In 195 AD, after being defeated by Cao Cao, Lü Bu fled from Yan Province to Xu Province and sought help from Liu Bei. Despite the objections of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, Liu Bei, upholding his reputation for benevolence and righteousness, stationed Lü Bu at Xiaopei (present-day Pei County, Jiangsu) and formed an alliance with him to resist Cao Cao.
Cao Cao’s Stratagems and Yuan Shu’s Offensive
In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, to dismantle the power in Xu Province and break the alliance between Lü Bu and Liu Bei, Cao Cao successively employed Xun Yu’s strategies of “Feeding Two Tigers to Fight” and “Driving the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf.” The latter ploy threw Xu Province into complete chaos.
Xun Yu advised Cao Cao to issue a formal edict in Emperor Xian’s name, ordering Liu Bei to raise troops against Yuan Shu. Simultaneously, he secretly sent word to Yuan Shu, falsely claiming that Liu Bei had submitted a secret memorial planning to attack him.
However, other historical records indicate that Yuan Shu took the initiative to challenge Liu Bei.
The Stalemate along the Huai River
Liu Bei left Zhang Fei to guard Xiapi City and led his main forces, including Guan Yu, southward. They stationed themselves along the Huai River, blocking the enemy at Xuyi and Huaiyin.
Yuan Shu rarely led expeditions personally, but his appearance at the front lines during this major offensive against Xu Province demonstrated the high importance he placed on this campaign.
Liu Bei set up his headquarters at Shi Ting in Huaiyin and engaged Yuan Shu in multiple battles. The two sides exchanged victories and defeats, resulting in a stalemate and a prolonged stalemate.
Yuan Shu’s Persuasion and Lü Bu’s Temptation
The prolonged stalemate was unfavorable to Yuan Shu, who needed to break it before winter. He decided to exploit Lü Bu and quickly sent him a letter.
The letter stated:
“In the past, Dong Zhuo caused chaos, undermining the royal house and bringing disaster to the Yuan family. I raised troops east of Hangu Pass but failed to defeat Dong Zhuo. You, General, campaigned against him, took his head, cleared my shame, and made my name known to the world. For this, I can die without regret—this is your first merit. When Jin Shang and I marched into Yan Province, we had just reached Fengqiu when Cao Cao defeated us. We fled, displaced and nearly destroyed. Later, you, General, attacked and captured Yan Province, making my name known far and wide—this is your second merit. Since my birth, I had never heard of anyone named Liu Bei in this world. Yet Liu Bei could raise troops to resist me. It is only by relying on your divine might, General, that I can defeat him—this is your third merit. You have rendered three great services to me. Though I lack talent, I regard you, General, as my very life. You have been campaigning for years, and your army lacks provisions. I am now willing to send you 200,000 hu of grain, meeting you on the road, and this is not all—more will follow continuously. If you are short of weapons or equipment, you have but to report it, and I will surely comply.”
Lü Bu was greatly pleased by the praise in Yuan Shu’s letter. Furthermore, Xiapi was indeed weakly defended at the time, presenting a rare opportunity.
Internal Strife in Xiapi
Coincidentally, internal conflict erupted within Xiapi City. Besides Zhang Fei, who was left in charge by Liu Bei, Cao Bao, a former general under Tao Qian, was also stationed in the city. Note that in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Bao is also Lü Bu’s father-in-law.
A dispute arose between Zhang Fei and Cao Bao, escalating into armed conflict. Cao Bao, unable to defeat Zhang Fei, retreated to his camp to defend and simultaneously sent a messenger to seek help from Lü Bu.
At that time, Lü Bu was still hesitating whether to accept Yuan Shu’s invitation to jointly attack Liu Bei. The arrival of Cao Bao’s plea for aid coincided perfectly with his deliberations.
The Betrayal and Fall of Xiapi
Upon learning of the internal strife and the weakened defenses in Xiapi, Lü Bu immediately gathered his troops and advanced on the city by both land and water. When he was about 40 li from Xiapi, Xu Dan, one of Liu Bei’s officers, sent Zhang Kuang to welcome Lü Bu. Zhang Kuang revealed the conflict between Zhang Fei and Cao Bao and the chaos within the city, adding that the Danyang troops were waiting at the West Gate for Lü Bu’s arrival.
Lü Bu then launched a full-scale advance, reaching the city walls by dawn. At daybreak, the Danyang soldiers opened the city gates, allowing Lü Bu to enter smoothly. He defeated Zhang Fei’s forces, captured Liu Bei’s wife and children, and forced Zhang Fei to flee the city and seek refuge with Liu Bei. After Lü Bu occupied Xiapi, the other commanderies and counties in Xu Province also defected to him.
The Danyang troops were originally under the command of Tao Qian, the former Governor of Xu Province. This mutiny revealed that a significant portion of Tao Qian’s former subordinates opposed Liu Bei. If Liu Bei’s control over his headquarters in Xiapi was so tenuous, the situation in the other counties was likely even worse.
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