Battle of Fancheng

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Battle of Fancheng
Part of the wars at the end of the Han dynasty
Woodblock print guan yu xiangyang.png
A scene from the Battle of Fancheng, 17th-century woodblock print
Datec. August – December 219 [1]
Location
Result Cao Cao victory
Belligerents
Cao Cao Liu Bei
Commanders and leaders
Cao Cao (overall strategist, reinforcement)
Cao Ren
Yu Jin   White flag icon.svg
Pang De   Skull and Crossbones.svg
Xu Huang
Man Chong
Wen Ping
Guan Yu
Guan Ping
Liao Hua
Zhao Lei
Strength
≈100,000 men 70,000+ men (30,000 from surrendered troops + several thousand rebels)
Casualties and losses
40,000+ men 40,000+
Battle of Fancheng
Traditional Chinese 樊城之戰
Simplified Chinese 樊城之战
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin Fánchéng Zhī Zhàn

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Guan Yu captures Pang De, as depicted in a Ming dynasty painting by Shang Xi, c. 1430. Shang Xi, Guan Yu Captures General Pang De.JPG
Guan Yu captures Pang De, as depicted in a Ming dynasty painting by Shang Xi, c. 1430.

In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms , the flooding of the Han River was not a natural occurrence, but instead, was planned by Guan Yu. Guan had the rivers dammed and the dam opened when it was full, thus drowning Cao Cao's armies in the lower plains. This event was known as the Drowning of the Seven Armies (水淹七軍). Pang De put up firm resistance and attempted to escape by swimming, but was captured by Guan Yu's subordinate Zhou Cang. In contrast, Yu Jin was depicted pleading for his life and surrendering to Guan Yu.

Several weeks later, Sun Quan, who had secretly allied with Cao Cao, attacked Guan Yu's army at Jiangling. Sun Quan surprised and defeated Guan Yu's forces there, forcing Guan to lift the siege on Fancheng and retreat. Guan Yu and his son, Guan Ping, while fleeing to Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing), were caught and executed by Sun Quan's soldiers.

Notes

  1. Cao Cao was referring to the military exploits of Tian Dan, a general of the Qi state in the Spring and Autumn period. In 284 BCE, Tian Dan successfully defended the city of Ju (莒; formerly the Ju state, which was annexed by Qi) from an attack by the Yan state. He defeated Yan forces again later in 279 BCE at the siege of Jimo (即墨) by using the "Fire Cattle Columns" strategy.
  2. "Rangju" refers to Tian Rangju, a general of the Qi state in the Spring and Autumn period who was famous for his military discipline.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yu Jin</span> General serving warlord Cao Cao (died 221)

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The Battle of Jiangling was fought between the forces of the Cao Wei and Eastern Wu dynasties in the early Three Kingdoms period of China. The battle, which took place around present-day Jiangling County, Hubei, was an integral part of the Wei emperor Cao Pi's three-pronged campaign against the Wu leader Sun Quan. It spanned a period of about six months from October 222 to April 223. Of the three fronts, the most critical Wei attacks were concentrated against the Wu fortress at Jiangling.

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References

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  12. 資治通鑑·卷六十八》:陸渾民孫狼等作亂,殺縣主簿,南附關羽。羽授狼印,給兵,還為寇賊,自許以南,往往遙應羽,羽威震華夏。Zizhi Tongjian vol.68
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  14. (或謂仁曰:「今日之危,非力所支。可及羽圍未合,乘輕船夜走,雖失城,尚可全身。」) Sanguozhi vol. 26.
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  18. (太祖令曰:「賊圍塹鹿角十重,將軍致戰全勝,遂陷賊圍,多斬首虜。吾用兵三十餘年,及所聞古之善用兵者,未有長驅徑入敵圍者也。且樊、襄陽之在圍,過於莒、即墨,將軍之功,踰孫武、穰苴。」) Sanguozhi vol. 17.

Bibliography

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