Novel scene
Zhuge Liang Takes Hanzhong 諸葛亮智取漢中
About this event
"Zhuge Liang Takes Hanzhong" is the earlier scene of Chapter 72 of the Romance, whose chapter title reads "Zhuge Liang Takes Hanzhong by Wit; Cao Ah Man Withdraws His Troops to the Xie Valley," and a passage of the Hanzhong Campaign. After Xu Huang, having crossed the Han River, is defeated by Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun and Wang Ping surrenders to Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang alarms Cao Cao's troops night after night with drums and horns, makes them suspicious with a camp set with its back to the water and with abandoned goods, and defeats them. Meanwhile Zhang Fei and Wei Yan occupy Nanzheng, and Cao Cao flees to Yangping Pass. Romance, Ch. 72 §1–7 · 10–12
Chen Shou's text has no scenes of this fighting. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that when Cao Cao arrived, Liu Bei held him off from the strongpoints without ever joining battle, and the biography of Wang Ping in the Biographies of Huang, Li, Lü, Ma, Wang and Zhang in Records of Shu 13 records that he followed Cao Cao on the campaign against Hanzhong and took that opportunity to surrender to Liu Bei. Records, Shu 2 §39Records, Shu 13 §35
In the Romance
In Chapter 72 of the Romance, Xu Huang, ignoring Wang Ping's attempts to dissuade him, crosses the Han River and sets up camp, challenges the enemy to battle from the hour of chen until the hour of shen, and just as he is about to withdraw is badly defeated by a pincer attack from Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun. When Xu Huang rebukes Wang Ping for not coming to his aid and means to kill him, Wang Ping that night sets fire to the camp, crosses the Han River, surrenders to Zhao Yun and tells him in detail about the terrain along the Han River. Liu Bei says, "Now that I have Wang Zijun, there is no doubt that I will take Hanzhong," makes him Subordinate General and puts him in charge as guide. Romance, Ch. 72 §1–4
When Cao Cao comes in person with a great army, Zhao Yun falls back west of the Han River. Zhuge Liang has Zhao Yun hide with five hundred men carrying drums and horns below an earthen hill upstream, and each time the lights in Cao Cao's camp go out deep in the night, he has a signal cannon fired and the drums and horns sounded. When Cao Cao, alarmed for three nights, falls back thirty li and pitches camp, Zhuge Liang laughs that Cao Cao knows the art of war but not deception, and has Liu Bei cross the Han River and set up camp with his back to the water. Romance, Ch. 72 §4–7
The two armies draw up in front of Mount Wujie, and Cao Cao and Liu Bei denounce each other as traitors. When Liu Feng is driven back by Xu Huang and flees, and the Shu troops run toward the Han River abandoning their camp, horses and weapons, Cao Cao, finding the camp with its back to the water and the abandoned goods suspicious, says he will behead anyone who picks up even a single item, and pulls back his troops. At that moment Zhuge Liang's signal flag goes up and Liu Bei, Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun charge in along three routes; Cao Cao's army collapses, and Cao Cao, seeing that Wei Yan and Zhang Fei have already occupied Nanzheng, flees to Yangping Pass. Zhuge Liang says that he has beaten Cao Cao, suspicious all his life, with a sham army. Romance, Ch. 72 §8–13
Where the Romance differs
Zhuge Liang's position: In Chapter 72 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang devises the ambushes and the back-to-the-water plan on the battlefield of the Han River. The Biography of Zhuge Liang in the Records records that whenever Liu Bei went out on campaign, Zhuge Liang always stayed to guard Chengdu, keeping food and troops sufficient. Romance, Ch. 72 §5–7 · 11–13Records, Shu 5 §18
Wang Ping's surrender: In Chapter 72 of the Romance, Wang Ping comes to the Han River as Xu Huang's deputy vanguard, and when driven to the brink of death he sets fire to the camp and surrenders to Zhao Yun. The biography of Wang Ping in the Records records that he went to Luoyang following Du Huo and Pu Hu and became an acting Colonel, then followed Cao Cao on the campaign against Hanzhong and took that opportunity to surrender to Liu Bei, becoming General of the Gate and Lieutenant General. Romance, Ch. 71 §51Romance, Ch. 72 §3–4Records, Shu 13 §35
Cao Cao's defeat: In Chapter 72 of the Romance, Cao Cao is badly defeated in the decisive battle in front of Mount Wujie and, having lost Nanzheng, flees to Yangping Pass. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, Liu Bei gathered his forces and held him off from the strongpoints without ever joining battle, and Cao Cao, unable to win after several months, saw more of his men desert every day. Romance, Ch. 72 §8–12Records, Shu 2 §39
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.