Weapon
Baodiaogong 寶雕弓
About this item
The Baodiaogong is the bow that Emperor Xian wears when he sets out on the hunt at Xutian in the Romance. In the scene "Cao Cao Hunts at Xutian" in Chapter 20 of the Romance, Cao Cao asks Emperor Xian for this bow and the golden-tipped arrows and shoots a deer, takes the courtiers' cheers of "Long live the Emperor" upon himself, and in the end never returns the bow but hangs it at his own side. Romance, Ch. 20 §11 · 14–15
The Romance mentions the Baodiaogong three times in Chapter 20, and in Chapter 94 Yueji, commander-in-chief of the Qiang troops, wears a bow of the same name at his waist. The Baodiaogong appears neither in Chen Shou's text nor in Pei Songzhi's commentary. The Shu Ji (Account of Shu) quoted in Pei Songzhi's commentary records only that when Liu Bei was at Xu he hunted together with Cao Cao, and that when the party scattered during the hunt Guan Yu urged Liu Bei to kill Cao Cao, but Liu Bei did not follow his advice. Romance, Ch. 20 §11 · 14–15Romance, Ch. 94 §6Records, Shu 6 §7
In the Romance
In Chapter 20 of the Romance, Cao Cao means to ask the Son of Heaven to hold a hunt so as to observe how the court reacts. Emperor Xian fears that hunting may not be the proper way but cannot refuse; he mounts the Xiaoyao horse, wears the Baodiaogong and the golden-tipped arrows, and leaves the city. Cao Cao rides the Zhuahuang Feidian, leads a host of 100,000, and hunts at Xutian riding side by side with the Son of Heaven, only a horse's head apart. Romance, Ch. 20 §10–12
When Emperor Xian shoots three times in a row at a large deer, misses, and tells Cao Cao to shoot, Cao Cao asks for the Son of Heaven's Baodiaogong and golden-tipped arrows, draws the bow to the full and hits the deer in the back. The ministers and officers, seeing the golden-tipped arrow, think the Son of Heaven has hit it and shout "Long live the Emperor," and Cao Cao spurs his horse forward, blocks the way in front of the Son of Heaven and receives the cheers. When an enraged Guan Yu raises his blade to cut Cao Cao down, Liu Bei waves his hand and signals with his eyes to stop him. Romance, Ch. 20 §13–15
To Liu Bei's congratulations Cao Cao laughs, "It is only the Son of Heaven's great fortune," and turns his horse to offer congratulations to the Son of Heaven, but in the end he does not return the Baodiaogong and hangs it at his own side. Back in the palace, Emperor Xian weeps before Empress Fu and laments that Cao Cao, by taking the cheers upon himself on the hunting ground, has carried his insolence to the extreme. Romance, Ch. 20 §15 · 17–18
In Chapter 94, Yueji, commander-in-chief of the Qiang troops who have pushed on to Xiping Pass, spurs his horse out with an iron hammer in hand and a Baodiaogong at his waist to face the Shu army. The Romance does not say how this bow relates to the Son of Heaven's bow in Chapter 20. Romance, Ch. 94 §4 · 6
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.
Ownership history
| Owner | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Liu Xie | Romance 「隨即上逍遙馬，帶寶雕弓、金鈚箭」 | |
| Cao Cao | Romance 「操就討天子寶雕弓、金鈚箭」 · 「竟不獻還寶雕弓，就自懸帶」(yy-020:s15) |
Ownership is checked against the source texts (3KDEX) — each entry rests on the passage where the item changes hands. Owners not in the People index are not shown.