Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
Encyclopedia
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
. During the end of the campaign, Cao Cao's general guarding the fortress, Zhang Liao
, made use of force concentration
and launched a sneak counteroffensive on Sun Quan at Leisure Ford, where Sun only had 1,000 soldiers with him at the time. Amidst the chaos, Sun Quan was nearly captured if not saved by his general Ling Tong
, and this pursuit effectively placed Zhang Liao at the zenith of all of Cao Cao's generals.
as the Inspector of Yang Province, and ordered him to build up fortifications that could withstand besiegers. Thus, Liu Fu oversaw the construction of Hefei Fortress (合肥城), and prepared plenty of military supplies, including boulders, logs, palms, and several thousand cans of fish oil.
In late 208 after the Battle of Red Cliffs
, Sun Quan led an army to invade Hefei but was unsuccessful despite several months of progress. The following year, local parvenus and former subordinates of Yuan Shu
and Liu Fu, Chen Lan and Mei Cheng (梅成), rebelled in Lujiang (盧江) after the death of Liu Fu (whom they trusted), but the revolt was suppressed by Cao Cao's generals Zhang Liao and Zang Ba
. Cao Cao then ordered Zhang Liao, Yue Jin
and Li Dian
to lead 7,000 troops to enter Hefei fortress, Xiahou Dun to lead 26 juns (325,000 men) to prepare for probable attacks, and Xiahou Yuan
to handle logistics. Chen Lan's ally, Lei Bo
, surrendered to another warlord Liu Bei
.
In 213 Cao Cao brought with him a 400,000 strong army to attack Sun Quan's 70,000 men at Ruxukou (濡須口), but was unable to suppress his foe for more than a month, so he was forced to change from an offensive stand to a defensive one. After his repeated failures against the southerners, Cao Cao was worried that the various counties along the Yangtze River would be taken by Sun Quan, so he adopted a fabian strategy and started to form military communities (families of soldiers were concentrated and ordered to live together within fortifications in the district). The Yangtze region became depopulated as residents were relocated except for Huancheng (皖城), which laid south of Hefei. Cao Cao appointed Zhu Guang (朱光) as Administrator of Lujiang and ordered him to garrison at Huancheng, promoting agriculture and bribing wealthy locals in Poyang (鄱陽) to spy on Sun Quan's side and harass the enemy's rear.
region to sail up the Yangtze and attack Huancheng (citadel or headquarter of Huan City), which served as a cushion and storehouse for Zhang Liao's and Xiahou Dun's armies. Sun Quan faced two options: to build siege engines and use them to attack or order his foot soldiers to attack right away. Lü Meng
suggested the latter option and recommended Gan Ning
to lead the vanguard to initiate the offensive. Upon knowing Sun Quan had arrived on the battlefield, Zhang Liao moved out of Hefei fortress to reinforce Huancheng. However, Sun Quan's highly spirited troops conquered Huancheng within a day, and Zhu Guang, as well as his advisor Dong He (董和), were captured. By the time Zhang Liao reached Jiashi (夾石), he received news of the fall of Huancheng, so he withdrew back to Hefei.
Around this time, Liu Bei
had taken over
Yi Province (covering the Sichuan Basin
) from Liu Zhang
, so Sun Quan sent Zhuge Jin
to demand from Liu Bei the return of Jing Province. Liu Bei refused, and Guan Yu
also drove away the officials Sun Quan sent to three commanderies in southern Jing Province. Sun Quan then withdrew his elite generals from the northern frontier and ordered Lü Meng and Ling Tong to lead 20,000 troops to take the three commanderies of Jing Province, while sending Lu Su
to lead 10,000 men to garrison at Baqiu (巴丘) to resist Guan Yu, while he personally stationed at Lukou (陸口) to serve as backup. Liu Bei also led his army to Gong'an (公安) and sent Guan Yu with 30,000 men to Yiyang (益陽). Lü Meng and Ling Tong took three commanderies by strategy and led their men with Sun Jiao
and Pan Zhang
to support Lu Su at Yiyang. Taking the opportunity of the Liu-Sun conflict, Cao Cao led an army to attack Zhang Lu of Hanzhong
. Liu Bei was afraid that if Hanzhong fell to Cao Cao, Yi Province would be in peril as Hanzhong was the "gateway" to Yi Province. Hence, Liu Bei made peace with Sun Quan by dividing southern Jing Province. In return, Sun Quan promised to divert Cao Cao's attention from the west by attacking Hefei fortress.
and Song Qian in the front were routed after a brief skirmish. Xu Sheng was wounded and lost his personal weapon in the process. Soon, Zhang Liao had penetrated Sun Quan's camp. After personally slaying several enemy soldiers and two officers, he cried out, "Zhang Liao is here!" Chen Wu, the commander of Sun Quan's bodyguards, answered Zhang Liao's challenge and went forth to fight him. However, Chen Wu's unit was no match for Zhang Liao's and he was killed by Hao Zhao
in the clash. Sun Quan was shocked by Zhang Liao's fierce attack and the scene of Chen Wu's death. Xu Sheng and Song Qian's troops turned their backs when they saw their commanders being killed or fleeing. Pan Zhang killed two deserting soldiers, forcing them to fulfill their duties. Ling Tong, who just arrived on the field, led Sun Quan to a hill and ordered his men to use the long halberd
s to a form a defensive formation before he went down to battle Zhang Liao. At the bottom of the hill, Zhang Liao shouted for Sun Quan to come down and fight him, but Sun did not dare to move. When Sun Quan saw that the situation had become more stable and Zhang Liao was only left with slightly more than a hundred men, he ordered He Qi
to surround Zhang Liao and his men. During the battle He Qi retrieved Xu Sheng's mao (矛, a weapon that resembled a 4.74m long spear), which the latter lost earlier. However, Zhang Liao fought fiercely and succeeded in breaking out of the encirclement. When his remaining men who were still trapped inside shouted, "Has our general abandoned us?" Zhang Liao turned back and punched through layers of enemy soldiers to save his men, eventually succeeding in bringing them out. Sun Quan's men were stunned by Zhang Liao's valour and did not dare to stand in his way.
Pan Zhang was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General while Ling Tong was appointed as Right Commander after the engagement, but the battle, which lasted from the early morning until noon, had drastically drained the morale of Sun Quan's troops. Zhang Liao brought his surviving men back to the city and fortified his defenses. Zhang Liao's victory boosted his men's fighting spirits and instilled confidence in the defenders.
When Sun Quan's forces had all arrived and gathered, they launched an assault on the city. However, Hefei's walls were not easy to breach, as its previous defending official, Liu Fu
, had put in a lot of effort to strengthen the fortress' fortifications and the defenders were well equipped. After several days, Sun Quan was still unable to take the city. At that time, a plague broke out in his army, so Sun Quan had no choice but to withdraw his army.
When Sun Quan saw that all the armies in Hefei were advancing out to attack him, he realized he was in danger and hurriedly sent men to recall back his units that retreated before him. However, as those units had already boarded the ships for quite some time, Sun Quan was unable to recall them back in time. As the 1,000 men of Sun Quan were engulfed by Zhang Liao's veteran cavalries, Ling Tong
led 300 horsemen to pierce into the encirclement, keeping any enemy away from Sun Quan and engaging Zhang Liao's army in a bloody battle. At that time, Sun Quan's side was thrown into confusion and the battle signals were not given, so Gan Ning shouted at the drummers to beat their drums loudly to give out orders to fight, while he personally held a bow to fire arrows at the enemy.
As soon as Ling Tong dragged Sun Quan out from the thick of the enemies, he urged Sun to leave the battlefield while he stayed behind to buy time for his lord's escape. Sun Quan hurried to the southern shore until he reached the crossing at Xiaoyao Ford, but the bridge had been destroyed, leaving a near 10 meters long gap in the middle. Gu Li
, Sun Quan's attendant, told his master to sit tight, grab the reins firmly, and maintain control of the horse. Gu Li then went behind the horse and gave it a few whips to drive it forward. The horse then leapt across the broken bridge successfully to the southern side. Ling Tong turned back to hold off the enemy after seeing that Sun Quan had leapt across the bridge to safety.
On the northern shore, Ling Tong, who was determined to sacrifice for his lord's cause, was targeted by Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Hao Zhao. Ling Tong had sustained wounds all over his body and all his 300 fighters had died. Knowing Sun Quan must have reached to safety by this time, Ling Tong retreated. He single-handedly killed dozens of enemy horsemen blocking his way, but was despaired by the sight that all roads were blockaded, and the enemies were closing in quickly, without hesitation, Ling Tong dived into the water before discarding his armour.
At that time, Sun Quan had already boarded a boat, and he was surprised and delighted to see Ling Tong still alive in the river. He immediately brought Ling Tong onto his ship and rejoiced in this miraculous reunion, but Ling was deeply saddened as none of his close aides survived and he could not help weeping. Sun Quan comforted him, saying, "Gongji (Ling Tong's style name
), let the dead go. As long as you live, why worry that you'll have no men under you?" Sun Quan later put Ling Tong in command of twice the number of troops he originally had.
When the battle was over, Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Yue Jin were still lingering on the battlefield in hope that they would find Sun Quan's corpse. They were not aware that Sun Quan had already escaped until Zhang Liao asked a surrendered enemy soldier, "Who was that purple-bearded, long-bodied, short-legged man so skilled in mounted archery?" The soldier replied that the man was Sun Quan. Zhang Liao then told Yue Jin that he regretted not chasing after that purple-bearded general (Sun Quan) or else he would have caught him.
When the news reached Cao Cao, he could hardly believe his subordinates had achieved a deed he had been unable to attain, so he later travelled to Leisure Ford to observe the battlefield for a long time. Cao Cao was so pleased with the three generals' shining accomplishment. Zhang Liao was promoted to the rank of "General Who Conquers the East". Li Dian was granted 100 more households, with a total of 300 under him now. Yue Jin received 500 more taxable households, now having a total of 1,200 households. 500 households were split to Yue Jin's son, who also participated in the battle. Yue Jin's son also received the title of a marquis, while the father was promoted to "General of the Right".
On Sun Quan's side, Ling Tong and Pan Zhang were promoted to "Lieutenant General" while Jiang Qin was appointed "General Who Eliminates Bandits". Sun Quan also personally held a funeral for Chen Wu and sacrificed two of Chen's concubines to join him in death.
. In the games, the battle is known as the "Battle of He Fei", and is not to be confused with another stage (Battle of He Fei Castle), which refers to the Battle of Hefei (234)
.
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 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....
between 215 and 217 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...
over the control of Hefei
Hefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
. During the end of the campaign, Cao Cao's general guarding the fortress, 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...
, made use of force concentration
Force concentration
Force concentration is the practice of concentrating a military force, so as to bring to bear such overwhelming force against a portion of an enemy force that the disparity between the two forces alone acts as a force multiplier, in favour of the concentrated forces.-Mass of decision:Force...
and launched a sneak counteroffensive on Sun Quan at Leisure Ford, where Sun only had 1,000 soldiers with him at the time. Amidst the chaos, Sun Quan was nearly captured if not saved by his general Ling Tong
Ling Tong
Ling Tong was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu...
, and this pursuit effectively placed Zhang Liao at the zenith of all of Cao Cao's generals.
Defensive planning for Hefei
Long before Sun Quan solidified his control over southeastern China, Cao Cao had already appointed Liu FuLiu Fu
Liu Fu , style name Yuanying , was a politician of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the Inspector of Yang Province...
as the Inspector of Yang Province, and ordered him to build up fortifications that could withstand besiegers. Thus, Liu Fu oversaw the construction of Hefei Fortress (合肥城), and prepared plenty of military supplies, including boulders, logs, palms, and several thousand cans of fish oil.
In late 208 after the Battle of Red Cliffs
Battle of Red Cliffs
The Battle of Red Cliffs, otherwise known as the Battle of Chibi, was a decisive battle at the end of the Han Dynasty, immediately prior to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought in the winter of 208/9 AD between the allied forces of the southern warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan...
, Sun Quan led an army to invade Hefei but was unsuccessful despite several months of progress. The following year, local parvenus and former subordinates of 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...
and Liu Fu, Chen Lan and Mei Cheng (梅成), rebelled in Lujiang (盧江) after the death of Liu Fu (whom they trusted), but the revolt was suppressed by Cao Cao's generals Zhang Liao and 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...
. Cao Cao then ordered Zhang Liao, Yue Jin
Yue Jin
Yue Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty of China. He was noted as much for his short stature as for his valor and ferocity on the battlefield...
and Li Dian
Li Dian
Li Dian was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He participated in the Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao...
to lead 7,000 troops to enter Hefei fortress, Xiahou Dun to lead 26 juns (325,000 men) to prepare for probable attacks, and 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...
to handle logistics. Chen Lan's ally, Lei Bo
Lei Bo
Lei Bo was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. When Yuan Shu declared himself emperor after obtaining the Imperial Seal, Lei Bo left him. Lei Bo then secluded himself at Chen near Songshan, where he became a bandit....
, surrendered to another warlord 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 213 Cao Cao brought with him a 400,000 strong army to attack Sun Quan's 70,000 men at Ruxukou (濡須口), but was unable to suppress his foe for more than a month, so he was forced to change from an offensive stand to a defensive one. After his repeated failures against the southerners, Cao Cao was worried that the various counties along the Yangtze River would be taken by Sun Quan, so he adopted a fabian strategy and started to form military communities (families of soldiers were concentrated and ordered to live together within fortifications in the district). The Yangtze region became depopulated as residents were relocated except for Huancheng (皖城), which laid south of Hefei. Cao Cao appointed Zhu Guang (朱光) as Administrator of Lujiang and ordered him to garrison at Huancheng, promoting agriculture and bribing wealthy locals in Poyang (鄱陽) to spy on Sun Quan's side and harass the enemy's rear.
Battle of Huan City
In the fifth month of 214, Sun Quan took advantage of heavy rains and floods in the Huai RiverHuai 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...
region to sail up the Yangtze and attack Huancheng (citadel or headquarter of Huan City), which served as a cushion and storehouse for Zhang Liao's and Xiahou Dun's armies. Sun Quan faced two options: to build siege engines and use them to attack or order his foot soldiers to attack right away. Lü Meng
Lü Meng
Lü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
suggested the latter option and recommended Gan Ning
Gan Ning
Gan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
to lead the vanguard to initiate the offensive. Upon knowing Sun Quan had arrived on the battlefield, Zhang Liao moved out of Hefei fortress to reinforce Huancheng. However, Sun Quan's highly spirited troops conquered Huancheng within a day, and Zhu Guang, as well as his advisor Dong He (董和), were captured. By the time Zhang Liao reached Jiashi (夾石), he received news of the fall of Huancheng, so he withdrew back to Hefei.
Around this time, 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...
had taken over
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...
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...
, so Sun Quan sent Zhuge Jin
Zhuge Jin
Zhuge Jin , style name Ziyu , was a military general and politician of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Early life:...
to demand from Liu Bei the return of Jing Province. Liu Bei refused, 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...
also drove away the officials Sun Quan sent to three commanderies in southern Jing Province. Sun Quan then withdrew his elite generals from the northern frontier and ordered Lü Meng and Ling Tong to lead 20,000 troops to take the three commanderies of Jing Province, while sending Lu Su
Lu Su
Lu Su , style name Zijing , was a politician, militarist and diplomat serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
to lead 10,000 men to garrison at Baqiu (巴丘) to resist Guan Yu, while he personally stationed at Lukou (陸口) to serve as backup. Liu Bei also led his army to Gong'an (公安) and sent Guan Yu with 30,000 men to Yiyang (益陽). Lü Meng and Ling Tong took three commanderies by strategy and led their men with Sun Jiao
Sun Jiao
Sun Jiao , style name Shulang , was the third son of Sun Jing, younger brother of the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Along with the rest of his family, Sun Jiao served Eastern Wu as a military general. He was also the younger brother of Sun Yu. He served...
and Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang
Pan Zhang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Although an active general with high rank, he was known to desire wealth and treasure, and to dress himself in a gaudy fashion...
to support Lu Su at Yiyang. Taking the opportunity of the Liu-Sun conflict, Cao Cao led an army to attack Zhang Lu 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...
. Liu Bei was afraid that if Hanzhong fell to Cao Cao, Yi Province would be in peril as Hanzhong was the "gateway" to Yi Province. Hence, Liu Bei made peace with Sun Quan by dividing southern Jing Province. In return, Sun Quan promised to divert Cao Cao's attention from the west by attacking Hefei fortress.
An unorthodox order
Before Cao Cao left to attack Zhang Lu, he left his representative Xue Ti (薛悌) with a letter that read "Open when the enemy arrives" on the envelope. As Sun Quan's army was already advancing towards Hefei, the defending generals then opened the letter as instructed. It stated, "When Sun Quan arrives, generals Zhang (Liao) and Li (Dian) will engage him; General Yue (Jin) will remain behind to defend and not go to battle." The generals were puzzled by the instructions. It was well known that Li Dian and Zhang Liao had a personal feud, and Yue Jin lacked experience on defending a fortress, abeit he was renowned to be the best vanguard of Cao Cao forces. As the three of them did not get along well with each other, Zhang Liao feared that they might disobey orders. He said, "Our lord is away at war. By the time his reinforcements reach here, we're already done for. So he is actually instructing us to take advantage of the situation, when the enemy has just arrived and not fully gathered yet, to attack them and devastate their morale so as to calm our men and strengthen our defenses. Victory or defeat, it all depends on this battle. Why are all of you still hesitating?" Li Dian was moved and he said, "This is a national crisis. We'll see how your strategy works out. How can I allow my personal affairs take precedence over my official duties?" Zhang Liao then selected 800 "die-hard" soldiers overnight in preparation for the upcoming battle, and threw a banquet for his men.Battle around the fortress
The following morning, Zhang Liao led the 800 soldiers on a charge targeting Sun Quan's camp. Sun Quan's forces were setting up camps and did not expect that the small detachment of Zhang Liao would perform a frontal assault. Xu ShengXu Sheng
Xu Sheng , style name Wenxiang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime...
and Song Qian in the front were routed after a brief skirmish. Xu Sheng was wounded and lost his personal weapon in the process. Soon, Zhang Liao had penetrated Sun Quan's camp. After personally slaying several enemy soldiers and two officers, he cried out, "Zhang Liao is here!" Chen Wu, the commander of Sun Quan's bodyguards, answered Zhang Liao's challenge and went forth to fight him. However, Chen Wu's unit was no match for Zhang Liao's and he was killed by Hao Zhao
Hao Zhao
Hao Zhao, style name Bodao , was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. His single most important victory over the much larger Shu Han army led by Zhuge Liang during the Siege of Chencang made him a celebrity overnight, but he soon died of...
in the clash. Sun Quan was shocked by Zhang Liao's fierce attack and the scene of Chen Wu's death. Xu Sheng and Song Qian's troops turned their backs when they saw their commanders being killed or fleeing. Pan Zhang killed two deserting soldiers, forcing them to fulfill their duties. Ling Tong, who just arrived on the field, led Sun Quan to a hill and ordered his men to use the long halberd
Ji (halberd)
The ji , the Chinese halberd, was used as a military weapon in one form or another from at least as early as the Shang dynasty until the end of the Qing dynasty. They are still used for training purposes by many Chinese martial arts...
s to a form a defensive formation before he went down to battle Zhang Liao. At the bottom of the hill, Zhang Liao shouted for Sun Quan to come down and fight him, but Sun did not dare to move. When Sun Quan saw that the situation had become more stable and Zhang Liao was only left with slightly more than a hundred men, he ordered He Qi
He Qi
He Qi , style name Gongmiao , was an official serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
to surround Zhang Liao and his men. During the battle He Qi retrieved Xu Sheng's mao (矛, a weapon that resembled a 4.74m long spear), which the latter lost earlier. However, Zhang Liao fought fiercely and succeeded in breaking out of the encirclement. When his remaining men who were still trapped inside shouted, "Has our general abandoned us?" Zhang Liao turned back and punched through layers of enemy soldiers to save his men, eventually succeeding in bringing them out. Sun Quan's men were stunned by Zhang Liao's valour and did not dare to stand in his way.
Pan Zhang was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General while Ling Tong was appointed as Right Commander after the engagement, but the battle, which lasted from the early morning until noon, had drastically drained the morale of Sun Quan's troops. Zhang Liao brought his surviving men back to the city and fortified his defenses. Zhang Liao's victory boosted his men's fighting spirits and instilled confidence in the defenders.
When Sun Quan's forces had all arrived and gathered, they launched an assault on the city. However, Hefei's walls were not easy to breach, as its previous defending official, Liu Fu
Liu Fu
Liu Fu , style name Yuanying , was a politician of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the Inspector of Yang Province...
, had put in a lot of effort to strengthen the fortress' fortifications and the defenders were well equipped. After several days, Sun Quan was still unable to take the city. At that time, a plague broke out in his army, so Sun Quan had no choice but to withdraw his army.
Battle at Xiaoyao Ford
In order to avoid being infected with the plague, Sun Quan ordered the rest of his units to retreat first while his guards, numbering only about 1,000, were the last to move. While observing the enemy, Zhang Liao found the best time to counterattack, as Sun Quan had the least number of troops with him at that moment. He waited until Sun Quan's army had reached the northern crossing of Xiaoyao Ford when he, Li Dian and Yue Jin, led all their forces out of Hefei for an all-out assault on the enemy.When Sun Quan saw that all the armies in Hefei were advancing out to attack him, he realized he was in danger and hurriedly sent men to recall back his units that retreated before him. However, as those units had already boarded the ships for quite some time, Sun Quan was unable to recall them back in time. As the 1,000 men of Sun Quan were engulfed by Zhang Liao's veteran cavalries, Ling Tong
Ling Tong
Ling Tong was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu...
led 300 horsemen to pierce into the encirclement, keeping any enemy away from Sun Quan and engaging Zhang Liao's army in a bloody battle. At that time, Sun Quan's side was thrown into confusion and the battle signals were not given, so Gan Ning shouted at the drummers to beat their drums loudly to give out orders to fight, while he personally held a bow to fire arrows at the enemy.
As soon as Ling Tong dragged Sun Quan out from the thick of the enemies, he urged Sun to leave the battlefield while he stayed behind to buy time for his lord's escape. Sun Quan hurried to the southern shore until he reached the crossing at Xiaoyao Ford, but the bridge had been destroyed, leaving a near 10 meters long gap in the middle. Gu Li
Gu Li (general)
Gu Li was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was involved in the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford in 217 against Cao Cao's forces.-Biography:...
, Sun Quan's attendant, told his master to sit tight, grab the reins firmly, and maintain control of the horse. Gu Li then went behind the horse and gave it a few whips to drive it forward. The horse then leapt across the broken bridge successfully to the southern side. Ling Tong turned back to hold off the enemy after seeing that Sun Quan had leapt across the bridge to safety.
On the northern shore, Ling Tong, who was determined to sacrifice for his lord's cause, was targeted by Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Hao Zhao. Ling Tong had sustained wounds all over his body and all his 300 fighters had died. Knowing Sun Quan must have reached to safety by this time, Ling Tong retreated. He single-handedly killed dozens of enemy horsemen blocking his way, but was despaired by the sight that all roads were blockaded, and the enemies were closing in quickly, without hesitation, Ling Tong dived into the water before discarding his armour.
At that time, Sun Quan had already boarded a boat, and he was surprised and delighted to see Ling Tong still alive in the river. He immediately brought Ling Tong onto his ship and rejoiced in this miraculous reunion, but Ling was deeply saddened as none of his close aides survived and he could not help weeping. Sun Quan comforted him, saying, "Gongji (Ling Tong's style name
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
), let the dead go. As long as you live, why worry that you'll have no men under you?" Sun Quan later put Ling Tong in command of twice the number of troops he originally had.
Aftermath
During a banquet hosted by Sun Quan after the battle, He Qi wept and said, "My lord, as a leader of men, you should be prudent. Like what happened today, we were almost wiped out and the men are traumatized. I hope you'll take this as a life lesson." Sun Quan thanked He Qi for his advice and promised to remember it for life.When the battle was over, Zhang Liao, Li Dian, and Yue Jin were still lingering on the battlefield in hope that they would find Sun Quan's corpse. They were not aware that Sun Quan had already escaped until Zhang Liao asked a surrendered enemy soldier, "Who was that purple-bearded, long-bodied, short-legged man so skilled in mounted archery?" The soldier replied that the man was Sun Quan. Zhang Liao then told Yue Jin that he regretted not chasing after that purple-bearded general (Sun Quan) or else he would have caught him.
When the news reached Cao Cao, he could hardly believe his subordinates had achieved a deed he had been unable to attain, so he later travelled to Leisure Ford to observe the battlefield for a long time. Cao Cao was so pleased with the three generals' shining accomplishment. Zhang Liao was promoted to the rank of "General Who Conquers the East". Li Dian was granted 100 more households, with a total of 300 under him now. Yue Jin received 500 more taxable households, now having a total of 1,200 households. 500 households were split to Yue Jin's son, who also participated in the battle. Yue Jin's son also received the title of a marquis, while the father was promoted to "General of the Right".
On Sun Quan's side, Ling Tong and Pan Zhang were promoted to "Lieutenant General" while Jiang Qin was appointed "General Who Eliminates Bandits". Sun Quan also personally held a funeral for Chen Wu and sacrificed two of Chen's concubines to join him in death.
Cao Cao forces
- General Who Rocks Bandits (蕩寇將軍) Zhang LiaoZhang LiaoZhang 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...
- Hao ZhaoHao ZhaoHao Zhao, style name Bodao , was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. His single most important victory over the much larger Shu Han army led by Zhuge Liang during the Siege of Chencang made him a celebrity overnight, but he soon died of...
- Hao Zhao
- General Who Breaks and Charges (折衝將軍) Yue JinYue JinYue Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty of China. He was noted as much for his short stature as for his valor and ferocity on the battlefield...
- Yue Jin's son
- General Who Defeats Barbarians (破虜將軍) Li DianLi DianLi Dian was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He participated in the Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao...
- Zang BaZang BaZang 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...
- Wu Dun (吳敦)
- Yin Li
- Sun Guan (孫觀)
- Protector of the Army (護軍) Xue Ti (薛悌)
Sun Quan forces
- General of Chariots and Cavalry (車騎將軍), Governor of Xu Province (徐州牧) Sun QuanSun QuanSun 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....
- Colonel of Military Ferocity (武猛校尉) Pan ZhangPan ZhangPan Zhang was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Although an active general with high rank, he was known to desire wealth and treasure, and to dress himself in a gaudy fashion...
- General of Military Vigour (奮武將軍) He QiHe QiHe Qi , style name Gongmiao , was an official serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
- General of the Household Who Pacifies Bandits (平賊中郎將) Xu ShengXu ShengXu Sheng , style name Wenxiang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He fought in at least 5 wars for the southern regime during his lifetime...
- Lieutenant General / Five Divisions Inspector (偏將軍 / 五校督) Chen Wu
- Colonel Who Inherits Fierceness (承烈校尉) Ling TongLing TongLing Tong was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his service to the Sun family since his childhood, and throughout his entire life, he had been contributing to the foundation and solidification of Eastern Wu...
- General Who Breaks and Charges (折衝將軍) Gan NingGan NingGan Ning was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was born in Linjiang, Ba Commandery .-Early life as a pirate:...
- General of Tiger Might (虎威將軍) Lü MengLü MengLü Meng was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as the commanding general in the invasion of Jing Province that led to the death of Guan Yu.-Early life:Lü Meng was born in Fupo, Runan Commandery in 178...
- General of the Household Who Attacks Yue (討越中郎將) Jiang QinJiang QinJiang Qin , style name Gongyi , was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Jiang Qin was a pirate at the time he joined Sun Quan's predecessor, Sun Ce...
- Center Major (中司馬) Zhuge JinZhuge JinZhuge Jin , style name Ziyu , was a military general and politician of Eastern Wu during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.-Early life:...
- Center Major (中司馬) Song Qian
- Gu LiGu Li (general)Gu Li was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Quan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was involved in the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford in 217 against Cao Cao's forces.-Biography:...
- Colonel of Military Ferocity (武猛校尉) Pan Zhang
Modern references
The battle is featured as a playable stage 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,...
. In the games, the battle is known as the "Battle of He Fei", and is not to be confused with another stage (Battle of He Fei Castle), which refers to the Battle of Hefei (234)
Battle of Hefei (234)
The Battle of Hefei, also known as the Battle of Xincheng, Hefei, was fought between the contending states of Cao Wei and Eastern Wu in 234 during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Background:...
.