Novel scene
Lü Bu Seizes Xu Province by Night 呂奉先乘夜襲徐郡
About this event
"Lü Bu Seizes Xu Province by Night" is the latter scene of the title of Chapter 14 of the Romance, "Cao Cao Moves the Imperial Carriage to Xudu; Lü Bu Seizes Xu Province by Night." It depicts the events from Cao Cao's attempt to split Liu Bei and Lü Bu with Xun Yu's two stratagems, to when, while Liu Bei was away attacking Yuan Shu, Zhang Fei, left guarding the city, got drunk and flogged Cao Bao, and the resentful Cao Bao called in Lü Bu and handed Xu Province over to him. Romance, Ch. 14 §36–37 · 43–47 · 52–58
The same events also appear in Chen Shou's text. The biography of Liu Bei in Records of Shu 2 records that in the 1st year of Jian'an (196), while Liu Bei was facing Yuan Shu for more than a month, Lü Bu took advantage of the opening to attack Xiapi, and Cao Bao, the general guarding Xiapi, turned traitor and secretly let Lü Bu in. Records, Shu 2 §11–12
In the Romance
In Chapter 14 of the Romance, Cao Cao worried that Liu Bei and Lü Bu would unite and attack him, and Xun Yu proposed the stratagem of two tigers competing for food: formally appointing Liu Bei, who was in charge of Xu Province, as Governor of Xu Province while sending along a secret letter telling him to kill Lü Bu. Liu Bei stopped Zhang Fei, who had drawn his sword to kill Lü Bu, showed the secret letter to Lü Bu, and swore that he would do nothing unrighteous. Xun Yu then proposed the stratagem of driving the tiger to swallow the wolf: letting Yuan Shu hear that Liu Bei was aiming at Nan Commandery, while issuing Liu Bei an edict to attack Yuan Shu. Romance, Ch. 14 §36–44
Though he knew it was a trick, Liu Bei said a royal command could not be disobeyed; he entrusted the city to Zhang Fei, who swore to give up drinking, had Chen Deng assist him, and set out with thirty thousand cavalry and infantry. Yuan Shu's senior general Ji Ling came with an army of a hundred thousand, the two armies met at Xuyi, and when Guan Yu cut down Ji Ling's lieutenant Xun Zheng in a single bout, Ji Ling fell back to the river mouth at Huaiyin. Romance, Ch. 14 §45–51
Zhang Fei held a banquet and forced wine on Cao Bao, who said he did not drink, and when Cao Bao asked him to spare him for the sake of his son-in-law Lü Bu, Zhang Fei grew even angrier and gave him fifty lashes. Resentful, Cao Bao sent a letter that night to Lü Bu at Xiaopei, and Lü Bu, urged on by Chen Gong, led five hundred horsemen to the foot of the walls at the fourth watch and entered through the gate Cao Bao opened for him. Romance, Ch. 14 §52–58
Still not sober, Zhang Fei escaped through the east gate guarded by eighteen horsemen, generals from Yan, and speared to death Cao Bao, who had come after him, at the riverside. Lü Bu entered the city, reassured the people, and set a hundred soldiers to guard the gate of Liu Bei's residence. On reaching Xuyi, Zhang Fei, rebuked by Guan Yu for losing the city and leaving their sisters-in-law captive, drew his sword to cut his own throat. Romance, Ch. 14 §59–64
Where the Romance differs
Cao Bao: In Chapter 14 of the Romance, Cao Bao was Lü Bu's father-in-law; resentful at being flogged by Zhang Fei, he called in Lü Bu, and he died at the riverside while chasing the fleeing Zhang Fei. The biography of Liu Bei in the Records says only that Cao Bao, the general guarding Xiapi, turned traitor and secretly let Lü Bu in; Zhang Fei's drinking and flogging and Cao Bao's death do not appear in Chen Shou's text. Romance, Ch. 14 §55 · 58 · 61Records, Shu 2 §12
Liu Bei's family: In the Romance, Lü Bu set a hundred soldiers to guard the gate of Liu Bei's residence. The biographies of Liu Bei and Mi Zhu in the Records say that Lü Bu captured Liu Bei's wife and children, and record that after Liu Bei moved his army to Haixi and sued for peace, Lü Bu sent his wife and children back. Romance, Ch. 14 §62Records, Shu 2 §12Records, Shu 8 §21
The city taken: The Romance depicts Lü Bu striking from Xiaopei into the city of Xuzhou. The Records give Xiapi as the place Lü Bu attacked and seized, and afterward Lü Bu stationed Liu Bei at Xiaopei and styled himself Inspector of Xu Province. Romance, Ch. 14 §56–58Records, Wei 7 §16
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.