The collapse of the Coalition against Dong Zhuo marked not the end of chaos, but its intensification. With the tyrant retreated to Chang’an, the regional warlords turned on each other, driven by ambition, vengeance, and the pursuit of territory.
Chapter 7 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms captures this pivotal moment with two parallel conflicts: the battle between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan at Pan River, and Sun Jian’s fateful campaign against Liu Biao across Yangtze River.
These engagements not only reshaped the power balance in northern and central China but also revealed the emergence of new legends and the tragic fall of established heroes. Through the lens of Luo Guanzhong’s narrative—amplified by historical records such as Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi)—we witness the fleeting nature of glory and the unpredictable tides of fate.
The Struggle for Jizhou: Yuan Shao vs. Gongsun Zan
After Dong Zhuo abandoned Luoyang and moved the imperial court to Chang’an, the anti-Dong Zhuo coalition quickly disintegrated. Warlords, no longer bound by a common enemy, began to vie for dominance. The first major conflict erupted between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan over control of Jizhou (Ji Province), a strategically vital region.
To seize Jizhou, Yuan Shao secretly allied with Gongsun Zan to attack the region, forcing Han Fu to surrender his power. However, Gongsun Zan gained no actual benefits; instead, he was manipulated by Yuan Shao. Realized that Yuan Shao had cunningly seized Jizhou from Han Fu, its rightful governor, through deception and being refused to share its territory with him, Gongsun Zan considered Yuan Shao’s actions treacherous, was outraged. He immediately marched his army south, determined to punish Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao, refusing to back down, led his forces to meet Gongsun Zan at Pan River. The two mighty armies clashed in a fierce confrontation, each determined to assert dominance in northern China.
The Young General: Zhao Yun’s Debut
Amid the chaos of battle, a young general of Gongsun Zan’s army made a spectacular entrance: Zhao Yun, mounted on a white horse, wielding a long spear with unmatched skill.
Qu Yi kept riding toward Zan’s rear line until he met Zhao Zilong, who sprang to the challenge. In moments Zilong had pierced Qu Yi through with his lance and left him dead on the ground. He then ran unaided across Yuan Shao’s line, slashing right and thrusting left as if moving through a no-man’s-land. Gongsun Zan rejoined the battle, and the two warriors dealt their enemy a nasty defeat.
–Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 7
Zhao Yun’s valor was so overwhelming that Yuan Shao’s troops were paralyzed by fear. Recognizing the threat, Yuan Shao dispatched his elite general Wen Chou, renowned for his ferocity, to confront the rising star.
The duel between Zhao Yun and Wen Chou became the centerpiece of the battle. The two warriors fought for more than fifty rounds, neither gaining the upper hand. Their clash was a spectacle of martial excellence, symbolizing the clash of two rising powers.
Though the battle ended without a decisive victory, Zhao Yun’s name was etched into legend. His performance at Pan River marked the beginning of his journey as one of the most celebrated heroes of the Three Kingdoms era.
A truce forged by diplomacy
As the battle raged on with neither side able to gain a clear advantage, envoys from Li Jue arrived at the battlefield to propose a truce, urging the warlords to cease their internal strife and preserve their strength.
Both Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, weary from battle and wary of further losses, saw the diplomatic overture as a convenient exit. They agreed to cease hostilities and withdraw their forces, leaving the struggle for Ji Province unresolved—for the time being.
This truce, however, was not born of wisdom, but of mutual exhaustion and opportunism, foreshadowing the fragile and temporary nature of alliances in the coming age of fragmentation.
Sun Jian’s revenge against Liu Biao
While the northern warlords clashed, Sun Jian, the fierce “Tiger of Jiangdong,” nursed a deep grudge. After securing the Imperial Seal and escaping the coalition’s infighting, Sun Jian had been ambushed by Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou (Jing Province), on Yuan Shao’s secret orders. Though he survived, the betrayal left a lasting wound.
Now, with a strong army and control over parts of Yangzhou (Yan Province), Sun Jian sought vengeance. He crossed the Yangtze River and launched a full-scale invasion of Jing Province, aiming directly at Liu Biao’s stronghold.
Liu Biao sent his general Huang Zu to resist the invasion. But Huang Zu was no match for Sun Jian’s battle-hardened forces. In their first encounter, Huang Zu was decisively defeated and forced to retreat.
Sun Jian pressed forward with relentless momentum, pursuing Huang Zu into the Xian Mountains and laying siege to his position. Victory seemed within grasp.
The Hero’s Fall: Sun Jian’s untimely death
Yet fate intervened. As Sun Jian led a personal charge through the rugged terrain of Xian Mountain, he was ambushed by archers hidden in the woods. A single arrow struck him in the head, killing him instantly.
“Thus fell Sun Jian, the valiant warrior whose courage had shattered Dong Zhuo’s armies and whose ambition had dared to dream of empire.”
His death sent shockwaves through the southern warlords. His remnants and former subordinates passed to Yuan Shu temporarily, but eventually to his family, and his sons, Sun Ce and Sun Quan, would later build the foundation of the Wu State upon his legacy.
Sun Jian’s demise was a stark reminder of the peril that shadowed every hero—no matter how mighty, none were immune to the arrows of treachery and chance.
Legends and Loss: Who was the true hero?
The events of Chapter 7 present a compelling contrast: Zhao Yun’s rise and Sun Jian’s fall. One young warrior emerged from obscurity to become a symbol of loyalty and martial excellence; another, already a legend, met a sudden and tragic end.
Was the true hero the one who conquered, or the one who inspired? The answer may lie not in victory or defeat, but in enduring legacy. Sun Jian’s spirit lived on in his sons and the state of Wu. Zhao Yun’s valor would be celebrated for centuries as the epitome of the noble warrior.
In the end, the Three Kingdoms era was not shaped by a single hero, but by the clash of destinies, where ambition, courage, and fate intertwined in the crucible of war.
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