Hao Zhao
| Hao Zhao | |||
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| Traditional Chinese | 郝昭 | ||
| Simplified Chinese | 郝昭 | ||
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Hao Zhao, style name Bodao (伯道), was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. His single most important victory over the much larger Shu Han army led by Zhuge Liang during the Siege of Chencang made him a celebrity overnight, but he soon died of illness before he could further his exploits.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early career
Hao Zhao was born in an obscure family in Taiyuan, and joined the army at a young age. Described as masculine and strong, the physically adept Hao Zhao was soon assigned the post of a commander to a group of militia under the Han Dynasty's chancellor, Cao Cao. He gained several deeds during his tenure as a captain, and was granted the lowest ranking of generalship for his diligent effort. Some time later, he was dispatched to Hexi and stayed there for roughly ten years. During his tenure, he had been successful on suppressing some local uprisings, and was feared by both the residents and foreign tribes alike.[1]
[edit] As a local defender
Before the regent of Shu, Zhuge Liang, launched his second northern campaign against the rival state of Wei, Cao Zhen of Wei correctly predicted Zhuge's route of advancement. Cao Zhen recommended Hao Zhao to build fortifications for Chencang, and assured the young emperor Cao Rui of the defense against probable invasions from Shu. However, Hao Zhao was only assigned 1,000 men for his task.
After his failure in the first expedition on Mount Qi, Zhuge Liang indeed changed his target to Chencang as Cao Zhen foresaw. Thoroughly prepared, Zhuge Liang brought with him a selection of siege weapons and 100,000 troops. Although a few officers including Wei Yan recommended an alternate route, Zhuge Liang was determined to march through Chencang in order to establish a foothold. When they reached the fortress-city, the defense was apparently not completed as Cao Zhen had not sent additional forces to move in.
Having completed the encirclement, Zhuge Liang sent Jin Xiang, a friend of Hao Zhao, to convince Hao to betray Wei. The first time they spoke, Hao Zhao would hear none of it, saying "The law of Wei is what you practiced; the nature of me is what you know. I have received so much from my country and I can't let down on my family. You ought to say no more, I'll only die defending this city. Go express my gratitude to Zhuge Liang, then ask him to attack!"[2] Jin Xiang told Zhuge Liang what Hao Zhao said, and again Zhuge sent Jin to soften Hao. "Our armies are enormous while you only have a tiny force, what good is it to perish for a futile effort?" said Jin. This time, however, Hao Zhao fitted an arrow and replied "What I said earlier remains solid. As I know you, my arrow doesn't."[3] Upon hearing this, the attack began.
[edit] Siege
The odds were drastically against Hao Zhao - he only had 1,000 men at the time, while the Shu army numbered 100,000.[4] Zhuge Liang's first attempt was to carry out an escalade tactic through the use of siege ladders, but Hao Zhao countered with fire arrows, burning the platforms and parched the men upon them. While the ladders were still aflame, the enemies' battering rams designed to breach the city gate had arrived, and Hao Zhao hurriedly chained some great stones and rolled them down, smashing the rams. The quick response and skillful leadership of Hao Zhao greatly shocked Zhuge Liang, as the latter never expected such a determined resistance before.
Zhuge Liang then drew back and rethought on his tactic, and he decided to create more possible attack points. So, the besiegers started to fill the moats and prepared their siege towers. With the moats and entrenchments removed, the siege engines moved upon the walls while foot-soldiers climbed the walls like ants. However, Zhuge Liang was outwitted by Hao Zhao that when he laid his hand on the entrenchment, Hao had already seen through his intention and started building interior walls inside the original walls.[5] As long as the siege towers could not pass the first walls, the soldiers on top of the towers who did overcome the outer walls could not climb the second inner walls. Suffering another defeat, Zhuge Liang attempted an architectural approach. He asked his soldiers to dig tunnels beneath the city, but his method was actually different to the more common mining tactic, which is to excavate beneath the foundations of the walls, and then deliberately collapsing or exploding the tunnel - it is recorded that he wanted to create some underground passages for his armies to enter the city directly.[6] That is a much perilous approach, because defenders can counter-tunnel to cut into the attackers' works and topple them prematurely, killing anyone affected by the collapse, and that is just what Hao Zhao did.
The struggle had been continuing non-stop for 20-odd days and nights, with Zhuge Liang becoming increasingly aggressive.[7] News came of Wei reinforcements being led by Wang Shuang, and Zhuge Liang was forced to retreat when his army was unable to stop the former from reaching Chencang. Wang Shuang was killed when he attempted a pursuit.
[edit] Death
An imperial decree was passed down to grant Hao Zhao a title of marquis, and he was summoned to the imperial capital by the emperor Cao Rui, who was so eager to meet this new hero of his country and once commented to his trusted aide, Sun Zi (孫資, not to be confused with Sun Tzu), "your county has produced such a fiery general, what worries should I have?"[8] The emperor intended to assign great tasks to Hao Zhao, but the latter became seriously ill and stayed in Luoyang to receive medication. As the sick man collapsed, he gave his final words to his son Hao Kai as thus:
"I as a general, know what a general should not do. I have opened up many a grave mound, obtaining their wood to be used in making equipment during battle, thus I know a grand funeral is of no use to the dead. You are to dress my body in casual clothes. In life the living has a place of dwelling, in death where do they go? Now make my grave far away, north south east or west, it is up to you."
When the emperor knew Hao Zhao would not recover, he was so saddened that he lost appetite and ordered certain higher officials to reduce meals. Sima Yi protested that for the emperor to worry about Hao Zhao, who was from a lower origin, to such a degree was beyond the rituals suggested.[9]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ (昭字伯道，太原人，为人雄壮，少入军为部曲督，数有战功，为杂号将军，遂镇守河西十余年，民夷畏服。). Brief History of Wei. Yu Huan.
- ^ (“魏家科法，卿所练也；我之为人，卿所知也。我受国恩多而门户重，卿无可言者，但有必死耳。卿还谢诸葛，便可攻也。”). Brief History of Wei.
- ^ (亮又使详重说昭，言人兵不敌，无为空自破灭。昭谓详曰：“前言已定矣。我识卿耳，箭不识也。”详乃去。). Brief History of Wei.
- ^ (贼众十万，顿兵郭下，围城三匝，于是不逞作慝). Records of Shanxi (《山西通志》).
- ^ (亮乃更为井阑百尺以射城中，以土丸填堑，欲直攀城，昭又于内筑重墙。) Brief History of Wei.
- ^ (亮又为地突，欲踊出于城里，昭又于城内穿地横截之。). Brief History of Wei.
- ^ (昼夜相攻拒二十余日，亮无计) Brief History of Wei.
- ^ (及还，帝引见慰劳之，顾谓中书令孙资曰：“卿乡里乃有尔曹快人，为将灼如此，朕复何忧乎？”仍欲大用之。). Brief History of Wei.
- ^ (司马懿上明帝书：“昭寝疾不起，此乃命也。方今朔土未一，四海喁喁，天戴陛下，而以下流之念，减损大官肴馔，过於礼制，臣窃忧惶。” ). Brief History of Wei.
[edit] References
Primary source:
- Yu Huan. Brief History of Wei
- Chen Shou. Records of Three Kingdoms, Chapter 3, Biography of Emperor Ming.
- Chen Shou. Records of Three Kingdoms, Chapter 9, Biography of Cao Zhen.
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