Battle of Changban

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Battle of Changban

Part of the wars of the Three Kingdoms

The painting "Zhao Yun's Fight at Changban" inside the Long Corridor on the grounds of the Summer Palace in Beijing

Date	208
Location	Changban, Dangyang, Hubei
Result	Cao Cao victory Liu Bei evacuated to Xiakou

Combatants

Commanders

Strength

Tens of Thousands, including approx. 5,000-10,000 cavalry

Unknown, estimated around 10,000-20,000 peasants

Casualties

Unknown, minimal

Unknown

Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Yellow Turban Rebellion – Campaign against Dong Zhuo – Jieqiao – Wancheng – Xiapi – Yijing – Guandu – Changban – Red Cliffs – Tong Pass – Hefei – Mount Dingjun – Fancheng – Xiaoting – Southern Campaign – Northern Expeditions (Jieting) – Shiting – (Wuzhang Plains)

The Battle of Changban (Chinese: 長板之伇; pinyin: cháng bǎn zhi yì) took place at Changban (near the modern-day city of Yichang in Hubei Province), China during the Three Kingdoms period in the year 208. It was fought between Liu Bei, who later founded the Kingdom of Shu and Cao Cao, the de facto ruler of northern China.

[edit] In fiction

In the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the battle was romanticized into a showcase for the power and bravery of Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun.

Liu Bei lost the battle and was pursued by Cao Cao. Liu Bei had been leading around the civilians who journeyed with him, and many of them were lost in this battle. Also, Liu Bei's wife was caught up in enemy lines, with his infant son Liu Shan. Being recognized only by Liu Bei and his brothers, Zhao Yun greatly frightened the whole army of Cao Cao by attempting to retrieve Liu Bei's wife and son. He managed to get to Liu's wife, who placed the young Liu into his breast armor so as to keep the baby from harm, then killed herself by falling down a well. Zhao Yun pushed over a wall to bury his lords' wife, then raced back to Liu Bei's side, still fighting, with a child in his bosom. Zhao Yun encounted XiaHou En, Cao Cao's sword bearer, Zhao Yun swiftly cut him down and gained a prized sword named "Black Pommel."Cao Cao himself wore a another prized sword, "Heavens Prop." Cao Cao, seeing Zhao's bravery, wanted him captured with the hopes of turning him to his side, and so ordered pursuit. While Zhao Yun was fleeing, he encounted Yan Ming, a commander under Cao Hong. Yan Ming, holding a two-edged sword charged at Zhao Yun. After a brief clash Zhao killed his opponent, then killing Yan Ming's troops, eventually broke an open path and fled. But another Unit Blocked Zhao Yun, It was Zhang He. Without a word, they both fought. In about ten boats Zhao Yun broke off the contest and applied the whip on to his mount. Unfortunately, the horse fell into a ditch. Zhang He approached for the kill, but a beam of reddish light formed an arc over the ditch. Zhang he fell back from this miraculous light. Zhao Yun's mount leaped up and both of them went full speed. Cao Cao's men (not Zhang He) then followed him all the way to Changban Bridge, where Cao Cao's troops were halted when Zhang Fei stood alone at the bridge of Chang Ban where he made his famous yell "I am Zhang Fei of Yan. Who dares fight with me?!" Cao Cao seeing that his enemy was so fierce and resolute, decided the only thing to do was retreat. Zhang Fei then said, "What mean you? You will not fight nor do you run away!" Thus causing what is listed below. Supposedly, Cao Cao ordered his troops to take a detour, remembering Guan Yu's comments on the fearsome Zhang. Zhang later destroyed the bridge to regroup with Liu Bei. It is rumored that at the sight of Zhao Yun and his son, Liu Bei took his son and threw him to the ground because he had endangered Zhao Yun. This lead to speculation that because Liu Shan hit his head on the ground, he grew up to be an incompetent leader. Liu Bei was able to escape to Xiakou (夏口).

Many legends have been added to the story of the battle. According to some, Zhang's yell broke the bridge, but it was not likely because Lui Bei ordered Zhang Fei to burn the bridge down. According to others, his yell frightened Cao Cao's general to death. That general is Xiahou Jie. He fell off his horse paralyzed with fear. This spread all throughout Cao Cao's troops, causing most of Cao Cao's troops to run away.