Xiahou Shang

Historical Record

Xiahou Shang, styled Boren, was a younger cousin's nephew of Xiahou Yuan ^c:5005. He was close to Cao Pi, the future Emperor Wen of Wei; the two had been friends since their commoner days, and Cao Pi greatly valued his strategic planning. When Cao Cao pacified Jizhou, Xiahou Shang served as a military major and led cavalry on campaign. When the state of Wei was first established, he was promoted to Gentleman of the Yellow Gates. When the Hu people of Dai Commandery rebelled, Cao Zhang was ordered to suppress them, and Xiahou Shang accompanied him as an army adviser, helping to pacify the Dai region ^c:5005.

After Cao Cao died in Luoyang, Xiahou Shang escorted the coffin back to Ye, bearing the imperial credentials. For his earlier merits he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingling Village (tinghou), appointed Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, and later transferred to Central Commander of the Army. After Cao Pi took the throne, Xiahou Shang was re-enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingling Township and appointed General Who Conquers the South, concurrently Inspector of Jing Province, with the credentials to oversee all military affairs in the south ^c:5005.

Xiahou Shang advised Cao Pi that Liu Bei's detached forces were stationed at Shangyong, where the mountain roads were treacherous and the enemy would not expect a Wei attack from that direction. He proposed sending a surprise force to move stealthily and strike unexpectedly, so that Shangyong could be taken single-handedly. Cao Pi adopted his advice, and Xiahou Shang then led the armies to break Shangyong, pacifying three commanderies and nine counties, and was thereby promoted to Grand General Who Conquers the South ^c:5005.

Although Sun Quan nominally submitted as a vassal, Xiahou Shang nevertheless strengthened preparations to attack Wu, anticipating that Sun Quan would ultimately harbor treacherous intentions. In the third year of Huangchu (222 CE), Cao Pi came personally to Wancheng and ordered Xiahou Shang and Cao Zhen to jointly besiege Jiangling. At that time Sun Quan's general Zhuge Jin and Xiahou Shang's army faced each other across the river; Zhuge Jin had crossed onto a sandbar in the river and divided his forces to deploy his navy in the river. Xiahou Shang seized the opportunity: at night he made heavy use of oil-boats and led over ten thousand infantry and cavalry to cross stealthily from downstream, launching a surprise attack on Zhuge Jin's army, burning his ships from both banks of the river, advancing by both water and land, and routing the Wu forces. However, Jiangling city was ultimately not taken, for a great plague broke out, and Cao Pi issued an edict ordering Xiahou Shang to withdraw his army ^c:5005.

After this campaign, Xiahou Shang's fief was increased by six hundred households, totaling one thousand nine hundred households together with his earlier holdings, and he was granted the ceremonial battle-axe and advanced to provincial governor (mu). Jing Province, ravaged by war, was desolate, bordered the southern barbarians on the outside, and was divided from Wu by the Han River; many of its old inhabitants had migrated south of the river. Xiahou Shang opened roads from Shangyong, traveling more than seven hundred li westward, so that many of the local mountain folk and barbarians came to submit; over five or six years, the tribes and people who surrendered amounted to several thousand households ^c:5005. In the fifth year of Huangchu (224 CE), Xiahou Shang was re-enfeoffed as Marquis of Changling Township ^c:5005.

In the Novel

In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Xiahou Shang's portrayal centers mainly on his military actions in the Hanzhong Campaign and the Battle of Xiangyang-Fancheng, appearing largely as a subordinate to his uncle Xiahou Yuan or as a collaborator with other Cao Wei generals. He first appears during the Hanzhong Campaign: after Cao Hong learned that Zhang He had been defeated, Guo Huai advised sending a general to assist and supervise Zhang He, lest he develop treacherous thoughts. Thus Xiahou Shang and Han Hao together led five thousand troops to reinforce him ^c:1081.

In their clashes with Huang Zhong, Xiahou Shang and Han Hao joined forces and twice defeated Huang Zhong, seizing his camp. However, Zhang He grew suspicious of Huang Zhong's successive defeats, believing there must be a trick, but Xiahou Shang berated Zhang He for being timid and did not heed his counsel ^c:9443. Subsequently, Xiahou Shang and Zhang He discussed the defense of Mount Tiandang and Mount Micang; Xiahou Shang mentioned that Mount Micang was guarded by his uncle Xiahou Yuan's detached forces, while Mount Tiandang was held by his elder kinsman Xiahou De ^c:1082.

On the eve of the Battle of Mount Dingjun, when Xiahou Yuan wished to do battle with Huang Zhong, Xiahou Shang volunteered to go out on patrol to lure the enemy. Xiahou Yuan instructed him to lose and not win, so as to entice Huang Zhong ^c:9445. This differs from the historical image of Xiahou Shang as a Grand General Who Conquers the South commanding independently; in the novel he appears more as a subordinate general carrying out orders.

After the Battle of Xiangyang-Fancheng, when Cao Cao withdrew his army, he appointed Xu Huang General Who Pacifies the South and ordered him to garrison Xiangyang together with Xiahou Shang to check Guan Yu's forces ^c:5007. Later, when Meng Da surrendered to Cao Pi, Cao Pi ordered him to go to Xiangyang to take the various districts of Shangyong together with Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang. After Meng Da reached Xiangyang, he joined Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang and successfully induced Liu Feng to surrender ^c:5008. In the novel, Xiahou Shang's role is relatively minor; he appears mainly as a general in the Cao Wei camp, taking part in several important battles, but his personal strategy and command ability are not fully displayed, appearing more as a supporting character.

Key Relationships

* Xiahou Yuan (kin_of): Historically, Xiahou Shang was a younger cousin's nephew of Xiahou Yuan ^c:5005. In the novel, Xiahou Shang mentioned during the Hanzhong Campaign that Xiahou Yuan's detached forces guarded Mount Micang, and on the eve of the Battle of Mount Dingjun he followed Xiahou Yuan's stratagem to lure the enemy ^c:1082, ^c:9445.
* Cao Pi (friend_of): Historical records note that Cao Pi was close to Xiahou Shang, friends since commoner days, and Cao Pi valued his strategic planning. After Cao Pi took the throne, Xiahou Shang was given great responsibility, rising to Grand General Who Conquers the South ^c:5005.
* Cao Wei (serves): Xiahou Shang was an important general of Cao Wei, serving from Cao Cao's time and reaching the peak of his career under Cao Pi, rendering great service in pacifying frontier troubles and garrisoning Jing Province ^c:5005.
* Zhang He (friend_of): Historically, Zhang He campaigned south with Xiahou Shang to attack Jiangling ^c:1079. In the novel, the two crossed paths in the Hanzhong Campaign, where Xiahou Shang berated Zhang He for being timid ^c:9443.
* Xu Huang (friend_of): Historically, Xu Huang joined Xiahou Shang in attacking Liu Bei at Shangyong and routed him ^c:1080. In the novel, the two garrisoned Xiangyang together after the Battle of Xiangyang-Fancheng ^c:5007.
* Zhuge Jin (rival_of): Historically, while besieging Jiangling, Xiahou Shang faced Zhuge Jin's army across the river and launched a night attack that routed Zhuge Jin's navy ^c:5005.
* Meng Da (ally_of): In the novel, after Meng Da surrendered to Cao Pi, he joined Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang at Xiangyang to take the various districts of Shangyong ^c:5008 (novel only).
* Han Hao (ally_of): In the novel, during the Hanzhong Campaign, Han Hao joined Xiahou Shang to reinforce Zhang He and fought Huang Zhong together ^c:1081, ^c:9443 (novel only).
* Huang Zhong (rival_of): In the novel, Xiahou Shang clashed with Huang Zhong several times during the Hanzhong Campaign and once defeated him ^c:9443 (novel only).

Signature Scenes

* Pacifying Shangyong: Xiahou Shang advised Cao Pi that Liu Bei's detached army was stationed at Shangyong and that, with the mountain roads treacherous, a surprise force could strike it. He personally led the armies, successfully broke Shangyong, and pacified three commanderies and nine counties, thereby being promoted to Grand General Who Conquers the South ^c:5005. This was an important battle of independent command and major victory in his military career.
* Night Attack on Zhuge Jin at Jiangling: While besieging Jiangling, facing Zhuge Jin's naval deployment, Xiahou Shang used oil-boats at night to lead over ten thousand infantry and cavalry across stealthily from downstream, surprising and burning Zhuge Jin's ships, advancing by both water and land, and routing the Wu forces ^c:5005. This battle displayed Xiahou Shang's outstanding military insight and command ability.
* Opening the Shangyong Road, Pacifying the Barbarians: With Jing Province in ruins, Xiahou Shang opened roads from Shangyong, traveling more than seven hundred li westward, so that many of the local mountain folk and barbarians came to submit; over five or six years the tribes and people who surrendered reached several thousand households ^c:5005. This was not only a military achievement but also an outstanding contribution to governing and pacifying the frontier.
* Luring the Enemy at Hanzhong (novel only): In *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, before the Battle of Mount Dingjun, Xiahou Shang followed Xiahou Yuan's stratagem to lead troops out on patrol to lure Huang Zhong, being required to lose and not win so as to draw Huang Zhong in deep ^c:9445. This scene shows his role in the novel as an executor of stratagems.
* Garrisoning Xiangyang (novel only): After the Battle of Xiangyang-Fancheng, Cao Cao ordered Xiahou Shang to garrison Xiangyang together with Xu Huang to check Guan Yu's forces ^c:5007. Subsequently, Xiahou Shang joined Xu Huang and Meng Da at Xiangyang and helped Meng Da induce Liu Feng to surrender ^c:5008. This reflects his positioning in the novel as an important frontier-defense general.