| Battle of Xiang Yang | |||||||
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| Forces | |||||||
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| Liu Biao's Forces | Sun Jian's Forces | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Liu Biao Huang Zu Lu Gong |
Sun Jian † Huan Jie | ||||||
The Battle of Xiangyang (襄陽之戰) was an engagement between Sun Jian and the forces of Liu Biao. Although Sun Jian initially outmaneuvered and outfought Liu Biao, he was killed in action and his army forced to retreat.
Background[]
After the collapse of the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao organized alliances to compete for power. Sun Jian, Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian and others supported Yuan Shu, while Cao Cao, Liu Biao and others supported Yuan Shao.
In 191, Yuan Shu, in an attempt to gain control of Hannan, ordered Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao, hoping to eliminate Yuan Shao's influence in Jingxiang.
Campaign[]
Sun Jian encountered the army of Huang Zu, a general under Liu Biao, between Fancheng (樊城) and Dengcheng (鄧城). The two sides engaged in battle, and Huang Zu's army was defeated by Sun Jian's army. Sun Jian then advanced smoothly, crossed the Han River, and besieged Liu Biao in the city of Xiangyang. However, there are three different historic records of Sun Jian's battle with Liu Biao's army and his death in the battle:
- According to "Dianlue" (典略), after being surrounded, Liu Biao closed the door and refused to fight, but ordered Huang Zu to lead his troops out of the city at night to confront Sun Jian. Huang Zu was defeated again and fled. Sun Jian then took advantage of the victory to pursue Huang Zu, but was ambushed and killed in a bamboo forest by Huang Zu's men with bows and arrows.
- According to "The Book of the Later Han" (後漢書), after Liu Biao was besieged in Xiangyang, Huang Zu came to rescue him, and Sun Jian was killed by a stray arrow during the battle.
- According to "Records of Heroes" (英雄記), Liu Biao's general Lu Gong led his troops to station at a nearby mountain. When Sun Jian led light cavalry up the mountain to attack Lu Gong, he then ordered his soldiers to throw stones at the enemy army. Sun Jian was hit on the head by a stone and died.
In short, after Sun Jian surrounded the city of Xiangyang, he died in battle while dealing with Liu Biao's army. Only after Sun Jian's death was Liu Biao able to turn the tide of the war, turning defeat into victory and turning danger into safety.
Aftermath[]
Sun Jian's sudden death ended the battle, and his body was captured by Liu Biao's army. Huan Jie, a native of Changsha, had previously been recommended by Sun Jian as a filial and incorruptible official. To repay his kindness, he boldly went to Liu Biao to mediate with him. Liu Biao appreciated his righteous act, and agreed to return Sun Jian's body.
After Sun Jian's death, the rest of his troops were led by his nephew Sun Ben. Sun Ben later led his troops to join Yuan Shu. Sun Jian's title was inherited by his eldest son Sun Ce. Liu Biao's victory further consolidated his rule in Jingzhou, and at the same time made Yuan Shu lose the ability and ambition to invade Jingzhou from the south.
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms[]
In the historical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", this battle and its causes were rewritten. In the novel, Sun Jian attacked Liu Biao out of revenge because he was defeated by Liu Biao when he withdrew from the anti-Dong Zhuo alliance. Sun Ce was also intorduced as a commender. As for Sun Ben, who actually inherited Sun Jian's army, he never appeared in the novel.
After defeating Huang Zu in the first battle, Sun Jian's army besieged Xiangyang. Two generals under Huang Zu, Chen Sheng and Zhang Hu, were killed by Sun Ce and Han Dang respectively. Under the advice of Kuai Liang, Sun Jian was lured by Lu Gong and Huang Zu into a trap and was killed in a rockslide. Huang Gai and Cheng Pu managed to capture Huang Zu and kill Li Gong, respectively, while Sun Ce was forced to withdraw. Sun Ben did not appear in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", and Sun Jian's power was directly inherited by Sun Ce.
Huan Jie's role in this battle is similar to historical facts, but "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" states that Sun Jian's body was exchanged for the captured Huang Zu, while the official history does not record that Huang Zu was captured.
