Battle
Battle of Xiangyang 襄陽之戰
About this event
The Battle of Xiangyang was the battle in which Sun Jian, sent by Yuan Shu's order to attack Liu Biao of Jing Province, defeated Huang Zu between Fan County and Deng County, crossed the Han River and besieged Xiangyang, but was then killed by an arrow shot by Huang Zu's soldiers while riding alone past Mount Xian. The biography of Sun Jian records this as an event of the 3rd year of Chuping (192). With the army defeated, Yuan Shu was never able to overcome Liu Biao, and Sun Jian's elder brother's son Sun Ben led the officers and men back to Yuan Shu. Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wei 6 §83
Chen Shou recorded this battle in the biography of Sun Jian in Records of Wu 1, and also included it in the biography of Liu Biao in Records of Wei 6 and the biography of Huan Jie in Records of Wei 22. The Romance depicts this battle in the latter half of the title of Chapter 7, "Sun Jian Crosses the River to Attack Liu Biao," and at the beginning of Chapter 8 has Sun Ce exchange the captured Huang Zu for his father's body. Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wei 6 §83Records, Wei 22 §2Romance, Ch. 7 §26–28 · 43Romance, Ch. 8 §1–2
Course of events in the Records
After Emperor Ling died, Liu Biao replaced Wang Rui as Inspector of Jing Province and gathered troops at Xiangyang. Wang Rui was the man Sun Jian had killed on his way when he earlier raised troops to attack Dong Zhuo. Yuan Shu, who had fallen out with Yuan Shao and was also on bad terms with Liu Biao, allied with Gongsun Zan to the north, while Yuan Shao allied with Liu Biao to the south. Yuan Shu, who was in Nanyang, wanted to join forces with Sun Jian to seize Liu Biao's province by surprise, and had Sun Jian attack Liu Biao. Records, Wei 6 §82–83 · 73Records, Wu 1 §13
In the 3rd year of Chuping (192), when Yuan Shu had Sun Jian campaign in Jing Province to attack Liu Biao, Liu Biao sent Huang Zu to meet him in battle between Fan County and Deng County. Sun Jian defeated him, pursued him across the Han River and at last besieged Xiangyang. But while riding alone past Mount Xian, Sun Jian was shot and killed by Huang Zu's soldiers. The biography of Liu Biao records that Sun Jian was killed by a stray arrow and his army was defeated, so that Yuan Shu was never able to overcome Liu Biao. Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wei 6 §83
Sun Jian's elder brother's son Sun Ben led the officers, men and followers to Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shu again petitioned to make Sun Ben Inspector of Yu Province. Huan Jie, whom Sun Jian had recommended as Filial and Incorrupt when he was Administrator of Changsha, was then back in his home district in mourning for his father; when Sun Jian died in battle attacking Liu Biao, he braved the danger to go to Liu Biao and ask for Sun Jian's body, and Liu Biao, admiring his righteousness, gave it up. Sun Ce, who had taken his mother to live at Shu County when Sun Jian first raised his loyalist army, returned when Sun Jian died and buried him at Qu'e. Records, Wu 1 §21 · 24Records, Wei 22 §2
Sun Jian had four sons, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Yi and Sun Kuang, and after Sun Quan proclaimed himself emperor he gave Sun Jian the posthumous title Emperor Wulie. In his assessment in Records of Wu 1, Chen Shou said that Sun Jian was brave and resolute, rose from humble origins, guided Zhang Wen toward executing Dong Zhuo, and blocked up and sealed the imperial tombs, showing a loyal and stalwart spirit, but he also said that Sun Jian and Sun Ce were both rash and impetuous, and so lost their lives and came to ruin. Records, Wu 1 §22 · 41
In the Romance
In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Yuan Shu, having been refused both the thousand horses he had asked of Yuan Shao and the two hundred thousand measures of grain he had asked of Liu Biao, sent Sun Jian a letter urging him to attack Liu Biao, saying that Liu Biao's earlier blocking of his road had been Yuan Shao's scheme. Despite Cheng Pu's warning that Yuan Shu could not be trusted, Sun Jian raised troops, saying he would take revenge, and although his younger brother Sun Jing tried to stop him, he boarded ship with his eldest son Sun Ce and attacked Fancheng. Romance, Ch. 7 §26–31
Huang Zu had hidden crossbowmen along the river bank, but Sun Jian, bringing his boats in to the bank and pulling them back again and again for three days, collected more than a hundred thousand arrows, shot them back and landed. When Huang Zu, having abandoned Fancheng and fled to Dengcheng, drew up his forces in the open field, Sun Ce shot down Chen Sheng of Xiangyang with an arrow, Han Dang cut down Zhang Hu of Jiangxia, and Huang Zu threw away his helmet and horse and fled. Sun Jian defeated Cai Mao, who had encamped on Mount Xian outside the walls of Xiangyang, and surrounded Xiangyang on all sides. Romance, Ch. 7 §32–39
When a fierce wind snapped the pole of the commander's banner of the central army, Han Dang urged him to withdraw, but Sun Jian would not listen. When Lü Gong, acting on Kuai Liang's plan, came out of the city claiming to be going to ask Yuan Shao for help and fled toward Mount Xian, Sun Jian gave chase with only some thirty horsemen, without even gathering his generals. Entering a mountain path, Sun Jian was struck by stones pouring down from the hill and arrows flying from the woods, and died at the age of thirty-seven. Romance, Ch. 7 §39–43
Huang Gai captured Huang Zu, who had come out of the city, and Cheng Pu, guarding Sun Ce, speared Lü Gong to death. Returning to the Han River, Sun Ce learned that his father's body had been carried into the city and wailed aloud, and the military officer Huan Jie went into the city as envoy. At the beginning of Chapter 8, Liu Biao overrode Kuai Liang's objection and exchanged Huang Zu for Sun Jian's body, and Sun Ce buried his father in the fields of Qu'e. Romance, Ch. 7 §44–46Romance, Ch. 8 §1–2
Where the Romance differs
Origins of the battle: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Yuan Shu, rebuffed by Yuan Shao and Liu Biao, incited Sun Jian by saying that Liu Biao's earlier blocking of his road had been Yuan Shao's scheme. The biography of Liu Biao in the Records records that Yuan Shu joined forces with Sun Jian, intending to seize Liu Biao's province by surprise, and had Sun Jian attack Liu Biao. Romance, Ch. 7 §26–27Records, Wei 6 §83
Sun Ce's part: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, the eldest son Sun Ce boarded ship with his father and shot down Chen Sheng with an arrow. In the biography of Sun Ce in the Records, after Sun Jian raised his loyalist army Sun Ce took his mother to live at Shu County, and when Sun Jian died he returned and buried him at Qu'e. Romance, Ch. 7 §31 · 35Records, Wu 1 §24
Sun Jian's death: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Sun Jian fell into Lü Gong's trap and was killed by stones and arrows on Mount Xian. The biography of Sun Jian in the Records says he was shot dead by Huang Zu's soldiers while riding alone past Mount Xian, and the biography of Liu Biao records that he was killed by a stray arrow. Romance, Ch. 7 §40–43Records, Wu 1 §21Records, Wei 6 §83
Recovering the body: In Chapters 7 and 8 of the Romance, Huang Zu, captured by Huang Gai, was exchanged for Sun Jian's body, and Sun Ce's military officer Huan Jie served as envoy. In the biography of Huan Jie in the Records, Huan Jie was a man whom Sun Jian had recommended as Filial and Incorrupt when he was Administrator of Changsha; while at home in mourning for his father, he braved the danger to go to Liu Biao, asked for the body and received it, and no exchange for Huang Zu appears. Romance, Ch. 7 §44–46Romance, Ch. 8 §1–2Records, Wei 22 §2
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Belligerents
| Item | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Factions | Liu Biao faction | Yuan Shu faction |
| Commanders | Huang Zu | Sun Jian |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Wei 6 §83