Novel scene
Liu Bei Flees to Hanjin Ford 劉豫州敗走漢津口
About this event
This is the scene of "Liu of Yuzhou, Defeated, Flees to Hanjin Ford" in the title of Chapter 42 of the Romance: Liu Bei, defeated in the Battle of Changban, cut down Changban Bridge, reached Hanjin by a byroad, met Guan Yu, Liu Qi and Zhuge Liang in turn and took refuge in Jiangxia, and after Cao Cao took Jiangling, Lu Su, sent by Sun Quan, came to Jiangxia. Romance, Ch. 42 §13–39
Chen Shou records in the Biography of the First Sovereign in Records of Shu 2 and the Biography of Guan Yu in Records of Shu 6 that the First Sovereign, heading obliquely toward Hanjin, met Guan Yu's boats and reached Xiakou. Records, Shu 2 §23Records, Shu 6 §7
Course of events in the Records
According to the Biography of the First Sovereign, the First Sovereign, defeated at Changban, headed obliquely toward Hanjin by a byroad, happened to meet Guan Yu's boats and crossed the Mian River, then met the more than 10,000 followers of Liu Qi, Liu Biao's eldest son and Administrator of Jiangxia, and reached Xiakou together with them. The Biography of Guan Yu records that the First Sovereign, intending to cross the river south from Fan, had separately sent Guan Yu with several hundred boats to meet him at Jiangling, but when Lord Cao pursued him to Changban in Dangyang, the First Sovereign went obliquely toward Hanjin, came upon Guan Yu's boats and reached Xiakou together with him. Records, Shu 2 §23Records, Shu 6 §7
According to the Biography of Lu Su, Lu Su, sent by Sun Quan, met Liu Bei at Changban in Dangyang and urged him to join forces with Sun Quan, and Liu Bei, on reaching Xiakou, sent Zhuge Liang to Sun Quan. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that Cao Cao advanced to Jiangling, issued an order to the officials and people of Jing Province that he would make a fresh start with them, and employed famous scholars of Jing Province such as Han Song and Deng Yi. Records, Wu 9 §42Records, Wei 1 §104
In the Romance
In Chapter 42 of the Romance, Cao Cao, who had fled in fright at Zhang Fei's roar, came to his senses at Zhang Liao's words, and on hearing that Zhang Fei had cut down the bridge and gone, said that Zhang Fei was afraid and had three pontoon bridges laid so as to cross that very night. Liu Bei, on hearing that the bridge had been cut down, said that this had instead revealed that they had no troops, and hurried toward Hanjin by a byroad. Romance, Ch. 42 §13–16
When Cao Cao's army caught up with them near Hanjin, Guan Yu, coming with 10,000 troops and horses borrowed from Jiangxia, appeared from behind a hillside, and Cao Cao withdrew, saying that he had again fallen into Zhuge Liang's trap. Guan Yu escorted Liu Bei's party and put them on boats at Hanjin, and on hearing why Lady Mi was not with them, he lamented that if his wishes had been followed during the hunt at Xutian, there would have been no such calamity. Romance, Ch. 42 §17–20
After Liu Qi, who came with boats from south of the river, Zhuge Liang, who had raised the troops of Xiakou, appeared with Sun Qian and joined them. Liu Bei had Guan Yu hold Xiakou with 5,000 troops and went to Jiangxia with Zhuge Liang and Liu Qi, while Cao Cao went to Jiangling through the night, accepted the surrender of Deng Yi and Liu Xian, and released Han Song, who had been imprisoned. Romance, Ch. 42 §21–26
Calling his army of 830,000 a million, Cao Cao sent Sun Quan a proclamation inviting him to hunt together at Jiangxia, and Sun Quan had Lu Su survey the situation at Jiangxia under the pretext of offering condolences on Liu Biao's death. Zhuge Liang had Liu Bei evade by saying he did not know Cao Cao's strengths and weaknesses, then, saying they intended to rely on Wu Chen, Administrator of Cangwu, drew out Lu Su's urging, and left for Chaisang with Lu Su. Romance, Ch. 42 §27–39
Where the Romance differs
Meeting Guan Yu: In Chapter 42 of the Romance, Guan Yu, coming with 10,000 troops and horses borrowed from Jiangxia, drove off Cao Cao on the road to Hanjin and put Liu Bei on the boats. In the Biographies of the First Sovereign and of Guan Yu in the Records, Guan Yu was from the start on his way to Jiangling with several hundred boats, and the First Sovereign happened to come upon those boats at Hanjin. Romance, Ch. 42 §18–20Records, Shu 2 §23Records, Shu 6 §7
Where they went: In Chapter 42 of the Romance, Liu Bei entrusted Xiakou to Guan Yu and went to Jiangxia with Zhuge Liang and Liu Qi. In the Biography of the First Sovereign in the Records, the First Sovereign reached Xiakou together with Liu Qi's more than 10,000 followers. Romance, Ch. 42 §25Records, Shu 2 §23
Where they met Lu Su: In Chapter 42 of the Romance, Lu Su came to Jiangxia under the pretext of offering condolences for Liu Biao and met Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. In the Biography of Lu Su in the Records, Lu Su met Liu Bei at Changban in Dangyang. Romance, Ch. 42 §29–35Records, Wu 9 §42
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.