Liu Bei pressed Zhuge Liang for a strategy to resist Cao Cao’s army. The Master answered, “Xinye is but a small county—you cannot hold it long. I hear that Liu Jing, the governor of Jingzhou, lies near death. We should seize Jingzhou as our stronghold; from there we can check Cao Cao.” Liu Bei replied, “Your counsel is sound, yet I owe Jing much—how can I betray him?” Zhuge Liang urged, “If we do not act now, we will regret it too late.” Liu Bei hesitated, “I would die first—better than stain my honor.” The Master only said, “Consider it once more.”
Meanwhile, Xiahou Dun returned in defeat to Xuchang, voluntarily bound himself before Cao Cao and begged to be executed. Cao Cao pardoned him. Dun lamented, “I let Zhuge Liang trick me into a fire attack.” Cao scolded, “You have led armies since youth—should you not guard against fire in narrow passes?” Dun admitted, “My officers Li Dian and Yu Jin warned me—too late I realized their counsel.” Cao rewarded those two. Dun continued, “Liu Bei’s audacity grows—he is a true menace and must be eliminated.” Cao Cao replied, “My worries lie only with Liu Bei and Sun Quan; the rest are inconsequential. I will now sweep southward and quell the Jiangnan region.” He mobilized half a million men in five corps of a hundred thousand each, under commanders Cao Ren and Cao Hong, Zhang Liao and Zhang He, Xiahou Yuan and Xiahou Dun, Yu Jin and Li Dian, and himself with the remaining generals. Xu Chu led a three-thousand-strong vanguard. They set the departure date for the autumn of Jian’an 13.
Counselor Kong Rong petitioned against the campaign: “Both Liu Bei and Liu Biao are imperial kinsmen—unworthy targets. Sun Quan sits behind six commanderies and the Yangtze’s defenses are formidable. Launching an unprincipled war will undermine your reputation.” Enraged, Cao Cao declared them all traitors and threatened to execute anyone who spoke against him. He denounced Kong Rong, ordered his arrest, and had the nobleman executed along with his two sons—even their bodies were displayed in the marketplace. Xun Yi interceded on Kong Rong’s behalf, securing a proper burial.
Meanwhile in Jingzhou, Liu Biao’s illness grew critical. Lady Cai summoned Liu Bei to act as guardian for her husband’s heir. Liu Bei arrived with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. The dying governor said, “My illness grows worse; I entrust my son’s care—and this province—to you.” Liu Bei wept, “I will devote my life to supporting him.” Before long, scouts reported Cao Cao’s armies were at their gates. Liu Bei hurried back to Xinye.
Hearing of Liu Bei’s departure, Liu Biao’s advisers drafted a will naming his elder son Liu Qi as his successor—with Liu Bei to assist. Lady Cai and her brother Cai Mao locked the palace gates, keeping Qi outside. When he arrived in tears, Cai Mao accused him of shirking his post at Jiangxia and sent him back. Biao died that very day (8th month, wushen), lamenting Liu Qi’s absence.
After the funeral rites, Lady Cai and her faction forged a will naming the younger son Liu Cong, age fourteen, as governor. They argued that if Qi and Liu Bei returned to challenge them, the province would be in chaos. An adviser, Li Kui, urged them to forward condolences to Jiangxia and summon Liu Qi and Liu Bei as co-regents, but Cai Mao silenced him and had Li Kui executed. Then, in a public ceremony, they enthroned Liu Cong, placed his household in charge of the provincial army, and posted security overseen by Deng Yi and Liu Xian. Lady Cai herself took Liu Cong to Xiangyang to guard against Liu Qi and Liu Bei. They buried Liu Biao east of the city without informing either Liu Qi or Liu Bei.
At Xiangyang, news arrived that Cao Cao’s army was marching straight on the city. Alarmed, Liu Cong and his council considered their options. Fu Xun proposed surrender: “Not only is Cao’s army approaching, but neither Liu Qi nor Liu Bei has mourned at the funeral. He could claim we defied his will and march into Jingzhou. If we instead offer all nine commanderies to him, he will treat the governor favorably.” Liu Cong refused—even the thought of surrendering his father’s legacy seemed unthinkable.
At that moment, a young scholar, Wang Can (styled Zhongxuan), stepped forward. Renowned since childhood for his memory and learning, he reminded Liu Cong of Cao Cao’s victories over Lü Bu, Yuan Shao, and the Wuhuan, and argued that Jingzhou could not hope to resist so formidable a force. He endorsed Fu Xun’s counsel. Swayed, Liu Cong wrote a letter of surrender and dispatched Song Zhong with it to Cao Cao’s camp at Wancheng. Thrilled, Cao Cao rewarded Song Zhong, instructed him to escort Liu Cong to meet him, and formally confirmed Liu Cong as governor.
Song Zhong, riding back to Jingzhou, encountered Guan Yu’s patrol and was captured. Under interrogation, he revealed everything. Guan Yu escorted him to Xinye, where Liu Bei wept at the betrayal. Zhang Fei urged immediate execution of Song Zhong, the seizure of Xiangyang, and the elimination of Lady Cai and Liu Cong before confronting Cao Cao. Liu Bei calmly forbid such rashness: “Though he failed me, killing him now serves no purpose. Release him.” Song Zhong fled in terror.
As Liu Bei contemplated his next move, Liu Qi’s messenger Yi Ji arrived bearing news of Qi’s plea: “The elder brother awaits in Jiangxia and worries urgently for you. Please bring your loyal troops to Xiangyang.” Liu Bei thanked him but revealed, “Unknown to all, Liu Cong has already surrendered Jingzhou to Cao Cao.” Shocked, Yi Ji asked how he knew. Liu Bei recounted Song Zhong’s capture. Yi Ji advised: “Feign a mourning visit to Xiangyang to draw Liu Cong out, then seize him and cut off his faction—only then can we secure Jingzhou.” Zhuge Liang approved: “This is wise. If we do nothing, Cao’s forces at Wancheng will overwhelm us.” Liu Bei wept, “My brother entrusted his son to me. To seize his child and land—how shall I face his spirit?” The Master urged, “We cannot remain here. If Cao’s army moves south from Wancheng, how will we defend Xinye?” Liu Bei relented, “Let us retreat to Fan.”
Before dawn, scouts reported that Cao Cao’s vanguard had reached Boyang. Liu Bei at once dispatched Yi Ji back to Jiangxia to raise more troops while he and Zhuge Liang devised their defenses. The Master said, “Do not despair. Our fire trap at Boyang decimated half of Xiahou Dun’s army. When Cao Cao arrives again, he will fall into the same snare. Xinye is no place to stay—let us move on to Fan.” Liu Bei ordered proclamations at every gate, inviting all residents—men, women, old and young—to join him in retreat to Fan that very day. He sent Sun Qian to commandeer boats along the riverbank to ferry civilians, and Mi Zhu to escort the families of the prominent clans to Fan.
He then gathered his generals and assigned them:
Guan Yu would lead one thousand men to ambush at the upper reaches of the White River. They should pile sandbags to dam the river—when Cao’s troops arrived, raising the bags would unleash a torrent downstream that would sweep the enemy away, while his men attacked from behind.
Zhang Fei would lead a thousand men to lie in wait at the Boling ferry, where the current was slowest. When the river flooded, the enemy would be forced to cross here and could be slain as they struggled.
Zhao Yun would command three thousand soldiers split into four detachments: one under him outside the East Gate; the others at the West, South, and North gates. They were to conceal sulfur and firewood on rooftops. When Cao’s army entered and the wind rose at dusk, they would launch flaming arrows through the three gates; as houses burned and panic spread, they would shout a general alarm to confuse the enemy, leaving only the East Gate clear. They would then strike from the rear as Cao’s men fled. At dawn they would regroup with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei before returning to Fan.
Finally, Mi Fang and Liu Feng were to take two thousand men—half carrying red flags, half green—and station themselves thirty miles from Xinye at Quewei Slope. When Cao’s army appeared, the red banner troops would march on the left, the green on the right, presenting a divided force that Cao’s generals would hesitate to pursue. Then, as the city burned, they would ambush the retreating soldiers and link up with the White River detachment. With all preparations made, Zhang Fei and Liu Bei climbed a hill to watch for the signal.
Soon, Cao Ren and Cao Hong’s vanguard—led by Xu Chu’s three-thousand strong armored vanguard—arrived at Quewei Slope at midday. They spotted the red and green banners ahead. Xu Chu halted his men and reported to Cao Ren: “These are phantom troops—there must be an ambush. We should not advance.” Cao Ren insisted, “They are but decoys; press on.” Xu Chu pressed forward into the woods—only to find it empty. As dusk deepened, drums and horns sounded from the hill above. They looked up to see a small group of banners and two ceremonial parasols: Liu Bei’s and Zhuge Liang’s, with the two men seated and dining atop the hill. Xu Chu, enraged, led his men to storm the hill, only to be pelted with stones and burning debris that repelled them. From behind came shouts—yet the darkness prevented close fighting.
Meanwhile, Cao Ren’s main force reached Xinye at nightfall, expecting a surrender. All gates stood open, and the city lay deserted. “They have fled,” he said, “and we shall occupy the city for the night. Dawn will bring our victory.” Exhausted, the troops quartered themselves in the government offices. At the middle watch, a howling wind rose, and fires erupted at the West, South, and North gates. Cao Ren dismissed the first alarm as careless cooking, but as the fires spread, the entire city was ablaze deeper and fiercer than any Boyang conflagration. A poem later lamented:
“Cao Cao, treacherous lord of Zhongyuan, In ninth moon marched south to Hanchuan. Wind god unleashed on Xinye’s towers, Fire god rained flames that soared to the heavens.”
Panicked, Cao Ren ordered his men to flee through the only unlit East Gate. Soldiers trampled one another; countless perished in the blaze. As they fled, Zhao Yun’s troops charged from behind in a frenzied mêlée—few turned to fight. In their rout they met Mi Fang’s fresh detachment, which fell upon them and inflicted further slaughter. By the fourth watch, the survivors, half-crazy with hunger and exhaustion, stumbled into the shallow waters of the White River. There, cries of relief arose: they could at least drink their fill.
But Guan Yu’s hidden force at the river’s headwaters then released the dammed waters. A fierce flood swept downriver, drowning the remnants of Cao Ren’s army. Those who survived at the narrow crossing at Boling Ferry were cut down by Zhang Fei’s ambush, his cries of “Cao’s dogs, surrender!” ringing out. A final verse captured the scene:
“Within the city red flames yet burned, At the river’s edge black winds returned.”
Thus did Cao Ren’s vanguard meet ruin—only Cao Cao’s main army remained to learn the cost of underestimating the Crouching Dragon’s stratagem.
