Novel scene
Liu Bei Catches His Enemies at Xiaoting 戰猇亭先主得仇人
About this event
"Liu Bei Catches His Enemies at Xiaoting" is the former scene of the title of Chapter 83 of the Romance, "Fighting at Xiaoting, the First Sovereign Catches His Enemies; Guarding the River Mouth, a Scholar Is Made Grand Commander," and is one passage of the Battle of Xiaoting. After Huang Zhong, who had gone out on hearing himself called old, is struck by an arrow and dies, Liu Bei takes Xiaoting, Guan Xing beheads Pan Zhang, and Mi Fang and Fu Shiren, who kill Ma Zhong and present his head, and Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, sent back by Sun Quan, all die before the spirit tablets of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Liu Bei rejects Sun Quan's offer of peace to the end. Romance, Ch. 83 §1–7 · 16–20 · 26–33
In Chen Shou's text, the Biography of the First Sovereign in Records of Shu 2 records that in the 2nd month of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222) the First Sovereign advanced from Zigui at the head of his generals and made camp at Xiaoting in Yidao, and records that before this Sun Quan had sent a letter asking for peace, but he was greatly angered and refused. Records, Shu 2 §69–70
In the Romance
In Chapter 83 of the Romance, in the 1st month, in spring, of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), Huang Zhong, hearing that Liu Bei had said old generals were of no use, goes to the camp at Yiling, beheads Shi Ji, a lieutenant of Pan Zhang, and drives Pan Zhang back. The next day, pursuing the fleeing Pan Zhang, he is surrounded by Zhou Tai, Han Dang, Pan Zhang and Ling Tong and hit in the shoulder by Ma Zhong's arrow, and although he is rescued by Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, he dies that night in the imperial camp at the age of seventy-five. Romance, Ch. 83 §1–7
Lamenting that three of the Five Tiger Generals are already dead, Liu Bei divides his army into eight columns and advances on Xiaoting, and in the middle of the 2nd month Zhang Bao and Guan Xing behead Xia Xun and Zhou Ping and inflict a great defeat on the Wu army. Gan Ning, who is ill, is hit by an arrow from Shamoke, king of the barbarians, and dies under a great tree at Fuchikou, and Liu Bei takes Xiaoting. Romance, Ch. 83 §9–16
Guan Xing, who has lost his way pursuing Pan Zhang, comes face to face with him at a farmhouse where an image of Guan Yu is enshrined; Guan Yu's spirit appears, and while Pan Zhang is struck with terror, Guan Xing beheads him and recovers the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. That night, overhearing his soldiers whispering about killing them and surrendering to Shu, Mi Fang, together with Fu Shiren, kills Ma Zhong and presents his head to Liu Bei. Liu Bei, saying that they have come to save their lives only now that they are in danger, does not pardon them, and before Guan Yu's spirit tablet he hacks the two men to pieces with his own hands as an offering. Romance, Ch. 83 §16–28
Sun Quan, frightened, follows Bu Zhi's advice and sends back Zhang Fei's head together with Fan Jiang and Zhang Da, offering to return Jing Province and Liu Bei's wife and asking for peace, and Zhang Bao hacks the two men to pieces as an offering to his father. But Liu Bei, saying that the enemy he gnashes his teeth at is Sun Quan, rejects peace, declaring that he will destroy Wu first and then Wei. Romance, Ch. 83 §29–33
Where the Romance differs
Huang Zhong's death: In Chapter 83 of the Romance, Huang Zhong is surrounded by the Wu army at Yiling in the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222), struck by an arrow, and dies. Huang Zhong's biography in the Records records that in the 24th year of Jian'an (219) Liu Bei, having become King of Hanzhong, made Huang Zhong General of the Rear, and that he died the following year. Romance, Ch. 83 §1–7Records, Shu 6 §36–37
Pan Zhang's end: In Chapter 83 of the Romance, Pan Zhang is beheaded by Guan Xing after the fighting at Xiaoting. In Pan Zhang's biography in the Records, Pan Zhang later held off Xiahou Shang when he besieged Nan Commandery, became General of the Right when Sun Quan took the imperial title, and died in the 3rd year of Jiahe (234). Romance, Ch. 83 §19–20Records, Wu 10 §93–96
Zhang Fei's head: In Chapter 83 of the Romance, Sun Quan sends back Zhang Fei's head together with Fan Jiang and Zhang Da and asks for peace. Zhang Fei's biography in the Records records only that Zhang Da and Fan Jiang killed Zhang Fei and fled to Sun Quan with his head, and the Biography of the First Sovereign records that Sun Quan sent a letter asking for peace, but the First Sovereign was greatly angered and refused. Romance, Ch. 83 §30–33Records, Shu 6 §23Records, Shu 2 §69
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.