Novel scene
Yuan Shao Battles Gongsun Zan at the Pan River 袁紹磐河戰公孫
About this event
Yuan Shao Battles Gongsun Zan at the Pan River is the former scene of the Chapter 7 title of the Romance, "Yuan Shao fights Gongsun at the Pan River; Sun Jian crosses the river to attack Liu Biao." It portrays how Yuan Shao, after obtaining Ji Province from Han Fu by a ruse, clashes at the Pan River with Gongsun Zan, who has invaded after losing his younger brother Gongsun Yue, fights the Battle of Jieqiao, and is reconciled with him by an edict sent by Dong Zhuo. Romance, Ch. 7 §2–3 · 7–10 · 17 · 24–25
Chen Shou's text has the same outline. The biography of Gongsun Zan records that Gongsun Zan, blaming Yuan Shao for the death of his cousin Gongsun Yue, stationed himself at the Pan River and then advanced to Jieqiao, and that he was defeated by Yuan Shao's general Qu Yi and fled to Bohai. Records, Wei 8 §12–13
In the Romance
In Chapter 7 of the Romance, when Yuan Shao, stationed at Henei, runs short of provisions, his adviser Feng Ji proposes having Gongsun Zan attack Ji Province so as to frighten Han Fu into handing over the province. When Gongsun Zan raises troops in response to Yuan Shao's letter proposing to divide the land equally, Yuan Shao secretly informs Han Fu, and Han Fu, on Xun Chen's advice, invites Yuan Shao in. The Chief Clerk Geng Wu, who protests that this is like drawing a tiger into a flock of sheep, tries with Guan Chun to stab Yuan Shao and is cut down by Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and Yuan Shao enters Ji Province and strips Han Fu of all his power. Romance, Ch. 7 §2–7
Gongsun Zan's younger brother Gongsun Yue, who has come to divide the land, is killed on his way back by the arrows of a band calling themselves generals of Chancellor Dong's household, and Gongsun Zan, saying that Yuan Shao had his brother killed by disguising his men as Dong Zhuo's troops, invades Ji Province. When the two armies face each other across the bridge over the Pan River, Wen Chou charges up onto the bridge and pursues Gongsun Zan, and just as he is about to stab Gongsun Zan, who has tumbled down a slope, Zhao Yun of Zhending in Changshan appears, fights Wen Chou for fifty or sixty bouts and saves him. Romance, Ch. 7 §8–13
The next day Gongsun Zan divides his cavalry, most of it on white horses, into left and right wings and makes his chief general Yan Gang the vanguard. Yuan Shao gives Yan Liang and Wen Chou a thousand crossbowmen each to shoot at the left and right, and puts Qu Yi in charge of the center of the formation with eight hundred archers and fifteen thousand infantry. Qu Yi's crossbowmen, crouching under their shields, shoot all at once at the sound of a cannon, Qu Yi beheads Yan Gang, and Yuan Shao's troops drive all the way to the edge of Jieqiao and cut down Gongsun Zan's banner bearing the character "commander." Romance, Ch. 7 §14–17
But Zhao Yun stabs Qu Yi to death and runs riot through Yuan Shao's army. Yuan Shao, who has been watching off his guard, flings down his helmet when Tian Feng urges him to take cover inside an empty wall, crying that he will fight to the death, and when Yuan Shao's main army and Yan Liang come up in force, Zhao Yun guards Gongsun Zan and returns to Jieqiao. Yuan Shao crosses the bridge in pursuit, but meets Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who have come from Pingyuan, drops his precious sword and flees. After a standoff of more than a month, Dong Zhuo, on Li Ru's advice, sends the Grand Tutor Ma Midi and the Minister Coachman Zhao Qi to reconcile the two by imperial edict. Romance, Ch. 7 §18–25
Where the Romance differs
The death of Gongsun Yue: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Gongsun Yue, who had come to Yuan Shao proposing to divide the land of Ji Province, is killed on his way back by the arrows of a band calling themselves generals of Chancellor Dong. In the biography of Gongsun Zan in the Records, Gongsun Yue, who had gone to Yuan Shu, was hit and killed by a stray arrow while attacking, together with Sun Jian, Zhou Ang, whom Yuan Shao had sent, and Gongsun Zan stationed himself at the Pan River, saying that the disaster had come from Yuan Shao. Romance, Ch. 7 §8–9Records, Wei 8 §11–12
The end of the fight at Jieqiao: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Qu Yi beheads Yan Gang but is stabbed to death by Zhao Yun, Yuan Shao is chased by Liu Bei and his two companions, and the two are reconciled by Dong Zhuo's edict. In the biography of Gongsun Zan in the Records, Yuan Shao, encamped at Guangchuan, sent Qu Yi forward as his vanguard and captured Yan Gang alive, and Gongsun Zan's troops were defeated and fled to Bohai. Romance, Ch. 7 §16 · 18 · 22 · 24–25Records, Wei 8 §13
Zhao Yun: In Chapter 7 of the Romance, Zhao Yun, on his way to Gongsun Zan after abandoning Yuan Shao, saves him at the Pan River and parts from Liu Bei in tears. The biography of Zhao Yun in the Records records that Zhao Yun originally belonged to Gongsun Zan, and when Gongsun Zan sent Liu Bei to resist Yuan Shao on behalf of Tian Kai, he went along with him and took charge of Liu Bei's cavalry. Romance, Ch. 7 §12–13 · 25Records, Shu 6 §39
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.