Battle of Dingtao 定陶之戰

In the 1st year of Xingping (194) Cao Cao faced Lü Bu at Puyang for more than a hundred days, until swarms of locusts brought severe famine to the people and Lü Bu's provisions also ran out, and both sides withdrew. In the 9th month Cao Cao returned to Juancheng, while Lü Bu was defeated at Chengshi by Li Jin, a man of that county, and stationed himself to the east at Shanyang. That year a hu of grain cost more than 500,000 cash, and people ate one another. Records, Wei 1 §30–32

In the spring of the 2nd year of Xingping (195) Cao Cao made a surprise attack on Dingtao but could not take it because the Administrator of Jiyin, Wu Zi, held the southern city; when Lü Bu arrived just then, Cao Cao attacked and defeated him as well. In summer, when Lü Bu's commanders Xue Lan and Li Feng were stationed at Juye, Cao Cao attacked them; Lü Bu came to rescue Xue Lan, but Xue Lan was defeated and Lü Bu fled, and Cao Cao beheaded Xue Lan and the others. The biography of Xun Yu records that in the summer of that year, when Cao Cao was stationed at Chengshi, there was a great famine and people ate one another. Records, Wei 1 §33Records, Wei 10 §8

When Tao Qian died, Cao Cao wanted first to take Xu Province and then come back to subdue Lü Bu. Xun Yu dissuaded him, saying that since Li Feng and Xue Lan had already been defeated, if he divided his troops and attacked Chen Gong in the east, Chen Gong would not dare look west, and in the meantime he should harvest the ripe wheat and store up grain; Cao Cao followed this, gathered in a great harvest of wheat, and then fought Lü Bu again. Records, Wei 10 §9–12

Lü Bu came from Dongmin to fight again, together with Chen Gong, at the head of more than 10,000 men. Cao Cao's troops were few at this time, but he set an ambush, let loose surprise troops, attacked and heavily defeated him. When Lü Bu fled by night, Cao Cao attacked again, took Dingtao, and divided his troops to subdue the various counties. The biography of Yu Jin records that Yu Jin followed Cao Cao in attacking Shouzhang, Dingtao and Lihu and took them all, and the biography of Lü Bu records that over two years Cao Cao recovered all the cities and crushed Lü Bu at Juye. Records, Wei 1 §33Records, Wei 17 §28Records, Wei 7 §14

Lü Bu fled east to Liu Bei. Zhang Miao followed Lü Bu and had his younger brother Zhang Chao take the family and hold Yongqiu. Cao Cao surrounded Yongqiu in the 8th month, in autumn, and in the 10th month, in winter, the Son of Heaven appointed Cao Cao Governor of Yan Province. When Yongqiu collapsed in the 12th month, the Annals of Emperor Wu records that Zhang Chao killed himself, while the biography of Lü Bu records that Cao Cao massacred the city and beheaded Zhang Chao and his family. Zhang Miao was killed by his own followers while on his way to ask Yuan Shu for help, and Yan Province was pacified. Records, Wei 1 §34Records, Wei 7 §15