Novel scene
Taishi Ci Duels the Little Conqueror 太史慈酣鬥小霸王
About this event
"Taishi Ci Duels the Little Conqueror" is the first scene of the title of Chapter 15 of the Romance, "Taishi Ci Duels the Little Conqueror; Sun Ce Battles Yan Baihu," the episode of the Battle of Que in which Liu Yao's general Taishi Ci and Sun Ce clash at Shenting Ridge. The Romance depicts Sun Ce, who had borrowed troops from Yuan Shu and crossed the river, defeating Zhang Ying at Niuzhu, setting up camp north of Shenting Ridge, and then running into Taishi Ci when he went to pray at the temple of Emperor Guangwu on the ridge. Romance, Ch. 15 §14–15 · 22–28
Chen Shou's text also contains the duel between the two. The Biographies of Liu Yao, Taishi Ci and Shi Xie (Records of Wu 4) record that Taishi Ci, scouting the enemy with only a single horseman, encountered Sun Ce and fought him, and that later, when Taishi Ci had been captured, Sun Ce asked him, "Do you remember what happened at Shenting?" Records, Wu 4 §27–29
In the Romance
In Chapter 15 of the Romance, hearing that Sun Ce was coming, Liu Yao consulted his generals; keeping Taishi Ci, who volunteered for the vanguard, at his side on the grounds that he was too young to be a commander, he sent Zhang Ying to Niuzhu. While Zhang Ying was fighting Huang Gai, his force collapsed when Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai set fires behind his camp, and he fled; Sun Ce advanced to Shenting and camped north of the ridge, and Liu Yao camped south of it. Romance, Ch. 15 §20–24
Saying he had seen Emperor Guangwu in a dream, Sun Ce brushed aside Zhang Zhao's objections and went with thirteen horsemen, including Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai, to pray at the temple on the ridge, then crossed the ridge to observe Liu Yao's camp. When Liu Yao said it was a ruse to lure them out and forbade pursuit, Taishi Ci, without waiting for his commander's order, set out in pursuit with one young officer. The two fought fifty bouts without a decision, fought another fifty on the plain, fell from their horses together and grappled bare-handed; Sun Ce snatched the short halberd from Taishi Ci's back, and Taishi Ci seized Sun Ce's helmet. Liu Yao's relief force of a thousand or so, Cheng Pu and the other twelve horsemen, and Zhou Yu's troops arrived one after another, and when a storm of wind and rain broke, both sides withdrew. Romance, Ch. 15 §25–33
The next day Sun Ce hung the short halberd on the tip of a spear, and Taishi Ci the helmet, in front of their lines, each having his men shout that he had won, and Taishi Ci fought thirty bouts with Cheng Pu. When word came that Zhou Yu had attacked and taken Qu'e, Liu Yao withdrew, and when he was badly defeated by Sun Ce's night raid that night, Taishi Ci went to Jing County. While gathering followers, Taishi Ci fell into Zhou Yu's trap and was captured, and when Sun Ce untied his bonds himself and asked whether he would have harmed him had he caught him at Shenting, Taishi Ci answered, "Who can say?" Saying he would go and gather the remaining followers, Taishi Ci left, and at noon the next day, as promised, he returned with more than a thousand men. Romance, Ch. 15 §33–36 · 43–47
Where the Romance differs
How the duel came about: In Chapter 15 of the Romance, Taishi Ci set out in pursuit without waiting for his commander's order, fought Sun Ce twice for fifty bouts each, and fell from his horse together with him and grappled. In the biography of Taishi Ci in the Records, Liu Yao had Taishi Ci merely scout the enemy's strength; going with only a single horseman, he encountered Sun Ce, who had thirteen horsemen with him, including Han Dang, Song Qian and Huang Gai. Sun Ce stabbed Taishi Ci's horse and snatched the hand halberd at the back of his neck, and Taishi Ci seized Sun Ce's helmet. When foot soldiers and horsemen from both sides came running, the two broke apart. Romance, Ch. 15 §27–32Records, Wu 4 §27–28
How Taishi Ci was captured: In Chapter 15 of the Romance, Taishi Ci, fleeing after slipping out of the city of Jing County, was captured by Zhou Yu's ambush and by ropes stretched to trip his horse. In the Records, Taishi Ci, who should have fled to Yuzhang with Liu Yao, went from Wuhu into the mountains, styled himself Administrator of Danyang and set up a garrison headquarters at Jing County, and Sun Ce campaigned against him in person and captured him. Romance, Ch. 15 §43–45Records, Wu 4 §29
The deadline for his return: In Chapter 15 of the Romance, Taishi Ci promised to return by noon the next day and kept his word. In the Records, after Liu Yao died at Yuzhang, Taishi Ci went to pacify his more than ten thousand followers, who had no one to rely on, saying he would not be gone more than sixty days, and he did indeed return by the deadline. Romance, Ch. 15 §46–47Records, Wu 4 §30
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.