Wu and Shu and seeking abundant food and clothing should come first.
The respect for Delai
When Guanqiu Jian captured Wandu, he ordered the armies not to damage the tomb of Peizhe Delai, who had remonstrated with the Goguryeo king, and to release his family.
The encouragement from his son
Guanqiu Jian’s son Guanqiu Dian encouraged his father to raise troops, writing: “Father, you hold the important responsibility of a regional governor. When the state is collapsing, you remain calm and guard yourself. You will be blamed by all under heaven.”
The comet
When Guanqiu Jian raised troops, a huge comet crossed the southeastern sky, which he and Wen Qin saw as an auspicious sign.
Achievements
- Participated in campaigns against Gongsun Yuan and helped recover Liaodong Commandery
- Led two campaigns against Goguryeo and achieved great victories
- Successfully defended against Zhuge Ke’s northern expedition
- Known for loyalty to the Wei dynasty
Behind the scenes
Historical sources
Guanqiu Jian’s biography appears in the Records of the Three Kingdoms by Chen Shou, grouped with Wang Ling, Zhuge Dan, Deng Ai, and Zhong Hui.
The rebellion
Guanqiu Jian’s rebellion was one of the “Three Rebellions of Huainan.”
It was the second rebellion, after Wang Ling and before Zhuge Dan.
The stele
In 1904, a stele commemorating Guanqiu Jian’s achievements was discovered in Ji’an, Jilin.
It is now preserved in the Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Historical evaluations
Contemporary
Cao Rui said: “Guanqiu Jian has ability and strategy.”
Later historians
Chen Shou wrote: “Guanqiu Jian had talent, knowledge, and ability. … They all achieved fame and reached these glorious positions, but they all had great ambitions and were impractical. They did not consider disaster and difficulty. When change came like a trigger, their clans were destroyed. Is this not absurd and deluded?”
Xi Zaozi wrote: “Guanqiu Jian felt Emperor Ming’s final instructions, so he undertook this campaign. A gentleman would say that although Guanqiu Jian’s undertaking did not succeed, he can be called a loyal minister. Those who exhaust their integrity and go to righteousness are doing it themselves. Success or failure is a matter of timing. If I do not have the timing, how can success be certain? Forgetting oneself and not insisting on oneself is what makes loyalty. The ancients said: ‘If the dead were to come back to life, the living would not be ashamed.’ Guanqiu Jian can be said to be unashamed.”
Legacy
Guanqiu Jian is remembered as a loyal minister of the Wei dynasty who rebelled against Sima Shi in defence of the Wei dynasty.
His campaigns against Goguryeo expanded Wei’s territory significantly.
His rebellion, although unsuccessful, showed his loyalty to the Wei dynasty.
Timeline
- Before 226 CE: Born in Wenxi, Hedong Commandery; inherited father’s marquis title
- ?-226 CE: Served as Literary Adviser to the Prince of Pingyuan under Cao Pi
- 226 CE: Cao Rui succeeded to throne; Guanqiu Jian served as Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, Commandant of the Feored Forest, Director of Agriculture of Luoyang
- ?: Remonstrated against palace construction; promoted to Inspector of Jing Province
- 235 CE: Appointed Inspector of You Province, General Who Crosses the Liao, Protector of the Wuhuan
- 236 CE: First campaign against Liaodong; fought at Liaosui; withdrew due to rain
- 237 CE: Second campaign against Liaodong with Sima Yi; defeated Gongsun Yuan
- 238 CE: Enfeoffed as Marquis of Anyi
- 244 CE: First campaign against Goguryeo; defeated Goguryeo army; captured Wandu; massacred city
- 245 CE: Second campaign against Goguryeo; pursued Goguryeo king; recovered Lintun Commandery territory
- 252 CE: Transferred to General Who Guards the East and Commander of Yang Province; defended against Zhuge Ke
- 254 CE: Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng executed; Cao Fang deposed
- 255 CE, 1st month: Raised troops against Sima Shi with Wen Qin; advanced to Xiangcheng; defeated; fled to Shen County; killed by commoner Zhang Shu on 3rd month, 16th day
See also
References
- Chen Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 28, Biography of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng, Zhong.
- Luo Guanzhong. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, various chapters.