Battle of Mayi

The Battle of Mayi was an aborted ambush operation by the Han Dynasty against the invading Xiongnu forces. This urged the long-term war between the Han Dynasty and Xiongnu, and henceforth marked a beginning of offensive policies adopted by the Han court.

Background

After the humiliating defeat of in the hands of Modu Shanyu at in 200 BC, the Han Dynasty was forced to resort to political appeasement in order to decrease the scale of Xiongnu hostilty. However, despite the periodic gifting and heqin did not prevent border townships and villages being ravaged by the nomads, as the prosperous Chinese land never failed to attract Xiongnu raids.

After seven decades, Han Dynasty had built up its strength. Unlike his predecessors, , Han's seventh emperor, would no longer tolerate this situation. Although he maintained a policy of peace early in his reign, ideas of how to finally strike a major blow against the Xiongnu were beginning to be formulated.

The Ambush

In 133 BC, at the suggestion of Wang Hui, the minister of vassal affairs, Emperor Wu had his generals set a trap for the Xiongnu Shanyu at the city of . A powerful local trader/smuggler, Nie Wengyi, would deceptively claim to Junchen Shanyu that he had killed the local magistrate and was willing to offer the city to the Xiongnu. The plan was to entice the Shanyu's forces into advancing on Mayi so that a 300,000-strong Han forces hidden around the area could ambush them.

The plan failed, ironically, because the Han ambush was set up too excessively. When the Shanyu bought the bait and moved in for a raid on Mayi, he saw fields full of cattles but with no . Feeling increasingly suspicious, the Shanyu ordered his men to halt advance. Xiongnu scouts then captured a Han soldier from a local outpost, who disclosed the entire plan to the Shanyu. In shock, the Shanyu then withdrew quickly before the Han forces could act. Wang Hui, the mastermind behind the entire operation, hestitated and ordered not to give pursuit. As a result, neither side suffered any casualties.

Aftermath

Though border military clashes already continued for decades between the two sides, this "battle" ended the ''de jure'' "peace" between the Han and Xiongnu. The ambush operation revealed the Han Dynasty's hawkish stance, and the "marriage/gift for peace" policy was officially abandoned. For the next few years, Xiongnu would tune up their border attacks, further solidifying the cause of pro-war factions and their control in the Han court.

The failure of the Mayi operation also prompt Emperor Wu to reconsider his strategies. Disappointed at the inefficiency of existing generals, Emperor Wu began to look for younger generations of military hopefuls capable of offensive anti-cavalry warfare. This led to the rise of famous new-generation tacticians like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, and decline in favour for traditional commanders like Li Guang.