Novel scene
Zhao Yun Rescues His Lord Single-Handed 趙子龍單騎救主
About this event
This is the scene of "Zhao Zilong Rescues His Lord Single-Handed" in the title of Chapter 41 of the Romance: Zhao Yun, having lost Liu Bei's household in the Battle of Changban, ranged alone through the encirclement, found Lady Gan and sent her on, then, holding A Dou, entrusted to him by Lady Mi, to his breast, broke through layer upon layer of encirclement and returned to Liu Bei. The story continues to the opening of Chapter 42, where Zhao Yun crosses Changban Bridge and presents A Dou. Romance, Ch. 41 §41–62Romance, Ch. 42 §1–4
Chen Shou briefly records in the Biography of Zhao Yun in Records of Shu 6 and the Biography of Empress Gan in Records of Shu 4 that Zhao Yun, carrying the Later Sovereign in his arms and protecting Lady Gan, enabled them to escape disaster. Records, Shu 6 §39Records, Shu 4 §3
Course of events in the Records
According to the Biography of the First Sovereign, Lord Cao, with 5,000 elite cavalry, covered more than 300 li in a day and a night and caught up with the First Sovereign at Changban in Dangyang, and the First Sovereign abandoned his wife and children and fled with a few dozen horsemen, including Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun. The Biography of Zhao Yun records that when the First Sovereign abandoned his wife and children and fled south, Zhao Yun personally carried his infant son, that is, the Later Sovereign, in his arms and protected Lady Gan, the Later Sovereign's mother, so that both escaped disaster, and that he was afterwards promoted to General of the Gate. The Biography of Empress Gan likewise says that, the situation being desperate, the First Sovereign abandoned Lady Gan and the Later Sovereign, but they escaped the disaster thanks to Zhao Yun's protection. Records, Shu 2 §22Records, Shu 6 §39Records, Shu 4 §3
In the Romance
In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Zhao Yun, having fought from the fourth watch until daybreak, could not find Liu Bei and had even lost the household entrusted to him, so he led thirty or forty horsemen back into the confused fighting. He first sent off Jian Yong, whom he found lying in the grass, and found Lady Gan walking barefoot among the common people; then he speared Cao Ren's subordinate general Chunyu Dao and rescued Mi Zhu, who was being led away as a captive, sent the two of them to Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge, and went back in again. Romance, Ch. 41 §41–49
Having won the Qinggang sword by spearing Xiahou En, who carried Cao Cao's sword, in a single bout, Zhao Yun, though left alone, kept searching for Lady Mi, and found her beside a dry well under the earthen wall of a burned house, weeping as she held A Dou. Lady Mi, wounded in the left leg by a spear, refused to mount his horse to the end, handed him A Dou and threw herself into the well, and Zhao Yun pushed over the earthen wall to cover the well and held A Dou inside his armor. Romance, Ch. 41 §50–57
Zhao Yun speared Cao Hong's subordinate general Yan Ming, and while being chased by Zhang He he fell into a pit, but leapt out amid a red glow and drove off Ma Yan, Zhang Yi, Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, who blocked him front and rear, with the Qinggang sword. Seeing this from atop Jingshan, Cao Cao ordered that no arrows be shot and that he be taken alive, and Zhao Yun broke through the encirclement, killing more than fifty famous generals. In Chapter 42, after Zhao Yun had cut down even the brothers Zhong Jin and Zhong Shen and crossed Changban Bridge to present A Dou, Liu Bei threw the child to the ground, saying that because of this child he had nearly lost a great general. Romance, Ch. 41 §57–64Romance, Ch. 42 §1–4
Where the Romance differs
Lady Gan and A Dou: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Zhao Yun found Lady Gan and sent her ahead, then went back in and broke through the encirclement holding A Dou, entrusted to him by Lady Mi, to his breast. In the Biographies of Zhao Yun and of Empress Gan in the Records, Zhao Yun carried the Later Sovereign in his arms and protected Lady Gan so that they escaped disaster together, and Lady Mi does not appear. Romance, Ch. 41 §45–48 · 55–57Records, Shu 6 §39Records, Shu 4 §3
Zhao Yun at Liu Bei's side: In Chapter 41 of the Romance, Zhao Yun became separated from Liu Bei and wandered within the encirclement, and Mi Fang reported that Zhao Yun had gone over to Cao Cao. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, the First Sovereign abandoned his wife and children and fled together with a few dozen horsemen, including Zhuge Liang, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun. Romance, Ch. 41 §38 · 41Records, Shu 2 §22
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.