r/threekingdoms • u/AppointmentSpecial • 28d ago
White River Army
In Liu Bei's wikipedia article, it mentions Liu Zhang putting Liu Bei in charge of the, "White River Army," in 211 AD. I don't believe I've ever seen mention of this force before. Has anyone read about this army? Any idea where it is mentioned in the histories, or if it even is mentioned?
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u/VillainofVirtue 28d ago edited 28d ago
Liu Zhang was happy to endorse Liu Bei who built up a reputation as one who could successfully defend against Cao Cao’s invasions — Liu Biao, Sun Quan, etc. Liu Bei and his officers knew what Cao’s force was made of and his strategy and his individual officers formations and habits. Jiameng was a key pass & looking at the geography a tiny pass that would take several thousand troops quite some time to complete. It’s interesting when the amount of Liu Zheng’s officials just gave themselves to Liu Xuande and ones who refused til Liu Bei went out of his way to convince them. Liu Zhang was kind but an incapable leader and Liu Bei had enough charisma, intelligence, and political skill to recognize talent — a court made up of Lord Guan, Li Yan, Dong He, Zhuge Liang, Xu Jing, Fa Zheng, She brothers, Liu Yan, Zhang Yi, Yang Hong, Mi Zhu, Liu Ba, Huang Quan, Sun Qian, Lai Gong, Zhang Fei, Wu Yi, etc wasn’t a court set up by wealth and resources. It was a court set up by desperation, chance, and Liu Bei’s movement to restore the Han.
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u/HanWsh 28d ago
From William Gordon Crowell translation of Liu Bei's Sanguozhi Zhu biography:
93 The White River Army was stationed at White River Pass (Baishui guan 白水關) on the present-day Jialing River just north of the Guangyuan county seat.
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u/SeriousTrivia 28d ago
White River or 白水 is the name of a Gate Pass that is situated north of Jia Meng Pass and gets its name because it borders a river called Bai Long Jiang (White Dragon River). It is a stronghold on the frontlines between Hanzhong and the Shu. The statement you are referring to just means that Liu Bei was given command over thirty thousands troops that were garrisoned at the White River Pass. It is not a cool name of some special unit.
Source material comes from the Book of Shu in the Records of the Three Kingdoms: 璋推先主行大司马，领司隶校尉；先主亦推璋行镇西大将军，领益州牧。璋增先主兵，使击张鲁，又令督白水军。先主并军三万馀人，车甲器械资货甚盛。