Battle of Mount Dingjun 定軍山之戰

In the 23rd year of Jian'an (218) Liu Bei halted at Yangping Pass, confronting Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He and others, and the Biography of Xiahou Yuan records that this standoff lasted into the next year. According to the Biography of Zhang He, Liu Bei was stationed at Yangping and Zhang He at Guangshi, and when Liu Bei divided more than 10,000 picked troops into ten units and made a sudden night attack on Zhang He, Zhang He led his personal troops in hand-to-hand fighting and Liu Bei could not win. Cao Cao had reached Chang'an in the 9th month of that year and was staying there. Records, Shu 2 §37Records, Wei 9 §24Records, Wei 17 §47–48Records, Wei 1 §163

In the 1st month of the 24th year (219) Liu Bei burned the abatis of the encircling works at night. The Biography of Xiahou Yuan records that Xiahou Yuan had Zhang He guard the eastern siege lines while he himself guarded the southern ones with lightly armed troops, and that when Liu Bei challenged Zhang He to battle and Zhang He's army fared badly, Xiahou Yuan split off half of the troops under him to help Zhang He, was attacked by Liu Bei and was killed in battle. The Biography of Zhang He records that when Liu Bei burned the main siege lines at Zouma Valley, Xiahou Yuan went to put out the fire, met Liu Bei on another road, and died fighting at close quarters with short weapons. Records, Wei 9 §24Records, Wei 17 §48

The Biography of the First Sovereign records that in the spring of the 24th year Liu Bei crossed the Mian River southward from Yangping, advanced little by little along the mountains and set up camp using the terrain of Mount Dingjun, and the Biography of Fa Zheng says that he set up camp at Dingjun and Xingshi. When Xiahou Yuan came with troops to contest the ground, Fa Zheng said they could attack, and Liu Bei had Huang Zhong climb to the heights and attack with drums beating and battle cries, routing Xiahou Yuan's army and beheading Xiahou Yuan and Zhao Yong, whom Cao Cao had appointed Inspector of Yi Province, among others. Records, Shu 2 §38Records, Shu 7 §31–32

The Biography of Huang Zhong records that although Xiahou Yuan's troops were very well trained, Huang Zhong pressed forward relentlessly with spearheads in front, urging on his men, so that gongs and drums shook the heavens and battle cries echoed through the valleys, and in a single battle he beheaded Xiahou Yuan and routed his army. Huang Zhong was promoted to General Who Conquers the West. Records, Shu 6 §36

Having lost their commander, the three armies of Wei all turned pale, fearing that Liu Bei would take advantage of the moment. Xiahou Yuan's Major Guo Huai, who had been kept from the battle by illness, gathered the scattered soldiers and put Zhang He forward as commander of the army, saying that Zhang He was a famous general of the state whom Liu Bei feared. Zhang He put the troops in order and steadied the camps, and the generals accepted his command, while the Biography of Du Xi records that Du Xi took charge of the armies' affairs together with Zhang He and Guo Huai. Zhang He returned to Yangping. Records, Wei 17 §48–49Records, Wei 26 §63Records, Wei 23 §39–40

The next day, when Liu Bei wanted to cross the Han River to attack, the generals wanted to deploy along the river to resist him. Guo Huai said that this would be showing weakness, and proposed deploying far from the river and striking when the enemy was halfway across; when they had deployed, Liu Bei grew suspicious and did not cross. Cao Cao, at Chang'an, approved of this, lent Zhang He the tally of authority and made Guo Huai Major again, and he made Cao Zhen Protector of the Army for the Campaign against Shu, leading Xu Huang and others to defeat Liu Bei's detached general Gao Xiang at Yangping. Records, Wei 26 §64Records, Wei 17 §49Records, Wei 9 §63

The Biography of Xiahou Yuan records that although Xiahou Yuan won many battles, Cao Cao always warned him that a general must at times know fear and that one who relies on valor alone is a match only for a single man. Xiahou Yuan's posthumous title was Marquis Min. On hearing of Fa Zheng's plan, Cao Cao said that he had known Xuande was incapable of such a thing and must have been taught by someone. In the 3rd month Cao Cao himself came out through the Xie Valley and reached Yangping. Records, Wei 9 §24–25Records, Shu 7 §32Records, Wei 1 §166