Following Cao Cao’s consolidation of northern China, the balance of power in the late Eastern Han dynasty shifted dramatically. As chronicled in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 34, and corroborated in key historical texts such as the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi) by Chen Shou, Liu Bei’s precarious refuge in Jing Province under Liu Biao became a crucible of political intrigue, familial tension, and near-fatal betrayal.
While the legendary “leap across Tan Stream” is a literary embellishment unique to Luo Guanzhong’s novel, the underlying tensions – between Liu Bei and the Cai faction, Liu Biao’s indecisiveness, and Cao Cao’s looming southern campaign – are firmly rooted in history. This account blends narrative drama with historical context to illuminate a pivotal moment on the road to the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Liu Bei’s refuge in Jingzhou
After successive defeats at the hands of Cao Cao, Liu Bei fled south and sought asylum with Liu Biao, Governor of Jingzhou (Jing Province), around 201 CE. Liu Biao, recognizing Liu Bei’s reputation and legitimacy as a distant kinsman of the Han imperial clan, welcomed him warmly and stationed him at Xinye, a strategic outpost on the northern frontier of Jing Province.
He granted Liu Bei control of Xinye, a strategic town on the northern frontier of Jing Province, to station his troops to defend against Cao Cao, just like what he did to Zhang Xiu before. Previously, Zhang Xiu had briefly surrendered to Liu Biao, who then entrusted him with the defense of the northern border. Now that Liu Bei had arrived from the north, Liu Biao thus entrusted the same task to him.
Initially, relations were cordial. But over time, Liu Biao’s inner circle grew wary – particularly his wife, Lady Cai, and her brother, Cai Mao, who controlled much of the province’s military. They viewed Liu Bei not as an ally, but as a potential usurper.
The succession crisis and Liu Bei’s fateful advice
During a private drinking session, Liu Biao confided in Liu Bei his intention to bypass his elder son, Liu Qi, in favor of his younger son, Liu Cong – a decision heavily influenced by Lady Cai, Liu Cong’s mother.
Liu Bei, drawing on the lessons of recent history (including the Yuan clan’s collapse), cautioned against it:
“Displacing the eldest for the youngest invites chaos within the family and rebellion without.”
Unbeknownst to them, Lady Cai was eavesdropping behind a screen. Deeply offended and now convinced that Liu Bei threatened her son’s future, she resolved to eliminate him.
Historically, the Sanguozhi confirms Liu Biao’s succession dilemma and the Cai family’s dominance, though it omits the dramatic overheard conversation – a classic example of the Romance’s narrative artistry heightening political stakes.
The proposal to attack Xuchang
When news arrived that Cao Cao was preparing a southern campaign, Liu Biao summoned Liu Bei for counsel. Seizing the moment, Liu Bei proposed a bold strike:
“While Cao Cao is preoccupied in the north, we should launch a surprise attack on Xuchang, the Han capital under his control. With the Emperor there, we could rally loyalists and turn the tide.”
But Liu Biao hesitated – his chronic indecisiveness, noted even by Sima Guang in the Zizhi Tongjian, caused him to reject the plan. This lost opportunity would haunt Jing Province.
Cai Mao, learning of Liu Bei’s aggressive proposal, saw it as proof of his ambition – and accelerated plans for assassination.
The banquet trap and the flight from Xiangyang
Cai Mao and Lady Cai arranged a banquet in Xiangyang, ostensibly to honor Liu Bei – but in truth, to ambush and kill him. Fortunately, Yi Ji, a sympathetic official loyal to Liu Biao’s original ideals, secretly warned Liu Bei of the plot.
Liu Bei immediately fled on horseback. Cai Mao dispatched cavalry in pursuit. Cornered at the Tan Stream (Tanxi) – a wide, fast-flowing river with no bridge or ferry – Liu Bei faced certain capture or death.
In this moment of despair, the Romance delivers its most iconic miracle:
Liu Bei cried out to his steed, Dilu:
“Dilu! Today is the day you must prove your worth!”
At once, the horse leapt three zhang (≈10 meters) across the torrent, landing safely on the opposite bank – leaving pursuers stunned.
This legendary leap, while absent from historical records, symbolizes divine favor and destiny – central themes in Liu Bei’s portrayal as the virtuous heir to Han legitimacy.
Foreshadowing the clash to come
Though Liu Bei managed to escape successfully as before, his position in Jing Province was untenable. Within a year, Liu Biao would die, Liu Cong would surrender Jing Province to Cao Cao, and Liu Bei would begin his desperate flight south – culminating in the alliance with Sun Quan and the Battle of Red Cliffs.
Chapter 34 thus serves as a turning point: the last gasp of Liu Biao’s fading authority, the rise of Cai family treachery, and the miraculous survival of the man destined to found Shu Han. History provided the tension; literature gave it wings – literally.
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