The moment the topic turned back to troop numbers and battlefield deployment, the generals straightened almost instinctively. This, at least, was their home ground.
[Lightscreen]
[Cao Wei's record of Yiling states: "Over eighty thousand of Liu Bei's troops were slain, and he barely escaped with his life."
Considering the usual exaggeration in historical records, and factoring in reinforcements from the Wuxi tribes, we can estimate that Shu Han initially deployed at most fifty thousand troops. With tribal auxiliaries, the total likely reached seventy to eighty thousand, nominally called one hundred thousand.
Lu Xun's forces, however, are more clearly recorded: "Lu Xun, acting Grand Commander… led fifty thousand men to resist."
But Sun Wu's strength cannot be viewed so simply. At the Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu led only thirty thousand, but Sun Quan held tens of thousands at Chaisang as a second line.
Yiling was the same: Zhuge Jin built a second line at Gong'an, and Sun Quan held a massive army at Wuchang as a third line. Total investment is conservatively estimated at least one hundred fifty thousand men.
Furthermore, the battlefield at Yiling consisted of valleys and gorges. Liu Bei, as the attacker, had to disperse his forces, while Lu Xun, defending, could concentrate his strength at key points.
Thus, in local engagements, Wu forces actually held numerical superiority. It is difficult to call this a classic case of "the few defeating the many."]
The generals exchanged looks and quickly began breaking down the numbers.
Guan Yu spoke first, his tone calm but precise.
"If fifty thousand were sent forward, then Zilong must have held at least thirty thousand in the rear. And from those fifty thousand, a portion had to be detached under Huang Quan to operate north of the river."
He paused, then concluded,
"Which means that by the time they reached Yiling, at most forty thousand remained at the main front."
Zhang Fei scratched his head, half envious, half annoyed.
"Wu troops might not fight that well, but damn, they have numbers. Always ten thousand here, tens of thousands there. If they ever trained properly, that would be terrifying."
Liu Bei said nothing.
His eyes were fixed on one line.
"Barely escaped with his life."
Even if it was forty thousand, that was still a hard-built army, gathered through years of hardship, men who should have marched to restore the Han, not vanish into smoke and ash on some distant battlefield.
[Lightscreen]
[In 221, Liu Bei appointed Feng Xi to lead the vanguard into western Yiling. Early operations went smoothly. Wu County fell, Zigui was taken, and Shamoke, leader of the Wuxi tribes, sent envoys to respond to Shu-Han.
Early the next year, Liu Bei advanced toward Xiaoting. Simultaneously, the sixty-year-old Liu Bei made a very correct decision: he opened the road through Mount Hen and sent Ma Liang to Wuling to coordinate with the Wuxi tribes.
Back in Jing Province, Ma Liang had been sent by Liu Bei to Wuling to teach agriculture and irrigation, earning a stellar reputation among the local ethnic groups.
Sure enough, the Wuxi tribes responded, and Shu-Han's strength increased by nearly twenty thousand.]
Ma Liang quietly wrote down his own name as it appeared on the light screen, his expression unreadable.
So even this small contribution… would be remembered by later generations?
Was it his governance of Wuling that mattered more, or this act of bringing in the tribes?
Pang Tong felt he had learned a new trick. Jiangdong usually handled the "Shanyue" (mountain tribes) with massive military suppression.
Jiangdong generals often commented that the mountain people were fierce in their hills but timid once pressed into Wu service. It seemed making them feel the benefits of governance was a better way to win their loyalty.
But... Pang Tong wondered, nearly twenty thousand barbarian soldiers... is the Lord's grain supply sufficient?
Zhuge Liang spoke softly, almost to himself.
"Over sixty, and still personally leading a campaign… why go this far?"
Liu Bei smiled faintly.
"And you, Kongming, dying on campaign during the northern expeditions… why go that far?"
For a brief moment, ruler and minister looked at each other and laughed.
[Lightscreen]
[Facing the high-spirited Shu-Han forces coming down the river, Lu Xun believed they should temporarily avoid their sharp edge.
From Yi Province to Yiling, the terrain follows the Yangtze from west to east: mountain valleys, then canyons, then a small plain. Lu Xun used heavy troops to lock down that small plain.
With the exit locked, the Shu-Han army was helpless. They could only set up camp along the canyon for nearly a hundred li.
Liu Bei was desperate for a battle, but Lu Xun held firm. No matter how much they cursed and provoked, he remained unmoved.
The standoff lasted from early spring into the scorching heat of June.
At this point, Liu Bei made his first critical mistake.
Unable to endure the heat, he ordered his navy ashore, establishing camps in the mountains to wait for cooler weather before resuming the offensive.]
Guan Yu's expression changed instantly.
"This is unacceptable."
His voice carried real urgency now.
"Abandoning the ships means surrendering control of the river entirely to Lu Xun."
Liu Bei scratched his head. "If the Sun-Wu navy were seen attacking, they could just be ordered back onto the ships."
Guan Yu closed his eyes briefly, then shook his head.
"Brother… ships move silently. Why would they attack in daylight?"
His voice lowered, heavy.
"They can hide troops aboard vessels, move at night, silence their men, cut off retreat routes. Once the camps are severed, communication fails, formations collapse. Panic spreads."
Liu Bei's face paled.
Guan Yu immediately bowed.
"I have spoken out of turn. The fault lies with me. Had there been someone experienced in naval warfare, this mistake could have been prevented."
Zhuge Liang quickly stepped forward and pulled him up.
"There is no need for blame. Now that we understand, the flaw is corrected."
Only Liu Bei remained silent, guilt pressing down on him like a mountain.
"The 'Ji-Han' (Restored Han)... built by you all, but ruined by my hand."
Zhuge Liang's expression sharpened.
"My Lord, why such self-blame!" Kongming said sharply. "Without you, I would still be farming in Nanyang, and Yunchang and Yide would be but a peddler and a butcher! Cao the rebel has usurped the world; why else would the future speak so fondly of us instead of the thief who stole the state?"
[Lightscreen]
[Lu Xun saw that Shu-Han's morale had dropped and knew that the Wu troops were better acclimated to the summer heat than the Yi Province men.
He knew the chance for victory had arrived. After holding out for six months, Lu Xun organized his first attack.
Though it failed, Lu Xun dropped a profound line: 'I now know the method to break them.
Generally, people think this 'method' refers to the fire attack on the connected camps.
But in reality, the records of Wei, Shu, and Wu do not describe Yiling with much focus on fire, because fire attacks usually require the wind's help.
For example, Red Cliffs is described as: 'The wind was fierce... the smoke and flames filled the sky.'
At Yiling, there was no record of heavy wind. The historical records of the fire are brief: 'He ordered each man to carry a bundle of thatch and use fire to strike. Once the fire took hold, all armies attacked together.' It was basically: have everyone bring something flammable, light it, and throw it into the Shu-Han camps. It was that simple.]
Guan Yu nodded slowly.
"Burning camps during chaos… a classic disruption tactic."
There was even a hint of respect in his tone now.
"He held firm under pressure, waited for weakness, studied the enemy before striking, and chose the right method at the right moment. Everything he did was appropriate."
Jian Yong chuckled.
"At Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu relied on wind and fire together. Without strong winds, Cao Cao would have withdrawn in order, not suffered such a devastating defeat."
Zhuge Liang agreed.
"Fire needs wind to become decisive. Without it, the enemy retreats in control. At Yiling, in the height of summer, there is barely a breeze. Fire alone cannot decide the battle."
He tapped the table lightly.
"The real issue… is that the naval route was already lost."
Everyone nodded.
They had lived in Jingzhou long enough to know the summer heat. Still air, oppressive, unmoving.
No wind. No miracle firestorm.
Only human decisions.
[Lightscreen]
[Lu Xun's report to Sun Quan never mentioned how great the fire was. Fire was never the protagonist of Yiling.
Instead, his report before the attack pointed out the most critical factor: 'At first, I feared they would advance by both water and land. Now they have abandoned the boats for the foot, setting up camps everywhere. Observing their layout, there will be no other changes.'
The life and death of eighty thousand soldiers and the key to the Han's restoration rested on those four words: Advancing by both water and land]