The Battle of Xiapi was fought between the forces of
Lü Bu
Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betray ...
against the allied armies of
Cao Cao
Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...
and
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...
from the winter of 198 to 7 February 199 towards the
end of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. The battle concluded with victory for Cao Cao and Liu Bei, with Lü Bu being subsequently executed.
Background
In 194, while Cao Cao was away
attacking Tao Qian in
Xu Province
Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras.
Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited.
History
Pre-Qin era
Xuzhou or Xu Province was one of the Nine Provinces o ...
, his subordinates
Chen Gong and
Zhang Miao rebelled against him and aided Lü Bu in invading his base in
Yan Province
Yan Province or Yanzhou was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), it covered roughly present-day southwestern Shandong, eastern Henan, and the northwestern corner of Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ...
. Cao Cao abandoned his invasion of Xu Province and turned back to attack Lü Bu, culminating in the
Battle of Yan Province
The Battle of Yan Province was a battle fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu for control of Yan Province (covering present-day southwestern Shandong and eastern Henan) in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The battle lasted for at leas ...
which lasted more than 100 days. By 195, Cao Cao had retaken all his cities in Yan Province and defeated Lü Bu at Juye. Lü Bu and his men fled east to join Liu Bei, who had succeeded Tao Qian as Governor () of Xu Province.
In 196, Cao Cao found
Emperor Xian in the ruins of
Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
and brought him to
Xuchang
Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and P ...
, where the new capital and imperial court would be based. In the same year, Lü Bu took advantage of the conflict between Liu Bei and
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu () (died July or August 199), courtesy name Gonglu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the Han central government in 18 ...
to capture Xiapi (present-day
Pizhou,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its c ...
), capital of Xu Province, effectively seizing control of the province from Liu Bei. Liu Bei was forced to surrender his governorship of Xu Province to Lü Bu and settle in the nearby city of
Xiaopei. Not long later, Lü Bu felt threatened by Liu Bei's presence and led his troops to attack Liu. Liu Bei was defeated by Lü Bu and had no choice but to join Cao Cao. Cao Cao provided Liu Bei with supplies and sent him to garrison at Xiaopei.
Around 197,
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred tow ...
was in control of the three provinces of
Ji,
Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
and
Bing north of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan ...
, so he wrote a letter to Cao Cao in an arrogant tone. Around the same time, Cao Cao had just been defeated by
Zhang Xiu at the
Battle of Wancheng
The war between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu between 197 and 199 in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. It concluded with Zhang Xiu's surrender to Cao Cao.
Background
In 196, the warlord Cao ...
and the letter angered him. Cao Cao felt threatened by Yuan Shao's growing influence in northern China and wanted to attack Yuan, but felt that his forces were not strong enough. Cao Cao's strategists
Guo Jia and
Xun Yu assessed the situation, listing out the various advantages Cao Cao had over Yuan Shao. They also advised him to use the opportunity to eliminate Lü Bu when Yuan Shao was at war with
Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan () (before 161 - April or May 199), courtesy name Bogui, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
Life
Little is known of Gongsun Zan's early life. He and Liu Bei stu ...
, because it was possible that Yuan Shao might ally with Lü Bu to attack him. Cao Cao then made preparations for a campaign against Lü Bu.
Battle
Conflict between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu
In 197,
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu () (died July or August 199), courtesy name Gonglu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the Han central government in 18 ...
declared himself
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...
and sent his subordinate Han Yin () to meet Lü Bu, proposing a marriage between his son and Lü Bu's daughter, so as to foster a stronger alliance between him and Lü Bu. Lü Bu initially agreed to the proposal and sent his daughter to follow Han Yin back. However, Lü Bu still bore a grudge against Yuan Shu for attacking him five years before, so he changed his mind after listening to
Chen Gui. Lü Bu pursued the convoy and retrieved his daughter, captured Han Yin, and sent him to Xuchang, where Han was executed on Cao Cao's order. Cao Cao appointed Lü Bu as General of the Left () and personally wrote him a letter to console him. Lü Bu sent
Chen Deng to meet Cao Cao and thank Cao on his behalf. When Chen Deng met Cao Cao, he said that Lü Bu was bold but not very astute, and was untrustworthy, so he should to be eliminated as soon as possible. Cao Cao agreed with Chen Deng's view. Chen Deng was appointed Administrator of
Guangling and secretly implanted by Cao Cao as a spy in Lü Bu's forces.
On the other hand, Yuan Shu was angered by Lü Bu's betrayal, so he sent his generals Zhang Xun () and Qiao Rui () to lead an army to attack Xiapi from seven directions in collaboration with the
White Wave Bandits led by
Han Xian and
Yang Feng. Lü Bu was in a disadvantageous situation, with only 3,000 men and 400 warhorses. He was afraid that he might not be able to resist Yuan Shu so he blamed Chen Gui for giving him poor counsel. Chen Gui, however, thought that Han Xian and Yang Feng were not genuinely loyal to Yuan Shu, so he advised Lü Bu to persuade them to break their alliance with Yuan Shu. When Lü Bu attacked Yuan Shu's forces, Han Xian and Yang Feng defected to his side. Yuan Shu's troops were defeated and Lü Bu pursued them until he reached south of the
Huai River
The Huai River (), formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China. It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins in China, and like them runs from west to east ...
.
Siege of Xiapi
In 198, Lü Bu made peace with Yuan Shu again, and sent his general
Gao Shun
Gao Shun () (died 7 February 199) was a military officer serving the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although he only had 700 men under his command, his unit was nicknamed as the "camp crusher (or formation breaker ...
to attack Liu Bei at Xiaopei. Cao Cao sent
Xiahou Dun with an army to reinforce Liu Bei, but they were still defeated by Gao Shun. Xiaopei fell to Lü Bu's forces in October 198 and Liu Bei escaped, but his wives were captured.
Following that, Cao Cao officially launched his military campaign against Lü Bu. When Cao Cao's army reached Pengcheng (present-day
Xuzhou
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its c ...
), Chen Gong urged Lü Bu to attack Cao Cao because Cao Cao's troops were weary from their long march from Xuchang. Lü Bu, however, insisted on staying in Xiapi and wait for Cao Cao to arrive before attacking. A month later, Cao Cao conquered Pengcheng. At the same time, Chen Deng defected to Cao Cao's side and led his men from Guangling to Xiapi. Lü Bu personally led his troops out to engage the enemy but was defeated and forced to retreat. Lü Bu returned to Xiapi and defended the city firmly without advancing.
Cao Cao wrote a letter to Lü Bu, explaining the perilous situation the latter was in. Lü Bu became afraid and had the intention of surrendering, but Chen Gong felt that Cao Cao's army had travelled a long distance and would not be able to fight a prolonged battle. Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to garrison part of his forces outside the city, while the rest would remain with him inside, so that they can support each other if either side came under attack. Chen also said the best time to engage Cao Cao's forces would be months later, when Cao's supplies run out. Lü Bu agreed with the plan and wanted to leave Chen Gong and Gao Shun behind to defend Xiapi while he was stationed outside the city. However, Lü Bu's wife claimed that Chen Gong and Gao Shun could not get along with each other, so that would be a problem if Lü Bu was not around. She also felt that Cao Cao treated Chen Gong better (before the latter's defection to Lü Bu) than how Lü Bu was treating Chen now, so Chen might betray Lü Bu. Lü Bu thus aborted Chen Gong's plan.
Lü Bu sent Wang Kai () and Xu Si () to request reinforcements from Yuan Shu, but Yuan refused when he recalled how Lü Bu reneged on the marriage proposal earlier. Wang Kai and Xu Si attempted to persuade Yuan Shu to send aid, claiming that Yuan Shu would be isolated if Lü Bu was eliminated. Yuan Shu considered sending relief forces, but did not do so immediately. In the meantime, Lü Bu thought that Yuan Shu was unwilling to help him because of the marriage proposal incident, so he personally escorted his daughter out of Xiapi and attempted to send her to Yuan Shu's territory. However, Lü Bu encountered Cao Cao's troops outside the city and was unable to break out of the siege, so he had to turn back.
Cao Cao's troops began to become tired and weary after failing to capture Xiapi despite besieging it for a long time. Cao Cao had the intention of withdrawing, but his strategists
Xun You
Xun You (157–214), courtesy name Gongda, was a statesman who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China and served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao. Born in the influential Xun family of Yingchuan Commandery (around present- ...
and Guo Jia thought that Lü Bu's army was already low on morale after having suffered so many defeats, so they advised Cao Cao to press on with the siege. Cao Cao then ordered his soldiers to direct the waters of the Yi and Si Rivers to flood Xiapi. The beleaguered Lü Bu prepared to surrender after Xiapi was flooded for over a month, but Chen Gong stopped him.
Lü Bu's surrender
Lü Bu's general
Hou Cheng found a man to help him take charge of 15 horses, but the man escaped with the horses, planning to present them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng personally pursued the man and retrieved the horses. The other generals congratulated Hou Cheng on his achievement and Hou prepared food and wine and presented to Lü Bu. Lü Bu was furious and said, "I ordered a ban on alcohol, and now you prepare wine. Are you planning to make me drunk and then turn against me?" Hou Cheng was unhappy and afraid, so on 7 February 199 he plotted with Song Xian () and Wei Xu () to capture Chen Gong and Gao Shun before surrendering to Cao Cao.
[(九州春秋曰:初,布騎將侯成遣客牧馬十五匹,客悉驅馬去,向沛城,欲歸劉備。成自將騎逐之,悉得馬還。諸將合禮賀成,成釀五六斛酒,獵得十餘頭豬,未飲食,先持半豬五斗酒自入詣布前,跪言:「間蒙將軍恩,逐得所失馬,諸將來相賀,自釀少酒,獵得豬,未敢飲食,先奉上微意。」布大怒曰:「布禁酒,卿釀酒,諸將共飲食作兄弟,共謀殺布邪?」成大懼而去,棄所釀酒,還諸將禮。由是自疑,會太祖圍下邳,成遂領衆降。) ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.][(太祖塹圍之三月,上下離心,其將侯成、宋憲、魏續縛陳宮,將其衆降。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.][(曹操壍圍之,壅沂、泗以灌其城,三月,上下離心。其將侯成使客牧其名馬,而客策之以叛。成追客得馬,諸將合禮以賀成。成分酒肉,先入詣布而言曰:「蒙將軍威靈,得所亡馬,諸將齊賀,未敢甞也,故先以奉貢。」布怒曰:「布禁酒而卿等醞釀,為欲因酒共謀布邪?」成忿懼,乃與諸將共執陳宮、高順,率其衆降。) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 75.]
When Lü Bu heard about Hou Cheng's defection, he led his remaining men to White Gate Tower, where he saw that Cao Cao's troops were closing in on him. He asked his men to kill him and bring his head to Cao Cao, but they refused. Lü Bu then surrendered.
[(布與麾下登白門樓。兵圍之急,令左右取其首詣操。左右不忍,乃下降。 ... 布及宮、順皆縊殺之,傳首許市。) ''Houhanshu'' vol. 75.]
Aftermath
Lü Bu and his followers were tied up and brought before Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Cao Cao ordered Gao Shun to be executed after Gao did not reply when Cao asked him if he had anything to say. Lü Bu complained that he was too tightly bound but Cao Cao said, "A tiger should be tightly tied up." Lü Bu then attempted to persuade Cao Cao to spare him and promised to serve Cao. As Cao Cao was pondering, Liu Bei said, "Haven't you seen what happened to
Ding Yuan and
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25 ...
?" Cao Cao rubbed his jaw. Lü Bu scolded Liu Bei, "You're the most untrustworthy person."
[(布與其麾下登白門樓。兵圍急,乃下降。遂生縛布,布曰:「縛太急,小緩之。」太祖曰:「縛虎不得不急也。」布請曰:「明公所患不過於布,今已服矣,天下不足憂。明公將步,令布將騎,則天下不足定也。」太祖有疑色。劉備進曰:「明公不見布之事丁建陽及董太師乎!」太祖頷之。布因指備曰:「是兒最叵信者。」) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.] The ''Yingxiong Ji'' (英雄記; ''
Records of Heroes'') stated that Cao Cao initially wanted to spare Lü Bu's life after Lü pledged to serve him. However, Wang Bi (), Cao Cao's registrar, immediately stopped Cao Cao and said, "Lü Bu is a formidable prisoner-of-war. His subordinates are nearby, he cannot be spared." Cao Cao then said to Lü Bu, "I wanted to spare you, but my registrar refuses. So, what should I do?"
When Cao Cao asked Chen Gong what would happen to his family members, Chen hinted that Cao should spare them. Cao Cao spared Chen Gong's family and treated them well. Chen Gong then accepted his fate and walked to the execution ground without looking back. Cao Cao was deeply grieved by Chen Gong's death. Cao Cao then had Lü Bu executed by hanging. He ordered the dead bodies of Lü Bu and his followers to be decapitated and their heads sent to Xuchang and then later buried.
[(於是縊殺布。布與宮、順等皆梟首送許,然後葬之。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 7.]
Cao Cao accepted Zhang Liao,
Chen Qun
Chen Qun (died 7 February 237), courtesy name Changwen, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He initiated the Nine-rank system for civil service nomination in Wei. Following the death of th ...
and others who previously served Lü Bu, and appointed them as generals or officials under him. Other minor warlords such as
Zang Ba,
Sun Guan
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radia ...
(
孫觀),
Wu Dun (),
Yin Li, and
Chang Xi (
昌豨) who used to side with Lü Bu also surrendered to Cao Cao, and he put them in charge of various commanderies along the coastline.
With the end of the Battle of Xiapi, Cao Cao completely eliminated the threat posed by Lü Bu. The following year, Liu Bei broke ties with Cao Cao and seized control of Xu Province after killing
Che Zhou (
車冑), but Cao Cao quickly defeated Liu and regained control of the province. With Xu Province now firmly in his control, Cao Cao no longer had any impending threats on his home base in Yan and Yu provinces. This became an advantage to Cao Cao in the subsequent
Battle of Guandu in 200 against Yuan Shao.
Order of battle
Cao Cao and Liu Bei forces
*
Cao Cao
Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...
**
Xun You
Xun You (157–214), courtesy name Gongda, was a statesman who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China and served as an adviser to the warlord Cao Cao. Born in the influential Xun family of Yingchuan Commandery (around present- ...
**
Guo Jia
**
Xiahou Dun
***
Han Hao
*
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...
**
Guan Yu
Guan Yu (; ), courtesy name Yunchang, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Along with Zhang Fei, he shared a brotherly relationship with Liu Bei and accompanied him o ...
**
Zhang Fei
Zhang Fei () (died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide, was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Zhang Fei and Guan Yu, who were among the earlies ...
Lü Bu forces
*
Lü Bu
Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betray ...
, executed
**
Chen Gong, executed
**
Gao Shun
Gao Shun () (died 7 February 199) was a military officer serving the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although he only had 700 men under his command, his unit was nicknamed as the "camp crusher (or formation breaker ...
, executed
**
Hou Cheng
** Song Xian ()
** Wei Xu ()
**
Cheng Lian
Cheng may refer to:
Chinese states
* Chengjia or Cheng (25–36 AD)
* Cheng Han or Cheng (304–338)
* Zheng (state), or Cheng in Wade–Giles
Places
* Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pin ...
()
In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''
The battle was romanticised in chapters 18–19 of the historical novel ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD an ...
'' by
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben (c. 1330–1400, or c.1280–1360), better known by his courtesy name Guanzhong (Mandarin pronunciation: ), was a Chinese writer who lived during the Ming dynasty. He was also known by his pseudonym Huhai Sanren (). Luo was attri ...
. Some fictional events were added, while actual ones were modified to large extents for dramatic effect. In the novel, the battle took place in two stages: the first took place near Xiaopei (小沛; present-day
Pei County,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its c ...
) while the second was at Xiapi (下邳; present-day
Pizhou, Jiangsu) itself.
Some notable events in the novel's account of the battle are as follows:
Xiahou Dun losing his left eye
Cao Cao
Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate Grand chancellor (China), grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the End of ...
sent
Xiahou Dun to lead reinforcements to help
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who founded the state of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period and became its first ruler. Although he was a distant relative of the H ...
, who was under attack by
Lü Bu
Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betray ...
at Xiaopei. When Xiahou Dun arrived, he encountered Lü Bu's army led by
Gao Shun
Gao Shun () (died 7 February 199) was a military officer serving the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although he only had 700 men under his command, his unit was nicknamed as the "camp crusher (or formation breaker ...
, and he engaged Gao in a one-on-one fight. Both of them duelled for about 40-50 rounds. Gao Shun could not hold on any longer so he retreated, with Xiahou Dun in pursuit. Lü Bu's subordinate
Cao Xing
Cao Xing () ( 190s) was a military officer serving under the warlord Lü Bu in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
In historical records
Cao Xing was a subordinate of Hao Meng, an officer serving under Lü Bu. One night in July or August 196 ...
spotted Xiahou Dun on the battlefield, and he fired an arrow which hit Xiahou in his left eye. Xiahou Dun cried out and pulled out the arrow together with his eyeball. He exclaimed, "(This is) the essence of my father and the blood of my mother, (I) cannot waste it!" He then swallowed his eyeball and charged towards Cao Xing. Cao Xing was caught off guard and was killed by Xiahou Dun, who speared him in the face. The soldiers from both sides were shocked by the scene before them.
;Historicity
Xiahou Dun's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentioned briefly when Xiahou Dun participated in a battle against Lü Bu's forces, he was hit by a stray arrow and was injured in his left eye. No further details were provided. The ''
Weilüe
The ''Weilüe'' () was a Chinese historical text written by Yu Huan between 239 and 265. Yu Huan was an official in the state of Cao Wei (220–265) during the Three Kingdoms period (220–280). Although not a formal historian, Yu Huan has been h ...
'' stated that after the incident, the soldiers nicknamed Xiahou Dun "Blind Xiahou". Xiahou Dun hated that nickname and when he saw his reflection in a mirror, he would knock it onto the ground.
The only record of Cao Xing in history exists in the ''Yingxiong Ji'' (英雄記; ''
Records of Heroes''), which stated that when
Hao Meng rebelled against Lü Bu in 196, Hao's subordinate Cao Xing refused to join him in the rebellion. Hao Meng and Cao Xing fought, and Cao was injured by Hao but he managed to slice off Hao's arm. Hao Meng was later killed by Gao Shun. Lü Bu later praised Cao Xing for remaining loyal to him.
Hou Cheng's defection
This incident took place when Lü Bu was besieged by Cao Cao's forces in Xiapi for months. His subordinate
Hou Cheng seized back 15 horses stolen from them and Lü Bu's men wanted to celebrate. Hou Cheng feared that Lü Bu might be angry because the latter had already banned his men from consuming alcohol, so Hou presented five bottles of wine to his lord. However, Lü Bu was furious and he wanted to have Hou Cheng executed, but Song Xian (), Wei Xu () and others pleaded with Lü Bu to spare Hou Cheng. Lü Bu agreed and had Hou Cheng flogged 50 times before releasing him. Lü Bu's men were all upset by the incident. Hou Cheng later plotted with Song Xian and Wei Xu to betray Lü Bu. That night, Hou Cheng stole Lü Bu's steed, the
Red Hare, and fled to Cao Cao's camp. He told Cao Cao about their plan.
[''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 19.]
;Historicity
The ''Sanguozhi'' stated that Lü Bu's followers were starting to become disunited after Lü Bu had been besieged in Xiapi by Cao Cao's forces for about three months. His generals Hou Cheng, Song Xian and Wei Xu captured
Chen Gong and brought their men to surrender to Cao Cao.
The ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' gave a similar account of the story in ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', except that Lü Bu did not have Hou Cheng flogged when the latter presented wine to him. Instead, Hou Cheng became afraid after Lü Bu scolded him and threatened to execute him, so he discarded the wine and returned to join the other generals. He later became suspicious of Lü Bu and eventually led his men to surrender to Cao Cao.
Lü Bu's biography in the ''Houhanshu'' combined the original text in the ''Sanguozhi'' and the ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' account, stating that Hou Cheng and others captured Chen Gong and
Gao Shun
Gao Shun () (died 7 February 199) was a military officer serving the warlord Lü Bu during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although he only had 700 men under his command, his unit was nicknamed as the "camp crusher (or formation breaker ...
and surrendered to Cao Cao.
Lü Bu's final moments
Lü Bu was resting when his subordinates Song Xian and Wei Xu captured him and tied him up. They threw his ''
ji'' down the walls and opened the gates for Cao Cao's forces to enter. Lü Bu was brought before Cao Cao and he complained that he was too tightly bound, but Cao Cao said, "A tiger must be tied up securely." Lü Bu then said to Hou Cheng, Wei Xu and Song Xian, "I treated all of you well, why do you betray me?" Song Xian replied, "(You) listen to your wives and concubines and ignore our advice. You call this 'treating us well'?" Lü Bu remained silent. Cao Cao then had Gao Shun executed. He wanted to spare Chen Gong but the latter insisted on accepting his fate and was executed as well. Lü Bu attempted to persuade Cao Cao to spare him, saying that he was willing to serve under Cao Cao and help him conquer the empire. When Cao Cao asked Liu Bei for his opinion, Liu replied, "Haven't you seen what happened to
Ding Yuan and
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo () (died 22 May 192), courtesy name Zhongying, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25 ...
?" Lü Bu glared at Liu Bei and said, "You're the most untrustworthy person!" As he was being dragged away, Lü Bu turned back and shouted at Liu Bei, "Big eared fellow! Have you forgotten the incident when I fired an arrow through the ''
ji''?" Cao Cao then had Lü Bu executed by hanging and his dead body decapitated.
;Historicity
The ''Sanguozhi'' stated that Lü Bu surrendered when he saw that he had been surrounded, instead of him being captured by his own subordinates who had betrayed him. His final words, said to Cao Cao and Liu Bei moments before his death, were similar to those mentioned in the ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''.
Cao Cao then had Lü Bu hanged. He ordered Lü Bu's dead body to be decapitated and the head sent to the capital
Xuchang
Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and P ...
and later had it buried.
Lü Bu's biography in the ''Houhanshu'' mentioned that Lü Bu asked his subordinates to take his head and surrender to Cao Cao when he saw that he had been surrounded by Cao's forces. However, his subordinates were unwilling to do so, hence they surrendered together. The rest of the account is similar to that in the ''Sanguozhi'' and its annotations.
Zhang Liao's surrender
When Zhang Liao was captured and brought before Cao Cao after the battle, he scorned Lü Bu for his cowardly behaviour. He showed no fear and even remarked that Cao Cao was lucky to have survived the blaze at Puyang (referring to an earlier battle in which Cao was almost killed). Cao Cao was furious and he drew his sword and wanted to kill Zhang Liao, but Guan Yu and Liu Bei stopped him and pleaded with him to spare Zhang. Guan Yu even knelt down. Cao Cao laughed, sheathed his sword, and said, "I also know Wenyuan (Zhang Liao's
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China
China, officially the People's R ...
) is a loyal and righteous man. I was just testing him." He then personally released Zhang Liao from his bonds, took off his coat and wrapped it around Zhang, and offered him a seat. Zhang Liao was moved by Cao Cao's sincerity so he submitted to Cao.
;Historicity
The ''Sanguozhi'' did not mention anything about this incident. It just simply stated that Zhang Liao surrendered to Cao Cao and was commissioned as a "General of the Household" () and received the title of a "Secondary Marquis" ().
[(太祖破呂布於下邳,遼將其衆降,拜中郎將,賜爵關內侯。) ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 17.] It also remains unknown whether he did participate in the Battle of Xiapi or not.
In popular culture
The Battle of Xiapi is featured in
Koei
Koei Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game publisher, developer, and distributor founded in 1978. The company is known for its ''Dynasty Warriors'' games based on the novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', as well as simulation games based on ...
's video game series ''
Dynasty Warriors'' as a playable stage from the
fourth instalment onwards.
Notes
References
{{Reflist
*
Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records or History of the Three Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese name as the Sanguo Zhi, is a Chinese historical text which covers the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220 ...
'' (''Sanguozhi'').
*
Fan, Ye (5th century). ''
Book of the Later Han
The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Lat ...
'' (''Houhanshu'').
*
Luo, Guanzhong (14th century). ''
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD an ...
'' (''Sanguo Yanyi'').
*
Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms () by Pei Songzhi (372-451) is an annotation completed in the 5th century of the 3rd century historical text '' Records of the Three Kingdoms'', compiled by Chen Shou. After leaving his native land, P ...
'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
*
Sima, Guang (1084). ''
Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynas ...
'', vol. 62-63.
Xiapi 198
Military history of Jiangsu
198
199