Cao Cao's use of soldiers like gods has always been admired by everyone in the art of war in all dynasties, but Liu Bei was also a warrior all his life and fought countless battles, but it is a pity that he is slightly inferior to Cao Cao. Xiaobian has previously written an article summarizing the lifelong battle records of Cao Cao and Liu Bei, in which Cao Cao won 7 times and Liu Bei won 2 times. Of The 7 defeats that Liu Bei faced Cao Cao, two of them were the most humiliating, and they all fled without a fight!
The first time: Ready to go to Benshao, get his wife
In the fifth year, Cao Gong's Eastern Expedition was the first lord, and the first lord was defeated. Cao Gong did his best to collect his people, captured his wife, and returned to Guan Yu. - Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, Chronicle of Emperor Wu
This record says that in the first month of the fifth year of Jian'an (200), Dong Cheng and others plotted against Cao Cao and were killed by Cao Cao. At that time, Liu Bei was sent by Cao Cao to Xuzhou to intercept Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shu fell ill and died halfway, so Liu Bei attacked xuzhou and assassinated Shi Che and occupied Xuzhou. Although Cao Cao was about to go to war with Yuan Shao, he still quickly marched east to Xuzhou, defeated Liu Bei, captured Liu Bei's wife and children, and captured Guan Yu.
[Wei Shuyue: At that time, the gongfang was anxious for Guandu, so it was left to the generals TunGuandu and recruited by themselves. Bei Chu said that the Duke and the Great Enemy were connected, and could not be east, but waited for the pawn to arrive, and the Duke of Cao came by himself. I was horrified, but I still didn't believe it. Since the general rode out of the Wanggong army, he saw the qijing, and abandoned the crowd and left. --Pei Songzhi's commentary on the Book of Wei
The records in the Records of Emperor Wu are relatively brief, only stating the outcome of the battle, while Pei Songzhi's notes on the Book of Wei are more detailed. Liu Bei's timing of choosing to break away from Cao Cao was very good, when the super collision between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao was about to be staged, so in Liu Bei's view, he occupied Xuzhou, and Cao Cao could not personally attack, and as long as Cao Cao did not come, the general Liu Bei could take it.
When Liu Bei's army rushed to report that Cao Cao personally led a large army to attack him, Liu Bei was greatly surprised, but still could not believe it, he personally led dozens of cavalry to reconnoiter, and when he saw Cao Cao's banner clearly, Liu Bei fled without a fight and abandoned the crowd. Not only his wife and children, but even Guan Yu, who was guarding Xia Pi, was captured by Cao Cao in one fell swoop, which can be described as extremely embarrassing.
Liu Bei's failure this time was mainly because he did not expect Cao Cao to personally attack, and he had just occupied Xuzhou and had no foothold, so under the sudden attack, he did not even have the courage to fight against Cao Cao, so he had to go north to defect to Yuan Shao.
The second time: Beiwen Gong himself, walking to Liu Biao, all scattered
Shao Zhi was not broken, so that Liu Beiluo Ru Nan and Runan's thieves were all equal to it. Sending Cai Yang to attack the capital, unfavorable, was broken by the capital. Gongnan conscription. Beiwen Gong himself, running to Liu Biao, all waited for them to disperse. - The Chronicle of Emperor Wu
While the Battle of Guandu was in progress, Liu Pei, the leader of the Yellow Turban Army in Runan, rebelled against Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao sent Liu Bei to lead troops south of Liu Bei and Liu Peikou to harass Cao Cao's rear. Cao Cao sent Cao Ren to attack Liu Bei, Liu Beizhan was unfavorable to return to Yuan Shao, wanted to leave Yuan Shao, on the pretext of linking Liu Biao, led his troops back to Runan, united with the Yellow Turban Yu Dang Gong Du, there were thousands of people, Cao Cao sent Cai Yang to attack, was killed by Liu Bei.
After Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu, he finally had the kung fu to solve Liu Bei. In the sixth year of Jian'an (201), Cao Cao personally attacked Liu Bei, and Liu Bei of course knew that he could not resist Cao Cao, so he simply went south to Jingzhou to surrender to Liu Biao. Liu Biao personally went to the outskirts to greet Liu Bei, treated the guests, and then tuned in Xinye, where Liu Bei spent several years of relatively stable days.
Cao Gong broke shao and attacked the lord from the south. The first lord sent Lu Zhu, Sun Qian, and Liu Biao to hear each other, and the table greeted them from the outskirts, and the above guests treated them with courtesy, benefited their soldiers, and made Tun Xinye. - "The Legend of the First Lord"
"Emperor Wu's Chronicle" said more bluntly, Liu Bei "ran" Liu Biao, I specifically checked the dictionary, "running" means to run, escape. In the "Biography of the First Lord", it is more obscure, but it is said that after Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao, he personally led his troops to attack Liu Bei in the south, and then Liu Biao treated the guests and let him garrison Xinye, which is also considered "for His Holiness".
Liu Bei and Cao Cao can be described as lifelong enemies, and the two talents are also comparable, as Chen Shou, the author of the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", commented that it was only "the opportunity to have power and strategy, not to capture Wei Wu", so Liu Bei's foundation was not as good as Cao Cao's. However, Liu Bei's perseverance throughout his life and his eventual inability to be subordinate to others are also very admirable.
References: Notes on Pei Songzhi in romance of the Three Kingdoms, And Lu Simian in History of the Three Kingdoms