Tokugawa Liang wrote:Well, my final impression here is that Wu as well as Wei, Shu and Han (and also Jin) were pretty much led to their downfall by the corruption and weakening of their leaders by their counsellors, and eunuchs.
Eh, weakness at the top did kill all five but I think corruption and factionalism is simplifying it quite a lot.
Though, Wu's fate sort of makes me uneasy. Zhou Yu, Lu Su, Lu Meng, Lu Xun, Lu Ba, Zhuge Jin, Cheng Pu, all these, and I surely forgot some, talented strategists, all these men of wise counsel, they could not drive Wu into antoher path, could not hinder its downgfall as Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi did, maybe they lived too early? Would Zhou Yu have been able to whistand the assaults of Jin? I suppose ill fate has a great part in this, for if these strategists had not died so early each, they may have changed the course of history...
Wu's attacks failed each time against Wei/Jin, does that mean that Wu's strategists were no match for those of Wei? You say they were aggressive, though the results were defeat each time, or when they won something it was quickly taken back.
Lu Ba? I would also question the description of Zhuge Jin and Cheng Pu as talented strategists. Actually, probably would say the same of Lu Su.
Remember Lu Meng and Lu Xun struggled to succeed in offensives against Wei, the difficultly of doing so was one argument Lu Meng used for changing course and invading Jing in 219. As others have pointed out, there were a lot of factors that prevented Wu from being able to make gains against Wei. A lot of things would have had to go Wu's way to make sustainable gains in the north, it did so in 219 for example, but when the rare chances did come, the talented but ego-filled Zhuge Ke messed up or Wu were simply too weak internally to seize the moment.
Sun Jian, I think was an enlightened ruler.
You mean Quan?
I can't help but feel sorry for the bad luck that made his successors be so bad. You may notice that Shu was in the same case, however Zhuge Liang maintained the Kingdom in a strong position. I always go back to this point, but would Wu not have needed just at the right time a brilliant stategist who could have redressed Wu?
I have to question how much Wu's best early miliatry figures like Lu Meng could have done when they struggled against Wei in their own life times. In truth, I think Wu needed a strong internal figure after Sun Quan died more then anything else. Shu didn't have a strong miliatry strategist but they survived for so long due to natural defenses, capable generals but also strength at the top. Liu Shan was not a strong figure but people were loyal to him and he had strong Prime Ministers in the Four Great Ministers (Liang, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, Dong Yun), it provided a strong and stable base to ensure Shu's survival.
Wu's court was always filled with strong men but while Sun Quan was at his peak, he could control it. Once he declined and the heir situation exploded, they were in trouble. Once Quan was dead, they needed a Lu Xun or a Zhuge Liang to seize control of the administration, keep it in order and curb the factions until the Emperor was old enough. They had no strong, loyal figure and it slowly poisoned them inside as regent after regent was corrupt or killed, factions existed and so on.
Mind you, that would have been impossible under Sun Hao. The once bright hope had become extremely paranoid and that makes it impossible for a Lu Xun or a Zhang Zhao to be there. Wu's army still had some individual talent who held their position till Sun Hao's surrender but on the whole, talent kept their heads down so other Wu armies were poorly led and were brushed aside by Jin's mass invasion.