Hanzhong Campaign 漢中之戰

In the 20th year of Jian'an (215) Cao Cao attacked Zhang Lu and made both Ba and Hanzhong submit, and in the 12th month, returning from Nanzheng, he left Xiahou Yuan to garrison Hanzhong. Zhang He, who stayed behind with Xiahou Yuan, made the two commanderies of Badong and Baxi submit and was moving their people to Hanzhong when he was blocked by Zhang Fei at Dangqu and fell back to Nanzheng. In the 22nd year (217) Fa Zheng urged Liu Bei that Cao Cao's failure to use his momentum to go after Ba and Shu, hurrying back north instead and leaving Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He behind, was because he had troubles at home, and that the two men's talents were no match for Shu's generals, so that an attack with all their forces would succeed. Liu Bei approved of the plan. Records, Wei 1 §145–148 · 153Records, Wei 17 §47Records, Shu 7 §30–31

Following its entry for the winter of the 22nd year, the Annals of Emperor Wu record that when Liu Bei stationed Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, Wu Lan and others at Xiabian, Cao Cao sent Cao Hong to resist them. Cao Xiu took part in Cao Hong's army as Chief Commandant of Cavalry, and when the council hesitated on hearing that Zhang Fei had stationed himself at Gushan intending to cut off their rear, he said that if Zhang Fei really meant to cut the road he would have moved in secret, and proposed attacking Wu Lan first. In the 23rd year (218) Cao Hong defeated Wu Lan and beheaded his general Ren Kui and others, whereupon in the 3rd month Zhang Fei and Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong, and Qiang Duan of the Di of Yinping beheaded Wu Lan and sent his head. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that Wu Lan, Lei Tong and others entered Wudu and were all wiped out by Cao Cao's army. Records, Wei 1 §157–158 · 160Records, Wei 9 §55–56Records, Shu 2 §37

In the 23rd year Liu Bei led his generals into Hanzhong and 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 divided more than 10,000 picked troops into ten units and made a sudden night attack on Zhang He at Guangshi, but Zhang He led his personal troops in hand-to-hand fighting and Liu Bei could not win. The Biography of Xu Huang records that when Liu Bei sent Chen Shi and others with more than ten camps to cut the plank road at Mamingge, Xu Huang went separately and defeated them, and many of the enemy threw themselves into the mountain valleys and died. In the 7th month Cao Cao readied his troops and set out west to attack Liu Bei, reaching Chang'an in the 9th month. Records, Shu 2 §37Records, Wei 9 §24Records, Wei 17 §47–48 · 64Records, Wei 1 §163

In the spring of the 24th year (219) Liu Bei crossed the Mian River southward from Yangping, advanced little by little along the mountains and set up camp at Mount Dingjun (the Biography of Fa Zheng says Dingjun and Xingshi). When Xiahou Yuan came to contest the ground, Fa Zheng said they could attack, and Liu Bei had Huang Zhong attack from the heights 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. The Biography of Xiahou Yuan records that in the 1st month, when Liu Bei burned the abatis of the encircling works at night and attacked Zhang He, Xiahou Yuan split off half of the troops under him to help, and was killed in battle when he was attacked. Records, Shu 2 §38Records, Shu 7 §31–32Records, Wei 9 §24

With their commander lost, everyone in the Wei army turned pale, but Xiahou Yuan's Major Guo Huai gathered the scattered soldiers and put Zhang He forward as commander of the army, steadying the camps. The Biography of Du Xi records that Du Xi took charge of the troops together with Zhang He and Guo Huai. The next day, when Liu Bei wanted to cross the Han River to attack, Guo Huai proposed setting up their lines far from the river and striking when the enemy was halfway across, and when they had deployed, Liu Bei grew suspicious and did not cross. From Chang'an Cao Cao sent an envoy to lend Zhang He the tally of authority, and 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 17 §48–49Records, Wei 26 §63–64Records, Wei 23 §39–40Records, Wei 9 §63

In the 3rd month Cao Cao came out from Chang'an through the Xie Valley and, blocking the strategic points, approached Hanzhong and reached Yangping. Liu Bei said that even if Cao Cao came he could do nothing and that he would surely possess Hanchuan, and he gathered his forces, held the rugged ground and never engaged him. The Biography of the First Sovereign records that after several months Cao Cao still could not take it and deserters grew more numerous every day, and the Biography of Zhang He records that Liu Bei held the high mountains and did not dare to fight. In the 5th month, summer, Cao Cao led the various armies out of Hanzhong and returned to Chang'an. Records, Wei 1 §166–167Records, Shu 2 §38–39Records, Wei 17 §49

In withdrawing the garrison from Hanzhong, Cao Cao feared that Liu Bei would take the Di of Wudu to the north and threaten Guanzhong, and following Zhang Ji's plan he moved more than 50,000 Di settlements to the borders of Fufeng and Tianshui. Yang Fu, Administrator of Wudu, likewise moved more than 10,000 households of commoners and Di to the borders of Jingzhao, Fufeng and Tianshui. Having taken Hanzhong, Liu Bei sent Liu Feng, Meng Da and others to attack Shen Dan at Shangyong, and in the autumn his officials put him forward as King of Hanzhong. Chen Shou records that before the campaign Zhou Qun had said that Liu Bei would gain the land but not its people, and that so it turned out. Records, Wei 15 §44–45Records, Wei 25 §37Records, Shu 2 §39–40Records, Shu 12 §11