Novel scene
Lu Xun Burns Seven Hundred Li of Camps 陸遜營燒七百里
About this event
"Lu Xun Burns Seven Hundred Li of Camps" is the former scene of the title of Chapter 84 of the Romance, "Lu Xun Burns Camps Stretching Seven Hundred Li; Kongming Cleverly Lays Out the Eight Formations Maze." Seeing through Liu Bei's ambush, which used Wu Ban as bait, Lu Xun sends Chunyu Dan to make a trial attack on one of the Shu camps, and then, when the southeast wind blows, burns the Shu camps strung out over seven hundred li with thatch and kindling. Liu Bei, surrounded on Mount Ma'an, is rescued by Zhao Yun and enters Baidicheng with only a hundred or so men. This scene is one passage of the Battle of Xiaoting. Romance, Ch. 84 §1–5 · 16–31
In Chen Shou's text, the Biography of Lu Xun in Records of Wu 13 records that Lu Xun first attacked a single camp without success, then had each soldier carry a bundle of thatch and broke more than forty camps by fire attack, and that Liu Bei climbed Mount Ma'an, fled by night and barely made it into Baidicheng. The Biography of the First Sovereign records this as an event of the 6th month of the 2nd year of Zhangwu (222). Records, Wu 13 §21–22Records, Shu 2 §71
In the Romance
In Chapter 84 of the Romance, when Wu Ban arrays old and feeble soldiers on the plain to offer battle, Lu Xun, saying that there are troops in ambush in the valley, stops Xu Sheng and Ding Feng from sallying out. Three days later, when the ambushing troops do indeed come out escorting Liu Bei, the generals are at last filled with admiration. Cao Pi, Lord of Wei, hearing that the camps have been strung out over seven hundred li, laughs that Liu Bei will soon be defeated, and Zhuge Liang too, on seeing the map, sighs with worry about a fire attack. Romance, Ch. 84 §1–6 · 10–14
Lu Xun has Chunyu Dan attack the fourth camp south of the river, held by Fu Tong, with 5,000 men; Chunyu Dan is chased off by Fu Tong, Zhao Rong and Shamoke and comes back wounded by an arrow. Lu Xun, saying that he was only testing the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, has Zhu Ran advance by water and Han Dang and Zhou Tai along the north and south banks of the river when the southeast wind rises the next day, and burn twenty of the forty camps, every other camp. Romance, Ch. 84 §16–21
When the imperial camp collapses in the flames, Liu Bei takes refuge on Mount Ma'an with Zhang Bao and Fu Tong, and then, at Guan Xing's urging, flees toward Baidicheng. When Zhu Ran blocks his path, Zhao Yun, who has hurried from Jiangzhou, runs Zhu Ran through with his spear and rescues Liu Bei. Fu Tong, holding the rear, dies fighting, crying out that he will never surrender to the dogs of Wu; Cheng Ji cuts his own throat with his sword by the river; and Feng Xi and Zhang Nan are caught in a pincer attack by Sun Huan and killed. Shamoke is killed by Zhou Tai, Du Lu and Liu Ning surrender, and Lady Sun, in Wu, hearing a false rumor that Liu Bei is dead, throws herself into the river. Romance, Ch. 84 §23–39
Where the Romance differs
The death of Shamoke: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, Shamoke, fleeing alone on horseback, fights Zhou Tai for more than twenty bouts and is killed. Lu Xun's biography in the Records records only that Lu Xun led the various armies in a simultaneous attack and beheaded Zhang Nan, Feng Xi, the Hu king Shamoke and others. Romance, Ch. 84 §39Records, Wu 13 §21
The death of Cheng Ji: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, Cheng Ji, cut off on all sides by the river, draws his sword and cuts his own throat. The Biographies of Deng, Zhang, Zong and Yang in the Records record that Cheng Ji, when the pursuing ships overtook him as he was going back up the river, fought with a halberd in his own hands, and was killed when the enemy came in force and attacked him together. Romance, Ch. 84 §35Records, Shu 15 §79
Zhu Ran and Zhao Yun: In Chapter 84 of the Romance, Zhao Yun runs Zhu Ran through with his spear and rescues Liu Bei. Zhu Ran's biography in the Records records that Zhu Ran separately defeated Liu Bei's vanguard and cut off his retreat, was made General Who Conquers the North, and died in the 12th year of Chiwu (249), and Zhao Yun's biography has no account of the fighting at Yiling. Romance, Ch. 84 §29–30Records, Wu 11 §15 · 24Records, Shu 6 §39–41
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.