The Sun–Liu territorial dispute was a military conflict between the warlords
Sun Quan
Sun Quan (; 182 – 21 May 252), courtesy name Zhongmou (), posthumous name, posthumously known as Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu, one of the Three Kingdoms of China. He inherited control of the warlord regime established by hi ...
and
Liu Bei
Liu Bei (, ; ; 161 – 10 June 223), courtesy name Xuande (), was a China, Chinese warlord in the late Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding Emperor of China, emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms of ...
in 215 during the late
Eastern Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
of China. While Sun Quan and Liu Bei had initially formed an alliance in 208 against their common rival
Cao Cao
Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...
, both sides got into a territorial dispute over the territories in southern
Jing Province
Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in early Chinese texts such as the ''Yu Gong, Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'', and ''Rites of Zhou''.
Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of E ...
(covering present-day
Hubei
Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
and
Hunan
Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
) in the early 210s. The dispute ended when both sides agreed to divide the territories along the
Xiang River
The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the second-largest tributary (after the Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the fifth-largest ...
between their respective domains: Sun Quan took the lands east of the river while Liu Bei kept those west of the river. Despite a peaceful settlement to the territorial dispute, Sun Quan ultimately sent his forces to attack Liu Bei's territories in
an invasion in 219 and succeeded in capturing all of them.
Background
In the winter of 208, the warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan formed an alliance to counter another warlord
Cao Cao
Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...
and defeated him at the decisive
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, also known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive naval battle in China that took place during the winter of AD 208–209. It was fought on the Yangtze River between the forces of warlords controlling different parts ...
. Shortly after the Battle of Red Cliffs, the allied forces followed up with the
Battle of Jiangling and succeeded in capturing
Jiangling County
Jiangling () is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Administratively, it is under the jurisdiction of Jingzhou City.
History
The county name derived from the old name of Jingzhou.
Liang Dynasty Prince Xiao Yi (蕭繹 ...
and the rest of
Nan Commandery Nan Commandery ( zh, 南郡, "Southern Commandery") was a Chinese commandery that existed from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. Its territories covered present-day central and western Hubei province, as well as parts of Chongqing. The sea ...
(南郡; around present-day
Jingzhou
Jingzhou ( zh, s=, c=荆州, t=, p=Jīngzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the Seventh National Population Censu ...
,
Hubei
Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
) from Cao Cao's forces.
After the Battle of Jiangling, Nan Commandery remained under the control of Sun Quan, who appointed his general
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 Qua ...
as the commandery's administrator. The commandery's administrative centre was at Jiangling County and its jurisdiction included the counties of Xiajun (下雋; northwest of present-day
Tongcheng County
Tongcheng () is the governmental seat and the name of a county in Xianning City, Hubei, People's Republic of China, bordering the provinces of Jiangxi (to the east) and Hunan (to the south and west).
History
The Red 16th Army, stationed at th ...
, Hubei), Hanchang (漢昌; southeast of present-day
Pingjiang County
Pingjiang County () is a county in the northeast of Hunan province, China. It is the easternmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Yueyang.
The county is located on the eastern margin of the province, the Miluo River runs ...
,
Hunan
Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
),
Liuyang
Liuyang () is a county-level city, the List of County-level divisions of Hunan by population, most populous and the easternmost county-level division of Hunan, Hunan Province, China; it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city ...
and Zhouling (州陵; northeast of present-day
Honghu, Hubei).
In the meantime, Liu Bei nominated
Liu Qi, the elder son of Jing Province's former governor
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 ...
, to succeed his father as the new governor. At the same time, he led his forces to attack and conquer the four commanderies further south in Jing Province: Wuling (武陵; around present-day
Changde
Changde (; Traditional Chinese characters, traditional Chinese: 常德區 ) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Changde, known as "Wuling" in ancient times, is located on the west side of Do ...
, Hunan),
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
, Guiyang (桂陽; around present-day
Chenzhou
Chenzhou () is a prefecture-level city located in the south of Hunan province, China, bordering the provinces of Jiangxi to the east and Guangdong to the south. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total populatio ...
, Hunan) and Lingling (零陵; around present-day
Yongzhou
Yongzhou () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao River, Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guang ...
, Hunan).
After Liu Qi died in late 209, Sun Quan nominated Liu Bei to replace Liu Qi as the new governor of Jing Province. Liu Bei then made
Gong'an County
Gong'an County () is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hunan to the south. It is under the administration of Jingzhou City.
History
During the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, Gong'an County was k ...
the administrative centre of his territories.
Sun Quan "lending" Jing Province to Liu Bei
In 210, Liu Bei travelled 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) and ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu is a coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province in East China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its capital in Nanjing. Jiangsu is the List of Chinese administra ...
) to meet Sun Quan and request to govern Nan Commandery. During this time, Zhou Yu secretly wrote to Sun Quan, urging his lord to lure Liu Bei to
Wu Commandery
Wu Commandery was a commandery of imperial China. It covers parts of the contemporary Northern Zhejiang and Southern Jiangsu. The capital of Wu commandery was Wu (today's Suzhou). Major counties of Wu commandery include Wu (county), Yuhang county ...
(around present-day
Suzhou
Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce.
Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...
, Jiangsu), distract him with luxuries and women, and keep him separated from his generals
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 ...
and
Zhang Fei
Zhang Fei () (; died July or August 221 AD), courtesy name Yide (益德), was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period ...
. Sun Quan, however, rejected Zhou Yu's idea because he considered Cao Cao to be a much greater threat to him than Liu Bei, so it would be better for him to maintain his alliance with Liu Bei.
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 Z ...
, another of Sun Quan's generals, advised his lord to "lend" Nan Commandery to Liu Bei so as to strengthen the Sun–Liu alliance against Cao Cao. He pointed out that since they had just recently occupied Nan Commandery, they would not be able to defend it well if Cao Cao's forces attacked, so it would be better to "lend" it to Liu Bei and let him serve as a buffer against Cao Cao. Sun Quan agreed with Lu Su and "lent" Nan Commandery to Liu Bei. Sun Quan then decided to have his younger sister,
Lady Sun, marry Liu Bei in an effort to further strengthen the Sun-Liu alliance.
Zhou Yu died later that year in 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 the Yangtze river in the northeastern corner of Hunan Province in the People's Republic of China.
Yueyang has an administrative ...
,
Hunan
Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...
) while preparing for a campaign to conquer
Yi Province
Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a ''Zhou (country subdivision), zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong Commandery, Han ...
(covering present-day
Sichuan
Sichuan is a province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capital city is Cheng ...
and
Chongqing
ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...
), also known as Shu (蜀), from its governor
Liu Zhang. Before his death, he wrote to Sun Quan to recommend Lu Su to succeed him as the commander of Sun Quan's forces in Jing Province. Sun Quan approved and put Lu Su in charge of the troops and territories which used to be led and governed by Zhou Yu.
Between 212 and 214, Liu Bei embarked on
a campaign to seize control of Yi Province from Liu Zhang. He left his general
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 ...
behind to guard his territories in Jing Province during his absence.
The conflict
At the time, tensions were rising at the Sun–Liu border in Jing Province as both sides became more suspicious and wary of each other. Around July 215, Sun Quan asked Liu Bei to "return" three commanderies in southern Jing Province –
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
, Lingling (零陵; around present-day
Yongzhou
Yongzhou () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Hunan province, People's Republic of China, located on the southern bank of the Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao River, Xiao and Xiang Rivers, and bordering Guang ...
, Hunan) and Guiyang (桂陽; around present-day
Chenzhou
Chenzhou () is a prefecture-level city located in the south of Hunan province, China, bordering the provinces of Jiangxi to the east and Guangdong to the south. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total populatio ...
, Hunan) – since the latter already had a new base in
Yi Province
Yizhou (益州), Yi Province or Yi Prefecture, was a ''Zhou (country subdivision), zhou'' (province) of ancient China. Its capital city was Chengdu.de Crespigny, p. 256. During the Han dynasty, it included the commanderies Hanzhong Commandery, Han ...
. However, Liu Bei refused because he believed that the three commanderies were crucial in his efforts to unify China. Sun Quan decided to seize the three commanderies by force. He stationed himself at Lukou (陸口; at Lushui Lake near present-day
Chibi, Hubei) while ordering
Lü Meng
Lü Meng () (178 – January or February 220), courtesy name Ziming, was a Chinese military general and politician who served under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early in his career, he fought in several ba ...
,
Ling Tong
Ling Tong () (189–217), courtesy name Gongji, was a Chinese military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He started his service under Sun Quan when he was still a teenager and, throughout his ...
and
Lü Dai
Lü Dai (161 – 21 October 256), courtesy name Dinggong, was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Born in the late Eastern Han dynasty, Lü Dai started his career as a minor official in his h ...
to lead troops to attack the three commanderies, and Lu Su to lead 10,000 troops to
Yiyang
Yiyang ( zh, s=益阳 , t=益陽 , p=Yìyáng) is a prefecture-level city on the Zi River in Hunan province, China, straddling Lake Dongting and bordering Hubei to the north. According to the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Repub ...
to block Guan Yu.
Lü Meng capturing the three commanderies
Lü Meng wrote to the administrators of the three commanderies to ask them to submit to Sun Quan. All of them agreed except Lingling's administrator, Hao Pu (郝普). In the meantime, upon learning of Sun Quan's advances, Liu Bei returned from Yi Province to
Gong'an County
Gong'an County () is a county in southern Hubei province, People's Republic of China, bordering Hunan to the south. It is under the administration of Jingzhou City.
History
During the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era, Gong'an County was k ...
and ordered Guan Yu to lead troops to stop Lü Meng and take back the three commanderies. After hearing that Guan Yu and his army was heading their way, Sun Quan sent an urgent order to Lü Meng, ordering him to give up on Lingling and lead his troops to
Yiyang
Yiyang ( zh, s=益阳 , t=益陽 , p=Yìyáng) is a prefecture-level city on the Zi River in Hunan province, China, straddling Lake Dongting and bordering Hubei to the north. According to the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Repub ...
to assist Lu Su.
When Lü Meng pacified
Changsha
Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...
, he passed by Ling County (酃縣; east of present-day
Hengyang
Hengyang (; ) is the second largest city of Hunan Province, China. It straddles the Xiang River about south of the provincial capital of Changsha. As of the 2020 Chinese census, Its total population was 6,645,243 inhabitants, of whom 1,290,71 ...
, Hunan) and met Deng Xuanzhi (鄧玄之), an old friend of Hao Pu. He planned to use Deng Xuanzhi to trick Hao Pu into surrendering. That night, Lü Meng summoned all his officers and gave them instructions on how to attack Lingling the following morning, without telling them that Sun Quan had given orders for them to give up on Lingling and move to Yiyang. He lied to Deng Xuanzhi that Liu Bei was besieged in
Hanzhong
Hanzhong ( zh, s= , t= , l=middle of the Han River (Hubei), Han River; abbreviation: Han) is a prefecture-level city in Southern Shaanxi, the southwest of Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, China, bordering the provinces of Sichuan to the south and Gans ...
by Cao Cao's general
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan () (died February 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 prese ...
and that Guan Yu was occupied in a battle at Nan Commandery. He then asked Deng Xuanzhi to help him persuade Hao Pu to give up on Lingling. Deng Xuanzhi went to see Hao Pu later and conveyed Lü Meng's message. Hao Pu became afraid when he heard that he had been isolated, so he agreed to surrender and asked Deng Xuanzhi to lead him to Lü Meng. When Lü Meng met Hao Pu, he revealed the truth, clapped his hands and laughed. Hao Pu became wrecked with guilt when he learnt that both Liu Bei and Guan Yu were actually free to reinforce Lingling but it was too late. Lü Meng left Sun He (孫河) behind to guard the three commanderies while he headed towards Yiyang per Sun Quan's order.
Standoff at Yiyang between Guan Yu and Gan Ning
In the meantime, Guan Yu claimed to be leading an army of 30,000. He selected 5,000 of his best troops, led them to the upstream shallows located some 10 ''
li'' away from
Yiyang
Yiyang ( zh, s=益阳 , t=益陽 , p=Yìyáng) is a prefecture-level city on the Zi River in Hunan province, China, straddling Lake Dongting and bordering Hubei to the north. According to the Sixth National Population Census of the People's Repub ...
, and planned to cross the shallows at night. Lu Su held a discussion with his subordinates on how to deal with Guan Yu. At the time,
Gan Ning, who had only 300 men under him, told Lu Su: "If you give me another 500 troops, I will go to confront Guan Yu. I assure you that Guan Yu will not dare to cross the waters when he hears of my approach. But if he does, I will capture him." Lu Su then chose 1,000 troops and put them under Gan Ning's command. Gan Ning headed towards Guan Yu's position at night. As Gan Ning expected, Guan Yu did not cross the shallows and instead ordered his men to make camp there. That place was thus named 'Guan Yu's Shallows' (關羽瀨).
Negotiations between Lu Su and Guan Yu
Lu Su invited Guan Yu to attend a meeting to discuss the dispute. During the negotiations, both sides stationed their soldiers more than 100 paces away from the meeting area, while the officers present at the talks were each armed with nothing more than a sword or blade weapon. This event is hence sometimes referred to as "attending a meeting armed with only a sword" (單刀赴會).
Lu Su told Guan Yu: Before Lu Su could finish what he was saying, an unnamed person interrupted him: "Whoever has the ability to govern the land shall have control over it. Isn't it so?" Lu Su angrily rebuked that person in a firm and stern tone. Guan Yu drew his sword, stood up and said: "This is a state-level problem. We can't hope to understand it." He left after that.
Wei Zhao's ''Book of Wu'' (吳書) provided more details on the meeting. Before the talks started, Lu Su's subordinates feared that Guan Yu would try to harm Lu Su, so they advised Lu Su against attending the meeting. However, Lu Su replied: "It's better for us to settle this dispute in a peaceful manner. Liu Bei may have acted against our lord's interests, but we haven't agreed on who is right and who is wrong. Do you think Guan Yu will dare to do something as rash as killing me at this point in time?"
Lu Su then met Guan Yu, who told him:
Lu Su replied: Guan Yu did not respond to what Lu Su said.
Peaceful settlement
Although the talks between Lu Su and Guan Yu were inconclusive, the Sun–Liu territorial dispute ultimately ended by the end of August 215 when Liu Bei decided to give in upon learning that his base in Yi Province was potentially under threat. This was because Cao Cao was attacking
Hanzhong Commandery
Hanzhong Commandery (漢中郡) was an imperial Chinese commandery located in what is now southern Shaanxi Province, centered on the upper reaches of the Han River (Hubei and Shaanxi), Han River in the Hanzhong Basin. Established during the late ...
, then under the control of the warlord
Zhang Lu. As Hanzhong was the "northern gateway" of Yi Province, if Cao Cao succeeded in seizing Hanzhong from Zhang Lu, he would be able to launch attacks on Yi Province from Hanzhong. Liu Bei thus decided that it was better for him to make peace with Sun Quan at the moment, and shift his focus towards countering Cao Cao. Liu Bei and Sun Quan then withdrew their forces after agreeing to divide the territories in southern Jing Province between their respective domains along the
Xiang River
The Xiang River is the chief river of the Lake Dongting drainage system of the middle Yangtze, the largest river in Hunan Province, China. It is the second-largest tributary (after the Min River) in terms of surface runoff, the fifth-largest ...
: Liu Bei would keep Nan, Lingling and Wuling commanderies in the west, while Sun Quan would take Changsha, Jiangxia and Guiyang commanderies in the east.
Aftermath
Although the Sun–Liu territorial dispute of 215 ended in a peace settlement, Sun Quan did not give up his goal of acquiring all of Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province. In the winter of 219–220, when Guan Yu was away at 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 rol ...
against Cao Cao's forces in northern Jing Province, Sun Quan ordered Lü Meng to lead a stealth invasion of Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province. Lü Meng and his army succeeded in their mission and conquered all of Liu Bei's territories without Guan Yu knowing. By the time Guan Yu returned from Fancheng, it was already too late. Guan Yu was subsequently captured in an ambush and executed by Sun Quan's forces after refusing to surrender. This set the stage for the
Battle of Xiaoting
The Battle of Xiaoting (猇亭之戰), also known as the Battle of Yiling and the Battle of Yiling and Xiaoting, was fought between the states of Shu Han and Eastern Wu, in the years 221 and 222 during the early Three Kingdoms period of China. T ...
in 221.
In ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms''
In Chapter 66 of the 14th-century 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 and ...
'', the meeting between
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 ...
and
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 Z ...
is dramatised into an event known as "Guan Yunchang (Guan Yu) attending a meeting armed with only a blade" (). In the novel, the meeting is actually a mask for an attempt by Lu Su and his subordinates to force Guan Yu to hand over Liu Bei's territories in Jing Province to Sun Quan's side. Their plan is as follows: Lu Su will pretend to invite Guan Yu to attend a meeting and demand that he "return" the territories.
Lü Meng
Lü Meng () (178 – January or February 220), courtesy name Ziming, was a Chinese military general and politician who served under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. Early in his career, he fought in several ba ...
,
Gan Ning and the others will lead their men to hide near the meeting area. If Guan Yu refuses to hand over the territories, Lu Su will give a signal for them to immediately come out of hiding and assassinate Guan Yu. Guan Yu knows that it is a trap but he still arms himself with only his
Green Dragon Crescent Blade and attends the meeting. After a short exchange with Lu Su over a few drinks, Guan Yu senses the hidden danger so he pretends to be drunk, grabs Lu Su and holds him hostage while carefully retreating back to his boat. He releases Lu Su after boarding his boat and sails back to his base safely.
[''Sanguo Yanyi'' ch. 66.]
The plot in this novel gave rise to the ''
xiehouyu'' "Liu Bei borrows Jingzhou - can never get back once lent" ().
Notes
References
*
Chen, Shou (3rd century). ''
Records of the Three Kingdoms
The ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' is a Chinese official history written by Chen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering the end of the Han dynasty (220 CE) and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regard ...
'' (''Sanguozhi'').
*
*
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 and ...
'' (''Sanguo Yanyi'').
*
Pei, Songzhi (5th century). ''
Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms
''Annotated 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 the fall of the Eastern Jin ...
'' (''Sanguozhi zhu'').
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun-Liu territorial dispute
Campaigns during the end of the Han dynasty
215
210s conflicts
Liu Bei