Battle
Battle of Bowang 博望坡之戰
About this event
The Battle of Bowang was the fight in which Liu Bei, who had entrusted himself to Liu Biao of Jing Province, was holding off Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin and others sent by Cao Cao at Bowang when he set an ambush, burned his own camp, feigned flight, and defeated Xiahou Dun and the others who came in pursuit. On Cao Cao's side, Li Dian, suspecting an ambush, stayed behind on guard and then went to the rescue, and Liu Bei withdrew on seeing the relief force. Chen Shou's text does not give the year, and the Biography of the First Sovereign places it "a long time" after Liu Bei stationed himself at Xinye following Cao Cao's defeat of Yuan Shao. Records, Shu 2 §19Records, Wei 18 §5–6
Chen Shou recorded this fight in the Biography of the First Sovereign in Records of Shu 2 and in the Biographies of Li Dian, Li Tong, Zang Ba, Wen Pin, Lü Qian, Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Pang De, Pang Yu and Yan Wen in Records of Wei 18. The Romance depicts it in Chapter 39, "In the city of Jingzhou the young lord thrice seeks advice; at Bowang Slope the Directing Instructor first commands troops," as the fight in which Zhuge Liang commands troops for the first time and defeats Xiahou Dun with a fire attack. Records, Shu 2 §19Records, Wei 18 §5–6Romance, Ch. 39 §22–45
Course of events in the Records
After defeating Yuan Shao, Cao Cao marched south against Liu Bei in person, and Liu Bei sent Mi Zhu and Sun Qian to convey his wishes to Liu Biao. Liu Biao came out to the outskirts in person to greet him, treated him with the courtesy due an honored guest, gave him additional troops and had him station himself at Xinye. As more and more of the bold men of Jing Province turned to Liu Bei day by day, Liu Biao grew suspicious of his intentions and secretly guarded against him. Records, Wei 1 §73Records, Shu 2 §19
Liu Biao had Liu Bei hold off Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin and others at Bowang. Li Dian's biography records that when Liu Biao sent Liu Bei to invade northward and he reached She County, Cao Cao sent Li Dian to follow Xiahou Dun and stop him. Records, Shu 2 §19Records, Wei 18 §5
A long time later, Liu Bei set an ambush and one morning burned his own camp and feigned flight. When Xiahou Dun was about to lead the various units in pursuit, Li Dian said that the enemy was withdrawing for no reason, so there must be an ambush, and that the southern road was narrow and thick with grass and trees, so they should not pursue. Xiahou Dun did not listen and gave chase with Yu Jin, while Li Dian stayed behind on guard. Records, Shu 2 §19Records, Wei 18 §5–6
Xiahou Dun and the others did indeed run into the ambush and the fight went against them; the Biography of the First Sovereign records this as Xiahou Dun and the others being defeated by the ambush. When Li Dian went to the rescue, Liu Bei, seeing the relief force coming, scattered and withdrew. Records, Shu 2 §19Records, Wei 18 §6
Cao Hong's biography in the Biographies of the Xiahou and Cao Clans records that Cao Hong separately attacked Liu Biao and defeated Liu Biao's detached generals at Wuyang, Yin, She, Duyang and Bowang, but does not say whether this was at the same time as this fight. Liu Bei stayed on at Xinye after that, and in the 12th year of Jian'an (207), when Cao Cao went north to attack the Wuhuan, he urged Liu Biao to raid Xu, but Liu Biao could not make use of the plan. Records, Wei 9 §50Records, Shu 2 §20
In the Romance
In Chapter 39 of the Romance, Cao Cao, now Chancellor, follows Xiahou Dun's advice to deal early with Liu Bei at Xinye, makes him Chief Commander with Yu Jin, Li Dian, Xiahou Lan and Han Hao as his lieutenants, and sends him with 100,000 troops to the city of Bowang. When Xu Shu says that he himself is a firefly and Zhuge Liang the bright moon, Xiahou Dun scoffs that Zhuge Liang is a mere straw and boasts that if he fails to capture Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang in a single battle, he will offer up his own head. Romance, Ch. 39 §21–24
When Liu Bei treats Zhuge Liang with the courtesy due a teacher, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei are displeased. At the urgent report that Xiahou Dun is coming, Liu Bei hands over his sword and seal, and Zhuge Liang places Guan Yu in ambush at Mount Yu to the left of Bowang and Zhang Fei in the valley behind Anlin to the right, has Guan Ping and Liu Feng prepare to set fires behind Bowang Slope, and tells Zhao Yun not to try to win but only to lose. When Zhuge Liang says he himself will guard the county seat, Zhang Fei sneers, and Guan Yu says they will see whether the plan works. Romance, Ch. 39 §25–34
As the autumn wind rises, Xiahou Dun pursues Zhao Yun, who feigns defeat and flees, to Bowang Slope, ignoring Han Hao's warning of an ambush. When at dusk they reach a narrow road with reed beds on both sides, Li Dian fears a fire attack and Yu Jin tells Xiahou Dun, but at that moment flames rise behind them and spread in all directions on the wind, and Cao Cao's troops trample one another to death. Li Dian is blocked by Guan Yu and flees, Zhang Fei spears Xiahou Lan to death, and Xiahou Dun gathers his remaining troops and returns to Xuchang. Calling Zhuge Liang a true hero, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei prostrate themselves before his carriage. Romance, Ch. 39 §35–45
Where the Romance differs
Who made the plan: In Chapter 39 of the Romance, Zhuge Liang, newly welcomed as Directing Instructor, receives the sword and seal and commands troops for the first time. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, it was Liu Bei himself who set the ambush, burned his camp and feigned flight, and Zhuge Liang does not appear in this passage. Romance, Ch. 39 §29–33Records, Shu 2 §19
The use of fire: In Chapter 39 of the Romance, the reed beds along the narrow road at Bowang Slope are set ablaze to burn Xiahou Dun's troops. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, what Liu Bei burned was his own camp, in order to feign flight and draw the enemy into the ambush. Romance, Ch. 39 §41Records, Shu 2 §19
Li Dian's warning: In Chapter 39 of the Romance, Li Dian, fearing a fire attack in the reed beds, speaks to Yu Jin, and Yu Jin tells Xiahou Dun, but it is already too late. In Li Dian's biography in the Records, Li Dian told Xiahou Dun before the pursuit that there was an ambush and they should not give chase, stayed behind alone on guard, and then went to the rescue and made Liu Bei withdraw. Romance, Ch. 39 §39–41Records, Wei 18 §5–6
Losses on Cao Cao's side: In Chapter 39 of the Romance, Xiahou Lan is killed by Zhang Fei, the provisions and fodder are all burned, and corpses litter the fields. The Biography of the First Sovereign and Li Dian's biography in the Records say only that Xiahou Dun and the others were defeated by the ambush and the fight went against them, with no generals killed or numbers given. Romance, Ch. 39 §41–43Records, Shu 2 §19Records, Wei 18 §6
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 | Shu | Wei |
| Commanders | Liu Bei, Liu Feng, Zhao Yun | Li Dian, Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Shu 2 §19