Battle
Battle of Sishui Pass 汜水關之戰
About this event
The Battle of Sishui Pass is the fight in Chapter 5 of the Romance in which the seventeen contingents of lords who had risen to attack Dong Zhuo attacked Sishui Pass, held by Dong Zhuo's general Hua Xiong; it is one episode of the Campaign against Dong Zhuo. The vanguard Sun Jian beheaded Hu Zhen and pressed up to the front of the pass, but because Yuan Shu did not send provisions he was defeated by Hua Xiong's night raid and lost Zu Mao. Hua Xiong went on to behead Yu She and Pan Feng too, but Guan Yu, then a mounted archer, went out and brought back his head before the wine had cooled. In Chapter 6, when Dong Zhuo abandons Luoyang, his general Zhao Cen surrenders the pass. Romance, Ch. 5 §7–9 · 17 · 23 · 25–28 · 32 · 35–36Romance, Ch. 6 §12
Sishui Pass does not appear in Chen Shou's text. The Biography of Sun Jian records that Sun Jian, badly beaten by Dong Zhuo's army east of Liang, broke through the encirclement with a few dozen horsemen, then gathered his troops again, fought at Yangren, crushed Dong Zhuo's army and beheaded its commander Hua Xiong and others. Records, Wu 1 §16–17
In the Romance
In Chapter 5 of the Romance, when the lords, having made Yuan Shao their leader, seek a vanguard to go to Sishui Pass, Sun Jian, Administrator of Changsha, volunteers. As Lü Bu steps forward before Dong Zhuo on receiving the urgent report, Hua Xiong behind him steps out, asking why one should use an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken, and Dong Zhuo makes Hua Xiong Colonel of Valiant Cavalry and sends him to the pass with 50,000 horse and foot together with Li Su, Hu Zhen and Zhao Cen. Bao Xin, fearing that Sun Jian would take the first glory, secretly sends his younger brother Bao Zhong by a byway to challenge the enemy, but Bao Zhong is cut down by Hua Xiong's blade. Romance, Ch. 5 §16–21
Sun Jian arrives before the pass with four generals, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang and Zu Mao, and Cheng Pu stabs Hu Zhen, who has come out of the pass, through the throat. Sun Jian falls back to garrison east of Liang and presses Yuan Shu for provisions, but Yuan Shu, told that if Sun Jian breaks into Luoyang and kills Dong Zhuo it will be like getting rid of a wolf only to gain a tiger, does not send them. Taking advantage of the disorder in the camp, Hua Xiong and Li Su strike the camp front and rear by night; Sun Jian exchanges his red headcloth for Zu Mao's helmet and escapes by a byway, and Zu Mao, who has hung the headcloth on a pillar and hidden, is cut down by Hua Xiong. Romance, Ch. 5 §22–28
When Hua Xiong comes to challenge the gathered lords with Sun Jian's red headcloth on a pole, Yuan Shu's general Yu She and Han Fu's senior general Pan Feng go out one after another and are beheaded. When the mounted archer Guan Yu offers to bring back Hua Xiong's head, Yuan Shu rebukes him for a mere archer talking out of turn, but Cao Cao defends him and has a cup of hot wine poured for him. Guan Yu tells them to leave the wine poured and goes out, and after the sound of drums and shouting he returns carrying Hua Xiong's head and throws it on the ground, and the wine is still warm. Romance, Ch. 5 §31–36
When Zhang Fei cries out that they should use this momentum to storm the pass and capture Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu, calling him an underling of a county magistrate, tries to drive him out, and Cao Cao secretly sends beef and wine to comfort the three. Having lost Hua Xiong, Dong Zhuo wipes out the household of Yuan Wei, Yuan Shao's uncle, has Li Jue and Guo Si guard Sishui Pass with 50,000 men but not fight, and himself advances to Hulao Pass. In Chapter 6, when Dong Zhuo abandons Luoyang and leaves, Zhao Cen surrenders Sishui Pass and Sun Jian drives his troops in first. Romance, Ch. 5 §38–41Romance, Ch. 6 §12
Where the Romance differs
Who beheaded Hua Xiong: In Chapter 5 of the Romance, the mounted archer Guan Yu beheads Hua Xiong before the wine has cooled. In the Biography of Sun Jian in the Records, Sun Jian gathered his scattered troops again, fought at Yangren, crushed Dong Zhuo's army and beheaded its commander Hua Xiong and others, displaying their heads. Romance, Ch. 5 §35–36Records, Wu 1 §17
Sun Jian's defeat and Zu Mao: In Chapter 5 of the Romance, Sun Jian, with his provisions cut off, is defeated by Hua Xiong's night raid, and Zu Mao, who took Sun Jian's red headcloth and wore it, is cut down by Hua Xiong. In the Records, Sun Jian moved his garrison east of Liang, was hard pressed by Dong Zhuo's army and broke through the encirclement with a few dozen horsemen; Zu Mao, who took the red headcloth and wore it, was pursued, put the headcloth on a burnt pillar among the tombs and lay hidden in the grass, and Dong Zhuo's horsemen, realizing it was a pillar, went away. Romance, Ch. 5 §26–28Records, Wu 1 §16–17
Yuan Shu's provisions: In Chapter 5 of the Romance, Yuan Shu, listening to others, does not send provisions, so Sun Jian is defeated, and in Chapter 6, when Sun Jian takes him to task, drawing lines on the ground, Yuan Shu beheads the slanderer. In the Records, after the fight at Yangren, Yuan Shu stopped sending provisions because someone sowed discord, and Sun Jian rode more than a hundred li by night to see Yuan Shu and took him to task, drawing on the ground, whereupon Yuan Shu at once arranged and sent the provisions. Romance, Ch. 5 §25Romance, Ch. 6 §1Records, Wu 1 §18
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 | Dong Zhuo faction | |
| Commanders | Sun Jian, Bao Zhong, Guan Yu | Hua Xiong, Hu Zhen, Li Su(李肅), Zhao Cen |
| Strength | 暗撥其弟鮑忠，先將馬步軍三千 | 撥馬步軍五萬，同李肅、胡軫、趙岑星夜赴關迎敵 |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Ch. 5 §36