Battle of Yan Ford 延津之戰

Yuan Shao advanced to Liyang and had Yan Liang attack Liu Yan, the Administrator of Dong Commandery, at Baima, and in the 4th month of summer in the 5th year of Jian'an (200), following Xun You's plan, Cao Cao made as if to cross the river at Yanjin, drew Yuan Shao's troops west, then surprised Baima and beheaded Yan Liang. Earlier, Yu Jin's biography records, Yu Jin had held Yanjin with 2,000 infantry to block Yuan Shao; while Cao Cao went to attack Liu Bei, Yuan Shao attacked Yu Jin but could not take his position, and Yu Jin, with Yue Jin and others, went southwest from Yanjin along the Yellow River and burned more than 30 of Yuan Shao's outlying camps. Records, Wei 6 §51Records, Wei 1 §60–61Records, Wei 17 §33

Cao Cao lifted the siege of Baima, moved its people and went west along the Yellow River. When Yuan Shao crossed the Yellow River in pursuit and reached south of Yanjin (the Biography of Yuan Shao says he built a fortification south of Yanjin), Cao Cao halted his troops and drew up below the southern slope. When the man watching from the rampart first said there were about 500 or 600 riders, then that the cavalry were gradually increasing and the infantry were beyond counting, Cao Cao told him to report no more and had his cavalry unsaddle and turn their horses loose. Records, Wei 1 §61–62Records, Wei 6 §51

At this time the baggage train from Baima was on the road. The generals said that with so many enemy cavalry it would be better to go back and defend the camp, but Xun You said this was bait to lure the enemy, so why abandon it; Xun You's biography records that Cao Cao glanced at Xun You and smiled. Yuan Shao's cavalry commander Wen Chou and Liu Bei arrived one after the other with 5,000 or 6,000 riders. The generals said it was time to mount, but Cao Cao said not yet, and only when more cavalry had come and some had scattered toward the baggage did he have everyone mount. Records, Wei 1 §62–63Records, Wei 10 §58

At this point Cao Cao's cavalry numbered fewer than 600, yet he let them loose, crushed the enemy and beheaded Wen Chou. Xun You's biography records that when they lured the enemy with the baggage as bait, the enemy rushed at it in competition and their ranks fell into disorder, and that Cao Cao let loose his infantry and cavalry, crushed them and beheaded their cavalry commander Wen Chou. Xu Huang's biography says that he advanced to Yanjin, defeated Wen Chou and was appointed Lieutenant General, and the Biography of Yuan Shao records that after beheading Wen Chou, Cao Cao fought again and captured a senior general of Yuan Shao. Records, Wei 1 §63Records, Wei 10 §58–59Records, Wei 17 §58Records, Wei 6 §51

The Annals of Emperor Wu record that Wen Chou and Yan Liang were both famous generals of Yuan Shao, and that with both taken in two battles, Yuan Shao's army was badly shaken. Cao Cao turned his troops back to Guandu, Yuan Shao advanced and held Yangwu, and Guan Yu fled back to Liu Bei. Xun Yu's biography records that Yan Liang and Wen Chou, whose courage Xun Yu had earlier called merely that of common fellows, lost their heads on the battlefield, exactly as Xun Yu had predicted. Records, Wei 1 §63Records, Wei 10 §30 · 32