Hanzhong Campaign
Encyclopedia
The Hanzhong Campaign was a military campaign launched by the warlord Liu Bei
to seize control of the commandery of Hanzhong
from his rival Cao Cao
. The campaign took place between 217 and 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. Liu Bei emerged victorious and took control of Hanzhong in 219, subsequently declaring himself "King of Hanzhong" in autumn that year.
commandery, defeating the latter at the Battle of Yangping
. Zhang Lu surrendered and Hanzhong came under Cao Cao's control.
On Liu Bei's side, he had also recently seized control
of Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin
) from Liu Zhang
, and was in the midst of a dispute with his ally Sun Quan
over Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei
and Hunan
). Liu Bei felt threatened when he received news that Hanzhong had fallen to Cao Cao, because Hanzhong was the northern "gateway" into Yi Province, and he was now in danger of losing his home-base to Cao Cao. Hence, Liu Bei came to a border treaty with Sun Quan, who had conquered Changsha (長沙), Guiyang (桂陽), and Lingling (零陵) from him. Liu Bei asked Sun Quan to divert Cao Cao's attention by attacking Hefei
and demanded Lingling back. In return, he recognized Sun Quan's control over Jing Province's commanderies of Changsha, Jiangxia (江夏) and Guiyang.
and Liu Ye
urged him to use the opportunity to attack Yi Province, but Cao Cao rejected the idea, saying, "We should not be discontent. Now that we've already conquered the right of Long (referring to present-day eastern Gansu
), you're still longing about merging Shu (referring to Yi Province)!" Cao Cao then left his generals Xiahou Yuan
, Zhang He
and Xu Huang
behind to defend Hanzhong, and his Chief Clerk (長史) Du Xi
to oversee affairs in Hanzhong.
In 217, Liu Bei's advisor Fa Zheng
analyzed that the reason why Cao Cao left Xiahou Yuan to guard Hanzhong was that Hanzhong was still unstable (partly due to the massive relocation enforced by Cao Cao); Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He were not good commanders, and they could not defend the commandery. Hence, Fa Zheng recommended Liu Bei to attack Hanzhong, stating three advantages if Hanzhong was in Liu's control: the ideal usage of Hanzhong was that it served as a base of operations to attack Cao Cao and revive the Han Dynasty; a decent usage of Hanzhong was that Liu Bei could attack Yong and Liang provinces from it (Hanzhong granted access to the two provinces) and expand his territory; a more conservative mean was that defense of Hanzhong could be a long-lasting strategy for the survival of the Shu regime. Liu Bei agreed to Fa Zheng's insight and ordered him to plan for the Hanzhong Campaign.
, Wu Lan (吳蘭), Lei Tong
and Ren Kui (任夔) to attack Wudu (武都) commandery, and they garrisoned at Xiabian (下辨). During this time, Leiding (雷定) of the Di ethnic group
led seven tribes to join Liu Bei. As for Cao Cao's side, Xiahou Yuan
defended Yangping Pass, Zhang He
and Xu Huang
respectively guarded Guangshi (廣石) and Mamingge (馬鳴閣), while Cao Hong
and Cao Xiu
led a separate force to resist Zhang Fei.
In 218, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao's army garrisoned at Mount Gu (固山), where they spread news that they were going to blockade the enemy's retreat route. Cao Hong wanted to attack Wu Lan at Xiabian, but the other generals were suspicious of Zhang Fei's movements. Cao Xiu thought that if the Zhang Fei was really planning to block their retreat route, he should lay ambushes along the route; now that Zhang Fei had openly revealed his intention, they should make use of the opportunity to strike Zhang Fei before the enemy could gather. Cao Hong agreed with Cao Xiu and attacked Wu Lan. Lei Tong and Ren Kui were killed in battle, while Wu Lan fled to join the Di tribes, where he was subsequently killed by a Di leader, Qiangduan. After hearing of Wu Lan's defeat, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao withdrew their army by the third lunar month.
On another front, Liu Bei was facing Xiahou Yuan at Yangping Pass. In the seventh lunar month, Liu Bei sent Chen Shi
to attack Mamingge, but Chen was defeated by Xu Huang, and some of the fleeing soldiers fell into the deep valleys during their escape. Liu Bei personally led an assault on Zhang He at Guangshi but was unable to take Guangshi. He then sent an urgent letter to Zhuge Liang
in his capital, Chengdu
, requesting for reinforcements. Zhuge Liang consulted Yang Hong (楊洪), and Yang said, "Hanzhong is the throat of Yi Province. This is a critical point of survival and destruction. Without Hanzhong there will be no Shu (Yi Province). A disaster has befallen on the gates of our home. At this moment, the men should go to war, the women should help in transporting supplies, what's there to hesitate about sending reinforcements?" Zhuge Liang accepted Yang Hong's advice and sent a relief force to Liu Bei, as Liu Bei continued his standoff against Cao Cao's forces.
to Chang'an
near Hanzhong to direct the defense against Liu Bei, but was held up by internal problems. In the meantime, Liu Bei and Xiahou Yuan had been locked in a stalemate for a year. In the first lunar month of 219, to break the deadlock, Liu Bei crossed the Mian River (沔水) south of Yangping Pass and advanced towards Hanzhong through the mountains. Liu Bei's army set up camp at Mount Dingjun
. In response, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He led their forces to attack Liu Bei and they made camp at Zouma Valley (走馬谷). Liu Bei followed Huang Quan's plan and set fire to the enemy camp fences. Xiahou Yuan led a force to defend the southern flank while sending Zhang He to guard the eastern side. Liu Bei launched a direct assault on Zhang He and Zhang started to falter, so Xiahou Yuan dispatched half of his forces to support Zhang. At this point, Fa Zheng told Liu Bei that it was an opportune time to attack. Liu Bei ordered his men to shout loudly and beat the drums, and sent Huang Zhong
to charge at the enemy. Huang Zhong broke through the enemy lines and slew Xiahou Yuan and Zhao Yong (趙顒), while Zhang He fled with his surviving troops to north of the Han River, where they set up camp.
As Cao Cao's forces had just lost their commander, Xiahou Yuan, chaos ensued. Du Xi
and Guo Huai
regrouped their scattered troops and (unofficially) nominated Zhang He to replace Xiahou Yuan. Zhang He accepted and gave orders to his troops, restoring peace and order in his army. The following day, Liu Bei planned to cross the Han River and attack Zhang He, but his generals opposed his decision, as they felt that they were outnumbered, and suggested to Liu to set up camp on their side of the riverbank. Guo Huai felt that their forces were displaying their weakness to the enemy; so he proposed setting up camp far away from the Han River bank, and lure the enemy to cross the river, and counterattack the enemy later. Zhang He agreed with Guo Huai's idea and moved his camp further away from the river. Liu Bei became suspicious and did not dare to cross the river. In Chang'an, when Cao Cao heard that Xiahou Yuan had been killed in action, he dispatched Cao Zhen
with an army to reinforce their forces at Yangping Pass. When Cao Zhen arrived, he directed Xu Huang to attack Liu Bei's general Gao Xiang
. Xu Huang scored a victory and temporarily restored some morale for Cao Cao's side.
Later, when Cao Cao's forces were transporting supplies via the North Mountain (北山), Huang Zhong
led a force to rob the enemy's supplies, but had yet to return on time. Zhao Yun
led ten horsemen out of camp in search of Huang Zhong and encountered Cao Cao's army. They were surrounded but Zhao Yun fought his way out and retreated back to camp with the enemy in pursuit. Upon reaching camp, Zhao Yun ordered the gates to be opened, flags and banners to be lowered, and the beating of war drums to be stopped. Cao Cao's men feared an ambush in the camp and turned back. Just then, Zhao Yun ordered his troops to beat the drums loudly and his archers to rain arrows on the enemy. Cao Cao's soldiers were thrown into confusion and trampled on each other as they attempted to flee, while many drowned as they tried to escape across the Han River.
As Cao Cao had been in a standoff against Liu Bei for several months and had been facing serious logistical problem, he eventually gave an order, "chicken rib" (雞肋). Cao Cao's men were puzzled as they did not understand what "chicken rib" meant, except for Cao's Registrar Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu explained that it was a pity to discard chicken's rib, even though it did not have much meat to be eaten. This was an analogy to the situation Cao Cao was facing: Cao knew that he had little chance of defeating Liu Bei, but felt that it was a pity to just relinquish Hanzhong and withdraw. By the fifth lunar month, Cao Cao retreated back to Chang'an and gave up Hanzhong to Liu Bei.
to attack Fangling (房陵) via Zigui (秭歸). Meng Da defeated and killed Fangling's Administrator, Kuai Qi (蒯祺), and took control of the area. Liu Bei later sent his adopted son, Liu Feng
, to attack Shangyong (上庸) via sailing down the Mian River (沔水) from Hanzhong. Shangyong's Administrator Shen Dan (申耽) surrendered to Liu Feng. In the seventh lunar month of 219, Liu Bei declared himself King of Hanzhong.
On the other hand, after withdrawing, Cao Cao was worried that Liu Bei might attack Wudu (武都) commandery, so he ordered the Inspector (刺史) of Yong Province, Zhang Ji, to relocate 50,000 Di people
from Wudu to Fufeng (扶風) and Tianshui (天水) commanderies.
} Wu Lan (吳蘭)
} Lei Tong
} Ren Kui (任夔)
Cao Cao forces
Xiahou Yuan
} Zhao Yong (趙顒)
} Xiahou Rong (夏侯榮)
Pu Hu (朴胡) Du Huo (杜濩)
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
to seize control of the commandery of Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
from his rival Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
. The campaign took place between 217 and 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Liu Bei emerged victorious and took control of Hanzhong in 219, subsequently declaring himself "King of Hanzhong" in autumn that year.
Background
In 215, Cao Cao attacked the warlord Zhang Lu of HanzhongHanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
commandery, defeating the latter at the Battle of Yangping
Battle of Yangping
The Battle of Yangping, also known as the Battle of Yangping Pass, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Zhang Lu in 215 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle concluded with victory for Cao Cao....
. Zhang Lu surrendered and Hanzhong came under Cao Cao's control.
On Liu Bei's side, he had also recently seized control
Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province
Liu Bei's takeover of Yi Province was a military campaign by the warlord Liu Bei in taking control of Yi Province from its Governor, Liu Zhang. The campaign took place between 212 and 215 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
of Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin
Sichuan basin
The Sichuan Basin is a lowland region in southwestern China. Despite its historical name, it is not only synonymous to Sichuan province, comprising its central and eastern portions as well as part of Chongqing Municipality...
) from Liu Zhang
Liu Zhang (warlord)
Liu Zhang was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He became governor of Yi Province , succeeding his father Liu Yan and ruled the region until 214, when he surrendered to Liu Bei...
, and was in the midst of a dispute with his ally Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
over Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
). Liu Bei felt threatened when he received news that Hanzhong had fallen to Cao Cao, because Hanzhong was the northern "gateway" into Yi Province, and he was now in danger of losing his home-base to Cao Cao. Hence, Liu Bei came to a border treaty with Sun Quan, who had conquered Changsha (長沙), Guiyang (桂陽), and Lingling (零陵) from him. Liu Bei asked Sun Quan to divert Cao Cao's attention by attacking Hefei
Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
The Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, also known as the Battle of Leisure Ford, Battle of Hefei, and Hefei Campaign, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Quan between 215 and 217 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history over the control of Hefei...
and demanded Lingling back. In return, he recognized Sun Quan's control over Jing Province's commanderies of Changsha, Jiangxia (江夏) and Guiyang.
Strategic difference
In Hanzhong, Cao Cao's strategists Sima YiSima Yi
Sima Yi was a general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is perhaps best known for defending Wei from Zhuge Liang's Northern Expeditions...
and Liu Ye
Liu Ye (Three Kingdoms)
Liu Ye was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty, and a politician of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
urged him to use the opportunity to attack Yi Province, but Cao Cao rejected the idea, saying, "We should not be discontent. Now that we've already conquered the right of Long (referring to present-day eastern Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), you're still longing about merging Shu (referring to Yi Province)!" Cao Cao then left his generals Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun against Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong in 219, and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Min , literally meaning "sympathetic...
, Zhang He
Zhang He
Zhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
and Xu Huang
Xu Huang
Xu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
behind to defend Hanzhong, and his Chief Clerk (長史) Du Xi
Du Xi
Du Xi, style name Zixu , was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a subordinate of Cao's general Xiahou Yuan...
to oversee affairs in Hanzhong.
In 217, Liu Bei's advisor Fa Zheng
Fa Zheng
Fa Zheng , style name Xiaozhi , was an advisor to the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history....
analyzed that the reason why Cao Cao left Xiahou Yuan to guard Hanzhong was that Hanzhong was still unstable (partly due to the massive relocation enforced by Cao Cao); Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He were not good commanders, and they could not defend the commandery. Hence, Fa Zheng recommended Liu Bei to attack Hanzhong, stating three advantages if Hanzhong was in Liu's control: the ideal usage of Hanzhong was that it served as a base of operations to attack Cao Cao and revive the Han Dynasty; a decent usage of Hanzhong was that Liu Bei could attack Yong and Liang provinces from it (Hanzhong granted access to the two provinces) and expand his territory; a more conservative mean was that defense of Hanzhong could be a long-lasting strategy for the survival of the Shu regime. Liu Bei agreed to Fa Zheng's insight and ordered him to plan for the Hanzhong Campaign.
Initial clashes
In 217, Liu Bei followed Huang Quan's strategy and defeated enemy generals Pu Hu (朴胡) and Du Huo (杜濩), taking control of Badong (巴東) and Baxi (巴西) commanderies, which were respectively guarded by them previously. Liu Bei's army then advanced towards Yangping Pass (陽平關) near Hanzhong. At the same time, Liu Bei also sent Zhang Fei, Ma ChaoMa Chao
Ma Chao was the oldest son of Ma Teng and a military general during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he received the nickname "Ma Chao the Splendid" due to his elaborate armour and grand skill...
, Wu Lan (吳蘭), Lei Tong
Lei Tong
Lei Tong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.At one time Lei Tong and Wu Yi both defended against Liu Bei's invasion of Yi Province, but ended up being surrounded and defeated...
and Ren Kui (任夔) to attack Wudu (武都) commandery, and they garrisoned at Xiabian (下辨). During this time, Leiding (雷定) of the Di ethnic group
Di (ethnic group)
The Di were an ethnic group in China from the 8th century BCE to approximately the middle of the 6th century CE. Note that the character Di is used to differentiate this group from the Beidi , a generic term for "northern barbarians". They lived in areas of the present-day provinces of Gansu,...
led seven tribes to join Liu Bei. As for Cao Cao's side, Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun against Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong in 219, and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Min , literally meaning "sympathetic...
defended Yangping Pass, Zhang He
Zhang He
Zhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
and Xu Huang
Xu Huang
Xu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
respectively guarded Guangshi (廣石) and Mamingge (馬鳴閣), while Cao Hong
Cao Hong
Cao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
and Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu
Cao Xiu was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. A distant nephew of Cao Cao, Cao Xiu was given special attention by the former, who once asserted him befitting...
led a separate force to resist Zhang Fei.
In 218, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao's army garrisoned at Mount Gu (固山), where they spread news that they were going to blockade the enemy's retreat route. Cao Hong wanted to attack Wu Lan at Xiabian, but the other generals were suspicious of Zhang Fei's movements. Cao Xiu thought that if the Zhang Fei was really planning to block their retreat route, he should lay ambushes along the route; now that Zhang Fei had openly revealed his intention, they should make use of the opportunity to strike Zhang Fei before the enemy could gather. Cao Hong agreed with Cao Xiu and attacked Wu Lan. Lei Tong and Ren Kui were killed in battle, while Wu Lan fled to join the Di tribes, where he was subsequently killed by a Di leader, Qiangduan. After hearing of Wu Lan's defeat, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao withdrew their army by the third lunar month.
On another front, Liu Bei was facing Xiahou Yuan at Yangping Pass. In the seventh lunar month, Liu Bei sent Chen Shi
Chen Shi
Chen Shi was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
to attack Mamingge, but Chen was defeated by Xu Huang, and some of the fleeing soldiers fell into the deep valleys during their escape. Liu Bei personally led an assault on Zhang He at Guangshi but was unable to take Guangshi. He then sent an urgent letter to Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
in his capital, Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, requesting for reinforcements. Zhuge Liang consulted Yang Hong (楊洪), and Yang said, "Hanzhong is the throat of Yi Province. This is a critical point of survival and destruction. Without Hanzhong there will be no Shu (Yi Province). A disaster has befallen on the gates of our home. At this moment, the men should go to war, the women should help in transporting supplies, what's there to hesitate about sending reinforcements?" Zhuge Liang accepted Yang Hong's advice and sent a relief force to Liu Bei, as Liu Bei continued his standoff against Cao Cao's forces.
Turn of the tide
In the ninth lunar month of 218, Cao Cao moved from Ye CityYe, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
to Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
near Hanzhong to direct the defense against Liu Bei, but was held up by internal problems. In the meantime, Liu Bei and Xiahou Yuan had been locked in a stalemate for a year. In the first lunar month of 219, to break the deadlock, Liu Bei crossed the Mian River (沔水) south of Yangping Pass and advanced towards Hanzhong through the mountains. Liu Bei's army set up camp at Mount Dingjun
Mount Dingjun
Dingjun Mountain is a mountain in the Mian County of Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China. It is situated across Tiandang Mountain, separated by the Han River, and is near the old Yangping Pass....
. In response, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He led their forces to attack Liu Bei and they made camp at Zouma Valley (走馬谷). Liu Bei followed Huang Quan's plan and set fire to the enemy camp fences. Xiahou Yuan led a force to defend the southern flank while sending Zhang He to guard the eastern side. Liu Bei launched a direct assault on Zhang He and Zhang started to falter, so Xiahou Yuan dispatched half of his forces to support Zhang. At this point, Fa Zheng told Liu Bei that it was an opportune time to attack. Liu Bei ordered his men to shout loudly and beat the drums, and sent Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was most noted for his victory in the Battle of Mount Dingjun, in which his force routed that of Xiahou Yuan, who was slain during battle...
to charge at the enemy. Huang Zhong broke through the enemy lines and slew Xiahou Yuan and Zhao Yong (趙顒), while Zhang He fled with his surviving troops to north of the Han River, where they set up camp.
As Cao Cao's forces had just lost their commander, Xiahou Yuan, chaos ensued. Du Xi
Du Xi
Du Xi, style name Zixu , was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a subordinate of Cao's general Xiahou Yuan...
and Guo Huai
Guo Huai
Guo Huai , style name Boji , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao. During Cao Pi's reign, Guo rose up the ranks and became a grand marshal under Sima Yi...
regrouped their scattered troops and (unofficially) nominated Zhang He to replace Xiahou Yuan. Zhang He accepted and gave orders to his troops, restoring peace and order in his army. The following day, Liu Bei planned to cross the Han River and attack Zhang He, but his generals opposed his decision, as they felt that they were outnumbered, and suggested to Liu to set up camp on their side of the riverbank. Guo Huai felt that their forces were displaying their weakness to the enemy; so he proposed setting up camp far away from the Han River bank, and lure the enemy to cross the river, and counterattack the enemy later. Zhang He agreed with Guo Huai's idea and moved his camp further away from the river. Liu Bei became suspicious and did not dare to cross the river. In Chang'an, when Cao Cao heard that Xiahou Yuan had been killed in action, he dispatched Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many...
with an army to reinforce their forces at Yangping Pass. When Cao Zhen arrived, he directed Xu Huang to attack Liu Bei's general Gao Xiang
Gao Xiang (Three Kingdoms)
Gao Xiang was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:Gao Xiang served Shu as General of the Right . He followed Liu Bei on the Hanzhong Campaign between 217 and 219. Gao Xiang and Chen Shi camped at Yangping but were defeated by Cao Cao's...
. Xu Huang scored a victory and temporarily restored some morale for Cao Cao's side.
Battle of Han River
In the third lunar month of 219, Cao Cao personally led an army from Chang'an to Hanzhong via Xia Valley (斜谷). Liu Bei was not worried, as he thought, "Even if Cao Cao came, he cannot do anything. I'll definitely take control of the Han River." Hence, Liu Bei gathered his forces and put up a firm defense, refusing to engage Cao Cao's army.Later, when Cao Cao's forces were transporting supplies via the North Mountain (北山), Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong
Huang Zhong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was most noted for his victory in the Battle of Mount Dingjun, in which his force routed that of Xiahou Yuan, who was slain during battle...
led a force to rob the enemy's supplies, but had yet to return on time. Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. For most of his career, Zhao served the warlord Liu Bei, playing a part in the establishment of state of Shu Han...
led ten horsemen out of camp in search of Huang Zhong and encountered Cao Cao's army. They were surrounded but Zhao Yun fought his way out and retreated back to camp with the enemy in pursuit. Upon reaching camp, Zhao Yun ordered the gates to be opened, flags and banners to be lowered, and the beating of war drums to be stopped. Cao Cao's men feared an ambush in the camp and turned back. Just then, Zhao Yun ordered his troops to beat the drums loudly and his archers to rain arrows on the enemy. Cao Cao's soldiers were thrown into confusion and trampled on each other as they attempted to flee, while many drowned as they tried to escape across the Han River.
As Cao Cao had been in a standoff against Liu Bei for several months and had been facing serious logistical problem, he eventually gave an order, "chicken rib" (雞肋). Cao Cao's men were puzzled as they did not understand what "chicken rib" meant, except for Cao's Registrar Yang Xiu. Yang Xiu explained that it was a pity to discard chicken's rib, even though it did not have much meat to be eaten. This was an analogy to the situation Cao Cao was facing: Cao knew that he had little chance of defeating Liu Bei, but felt that it was a pity to just relinquish Hanzhong and withdraw. By the fifth lunar month, Cao Cao retreated back to Chang'an and gave up Hanzhong to Liu Bei.
Aftermath
A month after successfully conquering Hanzhong, Liu Bei sent Meng DaMeng Da
Meng Da was a military general who served under Liu Zhang, Liu Bei, Cao Pi, and Cao Rui during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Takeover of Yi Province:...
to attack Fangling (房陵) via Zigui (秭歸). Meng Da defeated and killed Fangling's Administrator, Kuai Qi (蒯祺), and took control of the area. Liu Bei later sent his adopted son, Liu Feng
Liu Feng
Liu Feng was an adopted son of the warlord Liu Bei, and served as a general in Liu Bei's army during the late Han Dynasty of China.-Early life:...
, to attack Shangyong (上庸) via sailing down the Mian River (沔水) from Hanzhong. Shangyong's Administrator Shen Dan (申耽) surrendered to Liu Feng. In the seventh lunar month of 219, Liu Bei declared himself King of Hanzhong.
On the other hand, after withdrawing, Cao Cao was worried that Liu Bei might attack Wudu (武都) commandery, so he ordered the Inspector (刺史) of Yong Province, Zhang Ji, to relocate 50,000 Di people
Di (ethnic group)
The Di were an ethnic group in China from the 8th century BCE to approximately the middle of the 6th century CE. Note that the character Di is used to differentiate this group from the Beidi , a generic term for "northern barbarians". They lived in areas of the present-day provinces of Gansu,...
from Wudu to Fufeng (扶風) and Tianshui (天水) commanderies.
Order of battle
Liu Bei forces- Liu BeiLiu BeiLiu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
- Fa ZhengFa ZhengFa Zheng , style name Xiaozhi , was an advisor to the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history....
- Huang Quan
- Huang ZhongHuang ZhongHuang Zhong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was most noted for his victory in the Battle of Mount Dingjun, in which his force routed that of Xiahou Yuan, who was slain during battle...
- Wei YanWei YanWei Yan was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He became a soldier of Liu Bei when the latter fled Jing Province and seek protection from the eastern warlord, Sun Quan, in 208. In 211, Wei had climbed up the ranks and become a general in Liu Bei's...
- Liu FengLiu FengLiu Feng was an adopted son of the warlord Liu Bei, and served as a general in Liu Bei's army during the late Han Dynasty of China.-Early life:...
- Chen ShiChen ShiChen Shi was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
- Gao XiangGao Xiang (Three Kingdoms)Gao Xiang was a military general of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Biography:Gao Xiang served Shu as General of the Right . He followed Liu Bei on the Hanzhong Campaign between 217 and 219. Gao Xiang and Chen Shi camped at Yangping but were defeated by Cao Cao's...
- Fa Zheng
- Zhao YunZhao YunZhao Yun was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. For most of his career, Zhao served the warlord Liu Bei, playing a part in the establishment of state of Shu Han...
- Zhang Zhu (張著)
- Zhang Fei
- Ma ChaoMa ChaoMa Chao was the oldest son of Ma Teng and a military general during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he received the nickname "Ma Chao the Splendid" due to his elaborate armour and grand skill...
} Wu Lan (吳蘭)
} Lei Tong
Lei Tong
Lei Tong was a military general serving under the warlord Liu Zhang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.At one time Lei Tong and Wu Yi both defended against Liu Bei's invasion of Yi Province, but ended up being surrounded and defeated...
} Ren Kui (任夔)
- Yang Hong
Cao Cao forces
- Cao CaoCao CaoCao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
- Liu YeLiu Ye (Three Kingdoms)Liu Ye was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty, and a politician of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
- Cao ZhenCao ZhenCao Zhen was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many...
- Yang Xiu
- Liu Ye
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan
Xiahou Yuan was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was killed in the Battle of Mount Dingjun against Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong in 219, and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Min , literally meaning "sympathetic...
} Zhao Yong (趙顒)
-
- Zhang HeZhang HeZhang He was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He continued serving the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period until his death....
- Du XiDu XiDu Xi, style name Zixu , was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a subordinate of Cao's general Xiahou Yuan...
- Guo HuaiGuo HuaiGuo Huai , style name Boji , was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao. During Cao Pi's reign, Guo rose up the ranks and became a grand marshal under Sima Yi...
- Zhang He
} Xiahou Rong (夏侯榮)
- Cao HongCao HongCao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
- Cao XiuCao XiuCao Xiu was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. A distant nephew of Cao Cao, Cao Xiu was given special attention by the former, who once asserted him befitting...
- Yang Fu
- Cao Xiu
- Xu HuangXu HuangXu Huang was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei, founded by Cao Cao's successor Cao Pi, during the Three Kingdoms period...
Pu Hu (朴胡) Du Huo (杜濩)
- Cao ZhangCao ZhangCao Zhang was the third son of the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Cao Zhang was said to have wrestled and killed wild animals with his bare hands...