The story of the Three Kingdoms War in this issue is found in the seventy-sixth episode of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which takes place during the Battle of Fancheng, and the main characters are Xu Huang, Guan Yu, and Guan Ping. The gist of the story goes something like this:
Xu Huang received military orders from Cao Cao and went to Fancheng to break the siege. There were Ma lai reports, saying that it was Guanpingtun Bing Yancheng, Liao Hua was stationed in Sizuka, and the two set up nearly twenty camps before and after. Therefore, Xu Huang ordered the deputy generals Xu Shang and Lü Jian to engage Guan Ping under their own banners, and he himself led five hundred elite soldiers to raid the flank of Yancheng.
After Xu Shang and Lü Jian clashed with Guan Ping, they pretended to lose and led their army to retreat. Guan Ping, who did not know the truth, pursued him closely and chased for more than twenty miles. At this time, some subordinates reported that Yancheng was on fire, and Guan Ping hurriedly led his troops back. But just as Guan Ping was on his way back, Xu Huang led his troops to intercept him. Guan Ping did not dare to fall in love with the war, so he had to change lanes and rush to Shizuka. At this time, Liao Hua told Guan Ping that he had heard that Jingzhou had been captured by Lü Meng.
Just as the two were talking, the subordinates came down to report that the first tun was occupied by Xu Huang. Liao Hua led his troops to counterattack, but they were caught in Xu Huang's plan, and they were killed and defeated, so they had to take the road and flee to Guan Yu's camp. After meeting with Guan Yu, the two told Guan Yu the news of Jingzhou's occupation. Guan Yu believed that this was news deliberately spread by Cao Jun, which was not enough to believe. At this time, Xu Huang led the troops to challenge. Guan Yu put on his horse and came to meet Xu Huang in front of the two armies.
After Xu Huang and Guan Yu reminisced about the past before the battle, they suddenly shouted: If they obtain the first rank of Yun Chang, they will be rewarded with thousands of gold. Guan Yu was furious and slapped Xu Huang directly. The two sides fought for more than eighty rounds, regardless of victory or defeat. Guan Ping worries that his father has lost, and Mingjin collects the troops.
At this time, the defenders of Fancheng suddenly launched an attack on Kaicheng, and Xu Huang led his troops to attack, forming a pinch attack on Guan Yu. Guan Yu was defeated and fled to Xiangyang. At this time, Guan Yu learned that Jingzhou was really occupied by Lü Meng, and had to adjust the deployment, sending people to Chengdu for help on the one hand, and leading his troops back to Aid Jingzhou by land.
The great battle between Guan Yu and Xu Huang near Fancheng mentioned in the novel did happen in history, and it was also the last contest between the "Five Tiger Generals" and the "Five Sons and Good Generals". In real history, the course of this battle is indeed as described in the novel, a tactical contest between Xu Huang and Guan Yu.
According to the relevant biography of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, after the Seventh Army led by Yu Forbidden was annihilated by Guan Yu, Cao Cao immediately sent Xu Huang to the Xiangfan battlefield to support. However, Xu Huang only had a few thousand new recruits in his hands at this time, far from Guan Yu's opponent. Therefore, Cao Cao ordered Xu Huang not to launch a decisive battle with Guan Yu before the arrival of subsequent reinforcements.
After Xu Huang received the order, he immediately launched a tentative attack on the area around Yancheng, where Guan Yu's troops were stationed. In order to confuse his opponents, Xu Huang spread the news before the battle, declaring that he would launch a siege against the defenders. The defenders did not know the number of Xu Huang's troops, nor did they recognize Xu Huang's plan, and before they could fight, they burned down the camp and retreated. Xu Huang took the city effortlessly and soon entered the Yangling Slope line. This was only about three inches away from Guan Yu's defensive circle on the outskirts of Fancheng.
At this time, many Xu Huangbu generals believed that they should launch an attack on Guan Yu as soon as possible and open the passage with Fancheng as soon as possible. However, this proposal was rejected by Xu Huang. Xu Huang believed that the difference in the strength of the enemy and us was enormous, and it would be difficult to win a hasty attack. Therefore, Xu Huang ignored the objections of the generals and ordered the whole army to fortify on the spot, not to launch an attack, and to wait for Cao Cao's reinforcements to arrive.
Not long after, about 10,000 elites of the twelve battalions sent by Cao Cao arrived, and Xu Huang's strength increased greatly. Only then did Xu Huang make up his mind and launch an offensive against Guan Yu's position. Under Xu Huang's fierce attack, the outer positions of Fancheng were lost one after another. After Guan Yu learned of this news, he had to personally lead 5,000 soldiers and horses to meet Xu Huang.
Historically, Xu Huang and Guan Yu met on the battlefield, and indeed as described in the novel. During his forced defection to Cao Cao, Guan Yu formed a deep friendship with Xu Huang and was known as the "eldest brother". After the two met, there was a recounting of the past. After that, Xu Huang suddenly shouted to his own soldiers: "You have to close the clouds with a long head, and the bounty is a thousand pounds." A scuffle ensued between the two armies.
Judging from the comparison of the strength of the two sides, Guan Yu's total strength in the Xiangfan front was about 30,000 people, and Xu Huang's strength was less than 20,000. However, the outcome of this battle was surprising, and Guan Yu suffered a defeat. Under the pursuit of Xu Huang's troops, some of the soldiers were forced to jump into the Han River and drowned alive.
In this situation where his own troops were slightly superior, why did Guan Yu lose? There are two main reasons. First of all, during the melee between Xu Huang and Guan Yu, Cao Ren's Fancheng defenders went out of the city in time to attack Guan Yu, leaving Guan Yu's abdomen and back to be attacked. However, judging from the fact that Guan Yu could still lead his troops back to Jingzhou to fight Against Lü Meng after the end of this battle, Guan Yu's losses were not large, otherwise he would not dare to go against Eastern Wu just after the defeat. Secondly, before the battle began, Xu Huang followed Dong Zhao's plan and spread the news that Jingzhou had been occupied by Lü Meng to the defenders of Fancheng and Guan Yu's troops. This move not only greatly boosted the morale of the Cao army, but also made Guan Yu's troops no longer have fighting spirit.
If you look at the results of this battle alone, although Guan Yu's side lost, it can be said that it was unwilling, not in terms of poor strength, but in the unstable military. As far as Xu Huang was concerned, although this battle was won, it was not won. If the news of the Jingzhou base camp had not caused a huge impact on Guan Yu, it was still unknown who would win or lose this battle.
Reference Books: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Romance of the Three Kingdoms