Battle of Xiapi
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Xiapi was a battle fought by the forces of Lü Bu
against the allied armies of Cao Cao
and Liu Bei
in 198 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. Lü Bu was defeated in the battle and subsequently executed on Cao Cao's order.
and Zhang Miao
rebelled against him and aided Lü Bu in taking over Cao's home base of Yan Province. Cao Cao abandoned his invasion of Xu Province and turned back to attack Lü Bu, culminating in the Battle of Yan Province
that lasted for more than 100 days. By 195, Cao Cao had retaken all his cities in Yan Province and defeated Lü Bu at Juye. Lü Bu and his men fled east to join Liu Bei, who had succeeded Tao Qian as Governor of Xu Province.
In 196, Cao Cao found Emperor Xian
in the ruins of Luoyang
and brought him to Xuchang, where the new capital and imperial court would be based. In the same year, Lü Bu took advantage of the conflict between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu
to capture Xiapi (present-day Pizhou
, Jiangsu
), capital of Xu Province, effectively seizing control of the province from Liu Bei. Liu Bei was forced surrender his governorship of Xu Province to Lü Bu and settle in the nearby city of Xiaopei
. Not long later, Lü Bu felt threatened by Liu Bei's presence and led his troops to attack Liu. Liu Bei was defeated by Lü Bu and had no choice but to join Cao Cao. Cao Cao provided Liu Bei with supplies and sent him to garrison at Xiaopei.
Around 197, Yuan Shao
was in control of the three provinces of Ji, Qing and Bing north of the Yellow River
, so he wrote a letter to Cao Cao in an arrogant tone. Around the same time, Cao Cao had just been defeated by Zhang Xiu
at the Battle of Wancheng
and the letter angered him. Cao Cao felt threatened by Yuan Shao's growing influence in northern China and wanted to attack Yuan, but felt that his forces were not strong enough. Cao Cao's strategists Guo Jia
and Xun Yu
assessed the situation, listing out the various advantages Cao Cao had over Yuan Shao. They also advised him to use the opportunity to eliminate Lü Bu when Yuan Shao was at war with Gongsun Zan
, because it was possible that Yuan Shao might ally with Lü Bu to attack him. Cao Cao then made preparations for a campaign against Lü Bu.
declared himself emperor
and sent his official Han Yin to meet Lü Bu, proposing a marriage between his son and Lü Bu's daughter, so as to foster a stronger alliance between him and Lü Bu. Lü Bu initially agreed to the proposal and sent his daughter to follow Han Yin back. However, Lü Bu still bore a grudge against Yuan Shu for attacking him five years ago, so he changed his mind after listening to Chen Gui
. Lü Bu pursued the convoy and retrieved his daughter, captured Han Yin and sent him to Xuchang, where Han was executed on Cao Cao's order. Cao Cao appointed Lü Bu as General of the Left and personally wrote him a letter to console him. Lü Bu sent Chen Deng
to meet Cao Cao and thank Cao on his behalf. When Chen Deng met Cao Cao, he said that Lü Bu was bold but not very astute, and was untrustworthy, so he should to be eliminated as soon as possible. Cao Cao agreed with Chen Deng's view. Chen Deng was appointed Administrator of Guangling and secretly implanted by Cao Cao as a mole
in Lü Bu's forces.
On the other hand, Yuan Shu was angered by Lü Bu's betrayal, so he sent his generals Zhang Xun, Qiao Rui
to lead an army to attack Xiapi from seven directions in collaboration with the White Wave Bandits
led by Han Xian and Yang Feng. Lü Bu was in an disadvantageous situation, with only 3,000 men and 400 warhorses. He was afraid that he might not be able to resist Yuan Shu so he blamed Chen Gui for giving him poor counsel. Chen Gui, however, thought that Han Xian and Yang Feng were not genuinely loyal to Yuan Shu, so he advised Lü Bu to persuade them to break their alliance with Yuan Shu. When Lü Bu attacked Yuan Shu's forces, Han Xian and Yang Feng defected to his side. Yuan Shu's troops were defeated and Lü Bu pursued them until he reached south of the Huai River
.
to attack Liu Bei at Xiaopei. Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun
with an army to reinforce Liu Bei, but they were still defeated by Gao Shun. Xiaopei fell to Lü Bu's forces in the ninth month and Liu Bei escaped but his wife was captured.
Following that, Cao Cao officially launched his military campaign against Lü Bu. When Cao Cao's army reached Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
), Chen Gong urged Lü Bu to attack Cao Cao because Cao Cao's troops were weary from their long march from Xuchang. Lü Bu, however, insisted on staying in Xiapi and wait for Cao Cao to arrive before attacking. A month later, Cao Cao conquered Pengcheng. At the same time, Chen Deng defected to Cao Cao's side and led his men from Guangling to Xiapi. Lü Bu personally his troops out to engage the enemy but was defeated and forced to retreat. Lü Bu returned to Xiapi and defended the city firmly without advancing.
Cao Cao wrote a letter to Lü Bu, explaining the perilous situation the latter was in. Lü Bu became afraid and had the intention of surrendering, but Chen Gong felt that Cao Cao's army had travelled a long distance and would not be able to fight a prolonged battle. Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to garrison part of his forces outside the city, while the rest would remain with him inside, so that they can support each other if either side came under attack. Chen also said the best time to engage Cao Cao's forces would be months later, when Cao's supplies run out. Lü Bu agreed with the plan and wanted to leave Chen Gong and Gao Shun behind to defend Xiapi while he was stationed outside the city. However, Lü Bu's wife claimed that Chen Gong and Gao Shun could not get along with each other, so that would be a problem if Lü Bu was not around. She also felt that Cao Cao treated Chen Gong better (before the latter's defection to Lü Bu) than how Lü Bu was treating Chen now, so Chen might betray Lü Bu. Lü Bu thus aborted Chen Gong's plan.
Lü Bu sent Wang Kai (王楷) and Xu Si (許汜) to request reinforcements from Yuan Shu, but Yuan rejected when he recalled how Lü Bu reneged on the marriage proposal earlier. Wang Kai and Xu Si attempted to persuade Yuan Shu to send aid, claiming that Yuan Shu would be isolated if Lü Bu was eliminated. Yuan Shu considered sending relief forces, but did not do so immediately. In the meantime, Lü Bu thought that Yuan Shu was unwilling to help him because of the marriage proposal incident, so he personally escorted his daughter out of Xiapi and attempted to send her to Yuan Shu's side. However, Lü Bu ran into Cao Cao's troops outside the city and was unable to break out of the siege so he had to turn back.
Cao Cao's troops began to become tired and weary after failing to capture Xiapi despite besieging it for a long time. Cao Cao had the intention of withdrawing, but his strategists Xun You
and Guo Jia thought that Lü Bu's army was already low on morale after having suffered so many defeats, so they advised Cao Cao to press on the siege. Cao Cao then ordered his soldiers to direct the waters of the Yi and Si rivers to flood Xiapi. The beleaguered Lü Bu prepared to surrender after Xiapi was flooded for over a month, but Chen Gong stopped him.
found a man to help him take of 15 horses but the man escaped with the horses, planning to present them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng personally pursued the man and retrieved the horses. The other generals congratulated Hou Cheng on his achievement and Hou prepared food and wine and presented to Lü Bu. Lü Bu was furious and said, "I ordered a ban on alcohol, and now you prepare wine. Are you planning to make me drunk and then turn against me?" Hou Cheng was unhappy and afraid, so in the twelfth month of 198, he plotted with Song Xian
and Wei Xu
to capture Chen Gong and Gao Shun before surrendering to Cao Cao.
When Lü Bu heard about Hou Cheng's defection, he led his remaining men to White Gate Tower, where he saw that Cao Cao's troops were closing in on him. He asked his men to kill him and bring his head to Cao Cao, but they refused. Lü Bu then surrendered.
and Dong Zhuo
as examples to justify this point, and Cao Cao came to a sudden realization. At this time, Cao Cao guards surrounding Gao Shun hustled him in front of Cao Cao. Gao Shun showing no fear nor resistance, Cao Cao asked him "Anything to say?" Not wishing to join Cao Cao, Gao Shun remained silent and accepted his fate. He then turned to Chen Gong and asked Chen to surrender, but Chen stubbornly refused and requested to be executed immediately. Unable to control his tears anymore, Cao Cao promised Chen Gong that he would take good care of his mother and family. He then ordered Chen Gong and Gao Shun to be executed and Lü Bu executed by hanging and sent their severed heads to Xuchang to be buried.
Cao Cao accepted Zhang Liao, Chen Qun
and others who previously served Lü Bu, and appointed them as generals or officials under him. Other minor warlords such as Zang Ba
, Sun Guan (孫觀), Wu Dun (吳敦), Yin Li, and Chang Xi (昌豨) who used to side with Lü Bu also surrendered to Cao Cao, and he put them in charge of various commanderies along the coastline.
With the end of the Battle of Xiapi, Cao Cao completely eliminated the threat posed by Lü Bu. The following year, Liu Bei broke ties with Cao Cao and seized control of Xu Province after killing Che Zhou (車冑), but Cao Cao quickly defeated Liu and regained control of the province. With Xu Province now firmly in his control, Cao Cao no longer had any impending threats on his home base in Yan and Yu provinces. This became an advantage to Cao Cao in the subsequent Battle of Guandu
in 200 against Yuan Shao.
, executed
} Hou Cheng
} Song Xian
} Wei Xu
} Zhang Liao
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, with the inclusion of some fictional events and modifications to actual ones. In the novel, the battle was divided into two stages, with the first at Xiaopei
(present-day Pei County
, Jiangsu
) and the second at Xiapi (present-day Pizhou
, Jiangsu).
territory attacked them and stole half of their horses. Lü Bu was furious and immediately assembled his army near Xiaopei and waited for Liu Bei to appear. Lü Bu told Liu Bei of Zhang Fei's act and immediately Zhang Fei came to challenge Lü Bu. Lü Bu rode forth and the two warriors engaged in a reckless battle. They fought for a hundred bouts, without any advantage to either side. Liu Bei recalled Zhang Fei from battle and offered Lü Bu to have all the horses returned in exchange for peace. Lü Bu was ready to accept when Chen Gong interfered.
Liu Bei's army retired and by the fourth watch, his whole forces left Xiaopei through the north gate. Song Xian and Wei Xu pursued but were driven off by Zhang Fei. Zhang Liao tried as well, but was deterred by Guan Yu. Lü Bu made no effort to chase Liu Bei and entered Xiaopei.
Lü Bu learned that Liu Bei and Cao Cao were scheming to bring him down. Lü Bu was alarmed, he planned his counter moves. Zhang Liao
and Gao Shun went to attack Liu Bei in Xiaopei. Song Xian and Wei Xu went to take Runan and Yingchuan. Lü Bu took charge of a large body of soldiers, ready to aid when needed.
The attack on Xiaopei was slow; Liu Bei and his brothers defended the gates and kept Zhang Liao and Gao Shun out of the city. In the meanwhile, Liu Bei sent a messenger to Cao Cao for help. Soon news reached Gao Shun about Cao Cao's reinforcements. He sent messengers to Lü Bu, who sent 200 cavalrymen along with Hou Cheng
, Cao Xing
, and Hao Meng
to assist in the attack.
Gao Shun retreated from attacking Xiaopei as Cao Cao's reinforcements approached. Xiahou Dun
was the first one to arrive. He set out his spear and challenged Gao Shun. The two fought for 30 bouts, and Gao Shun became tired and turned back. Xiahou Dun immediately chased him, however from Lü Bu's troops, Cao Xing shot an arrow full into Xiahou Dun's left eye. He pulled out his eye and swallowed it. Wasting no time, Xiahou Dun charged towards Cao Xing and mortally wounded him. Both sides stared in amazement. Having slain the man who injured him, Xiahou Dun turned back. Gao Shun immediately pressed the attack, and Xiahou Yuan defended his brother while they fled. Having scored a victory, Gao Shun returned to attack Liu Bei with Lü Bu and Zhang Liao.
Zhang Fei and Guan Yu
came out to defend their city, Liu Bei stayed behind as a backup force. Zhang Liao and Gao Shun engaged the two brothers, and Lü Bu attacked their rear, forcing them to flee. Liu Bei and score of cavalrymen went back to Xiaopei, and Lü Bu rushed to catch up with him. The drawbridge was lowered but the archers on the gates were afraid to shoot their arrows because Liu Bei was so close to Lü Bu. The gate guards were unable to stop Lü Bu from coming in, and were scattered in all directions. Lü Bu led his forces into the city. Liu Bei saw no chance of reaching his family, so instead he fled through the west gate. Lü Bu arrived at Liu Bei's residence where he met with Mi Zhu
, their guardian. Lü Bu promised not to harm Liu Bei's family and sent them to Xu Province with Mi Zhu. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei fled to Xuchang.
Cao Cao's army camped at Jibei where the sick Xiahou Dun recovered from his wound. Cao Ren
was sent to recapture Xiaopei with 3,000 soldiers, while he himself would attack Lü Bu. Cao Cao encountered the Taishan Mountain bandits that Lü Bu hired. Xu Chu
went out to battle and easily drove them off. When they scout told Lü Bu, he left Xu Province in the care of Chen Gui
and took off with Chen Deng
.
On Chen Deng's advice, Lü Bu sent his family to Xiapi along with many carts of grain as a precaution. While Chen Gong was holding off Cao Cao at Xiao Pass, Chen Deng advised Lü Bu to make a night raid on their forces before they would break through. So it was arranged that when the flares were lit, Lü Bu would make a charge at night. Chen Deng also went to Chen Gong and advised him to retreat and use a flare to alert Lü Bu and go back to Xiapi. When Lü Bu saw the flare he moved in to attack, he met Chen Gong's force who was retreating but with no lights, Lü Bu could not distinguish his ally from his enemy. While the battle went on, Cao Cao vanquished the Taishan bandits. When morning came, the plot was discovered and Lü Bu joined with Chen Gong to go back to Xu Province. However, as they reached Xu Province the gates would not open as Chen Gui and Mi Zhu had taken over the city from inside.
When they couldn't detect Chen Deng, they made their way to Xiaopei. Zhang Liao and Gao Shun met with them halfway and told them Chen Deng had sent them away to help Lü Bu. Chen Deng plotted this and Lü Bu immediately headed for Xiaopei.
Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to attack Cao Cao, but Lü Bu would not listen after so many defeats, and thus he waited for Cao Cao to reach the city. Lü Bu awaited Cao Cao at the top of the gate and proposed peace if Cao Cao would withdraw immediately. However, Chen Gong railed at Cao Cao and shot an arrow in his helmet. Therefore, the attack on Xiapi began.
Zhang Fei and Guan Yu barred the road and Lü Bu was forced to take a side road. Even though he was strong, Lü Bu could not take any risk with the girl on his back. Both parties attacked him and he had no choice but to go back to Xiapi. He was broken hearted as he reached his residence, and the besiegers celebrated their victory. Lü Bu found consolation in a cup of wine.
The siege had gone on for two months, and the city was still standing. News reached Lü Bu that Zhang Yang, Governor of Henei, was inclined to come to the aid of Lü Bu. However, one of his subordinates, Yang Chou
, assassinated Zhang Yang and was going to offer his head to Cao Cao. Then, Sui Gu
, a colleague of Zhang Yang, killed Yang Chou and led his force to Daicheng.
Hearing this, with Xun Yu
's advice, utilizing two nearby rivers, Cao Cao devised a new plan to take Xiapi by drowning the city. When Lü Bu was told of this plan, he dismissed any danger and went back to drinking more wine with his wife and concubine. The result of drinking so much wine became visible as Lü Bu looked into his mirror one day, only to see a shadow of his former self. Saddened by this, Lü Bu gave out a new order, saying that anyone who would drink wine would be executed without consideration.
Cao Cao built a floodgate to overcome his reach to capture the city. He let the city flood and Lü Bu's troop morales drastically lowered. With it, many officers and soldiers started to defect. As a result of the flood, Lü Bu's behavior became erratic, and he started drinking, but swore off it. A servant offer Lu Bu a drink, and was severely punished, thus the relationship with his men was tense. Lü Bu's men rebelled against him by giving Lü Bu's steed Red Hare
to Cao Cao, in addition to opening the gates and leading Cao Cao to Lü Bu, the drunken Lü Bu was caught off guard and was captured. Brought before Cao Cao, he was executed.
Now one of his generals, Hou Cheng
, lost some horses. He found out that his servant Hou Cao stole them and wanted to sell them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng recovered the horses and killed Hou Cao. To celebrate this occasion, Hou Cheng ordered fine wine to be made. Lü Bu ordered Hou Cheng to be executed; however, Song Xian
and Wei Xu
persuaded Lü Bu to spare his life. Instead, Hou Cheng received 50 lashes of the whip.
The next day, Hou Cheng had stolen his Red Hare and given it to Cao Cao. Lü Bu with his trident grew angry with Wei Xu for letting Hou Cheng go, but before anything could be done, a while flag was raised and another attack on Xiapi began. Lü Bu concentrated on the attack and the siege last until noon.
Lü Bu was very fatigued and went to sleep in his tower. Wei Xu and Song Xian stole his weapon, and before Lü Bu could wake up, they threw him to the ground and bound him with ropes. Lü Bu called for his guards but other traitors slew them. A while flag was raised, the gates flung open, and the enemy entered the city. Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Chen Gong tried to escape the city, however they were cut off by the water and were captured by Cao Cao's generals. The rivers were put in their normal course and the siege had ended.
Gao Shun was brought in, but he had no words for Cao Cao and was taken outside to be executed. Next, Chen Gong was brought in and Cao Cao questioned him. Chen Gong had no remorse over his choices, and chose death over the dishonor of defection. Cao Cao promised to take care of Chen Gong's family, and had him executed along with Gao Shun.
Liu Bei had no intention to let Lü Bu live. Cao Cao ordered Lü Bu to be strangled. Lü Bu was led away by the guards to be executed.
as a playable stage from the fourth installment
onwards.
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
against the allied armies of 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...
and Liu Bei
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...
in 198 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...
. Lü Bu was defeated in the battle and subsequently executed on Cao Cao's order.
Background
In 194, while Cao Cao was away attacking Tao Qian in Xu Province, his subordinates Chen GongChen Gong
Gong Chen was an advisor to the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. However, he started his career under Cao Cao before defecting to Lü Bu and was executed when the latter was defeated by Cao....
and Zhang Miao
Zhang Miao
Zhang Miao , style name Mengzhuo , was a minister of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as prefect of Chenliu Commandery. Zhang Miao led an army during the coalition against Dong Zhuo. In the coalition Zhang expressed displeasure at their leader, Yuan Shao, and Yuan sent Cao...
rebelled against him and aided Lü Bu in taking over Cao's home base of Yan Province. Cao Cao abandoned his invasion of Xu Province and turned back to attack Lü Bu, culminating in the Battle of Yan Province
Battle of Yan Province
The Battle of Yan Province was a battle fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Lü Bu for control of Yan Province during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
that lasted for more than 100 days. By 195, Cao Cao had retaken all his cities in Yan Province and defeated Lü Bu at Juye. Lü Bu and his men fled east to join Liu Bei, who had succeeded Tao Qian as Governor of Xu Province.
In 196, Cao Cao found Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
in the ruins of Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
and brought him to Xuchang, where the new capital and imperial court would be based. In the same year, Lü Bu took advantage of the conflict between Liu Bei and Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
to capture Xiapi (present-day Pizhou
Pizhou
Pizhou City is a county-level city in northern Jiangsu province, China. As of 2006 it had a population of 163,000. Administratively, Pizhou is under the jurisdiction of the larger city of Xuzhou.-History:...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), capital of Xu Province, effectively seizing control of the province from Liu Bei. Liu Bei was forced surrender his governorship of Xu Province to Lü Bu and settle in the nearby city of Xiaopei
Xiaopei
Xiaopei is an ancient Chinese town located in present-day Pei County, Jiangsu. During the late Han Dynasty period, it was under the jurisdiction of Xu Province, governed by Tao Qian. Before Tao died, he handed his governorship over to Liu Bei. Liu Bei took refuge in Xiaopei when Lü Bu seized Xu...
. Not long later, Lü Bu felt threatened by Liu Bei's presence and led his troops to attack Liu. Liu Bei was defeated by Lü Bu and had no choice but to join Cao Cao. Cao Cao provided Liu Bei with supplies and sent him to garrison at Xiaopei.
Around 197, Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
was in control of the three provinces of Ji, Qing and Bing north of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
, so he wrote a letter to Cao Cao in an arrogant tone. Around the same time, Cao Cao had just been defeated by Zhang Xiu
Zhang Xiu
Zhang Xiu was a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He eventually surrendered to Cao Cao in 200. Having contributed greatly to the decisive Battle of Guandu and subsequent campaigns against the heirs of Yuan Shao, Zhang Xiu died en route Liucheng on a campaign to...
at the Battle of Wancheng
Battle of Wancheng
The Battle of Wancheng or Battle of Wan City was a battle fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu in 197 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
and the letter angered him. Cao Cao felt threatened by Yuan Shao's growing influence in northern China and wanted to attack Yuan, but felt that his forces were not strong enough. Cao Cao's strategists Guo Jia
Guo Jia
Guo Jia was a strategist and advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. During his 11 years of service, Guo Jia's brilliance greatly aided Cao Cao in his victories over rival warlords Lü Bu and Yuan Shao, as well as chief of the Wuhuan tribe, Tadun...
and Xun Yu
Xun Yu
Xun Yu was a strategist and statesman who served as an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early life:...
assessed the situation, listing out the various advantages Cao Cao had over Yuan Shao. They also advised him to use the opportunity to eliminate Lü Bu when Yuan Shao was at war with Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan , style name Bogui , a native of Liaoxi , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
, because it was possible that Yuan Shao might ally with Lü Bu to attack him. Cao Cao then made preparations for a campaign against Lü Bu.
Conflict between Lü Bu and Yuan Shu
In 197, Yuan ShuYuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
declared himself emperor
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
and sent his official Han Yin to meet Lü Bu, proposing a marriage between his son and Lü Bu's daughter, so as to foster a stronger alliance between him and Lü Bu. Lü Bu initially agreed to the proposal and sent his daughter to follow Han Yin back. However, Lü Bu still bore a grudge against Yuan Shu for attacking him five years ago, so he changed his mind after listening to Chen Gui
Chen Gui
Chen Gui, style name Hanyu , was a minister serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. The loyalty of Chen Gui then caused him to plot with Cao Cao and betray Lü Bu. He and his son Chen Deng then manipulated Lü Bu, contributing to Liu Bei and Cao Cao's...
. Lü Bu pursued the convoy and retrieved his daughter, captured Han Yin and sent him to Xuchang, where Han was executed on Cao Cao's order. Cao Cao appointed Lü Bu as General of the Left and personally wrote him a letter to console him. Lü Bu sent Chen Deng
Chen Deng
Chen Deng, style name Yuanlong , was a strategist during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He was the son of Chen Gui.-Biography:...
to meet Cao Cao and thank Cao on his behalf. When Chen Deng met Cao Cao, he said that Lü Bu was bold but not very astute, and was untrustworthy, so he should to be eliminated as soon as possible. Cao Cao agreed with Chen Deng's view. Chen Deng was appointed Administrator of Guangling and secretly implanted by Cao Cao as a mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
in Lü Bu's forces.
On the other hand, Yuan Shu was angered by Lü Bu's betrayal, so he sent his generals Zhang Xun, Qiao Rui
Qiao Rui
Qiao Rui was an official serving under the warlord Yuan Shu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Qiao was commander of Yuan's second army during his campaign against Lü Bu, but lost when Han Xian and Yang Feng deserted to Lü's army. When Cao Cao attacked Yuan Shu, Qiao led a...
to lead an army to attack Xiapi from seven directions in collaboration with the White Wave Bandits
White Wave Bandits
White Wave Bandits were remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion that rose up in Baibo Gorge in 188. It said they numbered in the hundreds of thousands and even the Imperial Court could not quell them....
led by Han Xian and Yang Feng. Lü Bu was in an disadvantageous situation, with only 3,000 men and 400 warhorses. He was afraid that he might not be able to resist Yuan Shu so he blamed Chen Gui for giving him poor counsel. Chen Gui, however, thought that Han Xian and Yang Feng were not genuinely loyal to Yuan Shu, so he advised Lü Bu to persuade them to break their alliance with Yuan Shu. When Lü Bu attacked Yuan Shu's forces, Han Xian and Yang Feng defected to his side. Yuan Shu's troops were defeated and Lü Bu pursued them until he reached south of the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
.
Siege of Xiapi
In 198, Lü Bu made peace with Yuan Shu again, and sent his general Gao ShunGao Shun
Gao Shun was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Although he only had 700 men under his command, he was nicknamed as the "camp crusher " for his destructive charges, and came to be known as Lü's most able commander...
to attack Liu Bei at Xiaopei. Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Cao Cao's original family name was Xiahou, but his father Cao Song was the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng, so Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao share blood relations...
with an army to reinforce Liu Bei, but they were still defeated by Gao Shun. Xiaopei fell to Lü Bu's forces in the ninth month and Liu Bei escaped but his wife was captured.
Following that, Cao Cao officially launched his military campaign against Lü Bu. When Cao Cao's army reached Pengcheng (present-day Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), Chen Gong urged Lü Bu to attack Cao Cao because Cao Cao's troops were weary from their long march from Xuchang. Lü Bu, however, insisted on staying in Xiapi and wait for Cao Cao to arrive before attacking. A month later, Cao Cao conquered Pengcheng. At the same time, Chen Deng defected to Cao Cao's side and led his men from Guangling to Xiapi. Lü Bu personally his troops out to engage the enemy but was defeated and forced to retreat. Lü Bu returned to Xiapi and defended the city firmly without advancing.
Cao Cao wrote a letter to Lü Bu, explaining the perilous situation the latter was in. Lü Bu became afraid and had the intention of surrendering, but Chen Gong felt that Cao Cao's army had travelled a long distance and would not be able to fight a prolonged battle. Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to garrison part of his forces outside the city, while the rest would remain with him inside, so that they can support each other if either side came under attack. Chen also said the best time to engage Cao Cao's forces would be months later, when Cao's supplies run out. Lü Bu agreed with the plan and wanted to leave Chen Gong and Gao Shun behind to defend Xiapi while he was stationed outside the city. However, Lü Bu's wife claimed that Chen Gong and Gao Shun could not get along with each other, so that would be a problem if Lü Bu was not around. She also felt that Cao Cao treated Chen Gong better (before the latter's defection to Lü Bu) than how Lü Bu was treating Chen now, so Chen might betray Lü Bu. Lü Bu thus aborted Chen Gong's plan.
Lü Bu sent Wang Kai (王楷) and Xu Si (許汜) to request reinforcements from Yuan Shu, but Yuan rejected when he recalled how Lü Bu reneged on the marriage proposal earlier. Wang Kai and Xu Si attempted to persuade Yuan Shu to send aid, claiming that Yuan Shu would be isolated if Lü Bu was eliminated. Yuan Shu considered sending relief forces, but did not do so immediately. In the meantime, Lü Bu thought that Yuan Shu was unwilling to help him because of the marriage proposal incident, so he personally escorted his daughter out of Xiapi and attempted to send her to Yuan Shu's side. However, Lü Bu ran into Cao Cao's troops outside the city and was unable to break out of the siege so he had to turn back.
Cao Cao's troops began to become tired and weary after failing to capture Xiapi despite besieging it for a long time. Cao Cao had the intention of withdrawing, but his strategists Xun You
Xun You
Xun You was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He later opposed Cao Cao taking the title of "King of Wei". His uncle, Xun Yu, was better known. In the Wade-Giles version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he and his uncle have the same name, Xun...
and Guo Jia thought that Lü Bu's army was already low on morale after having suffered so many defeats, so they advised Cao Cao to press on the siege. Cao Cao then ordered his soldiers to direct the waters of the Yi and Si rivers to flood Xiapi. The beleaguered Lü Bu prepared to surrender after Xiapi was flooded for over a month, but Chen Gong stopped him.
Lü Bu's surrender
Lü Bu's general Hou ChengHou Cheng
Hou Cheng was a general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He defected to the warlord Cao Cao during the Battle of Xiapi....
found a man to help him take of 15 horses but the man escaped with the horses, planning to present them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng personally pursued the man and retrieved the horses. The other generals congratulated Hou Cheng on his achievement and Hou prepared food and wine and presented to Lü Bu. Lü Bu was furious and said, "I ordered a ban on alcohol, and now you prepare wine. Are you planning to make me drunk and then turn against me?" Hou Cheng was unhappy and afraid, so in the twelfth month of 198, he plotted with Song Xian
Song Xian
Song Xian was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. In 198, when Cao Cao besieged Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi, Song Xian and his colleagues Hou Cheng and Wei Xu kidnapped Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong and defected to Cao Cao's side...
and Wei Xu
Wei Xu
Wei Xu was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:When Lü Bu wandered the land, Wei closely followed him in the journey, together, they routed the Heishan Bandits, and fended off attacks from Yuan Shu...
to capture Chen Gong and Gao Shun before surrendering to Cao Cao.
When Lü Bu heard about Hou Cheng's defection, he led his remaining men to White Gate Tower, where he saw that Cao Cao's troops were closing in on him. He asked his men to kill him and bring his head to Cao Cao, but they refused. Lü Bu then surrendered.
Aftermath
After surrendering, Lü Bu was tightly bound and brought before Cao Cao. Lü Bu then expressed his willingness to pledge allegiance to Cao Cao and help Cao pacify the empire. Cao Cao was slightly convinced to accept Lü Bu as he ordered Lü Bu's bonds to be loosened. Just then, Liu Bei reminded Cao Cao that Lü Bu cannot be trusted, using the fates of Ding YuanDing Yuan
Ding Yuan was a regional governor and minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In 189, both he and Dong Zhuo were summoned into the capital Luoyang with their individual troops to assist in the struggle against the powerful eunuch faction...
and Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...
as examples to justify this point, and Cao Cao came to a sudden realization. At this time, Cao Cao guards surrounding Gao Shun hustled him in front of Cao Cao. Gao Shun showing no fear nor resistance, Cao Cao asked him "Anything to say?" Not wishing to join Cao Cao, Gao Shun remained silent and accepted his fate. He then turned to Chen Gong and asked Chen to surrender, but Chen stubbornly refused and requested to be executed immediately. Unable to control his tears anymore, Cao Cao promised Chen Gong that he would take good care of his mother and family. He then ordered Chen Gong and Gao Shun to be executed and Lü Bu executed by hanging and sent their severed heads to Xuchang to be buried.
Cao Cao accepted Zhang Liao, Chen Qun
Chen Qun
Chen Qun was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.Chen Qun initiated the Nine-rank system for civil service nomination in Cao Wei. Following the death of the ruler Cao Pi, Chen Qun became the Guardian of Cao Wei's military forces...
and others who previously served Lü Bu, and appointed them as generals or officials under him. Other minor warlords such as Zang Ba
Zang Ba
Zang Ba was a general during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the warlord Tao Qian initially, followed by Lü Bu and finally Cao Cao and his successors, but for the most part of his career, he remained semi-autonomous over his troops and eastern China...
, Sun Guan (孫觀), Wu Dun (吳敦), Yin Li, and Chang Xi (昌豨) who used to side with Lü Bu also surrendered to Cao Cao, and he put them in charge of various commanderies along the coastline.
With the end of the Battle of Xiapi, Cao Cao completely eliminated the threat posed by Lü Bu. The following year, Liu Bei broke ties with Cao Cao and seized control of Xu Province after killing Che Zhou (車冑), but Cao Cao quickly defeated Liu and regained control of the province. With Xu Province now firmly in his control, Cao Cao no longer had any impending threats on his home base in Yan and Yu provinces. This became an advantage to Cao Cao in the subsequent Battle of Guandu
Battle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was a military conflict between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle, which concluded with victory for Cao Cao, was a turning point in the war between the two warlords...
in 200 against Yuan Shao.
Cao Cao and Liu Bei 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...
- Xun YouXun YouXun You was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He later opposed Cao Cao taking the title of "King of Wei". His uncle, Xun Yu, was better known. In the Wade-Giles version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he and his uncle have the same name, Xun...
- Guo JiaGuo JiaGuo Jia was a strategist and advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. During his 11 years of service, Guo Jia's brilliance greatly aided Cao Cao in his victories over rival warlords Lü Bu and Yuan Shao, as well as chief of the Wuhuan tribe, Tadun...
- Xiahou Dun
- Han HaoHan HaoHan Hao, style name Yuansi , was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history....
- Han Hao
- Xun You
- 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...
- Guan YuGuan YuGuan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
- Zhang Fei
- Guan Yu
Lü Bu forces
Lü BuLü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
, executed
-
- Chen GongChen GongGong Chen was an advisor to the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. However, he started his career under Cao Cao before defecting to Lü Bu and was executed when the latter was defeated by Cao....
, executed after capture - Gao ShunGao ShunGao Shun was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Although he only had 700 men under his command, he was nicknamed as the "camp crusher " for his destructive charges, and came to be known as Lü's most able commander...
, executed after capture
- Chen Gong
} Hou Cheng
Hou Cheng
Hou Cheng was a general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He defected to the warlord Cao Cao during the Battle of Xiapi....
} Song Xian
Song Xian
Song Xian was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. In 198, when Cao Cao besieged Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi, Song Xian and his colleagues Hou Cheng and Wei Xu kidnapped Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong and defected to Cao Cao's side...
} Wei Xu
Wei Xu
Wei Xu was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:When Lü Bu wandered the land, Wei closely followed him in the journey, together, they routed the Heishan Bandits, and fended off attacks from Yuan Shu...
} Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's clan and the Wuhuan tribes...
-
- Cheng Lian (成廉), nothing recorded about him in history about the battle
In fiction
The battle was dramatized in Luo GuanzhongLuo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, with the inclusion of some fictional events and modifications to actual ones. In the novel, the battle was divided into two stages, with the first at Xiaopei
Xiaopei
Xiaopei is an ancient Chinese town located in present-day Pei County, Jiangsu. During the late Han Dynasty period, it was under the jurisdiction of Xu Province, governed by Tao Qian. Before Tao died, he handed his governorship over to Liu Bei. Liu Bei took refuge in Xiaopei when Lü Bu seized Xu...
(present-day Pei County
Pei County
Pei County is a county of Jiangsu, China. It is under the administration of Xuzhou city. It has an area of 1,576 square kilometers and a population of 1,217,400.-External links:**...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) and the second at Xiapi (present-day Pizhou
Pizhou
Pizhou City is a county-level city in northern Jiangsu province, China. As of 2006 it had a population of 163,000. Administratively, Pizhou is under the jurisdiction of the larger city of Xuzhou.-History:...
, Jiangsu).
Xiaopei
Chen Gui wanted to send Han Yin to Xuchang to be trailed, but Lü Bu hesitated when he heard that Liu Bei was rounding up soldiers. Song Xian and Wei Xu reported that after they bought 300 horses in the Huashang Mountains, rogues on the border of XiaopeiXiaopei
Xiaopei is an ancient Chinese town located in present-day Pei County, Jiangsu. During the late Han Dynasty period, it was under the jurisdiction of Xu Province, governed by Tao Qian. Before Tao died, he handed his governorship over to Liu Bei. Liu Bei took refuge in Xiaopei when Lü Bu seized Xu...
territory attacked them and stole half of their horses. Lü Bu was furious and immediately assembled his army near Xiaopei and waited for Liu Bei to appear. Lü Bu told Liu Bei of Zhang Fei's act and immediately Zhang Fei came to challenge Lü Bu. Lü Bu rode forth and the two warriors engaged in a reckless battle. They fought for a hundred bouts, without any advantage to either side. Liu Bei recalled Zhang Fei from battle and offered Lü Bu to have all the horses returned in exchange for peace. Lü Bu was ready to accept when Chen Gong interfered.
Liu Bei's army retired and by the fourth watch, his whole forces left Xiaopei through the north gate. Song Xian and Wei Xu pursued but were driven off by Zhang Fei. Zhang Liao tried as well, but was deterred by Guan Yu. Lü Bu made no effort to chase Liu Bei and entered Xiaopei.
Lü Bu learned that Liu Bei and Cao Cao were scheming to bring him down. Lü Bu was alarmed, he planned his counter moves. Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao
Zhang Liao was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and early Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He participated in many campaigns, including those against Yuan Shao's clan and the Wuhuan tribes...
and Gao Shun went to attack Liu Bei in Xiaopei. Song Xian and Wei Xu went to take Runan and Yingchuan. Lü Bu took charge of a large body of soldiers, ready to aid when needed.
The attack on Xiaopei was slow; Liu Bei and his brothers defended the gates and kept Zhang Liao and Gao Shun out of the city. In the meanwhile, Liu Bei sent a messenger to Cao Cao for help. Soon news reached Gao Shun about Cao Cao's reinforcements. He sent messengers to Lü Bu, who sent 200 cavalrymen along with Hou Cheng
Hou Cheng
Hou Cheng was a general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He defected to the warlord Cao Cao during the Battle of Xiapi....
, Cao Xing
Cao Xing
Cao Xing was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Little was documented about Cao Xing in historical records except for an incident described in Wang Can's Records of Heroes ....
, and Hao Meng
Hao Meng
Hao Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He rebelled against his lord and was killed by Gao Shun.-In fiction:...
to assist in the attack.
Gao Shun retreated from attacking Xiaopei as Cao Cao's reinforcements approached. Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Cao Cao's original family name was Xiahou, but his father Cao Song was the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng, so Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao share blood relations...
was the first one to arrive. He set out his spear and challenged Gao Shun. The two fought for 30 bouts, and Gao Shun became tired and turned back. Xiahou Dun immediately chased him, however from Lü Bu's troops, Cao Xing shot an arrow full into Xiahou Dun's left eye. He pulled out his eye and swallowed it. Wasting no time, Xiahou Dun charged towards Cao Xing and mortally wounded him. Both sides stared in amazement. Having slain the man who injured him, Xiahou Dun turned back. Gao Shun immediately pressed the attack, and Xiahou Yuan defended his brother while they fled. Having scored a victory, Gao Shun returned to attack Liu Bei with Lü Bu and Zhang Liao.
Zhang Fei and Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
came out to defend their city, Liu Bei stayed behind as a backup force. Zhang Liao and Gao Shun engaged the two brothers, and Lü Bu attacked their rear, forcing them to flee. Liu Bei and score of cavalrymen went back to Xiaopei, and Lü Bu rushed to catch up with him. The drawbridge was lowered but the archers on the gates were afraid to shoot their arrows because Liu Bei was so close to Lü Bu. The gate guards were unable to stop Lü Bu from coming in, and were scattered in all directions. Lü Bu led his forces into the city. Liu Bei saw no chance of reaching his family, so instead he fled through the west gate. Lü Bu arrived at Liu Bei's residence where he met with Mi Zhu
Mi Zhu
Mi Zhu was an advisor to the warlord Liu Bei during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also Liu's brother-in-law, as his sister, Lady Mi, married Liu. He was the older brother of Mi Fang, who served Liu Bei as well until his defection to Sun Quan's side in 219...
, their guardian. Lü Bu promised not to harm Liu Bei's family and sent them to Xu Province with Mi Zhu. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei fled to Xuchang.
Cao Cao's army camped at Jibei where the sick Xiahou Dun recovered from his wound. Cao Ren
Cao Ren
Cao Ren was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He played a significant part in assisting Cao Cao in the civil wars leading to the end of the Han Dynasty...
was sent to recapture Xiaopei with 3,000 soldiers, while he himself would attack Lü Bu. Cao Cao encountered the Taishan Mountain bandits that Lü Bu hired. Xu Chu
Xu Chu
Xu Chu was a warrior who lived during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He served as a bodyguard to the warlord Cao Cao. Gigantic and strong, yet simple-minded and honest, Xu Chu was referred to as "Dumb Tiger" by his fellow men...
went out to battle and easily drove them off. When they scout told Lü Bu, he left Xu Province in the care of Chen Gui
Chen Gui
Chen Gui, style name Hanyu , was a minister serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. The loyalty of Chen Gui then caused him to plot with Cao Cao and betray Lü Bu. He and his son Chen Deng then manipulated Lü Bu, contributing to Liu Bei and Cao Cao's...
and took off with Chen Deng
Chen Deng
Chen Deng, style name Yuanlong , was a strategist during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He was the son of Chen Gui.-Biography:...
.
On Chen Deng's advice, Lü Bu sent his family to Xiapi along with many carts of grain as a precaution. While Chen Gong was holding off Cao Cao at Xiao Pass, Chen Deng advised Lü Bu to make a night raid on their forces before they would break through. So it was arranged that when the flares were lit, Lü Bu would make a charge at night. Chen Deng also went to Chen Gong and advised him to retreat and use a flare to alert Lü Bu and go back to Xiapi. When Lü Bu saw the flare he moved in to attack, he met Chen Gong's force who was retreating but with no lights, Lü Bu could not distinguish his ally from his enemy. While the battle went on, Cao Cao vanquished the Taishan bandits. When morning came, the plot was discovered and Lü Bu joined with Chen Gong to go back to Xu Province. However, as they reached Xu Province the gates would not open as Chen Gui and Mi Zhu had taken over the city from inside.
When they couldn't detect Chen Deng, they made their way to Xiaopei. Zhang Liao and Gao Shun met with them halfway and told them Chen Deng had sent them away to help Lü Bu. Chen Deng plotted this and Lü Bu immediately headed for Xiaopei.
Chen Gong advised Lü Bu to attack Cao Cao, but Lü Bu would not listen after so many defeats, and thus he waited for Cao Cao to reach the city. Lü Bu awaited Cao Cao at the top of the gate and proposed peace if Cao Cao would withdraw immediately. However, Chen Gong railed at Cao Cao and shot an arrow in his helmet. Therefore, the attack on Xiapi began.
Xiapi
For three days, Lü Bu did nothing. Next came news that supplies for Cao Cao were on the way from Xuchang. Chen Gong proposed that Lü Bu intercept the supplies and leave the city to his generals. Lü Bu stayed in his private quarters, drinking away his sorrows with his women.Zhang Fei and Guan Yu barred the road and Lü Bu was forced to take a side road. Even though he was strong, Lü Bu could not take any risk with the girl on his back. Both parties attacked him and he had no choice but to go back to Xiapi. He was broken hearted as he reached his residence, and the besiegers celebrated their victory. Lü Bu found consolation in a cup of wine.
The siege had gone on for two months, and the city was still standing. News reached Lü Bu that Zhang Yang, Governor of Henei, was inclined to come to the aid of Lü Bu. However, one of his subordinates, Yang Chou
Yang Chou
Yang Chou was a military general serving under the warlord Zhang Yang during the late Han Dynasty period of China. When Zhang Yang came to ask for the assistance of Lü Bu, Yang killed him out of fear, and joined Cao Cao...
, assassinated Zhang Yang and was going to offer his head to Cao Cao. Then, Sui Gu
Sui Gu
Sui Gu , style name Baitu , was a vassal serving under the warlord Zhang Yang during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. When Zhang Yang was killed by Yang Chou out of fear for him joining Lü Bu, Sui avenged his lord by killing Yang Chou. Afterwards, Sui Gu went on to serve under Yuan...
, a colleague of Zhang Yang, killed Yang Chou and led his force to Daicheng.
Hearing this, with Xun Yu
Xun Yu
Xun Yu was a strategist and statesman who served as an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early life:...
's advice, utilizing two nearby rivers, Cao Cao devised a new plan to take Xiapi by drowning the city. When Lü Bu was told of this plan, he dismissed any danger and went back to drinking more wine with his wife and concubine. The result of drinking so much wine became visible as Lü Bu looked into his mirror one day, only to see a shadow of his former self. Saddened by this, Lü Bu gave out a new order, saying that anyone who would drink wine would be executed without consideration.
Cao Cao built a floodgate to overcome his reach to capture the city. He let the city flood and Lü Bu's troop morales drastically lowered. With it, many officers and soldiers started to defect. As a result of the flood, Lü Bu's behavior became erratic, and he started drinking, but swore off it. A servant offer Lu Bu a drink, and was severely punished, thus the relationship with his men was tense. Lü Bu's men rebelled against him by giving Lü Bu's steed Red Hare
Red Hare
Red Hare was Lü Bu's horse during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Historical records only mention the horse when Lü Bu temporarily became a subordinate of Yuan Shao, where he charged and defeated the armies of Zhang Yan while riding the Red Hare...
to Cao Cao, in addition to opening the gates and leading Cao Cao to Lü Bu, the drunken Lü Bu was caught off guard and was captured. Brought before Cao Cao, he was executed.
Now one of his generals, Hou Cheng
Hou Cheng
Hou Cheng was a general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He defected to the warlord Cao Cao during the Battle of Xiapi....
, lost some horses. He found out that his servant Hou Cao stole them and wanted to sell them to Liu Bei. Hou Cheng recovered the horses and killed Hou Cao. To celebrate this occasion, Hou Cheng ordered fine wine to be made. Lü Bu ordered Hou Cheng to be executed; however, Song Xian
Song Xian
Song Xian was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. In 198, when Cao Cao besieged Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi, Song Xian and his colleagues Hou Cheng and Wei Xu kidnapped Lü Bu's chief advisor Chen Gong and defected to Cao Cao's side...
and Wei Xu
Wei Xu
Wei Xu was a military general serving under the warlord Lü Bu during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:When Lü Bu wandered the land, Wei closely followed him in the journey, together, they routed the Heishan Bandits, and fended off attacks from Yuan Shu...
persuaded Lü Bu to spare his life. Instead, Hou Cheng received 50 lashes of the whip.
The next day, Hou Cheng had stolen his Red Hare and given it to Cao Cao. Lü Bu with his trident grew angry with Wei Xu for letting Hou Cheng go, but before anything could be done, a while flag was raised and another attack on Xiapi began. Lü Bu concentrated on the attack and the siege last until noon.
Lü Bu was very fatigued and went to sleep in his tower. Wei Xu and Song Xian stole his weapon, and before Lü Bu could wake up, they threw him to the ground and bound him with ropes. Lü Bu called for his guards but other traitors slew them. A while flag was raised, the gates flung open, and the enemy entered the city. Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and Chen Gong tried to escape the city, however they were cut off by the water and were captured by Cao Cao's generals. The rivers were put in their normal course and the siege had ended.
Gao Shun was brought in, but he had no words for Cao Cao and was taken outside to be executed. Next, Chen Gong was brought in and Cao Cao questioned him. Chen Gong had no remorse over his choices, and chose death over the dishonor of defection. Cao Cao promised to take care of Chen Gong's family, and had him executed along with Gao Shun.
Liu Bei had no intention to let Lü Bu live. Cao Cao ordered Lü Bu to be strangled. Lü Bu was led away by the guards to be executed.
Modern references
The Battle of Xiapi is featured in Koei's video game series Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
as a playable stage from the fourth installment
Dynasty Warriors 4
is a hack and slash video game and the fourth installment in the popular Dynasty Warriors series. Dynasty Warriors 4 was developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game is available on PlayStation 2 and Xbox and is based on a series of books called Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written...
onwards.