The following is a chronologically arranged list of apocryphal stories in the 14th century 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 ...

'' (''Sanguo Yanyi''), one of the

Four Great Classical Novels Classic Chinese Novels () are the best-known novels of pre-modern Chinese literature. These are among the world's longest and oldest novels. They represented a new complexity in structure and sophistication in language that helped to establish t ...

of Chinese literature. Although the novel is a romanticised retelling of the history of the late

Eastern Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...

and the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period, due to its immense esteem and popularity, many people take it seriously as an account of the events that happened during the era. The primary historical sources for the Three Kingdoms period is

Chen Shou Chen Shou (; 233–297), courtesy name Chengzuo (), was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is most known for his most celebrated work, the '' Records of ...

's ''

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''), which includes

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, Pei ...

Pei Songzhi Pei Songzhi (372–451), courtesy name Shiqi, was a Chinese historian and politician who lived in the late Eastern Jin dynasty and Liu Song dynasty. His ancestral home was in Wenxi County, Shanxi, but he moved to the Jiangnan region late ...

from other historical texts such as

Yu Huan Yu Huan ( third century) was a historian of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Yu Huan was from Jingzhao Commandery, which is around present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi.''Shitong'' vol. 12. He is best known for writin ...

's ''

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 ...

'' and the ''Jiang Biao Zhuan'' (江表傳). Other sources covering the history of that period include Fan Ye's ''

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'') and

Fang Xuanling Fang Qiao (; 579 – 18 August 648), courtesy name Xuanling, better known as Fang Xuanling, posthumously known as Duke Wenzhao of Liang, was a Chinese statesman and writer who served as a chancellor under Emperor Taizong in the early Tang dynas ...

's ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang ...

'' (''Jin Shu''). Since ''Sanguo Yanyi'' is a historical novel, many stories in it are likely dramatised or fabricated, or based on folk tales and historical incidents that happened in other periods of Chinese history. What follows is an incomplete list of the better known of such stories in the novel, each with accompanying text that explains the differences between the story and historical accounts.

Oath of the Peach Garden

Zhang Fei thrashes the imperial inspector

A commandery-level inspector is sent to survey Liu Bei's county after Liu Bei is appointed as a county prefect as a reward for helping to suppress the

Yellow Turban Rebellion The Yellow Turban Rebellion, alternatively translated as the Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt in China against the Eastern Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in 184 CE during the reign of Emperor Ling. Although the main rebelli ...

. The inspector hints to Liu Bei that he wants a bribe, but Liu Bei does not understand the inspector's point. Later, even after his assistant explains to him, Liu Bei still refuses to bribe the inspector. When the inspector is unable to find any fault with Liu Bei's administration, he attempts to intimidate the locals into making false accusations against Liu Bei.''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 2. Zhang Fei is furious when he hears about this and he barges into the county office, drags the inspector out, ties him to a post and gives him a severe thrashing. Liu Bei shows up and stops Zhang Fei. When Guan Yu suggests they kill the inspector and seek their fortune elsewhere, Liu Bei refuses, resigns and returns his official seal to the inspector before leaving. ;Historicity The ''Sanguozhi'' and the ''Dianlue'' recorded that Liu Bei was the one who beat up the inspector. The Han central government had issued an imperial edict to dismiss all officials who received their appointments as rewards for their contributions in battle. Liu Bei knew that he was one of such officials. When a commandery-level inspector was sent to the county to formally dismiss him, Liu Bei sought a private meeting with the inspector. However, the inspector claimed that he was ill and refused to meet Liu Bei. An angry Liu Bei then gathered his men, barged into the inspector's quarters, and falsely announced that he had received a secret order from the commandery administrator to arrest the inspector. He tied the inspector to a tree, took out his official seal and hung it on the inspector's neck, and flogged the inspector over 100 times. He wanted to kill the inspector but eventually released him when the latter pleaded for mercy. He went on the run after that.

Cao Cao presents a precious sword

Wang Yun lends

Cao Cao Cao Cao () (; 155 – 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde (), was a Chinese statesman, warlord and poet. He was the penultimate grand chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty, and he amassed immense power in the dynasty's final years. As one o ...

his Seven Gems Sword after the latter pledges to assassinate

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. At the end of the reign of the Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo was a general and powerful minist ...

. Cao Cao meets Dong Zhuo in his bedroom the following day and attempts to kill him with the sword when he faces away. However, Dong Zhuo sees Cao Cao drawing his sword through a reflection in a mirror and immediately turns back. Cao Cao senses trouble so he quickly kneels down and pretends to present the sword to Dong Zhuo as a gift. At the same time,

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 betr ...

has returned after Dong Zhuo sent him to choose a new horse for Cao Cao. Cao Cao then lies that he wants to test-ride the new horse and uses the opportunity to escape from

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of 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 southeast, Nanyan ...

. ;Historicity Cao Cao's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' states that Dong Zhuo wanted to appoint Cao Cao as a cavalry colonel (驍騎校尉) in his army. Cao Cao refused because he felt that Dong Zhuo was doomed to failure, so he disguised himself and escaped back to his hometown. There is no mention of Cao Cao attempting to assassinate Dong Zhuo before his escape.

Cao Cao arrested and released by Chen Gong

Cao Cao flees from the capital,

, after failing to assassinate Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo orders notices for Cao Cao's arrest to be put around the areas surrounding Luoyang. During his escape, Cao Cao is spotted in Zhongmu County by the county prefect,

Chen Gong Chen Gong () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Gongtai, was an adviser to the warlord Lü Bu in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. However, he had started his career under another warlord, Cao Cao, before defecting to Lü Bu. He was execu ...

, who arrests him. Chen Gong has a private conversation with Cao Cao and decides to release him after feeling inspired by his sense of righteousness. Chen Gong even gives up his official post and becomes Cao Cao's companion. ;Historicity The ''Sanguozhi'' recorded that when Cao Cao passed by Zhongmu County, a patrol officer suspected that he was a fugitive and arrested him. However, Cao Cao was released later after another official recognised him. There is no evidence that Cao Cao attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo before his arrest and the patrol officer's name is not recorded in history. Besides, in Cao Cao's biography, Chen Gong is first mentioned only after Liu Dai's death in 192 when he urged Cao Cao to assume governorship of

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 (; ...

(covering present-day southwestern

Shandong Shandong ( , ; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in His ...

and eastern

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...

). This happened two years after the

Campaign against Dong Zhuo The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against the warlord Dong Zhuo in 190 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The members of the coalition claimed that Dong had the i ...

started in 190. As such, it contradicts the story in ''Sanguo Yanyi'' because, in the novel, Cao Cao launches the campaign only after he kills Lü Boshe in Chen Gong's presence (see the article on

Lü Boshe Lü Boshe was an acquaintance of Cao Cao, a prominent warlord who rose to power towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty and established the foundation of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. According to historical s ...

) and returns to his hometown in Chenliu (陳留; in present-day

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

Cao Cao murders Lü Boshe

Guan Yu slays Hua Xiong

In Chapter 5, as warlords from the east of Hangu Pass form a coalition against Dong Zhuo, Hua Xiong stations at

Sishui Pass Hulao Pass () is a choke point northwest of Xingyang, Henan province, China in the foothills of Mount Song. It is the site of many historical battles, being the eastern guard for the capital Luoyang for several dynasties. With Mount Song to ...

to ward off the oncoming attack. When

requests to lead troops to attack the enemy, Hua Xiong steps in and says, "An ox-cleaver to kill a chicken! There is no need for the General to go. I will cut off their heads as easily as I would take a thing out of my pocket!" Dong Zhuo then puts Hua Xiong in charge. Having single-handedly slain four warriors from the coalition – Zu Mao (祖茂), Pan Feng (潘鳳), Bao Zhong (鮑忠), and Yu She (俞涉) – Hua Xiong seems invincible. Despite mistrust from many warlords of the coalition, most notably their leader

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 t ...

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 on ...

volunteers to fight Hua Xiong. To convince them to give him the opportunity, he tells them that if he fails to defeat Hua Xiong, the coalition can take his head as punishment. When

pours Guan Yu a cup of warm wine, Guan Yu puts it on hold and says he will return very soon victorious. As promised, Guan Yu returns quickly with Hua Xiong's head, whilst Cao Cao who was still holding the cup of wine, realised just how quickly it took Guan Yu to slay the notorious General Hua Xiong. Cao Cao then gives the cup of wine - still warm - to Guan Yu who gulps down the wine victoriously. This is known as (溫酒斬華雄), which roughly translates to 'Slaying Hua Xiong over a warm wine'. In recorded history, Hua Xiong was defeated and killed in a battle at Yangren (陽人; believed to be near present-day

Wenquan, Ruzhou Wenquan () is a town of Ruzhou City in western Henan province, China, located about west of Ruzhou's city centre and along G36 Nanjing–Luoyang Expressway. , it has 28 villages under its administration. See also *List of township-level divi ...

) against

Sun Jian Sun Jian () () (155–191?), courtesy name Wentai, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed ...

. Zu Mao was mentioned to lure away Dong Zhuo's army by wearing Sun Jian's red scarf but there was no mention of his death.

Battle of Hulao Pass

After capturing Sishui Pass, the coalition forces then march on to

Hulao Pass Hulao Pass () is a choke point northwest of Xingyang, Henan province, China in the foothills of Mount Song. It is the site of many historical battles, being the eastern guard for the capital Luoyang for several dynasties. With Mount Song to the ...

, situated some 50 '' li'' away from Luoyang. Dong Zhuo personally leads an army of 150,000 men with

Li Ru Li Ru ( 189–192), courtesy name Wenyou, was an official serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Li Ru was from Heyang County (), Zuopingyi (), which is in present-day Heyang County, Shaanxi. He serve ...

Fan Chou Fan Chou (died 2 March 195According to Liu Xie's biography in ''Book of the Later Han'', Fan Chou was killed by Li Jue on the ''yihai'' day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year of the ''Xingping'' era. This corresponds to 2 Mar 195 on the Julian cal ...

, and

Zhang Ji Zhang Ji may refer to: * Zhang Ji (Han dynasty) (張濟) (died 196), official under the warlord Dong Zhuo * Zhang Zhongjing (150–219), formal name Zhang Ji (張機), Han dynasty physician * Zhang Ji (Derong) (張既) (died 223), general of Cao Wei ...

east to Hulao Pass, while sending 50,000 men under Li Jue and

Guo Si Guo Si () (died 197), also known as Guo Duo, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He assisted Dong Zhuo in his many campaigns and served as a su ...

to reinforce Sishui Pass. Once at Hulao Pass, Dong Zhuo orders Lü Bu to lead the vanguard with 30,000 men and set camp in front of the fortified pass. The coalition decides to send half of their forces to engage Dong Zhuo's forces. Eight coalition warlords—

Wang Kuang Wang Kuang (died 191), courtesy name Gongjie, was a government official and minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Wang Kuang started his career as a subordinate of the general He Jin during the reign of E ...

Qiao Mao Qiao Mao () (died 190), courtesy name Yuanwei, was an official and minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In 190, he joined a coalition of warlords who launched a campaign against Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord wh ...

Bao Xin Bao Xin (152–192) was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Bao Xin was from Pingyang County (), Taishan Commandery (), which is present-day Xintai County, Shandong. ...

, Yuan Yi,

Kong Rong Kong Rong () (153 – 26 September 208), courtesy name Wenju, was a Chinese poet, politician, and minor warlord. who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was a 20th generation descendant of Confucius. As he was once the Chance ...

, Zhang Yang, Tao Qian, and

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 ...

—each leads their forces towards Hulao Pass under Yuan Shao's command. The first to arrive in Hulao Pass is Wang Kuang, where one of his generals,

Fang Yue The following is a list of fictional people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. The list includes characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong and those found in othe ...

, volunteers to duel Lü Bu. In less than five rounds, Fang Yue is killed, and Lü Bu charges through Wang Kuang's force, killing several of the routing soldiers. The forces of Qiao Mao and Yuan Yi come to Wang Kuang's rescue. They decide to withdraw 30 ''li'' from the pass and set camp there. Soon, the remaining five coalition warlords arrive at the camp, where they discuss and conclude that Lü Bu can be defeated by anyone. Just then, Lü Bu's men array outside the coalition camp, and the eight coalition warlords go to meet the enemy.

Mu Shun The following is a list of fictional people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. The list includes characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong and those found in ot ...

, a general under Zhang Yang, charges towards Lü Bu, but is immediately killed.

Wu Anguo The following is a list of fictional people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. The list includes characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong and those found in ot ...

, a general under Kong Rong, then proceeds to challenge Lü Bu. They fight for ten rounds, but then Lü Bu slits off Wu Anguo's wrist with his '' ji''. The coalition forces charge out and rescue Wu Anguo, and each side retreat to their own camps.

comments that all the eighteen warlords must gather together to discuss a plan to defeat Lü Bu, and that if Lü Bu is defeated, Dong Zhuo will be easy to kill. Just then, Lü Bu comes out again to taunt the coalition. This time, Gongsun Zan goes to challenge Lü Bu, but has to withdraw after a few rounds. Lü Bu gives chase, but he is distracted by

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 earlie ...

, who calls him "a slave with three surnames" (三姓家奴; the "three surnames" refer to Lü Bu's original surname and those of his two foster fathers). Lü Bu then battles Zhang Fei for 50 rounds, with neither gaining an advantage over the other. Following that,

, brandishing his

Green Dragon Crescent Blade The Green Dragon Crescent Blade () is a legendary weapon wielded by the Chinese general Guan Yu in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''. It is a guandao, a type of traditional Chinese weapon. It is also sometimes ...

, dashes out to assist Zhang Fei. The three fighters are engaged in another 30 bouts or so when

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 ...

, holding up a pair of swords, also joins in the fray. The three sworn brothers encircle Lü Bu and take turns to attack him from different directions. Lü Bu is unable to defeat all three opponents so he pretends to attack Liu Bei and escapes through the gap when Liu dodges his attack. Lü Bu then flees back to Hulao Pass, with the three brothers hot on pursuit, but they cannot catch up with him because of the speed of his horse, the

Red Hare The Red Hare or Chi Tu () was a famous horse owned by the warlord Lü Bu, who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In historical records The Red Hare was mentioned in Lü Bu's biographies in the historical texts ''Records of the T ...

. They abandon the chase after they spot Dong Zhuo. Zhang Fei attempts to charge onto the fortification to kill Dong Zhuo, but is driven back by a rain of arrows from the pass. The coalition warlords declare the battle won, and receive Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei for a celebration of their victory. ;Historicity There is no historical record of any engagement taking place at

during that period of time. Hulao Pass was an alternative name of Sishui Pass. In the novel,

and

participated in the campaign under

's banner, but the ''Sanguozhi'' did not mention Gongsun Zan's involvement in the campaign. Historically, however, there were confrontations between the coalition and

in which both Dong Zhuo and

had participated in personally, with only

's forces present on the coalition side. Dong Zhuo's biography in the ''

'' (''Houhanshu'') stated that Lü Bu was defeated in battle twice by Sun Jian: * The first time was at Yangren (陽人; believed to be near present-day

), when Dong Zhuo sent Lü Bu and Hu Zhen to attack Sun Jian. Lü Bu and Hu Zhen could not get along with each other, leading to disorder in their army, so Sun Jian used the opportunity to attack them and forced them to retreat. * The second time was in Luoyang, where Dong Zhuo personally led an army to engage Sun Jian's forces in the area where the tombs of the Han emperors were located. Dong Zhuo was defeated and he retreated. Sun Jian then entered Luoyang's Xuanyang Gate (宣陽城門), where he attacked Lü Bu and drove him back.

Battle of Xingyang

Lü Bu and Diaochan

Diaochan Diaochan was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. Although based on a minor historical personage, she is mostly a fictional character. She is best known for her role in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...

is a fictional character introduced in the novel. She is sent by Wang Yun to sow discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu and succeeds in her mission when she eventually causes the latter to kill the former. ;Historicity Lü Bu's biographies in the ''Sanguozhi'' and the ''Houhanshu'' mention that Lü Bu had a secret affair with one of Dong Zhuo's maids, and was afraid that Dong would find out. Besides, he already bore a grudge against Dong Zhuo, who threw '' ji''s (a type of

halberd A halberd (also called halbard, halbert or Swiss voulge) is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. The word ''halberd'' is cognate with the German word ''Hellebarde'', deriving from ...

) at him on some occasions to vent his frustration, but Lü Bu dodged the weapons and Dong Zhuo's anger subsided. There is no historical evidence to support the maid's name being "Diaochan". That name likely referred to the sable (貂; ''diao'') tails and jade decorations in the shape of cicadas (蟬; ''chan''), which at the time adorned the headgear of high-ranking government officials.

Battle of Xiapi

Guan Yu's three conditions

Cao Cao and Liu Bei join forces to attack Lü Bu 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 (China), Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited. History Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or Xu Province was one ...

(covering parts of present-day

and

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 it ...

) and defeat him at the

Battle of Xiapi The Battle of Xiapi was fought between the forces of Lü Bu against the allied armies of Cao Cao and Liu Bei 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 C ...

. Cao Cao appoints Che Zhou (車冑) as the governor of Xu Province. Liu Bei later breaks ties with Cao Cao and seizes control of Xu Province after Guan Yu kills Che Zhou. Cao Cao leads an army to attack Liu Bei and take back Xu Province. In one battle, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei lead a force to attack Cao Cao's camp but fall into an ambush and are separated during the chaos. Guan Yu, who remained behind to defend Xiapi (Xu Province's capital), is lured out of the city and isolated on a small hill. Cao Cao's forces take control of Xiapi and capture Liu Bei's spouses. Cao Cao sends

Zhang Liao Zhang Liao () (169–222), courtesy name Wenyuan, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He served briefly in the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, in the ...

to ask Guan Yu to surrender. Guan Yu agrees to surrender, provided the following three conditions are fulfilled: # Liu Bei's spouses are not harmed and are treated well. # In name, Guan Yu surrenders to the emperor and not to Cao Cao. # Guan Yu is allowed to leave and reunite with Liu Bei as soon as he has news of Liu Bei's whereabouts. Cao Cao agrees to the three conditions. Guan Yu serves under him temporarily before leaving to rejoin Liu Bei later. ;Historicity Guan Yu's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' states that Liu Bei launched a surprise attack on Xu Province and killed Che Zhou. He then placed Guan Yu in charge of Xiapi while he moved to Xiaopei. In 200, Cao Cao led an army east to attack Liu Bei and defeated him. Liu Bei fled to join

. Guan Yu was captured by Cao Cao's forces and brought back 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 Pi ...

, where Cao appointed him as a lieutenant-general (偏將軍) and treated him well. There is no mention of Guan Yu surrendering nor any conditions named by Guan before he agreed to surrender.

Guan Yu slays Yan Liang and Wen Chou

Before the

Battle of Guandu The Battle of Guandu was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 AD in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Cao Cao's decisive victory against Yuan Shao's numerically superior forces marked the turning point in their war. The victo ...

between

and Cao Cao, both sides have already engaged in two skirmishes: the

Battle of Boma The Battle of Boma or Battle of Baima was the first of a series of battles that led to the decisive Battle of Guandu between the warlords Yuan Shao and Cao Cao in northern China in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Although Cao Cao won the ...

and

Battle of Yan Ford The Battle of Yan Ford took place along the southern banks of the Yellow River in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The battle was closely preceded by the Battle of Boma, and was part of a series of engagements leading to the decisive confrontatio ...

. Yuan Shao sends his general

Yan Liang Yan Liang () (died 200) was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was slain by Guan Yu at the Battle of Boma. Life Little is known about Yan Liang's life. The only historic ...

to attack Cao Cao's fortress at Boma (白馬; near present-day

Hua County, Henan Hua County or Huaxian () is a county under the administration of Anyang City, in the north of Henan province, China. Its predecessor administrative area Huazhou/Hua prefecture was first established in 596 during the Sui dynasty. In 606 it was ...

). During the battle, one of Cao Cao's best warriors,

Xu Huang Xu Huang () (died 227), courtesy name Gongming, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He later served in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period under the first ...

, goes forth to take up Yan Liang's challenge but is defeated by him. Cao Cao reluctantly allows Guan Yu to fight Yan Liang. Guan slays Yan with the help of the Red Hare Horse, and the siege on Boma is lifted as a result. Wen Chou later comes to avenge Yan Liang at Yan Ford (延津; north of present-day

Yanjin County, Henan Yanjin County () is a county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Xinxiang Xinxiang ( ; postal: Sinsiang) is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to ...

), fighting off Xu Huang and

, but is also slain by Guan Yu in a rout. ;Historicity Guan Yu's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentions that Yuan Shao ordered Yan Liang to besiege Cao Cao's general Liu Yan (劉延) at Boma. Cao Cao then sent Zhang Liao and Guan Yu to lead the vanguard force to attack Yan Liang. During the battle, Guan Yu spotted Yan Liang and charged through enemy lines towards him, killed him and took his head. Yuan Shao's other generals were unable to resist the assault and the siege on Boma was thus lifted. Yuan Shao's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentions that after Yan Liang's death, Yuan Shao's army crossed 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 Ha ...

to the south of Yan Ford, where he sent Liu Bei and Wen Chou to attack Cao Cao. They were defeated and Wen Chou was killed in battle (nothing is mentioned about him being slain by Guan Yu). Yuan Shao launched another attack but was defeated again and his generals were captured by Cao Cao.

Guan Yu crosses five passes and slays six generals

receives news that

is alive and currently in

's camp. He decides to leave

with Liu Bei's wives to rejoin his sworn brother. He tries to bid Cao Cao farewell personally before leaving, but Cao Cao does not give him the chance to do so. Frustrated, Guan Yu eventually writes a farewell letter to Cao Cao and leaves. He takes with him none of the luxuries and gifts Cao Cao gave him, except the

. He even gives up his peerage (Marquis of Hanshou Village) and leaves his official seal behind. Cao Cao's subordinates feel that Guan Yu is rude and arrogant because he left without bidding farewell, so they ask for permission to pursue him, capture him and bring him back. Cao Cao disapproves because he knows that none of them can stop Guan Yu, and he gives orders for the officials along the way to give passage to Guan Yu and his companions. Guan Yu rides beside the carriage carrying Liu Bei's wives and escorts them along the way. The first pass they reach is Dongling Pass (south of present-day

Dengfeng Dengfeng (; postal: Tengfeng) is a county-level city of Henan Province, South Central China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhengzhou. Dengfeng has an area of and a population of 630,000. It occupies the so ...

). Kong Xiu, the officer guarding the pass, denies Guan Yu passage because Guan Yu does not have an exit permit with him. Guan Yu then kills Kong Xiu and forces his way through the pass. They reach the city of

next. The governor Han Fu leads 1,000 men to block Guan Yu. Han Fu's deputy Meng Tan challenges Guan Yu to a duel but ends up being sliced in two. While Guan Yu is fighting with Meng Tan, Han Fu secretly takes aim and fires an arrow at Guan. The arrow hits Guan Yu's arm and wounds him, but Guan Yu pulls out the arrow from his wound, charges towards Han Fu and kills him. The shocked soldiers immediately give way and Guan Yu's party passes through safely. Guan Yu's party arrives at Sishui Pass (north of present-day

Xingyang Xingyang (), is a county-level city of Henan Province, South Central China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhengzhou. It is situated 15 kilometers to the west of Zhengzhou city proper. The population of Xingyang i ...

). Bian Xi, the officer guarding the pass, receives them warmly and invites Guan Yu to a feast at the temple outside the pass. In fact, Bian Xi had ordered 200 men to wait in ambush inside the temple and kill Guan Yu when he gives a signal. Pujing, an elderly monk from the same hometown as Guan Yu, subtly warns Guan Yu about Bian Xi's plot. Guan Yu senses the danger, kills Bian Xi and passes through Sishui Pass safely. Wang Zhi, the governor of Xingyang, adopts a similar scheme to kill Guan Yu. Like Bian Xi, he pretends to welcome Guan Yu and leads them to a courier station, where they will stay that night. After that, Wang Zhi orders his subordinate

Hu Ban The following is a list of fictional people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. The list includes characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong and those found in othe ...

to lead 1,000 men to surround the station and set it on fire in the middle of the night. Curious to know what Guan Yu looks like, Hu Ban sneaks in and peeps at Guan Yu, who is reading inside his room. Guan Yu notices Hu Ban and invites him in. Guan Yu met Hu Ban's father earlier and has with him a letter from Hu Ban's father addressed to his son. He gives the letter to Hu Ban. After reading his father's letter, Hu Ban changes his mind and decides to help Guan Yu. He reveals Wang Zhi's plot to Guan Yu and secretly opens the city gates for Guan Yu and his companions to leave. Wang Zhi and his soldiers catch up with them a while later but Guan Yu turns back and kills him. Guan Yu's party finally arrives at a ferry crossing on the southern bank of the

. Qin Qi, the officer in charge, refuses to allow them to cross the river and is killed by Guan Yu in anger. Guan Yu and his party then cross the river safely and enter Yuan Shao's territory. However, they soon realise that Liu Bei is no longer with Yuan Shao and has already left for

Runan Runan County () is a counties of China, county under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhumadian, in the southeast of Henan, Henan Province, China. History In ancient times, this area was called "the middle of the world" (), ...

. Guan Yu and his party then make their way back and are finally reunited with Liu Bei and

at Gucheng. During this journey, Guan Yu meets many men who would become his subordinates and remain loyal to him until his death. They include

Liao Hua Liao Hua (late 180s - 264), courtesy name Yuanjian, originally named Liao Chun, was a military general of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Like Zhang Yi and Zong Yu, Liao was one of few officials who served the Sh ...

Zhou Cang Zhou Cang is a fictional character in the 14th-century Chinese historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''. Story A strong warrior with a dark face and a wiry beard, Zhou Cang gets caught up in the Yellow Turban Rebellion towards the end ...

and

Guan Ping Guan Ping () (died January or February 220) was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Guan Ping was the eldest son of Guan Yu. Little about him is documented in historical recor ...

(whom he adopts as his son). ;Historicity Guan Yu's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' provides a similar account of the reasons for Guan Yu's departure and the events that happened before he left Cao Cao. However, it does not mention anything about Guan Yu crossing the five passes, nor about the six officers ( Kong Xiu, Meng Tan, Han Fu, Bian Xi, Wang Zhi and Qin Qi).

Guo Jia's strategy to pacify Liaodong

Guan Yu slays Cai Yang at Gucheng

Guan Yu meets Zhang Fei at Gucheng (古城) after crossing five passes and slaying six generals. Zhang Fei is initially suspicious of Guan Yu because he mistakenly believes that Guan Yu has betrayed their oath of brotherhood and joined Cao Cao. Despite explanation from Liu Bei's spouses, Zhang Fei refuses to listen and attacks Guan Yu. Both of them are locked in a duel when Cai Yang (蔡陽), an officer under Cao Cao, leads his soldiers to attack them. Zhang Fei demands Guan Yu to prove his loyalty by killing Cai Yang within three rounds of battle drum rolls, so Guan Yu turns around and kills Cai Yang before Zhang Fei finishes beating the drum. He regains Zhang Fei's trust in him and embraces his sworn brother. ;Historicity Liu Bei's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentions that Yuan Shao sent Liu Bei to

, where Liu Bei allied himself with Gong Du (共都/龔都), a local bandit chief. Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack Liu Bei and Gong Du. Liu Bei defeated and slew Cai Yang in battle.

Liu Bei's horse leaps across the Tan Stream

When Liu Bei is in

Xinye Xinye () is one of the counties of Nanyang that lies in the southwest of Henan province, China. To the south lies the prefecture-level city of Xiangyang in Hubei province, to the east is Tanghe County and to the west is the county-level city of ...

, he receives an invitation from

Liu Biao Liu Biao () () (151 – September 208), courtesy name Jingsheng, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for serving as the Governor of Jing Province (coveri ...

, the governor of

Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the '' Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

(covering present-day

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...

and

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangx ...

), to attend a feast. However, Liu Biao is sick so he asks his sons Liu Qi and Liu Cong to entertain Liu Bei. Liu Bei arrives in Xiangyang with

Zhao Yun Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...

and is directed to the feast. Cai Mao and others attempt to assassinate Liu Bei but

Yi Ji Yi Ji ( 200s–221), courtesy name Jibo, was a Chinese diplomat and politician serving in the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He previously served under the warlord Liu Biao in the late Eastern Han dynasty before comi ...

secretly informs Liu Bei about Cai Mao's plot. Liu Bei pretends to go to the latrine and seizes the opportunity to escape from Xiangyang. When Cai Mao discovers that Liu Bei has fled, he leads a group of soldiers in pursuit. Liu Bei is riding Dilu (的盧), a horse said to bring ill luck to its rider. He reaches the Tan Stream (檀溪), located west of Xiangyang, and attempts to ride across the stream. After taking a few steps, Dilu falls forward and Liu Bei's clothing becomes wet. Liu Bei whips the horse and exclaims, "Dilu! Dilu! Today you obstruct me!" Dilu suddenly rises above the surface and leaps three ''zhang'' (or 30 '' chi'') across the stream to the opposite bank, bringing Liu Bei to safety. ;Historicity The ''Shiyu'' (世語) gives a similar account of this incident. The Jin dynasty historian Sun Sheng argued that the ''Shiyu'' account was untrue because relations between Liu Bei and Liu Biao would most likely sour if Liu Bei did encounter such an attempt on his life. However, there was nothing recorded in history about a dispute between Liu Bei and Liu Biao during that period of time.

Xu Shu

Three visits to the thatched cottage

Romance of the Three Kingdoms at Long Corridor 1

Before leaving for Xuchang,

Xu Shu Xu Shu ( 207–220s), courtesy name Yuanzhi, originally named Xu Fu, was an official of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was born in the late Eastern Han dynasty and used to be a vigilante swordsman in his early ...

recommends

Zhuge Liang Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is ...

to Liu Bei and tells him that he needs to recruit Zhuge Liang personally. Accompanied by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei travels to Longzhong (in present-day

Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

) to find Zhuge Liang. They arrive at Zhuge Liang's house (described to be a "thatched cottage"), where a servant tells them that his master is not at home. Liu Bei then asks the servant to pass a message to Zhuge Liang that Liu Bei came to visit him. Several days later, in winter, Liu Bei brings his sworn brothers along with him to visit Zhuge Liang again. This time, the servant leads Liu Bei to his "master", who turns out to be Zhuge Liang's younger brother, Zhuge Jun. Just as he is about to leave, Liu Bei sees a man approaching and thinks he must be Zhuge Liang, but he turns out to be Zhuge Liang's father-in-law, Huang Chengyan. When winter is over and spring comes, Liu Bei decides to visit Zhuge Liang again, much to the annoyance of his sworn brothers. This time, Zhuge Liang is at home but is asleep. Liu Bei waits patiently until Zhuge Liang wakes up. Zhuge Liang drafts the

Longzhong Plan The Longzhong Plan is the name given to a strategic plan by Zhuge Liang, a statesman of the Shu Han state in the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. Zhuge Liang presented the plan to Liu Bei, a warlord who became the founding emperor of ...

for Liu Bei and agrees to leave home and serve Liu Bei as his strategist. ;Historicity There are no details in the ''Sanguozhi'' about how Liu Bei recruited Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang's biography briefly mentions that after Xu Shu recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei, Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang thrice and met him. Zhuge Liang presented the

to Liu Bei during their meeting(s). However, the ''

'' and the ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' (九州春秋) give different accounts on how Liu Bei first met Zhuge Liang. Both the ''Weilüe'' and ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' claimed that Zhuge Liang visited Liu Bei first, instead of the other way round. Both Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei did not know each other at first when the former came to visit the latter. Liu Bei did not pay much attention to Zhuge Liang because he thought that Zhuge Liang was just a typical young scholar. Zhuge Liang remained behind after Liu Bei's other guests left the meeting. Liu Bei did not ask him if he had something to say and continued playing with a gift from one of the guests. Zhuge Liang initiated a conversation with Liu Bei. Liu Bei recognised his talent, viewed him in a different light, and started treating him more respectfully. Pei Songzhi commented that the ''Weilue'' and ''Jiuzhou Chunqiu'' accounts contradicted Zhuge Liang's own statement in the ''

Chu Shi Biao The ''Chu Shi Biao'' refers to either of two memorials written by Zhuge Liang, the Imperial Chancellor of the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He presented them to Liu Shan, the second emperor of Shu. The first ''Chu Shi ...

'', which stated: "(Liu Bei) visited me thrice in the thatched cottage, (and) consulted me on the affairs of our time." He felt that it was obvious from the ''Chu Shi Biao'' that Zhuge Liang did not visit Liu Bei first.

Battle of Bowang

Battle of Changban

Zhuge Liang's mission to Jiangdong

Before the

Battle of Red Cliffs The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in the winter of AD 208–209 at the end of the Han dynasty, about twelve years prior to the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history ...

, Zhuge Liang goes to Jiangdong on a mission to discuss the formation of an alliance between Liu Bei and

Sun Quan Sun Quan (, Chinese: 孫權) (183 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of the Eastern Wu dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime ...

(i.e. a Sun–Liu alliance) to counter Cao Cao.

Lu Su Lu Su (172–217), courtesy name Zijing, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty. In the year 200, when Sun Quan had just taken over the reins of power, his adviser Zh ...

introduces Zhuge Liang to the civil officials and scholars serving under Sun Quan. Most of them are in favour of surrendering to Cao Cao. They start debating. Zhuge Liang manages to silence those who challenge him through his eloquent responses to their queries and comments. Insults and taunts are exchanged as well. The officials and scholars who debate with Zhuge Liang include

Zhang Zhao Zhang Zhao may refer to: *Zhang Zhao (Eastern Wu) Zhang Zhao (156–236), courtesy name Zibu, was a Chinese calligrapher, essayist, military general, and politician. He served as an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms ...

Yu Fan Yu Fan (, , ; 164–233), courtesy name Zhongxiang, was a Chinese essayist, politician, and writer of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Initially a minor officer under Wang Lang, the Administrator of Kuaiji Com ...

Bu Zhi Bu Zhi (died June or July 247), courtesy name Zishan, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a scholar of humble background, he became a subordinate of the wa ...

Xue Zong Xue Zong (died 243), courtesy name Jingwen, was a Chinese poet and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was known for his quick wit. On one occasion, when the Shu envoy Zhang Feng () made fun of t ...

, Lu Ji,

Yan Jun Yan Jun ( 200s–240s), courtesy name Mancai, was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Yan Jun was from Pengcheng (), which is present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu. He was known for being very studious ...

and

Cheng Bing Cheng Bing ( 190s–220s), courtesy name Deshu, was an official and writer of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Life Cheng Bing was from Nandun County (), Runan Commandery (), which is located west of present-da ...

. Zhang Wen and Luo Tong also want to challenge Zhuge Liang, but Huang Gai shows up and stops the debate. Lu Su then introduces Zhuge Liang to

Zhou Yu Zhou Yu (, ) (175–210), courtesy name Gongjin (), was a Chinese military general and strategist serving under the warlord Sun Ce in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. After Sun Ce died in the year 200, he continued serving under Sun Quan, ...

. Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu and Lu Su then have a conversation in Zhou Yu's house. Zhuge Liang says he has a plan to make Cao Cao to retreat without fighting a war: send Cao Cao the

Two Qiaos The Two Qiaos of Jiangdong () were two sisters of the Qiao family who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In historical records The Qiao sisters' names were not recorded in history, so in later times they are simply referred ...

. He also pretends that he does not know whom the Qiao sisters married. When Zhou Yu asks Zhuge Liang for evidence that Cao Cao wants the Two Qiaos, Zhuge Liang says he heard that Cao Cao asked his son

Cao Zhi Cao Zhi (; ; 192 – 27 December 232), courtesy name Zijian (), posthumously known as Prince Si of Chen (陈思王), was a prince of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China, and an accomplished poet in his time. His style ...

to write a poem, "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform" (銅雀臺賦). Zhuge Liang recites the poem and points out that Cao Cao's desire to have the Qiaos is evident in the poem. An enraged Zhou Yu hardens his decision to go to war with Cao Cao. ;Historicity The debate between Zhuge Liang and the scholars is not mentioned in any of the involved parties' biographies in the ''Sanguozhi''. The biographies of Zhuge Liang, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu and Lu Su all confirm that Zhuge Liang met Sun Quan on that mission, but it remains unknown whether Zhuge Liang met any other person on the same trip. Zhuge Liang's biography, in particular, contains a detailed record of a conversation between Zhuge Liang and Sun Quan. The Bronze Sparrow Platform was built in the winter of 210, nearly three years after the Battle of Red Cliffs.

's poem "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Platform" was written in 212, two years after the platform was constructed. Besides, the poem in ''Sanguo Yanyi'' contains seven additional lines which are not present in the historical version recorded in Cao Zhi's biography in the ''Sanguozhi''. Therefore, the story in ''Sanguo Yanyi'' about Zhuge Liang using the poem to instigate Zhou Yu to go to war with Cao Cao is entirely fictitious.

Zhou Yu tricks Jiang Gan

Borrowing arrows with straw boats

Zhou Yu feels jealous of Zhuge Liang's talent and foresees that he will become a threat to Sun Quan in the future, so he tries to think of ways to kill Zhuge Liang. When he asks Zhuge Liang to help him produce 100,000 arrows within 10 days, the latter says he can complete the task in three days. Zhou Yu then asks Zhuge Liang if he is willing to make a pledge to complete the task. Under the pledge, if Zhuge Liang fails to produce 100,000 arrows in three days, he will be executed for his failure. When Zhuge Liang agrees and takes the pledge, Zhou Yu secretly feels delighted because he thinks that Zhuge Liang cannot complete the task in time. On the third day, with help from

, Zhuge Liang prepares 20 large boats, each manned by a few soldiers and filled with human-like figures made of straw and hay. In the hours before dawn, when there is a great fog, Zhuge Liang deploys the boats and sails towards Cao Cao's camp across the river. He orders the sailors to beat war drums loudly and shout orders to imitate the sounds of an attack. Upon hearing the noises, Cao Cao's troops rush out to engage the enemy but they are unsure of the enemy force's size because their vision is obscured by the fog. They fire volleys of arrows in the direction of the noises and the arrows become stuck in the straw figures. In the meantime, Zhuge Liang enjoys drinks with Lu Su inside the cabin and they sail back when the fog clears. By the time they return to base, Zhuge Liang has acquired more than 100,000 arrows, so Zhou Yu cannot execute him. ;Historicity This event is not documented in the ''Sanguozhi'' and is purely fiction. However, the ''Weilüe'' mentions a similar incident during the Battle of Ruxu in 213. Sun Quan sailed on a large vessel to observe Cao Cao's base. Cao Cao ordered his archers to fire arrows at Sun Quan's ship. The arrows were stuck to one side of the vessel and the ship was on the verge of overturning due to the weight of the arrows. Sun Quan ordered the vessel to turn around so the other side would have arrows stuck to it. Balance was restored and Sun Quan sailed back to his camp.

Huang Gai's self-torture ruse

Pang Tong presents the chain links strategy

Zhuge Liang summons an eastern wind

Before the

, after all preparations have been made for a fire attack on

's fleet,

suddenly realises that in order for the attack to be successful, the wind must be blowing from the southeast towards Cao Cao's position or else it would be his own fleet that catches fire. When he sees the wind blowing from the northwest, he coughs blood, faints and falls sick.

visits him and points out the root cause of his sudden illness – his worries about the direction of the wind. He claims that he can change the direction of the winds in their favour through a ritual. Zhou Yu then orders his men to set up an altar according to Zhuge Liang's instructions; Zhuge Liang performs a ritual on the altar for three days and three nights. On the third night, the wind changes direction and starts blowing from the southeast. Zhuge Liang leaves immediately as he knows that Zhou Yu will send his men to kill him. As Zhuge Liang foresaw, Zhou Yu sends Ding Feng and

Xu Sheng Xu Sheng (died 222–229), courtesy name Wenxiang, was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Early life and career Xu Sheng was from Ju County (), Langya ...

to execute him, but he has already fled on a boat captained by

Guan Yu releases Cao Cao at Huarong Trail

Guan Yu is sent to guard Huarong Trail (believed to be near present-day Dongshan Town,

Huarong County Huarong County () is a county in Hunan province, South Central part of China, it is under the administration of Yueyang City. The county is located on the northeastern margin of the province, on the southern bank of the Yangtze River and on t ...

) and intercept Cao Cao when he passes by after his defeat at the

. Zhuge Liang is initially reluctant to allow Guan Yu to take up the task because he is worried that Guan might consider the kindness Cao Cao showed towards him many years ago and end up releasing Cao Cao. Guan Yu insists on accepting the mission and claims he has already repaid Cao Cao's kindness by slaying

and

Wen Chou Wen Chou () (died 200) was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. His force was defeated by that of rival warlord Cao Cao in the Battle of Yan Ford and he was killed in the midst of ...

and lifting the siege on Boma. He makes a pledge to not let Cao Cao off; Zhuge Liang also makes a pledge that he will give his head to Guan Yu if Cao Cao does not show up at Huarong Trail. As Zhuge Liang predicted, Cao Cao reaches Huarong Trail and encounters Guan Yu there. However, Guan Yu decides to spare Cao Cao in consideration of their past dealings, and after taking pity on the plight of Cao Cao's men and

, whom he saved from death at the

. He allows Cao Cao and his men to pass through Huarong Trail unharmed. When he returns to camp, he confesses the truth to Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang orders Guan Yu to be executed for failing in his mission but pardons him when Liu Bei intervenes. ;Historicity This incident is not mentioned in the ''Sanguozhi'' and is entirely fiction. The ''Shanyang Gong Zaiji'' (山陽公載記) states that after Cao Cao lost the Battle of Red Cliffs, he retreated with his surviving men and passed by Huarong Trail. The path was muddy and difficult to access, so Cao Cao ordered the weaker soldiers to lay the ground with straw and hay so that his horsemen can pass. Many of those weaker soldiers were trampled to death when they became stuck in the mud. When Cao Cao finally got out of the dire situation, he expressed joy so his generals asked him why he was happy. Cao Cao replied, "Liu Bei, he's my mate. However, he doesn't think fast; if he had set fire earlier I'd have no chance of escaping." Liu Bei did think of setting fire but it was too late as Cao Cao had already escaped.

Taishi Ci's death

Battle of Changsha

The Battle of Changsha, also called the Changsha Conflict is a fictional military skirmish described in Chapter 53 of the 14th-century historical novel ''

'' that took place in

Changsha Changsha (; ; ; Changshanese pronunciation: (), Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is the capital and the largest city of Hunan Province of China. Changsha is the 17th most populous city in China with a population of over 10 million, and ...

, in Jing Province, between the warlords

and

Han Xuan Han Xuan ( 200s–210) was a government official who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He served as the Administrator () of Changsha Commandery (長沙郡; around present-day Changsha, Hunan). After Liu Biao's death in 208, th ...

. The battle introduces two major

Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <

Huang Zhong Huang Zhong (, ) (died 220), courtesy name Hansheng, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Mount Dingjun in 219, in which ...

and

Wei Yan Wei Yan () (died October 234), courtesy name Wenchang, was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dyna ...

, a former subordinate of

, controlled the city of

following Liu Biao's death in 208 and Liu Cong's failed succession. Han Xuan and another warlord

Jin Xuan Jin Xuan (died 209), courtesy name Yuanji, was an official and minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Jin Xuan was a descendant of Jin Midi and was from Jingzhao Commandery (京兆郡; around present-day Xi ...

seceded from Jing Province following Cao Cao's stalemated conquest of Jing Province Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and

all desired Jing Province, and Sun Quan had little of the province except for the southern side of the

Yangtze The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...

near Xiakou and

Chibi Chibi most often refers to: * Chibi (style), a super-deformed style of Japanese-influenced caricature *Chibi, Hubei (赤壁 lit. Red Cliff), a county-level city in southeastern Hubei, China. Chibi may also refer to: Places * Chibi Subdistrict, ...

. Finding an opportunity to take Jing Province and a few other important locations, Liu Bei dispatched

to take Changsha and eliminate Han Xuan. 战长沙151549

When Guan Yu led his forces towards Changsha, Han Xuan sent his general Yang Ling to meet the enemy, but Yang Ling was killed. Han Xuan then sent Huang Zhong, who fought with Guan Yu. Whilst fighting, both generals developed respect for each other, and did not take opportunities to slay the other. Han Xuan saw this, and ordered Huang Zhong to be put to death. Wei Yan rescued Huang Zhong by cutting down the executioner, then led a revolt to kill Han Xuan. Wei Yan then surrendered the city to Guan Yu. Huang Zhong, Wei Yan and Liu Pan would all become prominent people of

Shu Han Han (; 221–263), known in historiography as Shu Han ( ) or Ji Han ( "Junior Han"), or often shortened to Shu (; pinyin: ''shŭ'' <

Tiger general" along with Guan Yu,

, and

Ma Chao Ma Chao () (176–222), courtesy name Mengqi, was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan, Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma ...

. He would fight in the

Hanzhong Campaign The Hanzhong Campaign was a military campaign launched by the warlord Liu Bei to seize control of Hanzhong Commandery from his rival, Cao Cao. The campaign took place between 217 and 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period. Althou ...

and kill

Xiahou Yuan Xiahou Yuan () (died 219), courtesy name Miaocai, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China (in parts of present-day G ...

during a clash with Cao Cao's forces at Battle of Mt. Dingjun. Liu Pan would become the magistrate of Changsha for the Shu kingdom. When Wei Yan surrendered, Zhuge Liang ordered him to be executed, but Liu Bei intervened. Zhuge Liang would always suspect Wei Yan, fearing he would again revolt. Indeed, later in Chapter 104, after Zhuge Liang's death in the

Battle of Wuzhang Plains The Battle of Wuzhang Plains was fought between the contending states of Cao Wei and Shu Han in 234 AD during the Three Kingdoms period of China. The battle was the fifth and last of a series of Northern Expeditions led by Shu's chancellor, ...

, Wei Yan does revolt. ;Historicity Historically, Han Xuan surrendered to Liu Bei as part of the Battle of Jiangling in 208 without conflict, and Wei Yan was one of Liu Bei's personal retainers and rose through the ranks to become a general; he had nothing to do with Han Xuan and Huang Zhong.

Liu Bei and Lady Sun's marriage

Zhou Yu suggests the "beauty scheme" (美人計) to Sun Quan to seize control of

(covering present-day

and

) from Liu Bei. In the plan, Sun Quan sends

Lü Fan Lü Fan (died 228), courtesy name Ziheng, was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He continued serving in the state of Eastern Wu during the early Three King ...

to lure Liu Bei to his territory under the pretext of marrying Sun Quan's sister,

Lady Sun Lady Sun (180s - 211), also known as Sun Ren in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' and Sun Shangxiang in Chinese opera and contemporary culture, was a Chinese noblewoman who lived during the late Eastern Han dyna ...

, to strengthen the Sun–Liu alliance. Once Liu Bei arrives, Sun Quan will then hold him hostage in exchange for Jing Province. However, Zhuge Liang foils Zhou Yu's plan, and Liu Bei ends up marrying Lady Sun for real. Liu Bei also manages to leave Sun Quan's territory with his bride and return to Jing Province safely. When Zhou Yu leads his troops in pursuit of Liu Bei, he falls into an ambush by Liu Bei's forces. Liu Bei's men chant: "(Zhou Yu)'s brilliant strategy brings peace to the world. He lost both the Lady and his soldiers." (周郎妙計安天下，賠了夫人又折兵！) Zhou Yu coughs blood and faints. ;Historicity The marriage between Liu Bei and Lady Sun is mentioned in Liu Bei's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' as follows: After Liu Qi died of illness, Liu Bei's subordinates urged him to become the new governor of Jing Province and set up the provincial capital at Gong'an County. Sun Quan felt slightly uneasy so he married his younger sister to Liu Bei to strengthen relations between him and Liu Bei. This suggests that the marriage took place in Gong'an County, as Sun Quan sent his sister there to marry Liu Bei, instead of Liu Bei travelling to Sun Quan's territory for the marriage. However, Zhou Yu's biography mentions that Zhou Yu suggested to Sun Quan to have Liu Bei confined in their territory. After Liu Bei assumed governorship of Jing Province, he went to Jing (京; present-day

Zhenjiang Zhenjiang, alternately romanized as Chinkiang, is a prefecture-level city in Jiangsu Province, China. It lies on the southern bank of the Yangtze River near its intersection with the Grand Canal. It is opposite Yangzhou (to its north) a ...

) to meet Sun Quan. At the time, Zhou Yu told Sun Quan, "Liu Bei possesses characteristics of a fierce and ambitious hero. Besides, he also has under him generals with the might of bears and tigers, such as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. He's definitely not someone who will remain subservient to another lord. I suggest moving Liu Bei to Wu (吳; in present-day

Suzhou Suzhou (; ; Suzhounese: ''sou¹ tseu¹'' , Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Soochow, is a major city in southern Jiangsu province, East China. Suzhou is the largest city in Jiangsu, and a major economic center and focal point of trad ...

, Jiangsu), build a palace for him there, and present him with women and gifts to entertain him. We'll then put the two men (Guan Yu and Zhang Fei) each in a different location. If I can use Liu Bei as a hostage and attack (his men) at the same time, our goal (take over Jing Province) will be accomplished. And now yet we carve out land for them as resources, and allow the three men to be together? I'm afraid once the dragon encounters clouds and rain, it'll no longer remain in a pond." Sun Quan considered that Cao Cao was still a threat in the north, so he thought it would be better for him to have more allies (instead of creating hostility between him and his allies). He was also worried that Liu Bei's men might not submit to him, so he rejected Zhou Yu's idea. This shows that Zhou Yu wanted to confine Liu Bei in Wu and use him as a hostage to control his men (Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others), but nothing is mentioned about him using Lady Sun as a bait to lure Liu Bei into a trap. Instead, the women mentioned in the plan were used to entertain Liu Bei during his confinement and distract him from his men.

Fa Zheng Fa Zheng (176–220), courtesy name Xiaozhi, was a key adviser to the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Born in a family of high social status and of noble descent, Fa Zheng travelled to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan ...

's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' hints that Liu Bei and Lady Sun's relationship was not as romantic as described in ''Sanguo Yanyi'', but rather, Liu Bei was suspicious of Lady Sun and feared her. Zhuge Liang once said, "When our lord (Liu Bei) was in Gong'an, he was wary of Cao Cao's influence in the north and fearful of Sun Quan's presence in the east. Even in home territory he was afraid that Lady Sun might stir up trouble." Lady Sun's personality was described as follows in Fa Zheng's biography: Sun Quan married his sister to Liu Bei. She was fierce and tough in character, much like her elder brother. She had about 100 female servants, each of them standing on guard and carrying a sword. Every time Liu Bei entered (her room), he felt a chill in his heart.

Zhou Yu's death

's death is mentioned in Chapter 57. In the previous chapter, Zhou Yu comes up with a plan to help

seize

from

. He pretends to help Liu Bei attack

Yi Province Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a '' zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong, Ba, Guanghan, Shu, Wenshan, Jianwei, ...

(covering present-day

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of t ...

and

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Co ...

) and asks for passage through Jing Province. When Liu Bei agrees, Zhou Yu feels overjoyed because his true intention is to conquer Jing Province when his army passes through. However,

sees through Zhou Yu's ruse and sets a trap. Zhou Yu falls into the trap and is surrounded by Liu Bei's forces. He is overwhelmed by fury and falls off his horse. Zhuge Liang later writes a letter to Zhou Yu, asking him to give up on attacking Yi Province and return to Wu instead because Cao Cao might take advantage of his absence to invade Wu. Zhou Yu then writes to Sun Quan and tells the other Wu generals to give their full support to their lord. He faints afterwards, regains consciousness and sighs, "If (Zhou) Yu were to be born, why must (Zhuge) Liang exist as well?" He dies after repeating that line several times. This is the third time Zhou Yu is infuriated by Zhuge Liang after sustaining an arrow wound at the Battle of Jiangling. The first time was when Liu Bei, acting on Zhuge Liang's advice, seized control of many territories in Jing Province when Zhou Yu and his men were busy fighting with Cao Cao's forces for control of the province. The second time was when Zhuge Liang foiled his "beauty scheme" (see #Liu Bei and Lady Sun's marriage.) Zhou Yu's condition worsens after each incident and he eventually dies after the third incident. ;Historicity Zhou Yu's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentions that Zhou was preparing for a campaign to conquer Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) and

Hanzhong Hanzhong (; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gansu to the west. The founder of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang, was once enfeoffed as ...

when he died of illness at Baqiu (巴丘; present-day

Yueyang Yueyang, formerly known as Yuezhou or Yochow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern shores of Dongting Lake and Yangtze in the northeastern corner of Hunan Province in the People's Republic of China. Yueyang has an administrative area of ...

). Nothing is mentioned about Zhuge Liang causing Zhou Yu's death.

''New Book of Mengde''

In Chapter 60, Liu Zhang sends

Zhang Song Zhang Song (died 212), courtesy name Ziqiao, was an official and adviser serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Life Zhang Song was from Shu Commandery (蜀郡), which is located within present-day Ch ...

as an envoy to meet Cao Cao in

. Zhang Song ridicules Cao Cao in front of his registrar, Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu shows Zhang Song the ''New Book of Mengde'' (孟德新書), a military book written by Cao Cao and based on ''

The Art of War ''The Art of War'' () is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Late Spring and Autumn Period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is com ...

''. Zhang Song looks through the book and laughs and says, "Even young children in Shu can recite this book, how can it be a "new book"? This book was written by an anonymous writer during the

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

. (Cao Cao) plagiarised the book, and people like you are deceived by him." Zhang Song then recites the book verbatim to Yang Xiu. When Yang Xiu tells Cao Cao about the incident later, Cao Cao tears the book and burns it. The book was later found in a basin of ginger presented to Cao Cao by the sage Zuo Ci. ;Historicity The ''Wei Shu'' (魏書) mentions that Cao Cao wrote military books and gave them to his generals. The ''New Book of Mengde'' is mentioned and quoted in '' Questions and Replies between Tang Taizong and Li Weigong'', a dialogue between Emperor Taizong of the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

and the general Li Jing. Cao Cao's commentary on ''The Art of War'' is still extant and is included in many annotated versions of the book.

Battle of Tong Pass

Pang Tong's death

Battle of Jiameng Pass

In 212, Liu Zhang invited Liu Bei into

(covering present-day

and

) to help him defend against Zhang Lu's forces in Hanzhong. Liu Bei proceeded to Jiameng Pass (in present-day

Zhaohua District Zhaohua District () is a district of the city of Guangyuan, Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protes ...

Guangyuan Guangyuan () is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, China, bordering the provinces of Shaanxi to the northeast and Gansu to the northwest. The city has a population of 2,305,657 as of the 2020 census. Located roughly between the provin ...

) and stationed there. However, Liu Bei and Liu Zhang eventually turned hostile towards each other when Liu Zhang discovered that his follower

had been plotting with Liu Bei to seize Yi Province from him. Liu Zhang formed an alliance with Zhang Lu against Liu Bei. Zhang Lu sent Ma Chao to lead an army to attack Liu Bei at Jiameng Pass. There, Ma Chao encountered

and duelled with him. After engaging each other in two long separate fights, neither Zhang Fei nor Ma Chao was able to gain an advantage over his opponent, and they retreated back to their respective camps. Liu Bei did not want either his sworn brother or Ma Chao to get hurt, so he consulted

. Zhuge Liang suggested that Ma Chao would be of great help to them if he was willing to serve Liu Bei. Hence, Liu Bei sent Li Hui to persuade Ma Chao to switch allegiance to him. Concurrently, Liu Bei also sent people to spread negative rumours about Ma Chao in Hanzhong, causing Zhang Lu to become suspicious of Ma Chao. Ma Chao heard that Zhang Lu was starting to doubt his loyalty and planned to defect to Liu Bei, especially since Liu Bei was a rival of his sworn enemy, Cao Cao. At that time, Liu Bei was besieging Liu Zhang in Yi Province's capital

Chengdu Chengdu (, ; simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), alternatively romanized as Chengtu, is a sub-provincial city which serves as the capital of the Chinese provin ...

, when he received Ma Chao's request to serve him. Liu Bei was pleased and eagerly accepted Ma Chao's assistance, and sent troops and supplies to Ma Chao's camp. Following that, Ma Chao led his army to attack Chengdu from the north. Liu Zhang was shocked because he did not expect Ma Chao to make such a move. Shortly later, Liu Bei's adviser

Jian Yong Jian Yong ( 180s–210s), courtesy name Xianhe, was a Chinese politician serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He started working under Liu Bei since the very beginning of Liu Bei's career; he originally ser ...

managed to convince Liu Zhang to surrender, and Yi Province came under Liu Bei's control. Ma Chao became one of the

Five Tiger Generals The Five Tiger Generals is a popular appellation in Chinese culture for the top five military commanders serving under one lord. Although the term does not appear in Chinese historical records and is not used officially, it has been heavily used i ...

under Liu Bei after the latter defeated

in the

and declared himself "King of Hanzhong". ;Historicity The Battle of Jiameng Pass was not documented in the historical text ''

'' by

. There is no mention of a duel between Ma Chao and Zhang Fei. Ma Chao's defection from Zhang Lu to Liu Bei's side is described in Ma Chao's biography as follows: An annotation from the ''Dianlue'' in Ma Chao's biography stated: Nothing is mentioned about the roles Zhuge Liang, Yang Song and Li Hui played in Ma Chao's defection.

Guan Yu attends a meeting alone armed with only a blade

Hua Tuo heals Guan Yu's arm

During the

Battle of Fancheng The Battle of Fancheng or the Battle of Fan Castle was fought between the warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. It is named after Fancheng in present-day Xiangyang, Hubei, a fortress that played a significant ro ...

, Guan Yu is injured in the arm by a crossbow bolt coated with poison. The physician

Hua Tuo Hua Tuo ( 140–208), courtesy name Yuanhua, was a Chinese physician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty. The historical texts ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' and ''Book of the Later Han'' record Hua Tuo as the first person in China ...

comes to his camp and offers to heal his arm. After diagnosis, Hua Tuo says the poison has already seeped through the flesh into the bone and he needs to perform surgery on Guan Yu's arm. He also tells Guan Yu that he must be blindfolded and his arm must be secured before the surgery can be carried out, but Guan Yu says it is too troublesome and asks him to perform the surgery on the spot. Hua Tuo cuts open the flesh on Guan Yu's arm, exposing the bone, then scrapes off the venom on the bone and stitches up the wound. Guan Yu shows no sign of pain and continues playing

weiqi Go is an abstract strategy board game for two players in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent. The game was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago and is believed to be the oldest board game continuously played to ...

with Ma Liang during the surgery. He thanks Hua Tuo for healing his arm and wants to reward him but the physician declines. ;Historicity Hua Tuo's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' does not specify his year of death, but it is certain that he died before 208. (See #Cao Cao's death for more information.) The Battle of Fancheng took place in 219, some 11 years after 208, so it was not possible for Hua Tuo to be around to heal Guan Yu's arm. However, Guan Yu's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentions a similar incident, but without Hua Tuo's involvement. See Guan Yu#Arm injury for details.

Lü Meng's death

Events after Guan Yu's death

In Chapter 77, after Guan Yu died, his spirit roams the land and cries out, "Return my head!" His spirit comes to Yuquan Hill outside

Dangyang Dangyang () is a city in western Hubei province, People's Republic of China, lying east of the Gezhouba Dam on the Yangtze River. During the Western Han Dynasty (206-24 BC). Emperor Jing of Han established an administration in Dangyang on an are ...

and encounters Pujing, the monk who saved his life many years ago at Sishui Pass. Pujing tells Guan Yu's spirit, "Now you ask for your head, but from whom should

, the pass guardians and many others ask for theirs?" Guan Yu's spirit is enlightened and disappears, but henceforth it manifested itself around the hill and protected the locals from evil. The locals built a temple on the hill to worship the spirit. Pujing is said to have built a grass hut for himself at the southeastern foot of Yuquan Hill in the final years of the

. The

Yuquan Temple Yuquan Temple or Jade Spring Temple may refer to these temples: *Yuquan Temple (Dangyang) Yuquan Temple () is a Buddhist temple in Dangyang, Hubei, China, first built in 593 during the Sui dynasty. Zhiyi sponsored the construction, and the name ...

, the oldest temple in the Dangyang region from where the worship of Guan Yu originated, was built on the exact location of the hut, and its construction was completed only until the

Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and la ...

. Sun Quan sends Guan Yu's head to

in the hope of pushing the responsibility of Guan Yu's death to Cao Cao. When Cao Cao opens the box containing Guan Yu's head, he sees that Guan Yu's facial expressions resemble those of a living person. He smiles and says to the head, "I hope you are well since we last parted." To his horror, Guan Yu's head opens its eyes and mouth and the long beard and hairs stand on ends. Cao Cao collapses and does not regain consciousness until a long time later. When he comes to, he exclaims, "General Guan is truly a god from heaven!" Then he orders the head to be buried with honours befitting a noble.

Cao Cao's death

When

starts complaining about splitting headaches in his final days, his subjects recommend

, a physician with remarkable skills, to heal him. Hua Tuo diagnoses Cao Cao's illness to be a form of

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including ar ...

in the skull. He suggests giving Cao Cao a dose of

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitoring ...

and then splitting open his skull with a sharp axe to extract the pus within. Due to an earlier incident with another physician

Ji Ping Ji Ben (died 218) was an imperial physician who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In 218, he started a rebellion with several others in the imperial capital, Xu (許; present-day Xuchang, Henan), but the revolt was suppressed an ...

, who attempted to poison him, Cao Cao is suspicious of any physician. He believes that Hua Tuo intends to kill him to avenge

so he orders the physician to be imprisoned. Hua Tuo dies a few days later in prison. Cao Cao dies from his illness not long later. ;Historicity Cao Cao's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' mentions that he died in

in 220 at the age of 66 (by

East Asian age reckoning Countries in the East Asian cultural sphere (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and their diasporas) have traditionally used specific methods of reckoning a person's numerical age based not on their birthday but the calendar year, and what age one is ...

). Hua Tuo's biography mentions that Cao Cao had Hua Tuo executed when Hua Tuo refused to treat his chronic headaches. Cao Cao regretted killing Hua Tuo because his son

Cao Chong Cao Chong (196–208), courtesy name Cangshu, was a son of Cao Cao, a warlord who rose to power towards the end of the Han dynasty and laid the foundation of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. A child prodigy, Cao C ...

died from illness, and he believed that Hua Tuo could have cured Cao Chong. Hua Tuo's biography does not specify his year of death, but it is certain that he died before 208, the year in which Cao Chong died. Therefore, the story in ''Sanguo Yanyi'' is entirely fictional. The ''Shiyu'' (世語) and the ''Cao Man Zhuan'' (曹瞞傳) provide more dramatic accounts of the events before Cao Cao's death. The ''Shiyu'' account states that Cao Cao wanted to build a palace in Luoyang so he ordered a Zhuolong Shrine (濯龍祠) to be demolished, but blood spilt out from a tree. The ''Cao Man Zhuan'' account mentions that Cao Cao wanted a pear tree to be moved. When the workers uprooted the tree, blood spilt out from its roots, and the workers were all shocked. Cao Cao heard about it and went there to take a closer look. He was disgusted and felt that it was an unlucky omen. He became ill after returning home.

Battle of Xiaoting

Zhang Liao's death

Meng Huo captured and released seven times

The

Nanman The Man, commonly known as the Nanman or Southern Man (, ''lit. Southern Barbarians''), were ancient indigenous peoples who lived in inland South and Southwest China, mainly around the Yangtze River valley. In ancient Chinese sources, the ...

barbarian king Meng Huo rebels against Shu. Zhuge Liang leads an army to pacify the Nanman tribes. Meng Huo is defeated and captured by Zhuge Liang's forces seven times. During the first six times, Meng Huo complains that he is dissatisfied because he was captured by strategy and did not have a chance to fight a real battle, so Zhuge Liang releases him each time to come back for another battle. On the seventh time, Meng Huo feels ashamed of himself and swears eternal allegiance to Shu. ;Historicity

's annotations to Zhuge Liang's biography in the ''Sanguozhi'' contain a line about "capture and release seven times"(亮笑，縱使更戰，七縱七禽，而亮猶遣獲。) Pei Songzhi's annotation in ''Sanguozhi'' vol. 35. but no details are provided. Characters associated with Meng Huo such as E'huan (鄂煥), Lady Zhurong, Meng You and

King Mulu The following is a list of fictional people significant to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. The list includes characters in the 14th-century historical novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong and those found in othe ...

are fictional.

Xincheng Rebellion

Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions

Jiang Wei's Northern Expeditions

References

{{Reflist * Chen, Shou. ''

'' (''Sanguozhi''). * Fan, Ye. ''

'' (''Houhanshu''). * Fang, Xuanling. ''

'' (''Jin Shu''). * Luo, Guanzhong. ''

'' (''Sanguo Yanyi''). * Pei, Songzhi. ''

'' (''Sanguozhi zhu''). * Sima, Guang. ''

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 dynast ...

''. Romance of the Three Kingdoms