After Zhuge Liang restored the alliance with Wu and pacified the southern region of Nanzhong, he prepared to launch a northern campaign against Cao Wei.
The First Northern Expedition
In the spring of the sixth year of Jianxing (228 AD), Zhuge Liang ordered Zhao Yun to create a diversion, feigning an attack on Mei city via the Xie Valley to attract the Wei army. He led his main force toward Mount Qi, and the Wei-controlled commanderies of Tianshui, Nan’an, and Anding in the Longyou region defected to Shu. He also successfully recruited Jiang Wei. The Guanzhong area was shaken by these events. However, Ma Su disobeyed Zhuge Liang’s orders and lost the Battle of Jieting, and Zhao Yun’s force also suffered a setback. Zhuge Liang was forced to retreat to Hanzhong. Soon after, the three commanderies of Tianshui, Nan’an, and Anding switched their allegiance back to Wei.
The Second Northern Expedition
In the winter of the same year, Zhuge Liang took advantage of Lu Xun’s victory over Cao Xiu at Shiting. He led his forces out of Sanguan Pass and besieged Chencang. After more than 20 days of failed attacks and the arrival of Wei reinforcements, he was forced to retreat to Hanzhong.
The Third Northern Expedition
In the seventh year of Jianxing, Zhuge Liang attacked Wudu and Yinping. He defeated the Wei reinforcements, occupied the two commanderies, left troops to defend them, and then returned with his main force. The following year, the Wei army attacked Hanzhong. Zhuge Liang strengthened his defenses and deployed additional reinforcements. Continuous heavy rain made the Ziwo and Xie valleys impassable, and the Wei army withdrew.
The Fourth Northern Expedition
In the ninth year of Jianxing, the Shu army besieged Mount Qi. The Wei commander Sima Yi met them, and Zhuge Liang prepared for a decisive battle. Knowing the Shu army had traveled a long distance and had limited provisions, Sima Yi held a strong defensive position and refused to fight. Zhuge Liang tried to lure the enemy out by feigning a retreat, but Sima Yi pursued cautiously. Whenever the Shu army stopped, Sima Yi would immediately set up camp and defend his position. At this time, Li Yan forged an imperial decree from Liu Shan ordering a retreat. Combined with the Shu army’s dwindling food supplies, Zhuge Liang was forced to withdraw. On the way back, he set an ambush and killed the famous Wei general Zhang He.
The Fifth Northern Expedition
In the spring of the twelfth year of Jianxing, Zhuge Liang led a 100,000-strong army out of the Xie Valley, reached Mei county, and set up camp at Wuzhang Plains on the south bank of the Wei River. Sima Yi also built a camp to block them, refusing to engage the Shu army. He figured the Shu army’s long supply lines would be difficult to maintain and that he could wear them down. Zhuge Liang was also prepared. He divided his forces to farm along the Wei River, planning for a long war. Before this campaign, Zhuge Liang and Sun Quan had agreed to a simultaneous attack on Wei. In May, the 100,000 Wu troops attacked Wei but were unsuccessful and withdrew to Jiangdong. As a result, the Shu army had to contend with the Wei army on its own. In August, Zhuge Liang fell ill from overwork and his condition worsened. He passed away shortly after. Following his instructions, Jiang Wei and others kept his death a secret, organized the army, and retreated into the Xie Valley.
Zhuge Liang launched five northern expeditions, but he only led his troops to Mount Qi twice. Another instance was a Wei attack on Hanzhong, not a Shu offensive. Later generations, however, broadly refer to these campaigns as “Six Expeditions to Mount Qi.”
In a broader sense, the idiom can also be used to describe repeated efforts or campaigns against a difficult or stubborn enemy.
Dr. Wilson Yong. Copyright 2025.
