In July 208, Cao Cao personally led a massive army of 200,000 troops southward. At this critical moment, Liu Biao, the governor of Jing Province, died, and his younger son Liu Cong succeeded him. Fearing Cao Cao’s might, Liu Cong immediately dispatched envoys to surrender without informing Liu Bei, who was stationed in Fancheng. It was only after some time that Liu Bei learned of the capitulation.
Liu Cong, both fearful of and wary toward Liu Bei, dared not even face him when Liu Bei rode to the outskirts of Xiangyang and called out for him – Liu Cong refused to come out. This incident alone illustrates how deeply Liu Bei had already embedded himself into Jing Province’s power structure.
Liu Bei’s strategic restraint and Alliance with Sun Quan
Zhuge Liang advised Liu Bei to attack Liu Cong and seize Jing Province outright, but Liu Bei once again declined. He understood clearly that Cao Cao’s forces had already entered Jing Province, and taking over from Liu Cong would provoke a fierce retaliation from Cao Cao – an outcome Liu Bei could not afford given the overwhelming disparity in military strength.
At this juncture, Sun Quan extended an olive branch. His envoy, Lu Su, came to Liu Bei proposing an alliance against Cao Cao. Liu Bei readily accepted. He moved his forces to Xiakou to join Liu Qi – the elder son of Liu Biao and governor of Jiangxia – and sent Zhuge Liang to Chaisang to negotiate the coalition with Sun Quan. Liu Bei’s underlying calculation was simple: if they defeated Cao Cao, he could then move swiftly to take control of Jing Province.
The Battle of Red Cliffs and the Power Vacuum
In December 208, the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei clashed with Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs. Zhou Yu employed fire tactics to devastating effect, routing Cao Cao’s fleet and forcing him into a hasty retreat northward. With Cao Cao’s withdrawal, Jing Province fell into a power vacuum.
Liu Bei promptly recommended Liu Qi as Governor of Jing Province and launched campaigns to secure the four southern commanderies: Wuling, Changsha, Guiyang, and Lingling. Notably, Liu Bei exercised remarkable caution – he did not assume the title himself but instead elevated Liu Qi, whose claim as Liu Biao’s eldest son was legitimate, though his political influence had long been suppressed by Liu Cong and the Cai faction.
However, after the Battle of Red Cliffs, Liu Qi became little more than a puppet under Liu Bei’s control. Strikingly, Liu Qi died less than a year after assuming office – despite being in the prime of his life and showing no prior signs of illness. His sudden death, coinciding precisely with Liu Bei’s consolidation of southern Jing Province, has fueled historical speculation. Naturally, Liu Bei was the chief beneficiary, seamlessly succeeding Liu Qi as Governor of Jing Province.
The “Borrowing” of Jiangling and Shifting alliances
To further solidify their alliance, Sun Quan married his younger sister to the much older Liu Bei. Meanwhile, Liu Bei turned his attention to Jiangling (Nan Commandery) – a strategically vital city that controlled access to Yizhou (Yi Province, modern-day Sichuan) and was central to the grand strategy outlined in the Longzhong Plan.
After his defeat at Red Cliffs, Cao Cao had lost Jiangling to Eastern Wu. Recognizing its importance, the Wu leadership was reluctant to relinquish it. To persuade them, Liu Bei first nominated Sun Quan as Governor of Xuzhou (Xu Province) – a symbolic gesture of goodwill – and then, leveraging their marital alliance, requested to “borrow” Jiangling, arguing that the southern Jing territories were too poor to serve as a viable base.
This proposal sparked intense debate within Eastern Wu. Zhou Yu, then Grand Commander, vehemently opposed it, foreseeing that controlling Jiangling would allow Wu to eventually dominate the entire Yangtze River basin by using it as a springboard into Yi Province.
But in 210, Zhou Yu died unexpectedly at Baqiu near Jiangling, abruptly halting Wu’s westward expansion plans. His successor, Lu Su, held a markedly different strategic outlook – he favored strengthening Liu Bei as a buffer against Cao Cao. Sensing this shift, Liu Bei quickly renewed his request for Jiangling, framing it as a way to relieve pressure on Wu’s eastern front. Sun Quan agreed – but on the condition that Liu Bei return Jiangling once he acquired other territories.
Thus, Liu Bei finally secured the foundation for his hegemonic ambitions, setting the stage to fulfill his grand vision: first Jizhou (Jing Province), then Yizhou (Yi Province).
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