Battle
Battle of Xiaquyang 下曲陽之戰
About this event
The Battle of Xiaquyang was the fight at Quyang, during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, between the government army led by Huangfu Song and Zhang Liang's Yellow Turban band. Chapter 2 of the Romance gives the battlefield as Quyang and says that Cao Cao, Chief Commandant of Cavalry, followed Huangfu Song and fought a great battle with Zhang Liang at Quyang. Huangfu Song, who has come to replace Dong Zhuo, wins seven victories in a row over Zhang Liang, who led Zhang Jue's followers after Zhang Jue had already died, beheads him at Quyang, digs up Zhang Jue's coffin and sends the head to the capital. The remaining followers all surrender. Romance, Ch. 2 §3 · 8–9
Chen Shou's text has no such battle. The Biography of Sun Jian says only that the Han court sent Huangfu Song, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Zhu Jun, General of the Household, against the Yellow Turbans, and the names of Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao do not appear. In the Romance this battle is conveyed at the beginning of Chapter 2 through the report of a scout sent by Zhu Jun. Records, Wu 1 §6Romance, Ch. 2 §8
In the Romance
In Chapter 1 of the Romance, Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, fleeing after being attacked with fire at Changshe, are blocked by Cao Cao, Chief Commandant of Cavalry, and lose more than ten thousand heads, and after meeting Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun, Cao Cao at once sets off in pursuit of the two. Huangfu Song foresees that Zhang Liang and Zhang Bao, their strength spent, are sure to go to Zhang Jue at Guangzong for refuge. Romance, Ch. 1 §40–42
In Chapter 2, while Liu Bei and his two companions join forces with Zhu Jun to attack Zhang Bao, Cao Cao was following Huangfu Song against Zhang Liang and fighting a great battle at Quyang. Romance, Ch. 2 §3
A scout sent by Zhu Jun, who has surrounded Yangcheng, reports that Huangfu Song has won a great victory. Because of Dong Zhuo's repeated defeats the court had Huangfu Song replace him; when Huangfu Song arrived, Zhang Jue was already dead and Zhang Liang was leading his followers against him. Huangfu Song won seven victories in a row, beheaded Zhang Liang at Quyang, dug up Zhang Jue's coffin, cut the head from the corpse, displayed it and sent it to the capital, and the rest of the followers all surrendered. Romance, Ch. 2 §8–9
The court promotes Huangfu Song to General of Chariots and Cavalry and puts him in charge as Governor of Ji Province; on Huangfu Song's memorial Lu Zhi recovers his former office, and Cao Cao too, for his merit, becomes Chancellor of Jinan. Hearing this news, Zhu Jun attacks Yangcheng with all his strength, and the bandit officer Yan Zheng stabs Zhang Bao to death and surrenders, offering up his head. Romance, Ch. 2 §9
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.
Belligerents
| Item | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Factions | Eastern Han | Yellow Turbans |
| Commanders | Huangfu Song, Cao Cao | Zhang Liang(張梁) |
Factions, commanders, strength and casualties are checked against the source texts (3KDEX). Strength and casualties show only figures stated in the sources. Source: Ch. 2 §8