Tianshui

	Battle of Tianshui
Date	228
Location	Tianshui, Nan'an and Anding, Liang Province (southern modern Gansu)
Result	Wei victory.
Forces
Wei	Shu
Commanders
Cao Zhen; Zhang He	Zhuge Liang

The Battle of Tianshui (天水の戦い, rōmaji: Tensui no Tatakai) is a battle between Wei and Shu. In the Dynasty Warriors series the battle's purpose is similar to the novel: for Jiang Wei to defect to Shu.

Historically there wasn't any battle that happened in Tianshui, just a simple revolt. Zhuge Liang's aim was to capture the cities of Nan'an, Anding, and Tianshui, which would all be pacified by Zhang He later.

Ji Castle (冀城, Kijō, lit. Hope Castle) was a location north of Tianshui close to the region of Xiliang, which before the events of the Northern Campaigns, was a separate battle in of itself that detailed Ma Chao's next dealings vs. the Wei forces after the events of Tong Gate and before serving Zhang Lu's forces.

Role in Games[]

Dynasty Warriors[]

The fourth installment of Dynasty Warriors is the stage's debut as a Shu Tales stage, which can only be unlocked during Shu Act III if the player does not play the Battle of Bo Wan Po and completes the Battle of Chi Bi before anything happens. The map is an expanded section of the Wu Zhang Plains series, with Tian Shui Castle as the stronghold for the Wei side. Zhuge Liang convinces Jiang Wei, Yin Shang, and Liang Xu to defect to their side, not engaging them or taking any of the main castles. The player must defeat Jiang Wei's sub officers and send agents into Tian Shui castle to oblige Yin Shang and Liang Xu to open the gates to Tian Shui castle. Clearing the stage by making Jiang Wei defect will unlock him. In Musou Mode, if Jiang Wei is unlocked, Cao Ren will take his place, while in Free Mode, Jiang Wei can face himself in a mirror fight.

In the fifth installment, players must defeat Xiahou Mao and Cui Liang to capture Nan An and An Ding. Zhuge Liang orders the release of these forces, revealing that Jiang Wei has defected. The player must rescue Nan An or An Ding from the invaders, and if successful, the battle is won. An imposter of Jiang Wei may appear under the Shu forces, causing Ma Zun to retreat. If the two castles fall, Ma Zun will attempt to retreat and be confused, leading him to Zhuge Liang's main camp. The battle is removed in the sixth installment with Jiang Wei. In the seventh installment, Jiang Wei returns as the enemy commander after defeating Ma Zun, Cui Liang, and Yang Ling. The battle marks the debut of Liu Shan as a warrior and ends the stage. In the eighth installment, the battle only appears in Shu's story, with Zhuge Liang ordering the taking of outer garrisons and ambushing Wei forces.

Warriors Orochi[]

In the first game of Warriors Orochi, players must protect three allied garrisons from the samurai Oda Army before Nobunaga arrives. The battle involves rescuing Cao Pi and Da Ji, who face off against the samurai. The Husbands and Wives version of the Tian Shui map is used in the second game, where players rescue captured maidens from Dong Zhuo's grasp.

The battle starts with Noh warning Ranmaru to guard the main camp, and the player must rescue Ginchiyo, Oichi, Da Qiao, and Xing Cai. The group must defeat a spy captain, Sun Wukong, Oichi, Da Qiao, Magoichi, Xing Cai, Sun Shang Xiang, and Sun Shang Xiang. If the player fails to rescue all the ladies in 10 minutes, Dong Zhuo will attack, and the battle will be won by defeating Dong Zhuo.

In the PSP of Warriors Orochi 2 and Musou OROCHI Z, this stage introduces San Zang, who joins the army of Wei to hunt down Sun Wukong. The Azai army is on the verge of annihilation, and the Wei forces rescue their allies. San Zang sends a fake messenger to keep Dong Zhuo from mobilizing immediately. After rescuing the Azai officers, the Wei army moves forward, and Sun Wukong must be defeated to complete the battle.

Kessen[]

Historical Information[]

In 228, Zhuge Liang declared a march through the Xie Gorge to take Mei, using Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi as decoys. Cao Zhen led his armies to oppose them, and Zhuge Liang personally besieged Mount Qi. Three commanderies revolted and defected, sending shock waves through Guanzhong. Cao Rui moved to Chang'an to oversee defense, while Cao Zhen secured Mei against Zhao Yun. Zhuge Liang ordered Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi to counter Cao Zhen, but their troop strength was inadequate. Jiang Wei fled secretly, and Jiang Wei met Zhuge Liang. The Shu army suffered a setback at Jieting, and Zhuge Liang ordered a retreat back to Shu territory. He separated his troops into two groups, with Ma Su defending Mei.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms[]

In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Tianshui is a strategic point in Wei's western frontier, and Zhuge Liang decides to capture it for his northern campaign. Xiahou Mao defeats Han De and his sons in a skirmish with the Shu Forces, leading to a defeat for the Wei forces. Xiahou Mao then feigns defeat and orders an ambush, but reinforcements from Guan Xing, Zhang Bao, and Deng Zhi shift the tide in favor of the Shu Forces. Xiahou Mao withdrew back to Nan'an and prepared for a siege.

The Shu vanguard lays siege to Nan'an, but the city's defenses prove impregnable. Zhuge Liang orders his troops to bring torchwood and send a fake messenger to Anding, lured by Cui Liang, the governor. Cui Liang mistook the smoke from the fire as Nan'an and surrendered. Zhuge Liang then sends Cui Liang to capture Yang Ling and capture Xiahou Mao. Cui Liang returns to Nan'an and shoots a letter to Yang Ling, killing him and Yang Ling. Xiahou Mao attempts to abandon the city but is captured by Wang Ping.

After Xiahou Mao's defeat, he attempts to use the same trick on Ma Zun, but is stopped by Jiang Wei, who creates a new plan to deal with the situation.

According to plan, Ma Zun left the Tianshui in order to "reinforce" Nan'an. As expected, a Shu force, led by Zhao Yun arrived and attempted to take the city, however, the defenders sent out their troops to resist him with Jiang Wei duelling the elder general to a standstill. Meanwhile, Ma Zun turned his troops around in order to sandwich the Shu troops in a pincer attack. Zhao Yun was only barely able to escape the trap thanks to reinforcements from Zhang Bao and Guan Xing.

Suffering his very first defeat in battle, Zhao Yun told Zhuge of the events, who was equally surprised that someone had seen through his tricks. A soldier from the area that had surrendered also told Zhuge Liang of Jiang Wei's filial piety and prodigious talent which was compounded by Zhao Yun's high regard for Jiang Wei's fighting skill.

Forced to a direct fight, Zhuge Liang besieged Tianshui, but its defenders stubbornly held the line. Later that night, while attempting to think of a new strategy, a messenger informed Zhuge Liang that an enemy was raiding the Shu camp. With Guan Xing and Zhang Bao's help, Zhuge escaped. Delightfully impressed by his first true loss on the battlefield, Zhuge Liang then began making plans to subdue Jiang Wei. Learning that his mother was still living in Jicheng, Zhuge Liang sent Wei Yan to attack the city in order to force Jiang out but to also abandon the attack if Jiang Wei really did arrive. This move would isolate Jiang Wei from Ma Zun and keep him in Jicheng.

Upon the completion of Wei Yan's tasks, Zhuge Liang then released Xiahou Mao with a false letter, stating that Jiang Wei would surrender Jicheng if Xiahou Mao was exchanged. On his way to Jicheng, however, Xiahou Mao encountered villagers fleeing from the area, who stated that Jiang Wei had already allowed Shu troops to pillage the town. Xiahou Mao then decided to change course and left to Tianshui to report his findings.

Ma Zun and many of Jiang Wei's friends, who also served at Tianshui, were in disbelief that he would betray them, but on that night, Zhuge Liang sent a man disguised as Jiang Wei to attack Tianshui. This move cemented Jiang Wei's isolation.

On Jiang Wei's end, supplies in Jicheng were running low after Wei Yan's slow siege. Seeing Shu supply wagons, Jiang Wei exited the city and defeated Zhang Bao's forces to seize the grain, but this was all a bait as Wei Yan took Jicheng as soon as Jiang left the city. Heavily surrounded, Jiang Wei returned to Tianshui, however, Ma Zun ordered his troops to attack Jiang on sight. Jiang Wei then attempted to go to the nearby Shanggui, however Liang Qian denied him entry. With no place left to go to, Jiang Wei surrendered to Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang immediately deliberated with Jiang on how to capture Tianshui, and Jiang volunteered to shoot an arrow with a letter to the city. As he still had friends in the city, they would likely come under fire if he were to send them a letter. True to his word, Xiahou Mao and Ma Zun immediately began making plans to kill Yin Shang and Liang Xu. The two, however, caught word of this, and opened the city gates to let the Shu forces in. Unable to fend off the enemy forces, Ma Zun and Xiahou Mao fled to take refuge with the Qiang tribes and were never heard from again. Liang Xu would then convince Liang Qian to surrender Shanggui to the Shu forces.

When a soldier asked Zhuge Liang on why he chose not to pursue and capture Xiahou Mao, to which Zhuge Liang laughed that releasing Xiahou Mao was like releasing a duck, but having Jiang Wei is like having a phoenix.

Ultimately, however, whatever gain the Shu forces obtained at campaigns in the area were immediately lost when Ma Su was defeated at Jieting and Zhuge Liang was forced to abort his first Northern Campaign.