By the early 260s CE, Shu Han was in decline. Its wise statesmen – Jiang Wan and Fei Yi – were dead. Jiang Wei, now Grand General, inherited Zhuge Liang’s legacy and launched eleven northern expeditions against Cao Wei. Though he won tactical victories, Shu’s limited resources made strategic success impossible.
His critics – especially the eunuch Huang Hao – accused him of reckless ambition. Whispering constantly in the ear of the indecisive Emperor Liu Shan, Huang Hao turned the emperor against Jiang Wei. Fearing political ruin, Jiang Wei requested to station troops at Tazhong (in modern Gansu) to farm wheat and train soldiers – a move Liu Shan eagerly approved, glad to see him leave the capital.
Invasion Warnings Ignored
Soon, Jiang Wei learned that Sima Zhao had dispatched Zhong Hui and Deng Ai to mass troops in Guanzhong. He urgently advised Liu Shan:
“Yangping and Yinping are the gateways to Shu. Send Zhang Yi and Liao Hua to guard them immediately!”
But Liu Shan showed the memorial not to his generals – but to Huang Hao, who consulted divination and declared:
“The gods say: the emperor is blessed; Wei will not dare invade.”
Reassured, Liu Shan ignored the warning. Days later, news arrived: Wei forces had crossed the border. By the time Liu Shan ordered reinforcements, it was too late.
In 263 CE, Wei launched a three-pronged invasion:
- Deng Ai (30,000 men) marched on Tazhong to pin down Jiang Wei.
- Zhuge Xu (30,000 men) cut off Jiang Wei’s retreat.
- Zhong Hui (100,000 men), the main force, attacked Hanzhong.
- Wei Guan was sent as imperial supervisor to oversee both commanders.
Yangping Pass fell when Shu general Jiang Shu defected, opening the northern gate to Shu. Hanzhong was lost within days.
The Fall of Chengdu
While Jiang Wei raced from Tazhong to reinforce Yangping, he met Liao Hua and Zhang Yi, and together they withdrew to Jiange (Jianmen Pass) – a natural fortress in northern Sichuan. There, they halted Zhong Hui’s advance.
But this stalemate gave Deng Ai his chance. Eager to claim sole credit for conquering Shu – and disdainful of Zhong Hui – he led his troops on a daring 700-li trek through the treacherous Yinping mountains, hacking paths through wilderness with no enemy resistance.
He captured Jiangyou, then advanced to Mianzhu, where Zhuge Zhan – son of Zhuge Liang – commanded the defense. Refusing Deng Ai’s offer of surrender, Zhuge Zhan fought bravely but was killed alongside his son Zhuge Shang.
With Mianzhu fallen, Deng Ai marched straight to Chengdu. Liu Shan, stunned by the speed of the collapse, accepted the advice of Qiao Zhou and surrendered without a fight. Thus, after 42 years (221–263 CE), Shu Han ceased to exist.
Arrogance and Rivalry: Deng Ai’s Fatal Overreach
Triumphant in Chengdu, Deng Ai grew arrogant. He:
- Ordered Liu Shan to issue an edict commanding Jiang Wei to surrender to him.
- Appointed Liu Shan General of Chariots and Cavalry.
- Named his own men as governors of Yi Province.
- Bypassed Zhong Hui entirely, sending a direct memorial to Sima Zhao proposing an immediate invasion of Eastern Wu.
When Sima Zhao rebuked him for acting without authorization, Deng Ai grumbled:
“A general in the field may decide matters himself. Why must I be so restricted?”
Zhong Hui, already jealous, saw his opening. Meanwhile, Jiang Wei – who had only pretended to surrender – saw a greater opportunity: to incite Zhong Hui to rebel, kill both him and Deng Ai, and restore Shu.
The Conspiracy: Zhong Hui’s Rebellion and Jiang Wei’s Gambit
Jiang Wei subtly flattered Zhong Hui:
“With your vision and ambition, you can achieve anything.”
Knowing Zhong Hui resented Sima Zhao (especially for murdering Emperor Cao Mao), Jiang Wei urged him to seize power. The two became inseparable – riding in the same carriage, whispering in private.
They forged a plan: accuse Deng Ai of treason. Zhong Hui submitted a memorial claiming Deng Ai planned rebellion. Sima Zhao, ever cautious, ordered Zhong Hui to arrest Deng Ai – but also sent Jia Chong with troops into Xie Valley, and accompanied Emperor Cao Huan to Chang’an himself.
Zhong Hui, realizing Sima Zhao distrusted him, panicked. Jiang Wei urged immediate action:
“Now or never – rebel!”
Zhong Hui gathered officers and announced a “secret edict from the late Empress Dowager” ordering Sima Zhao’s overthrow. But the soldiers remained silent. Only after Zhong Hui threatened execution did they feign compliance.
That night, the troops mutinied. They stormed the palace, set it ablaze, and killed Zhong Hui and Jiang Wei in the chaos.
The tragic end of Deng Ai
Meanwhile, Deng Ai’s loyalists rescued him from his prison cart, hoping to restore him to command. But Wei Guan, fearing Deng Ai’s revenge, sent assassins who killed him on the spot.
Thus, all three key figures – Deng Ai, Zhong Hui, and Jiang Wei – perished within days of Shu’s fall, victims of ambition, rivalry, and miscalculation.
Liu Shan: The “Happy Captive”
Liu Shan was taken to Luoyang, where Sima Zhao hosted a grand banquet in his honor, complete with Shu-style music and dance. While former ministers wept, Liu Shan laughed and ate heartily.
When Sima Zhao asked,
“Do you miss Shu?”
Liu Shan replied:
“Here is wonderful! I don’t miss it at all.”
Later, coached by minister Xi Zheng, he tried to feign sorrow:
“My ancestors’ tombs are in Shu… I think of them daily…”
But when Sima Zhao remarked,
“That sounds just like what Xi Zheng told you.”
Liu Shan blurted:
“Yes! He taught me those exact words!”
The court erupted in laughter. Sima Zhao concluded:
“Even if Zhuge Liang were alive, he could not have served such a man – let alone Jiang Wei.”
From then on, Liu Shan lived out his days in comfortable obscurity – the last emperor of Shu, remembered not for valor, but for oblivion.
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