Battle of Changban
| date | 208 |
|---|---|
| place | Changban |
| output | Cao Caos wins |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| is estimated at around 10,000 | tens of thousands, including 5,000-10,000 cavalry |
| losses | |
|
unknown |
unknown |
Sishui Pass - Hulao Pass - Jieqiao - Guandu - Changban - Chibi - Tong Gate - Hefei - Dingjun - Fancheng - Xiaoting - Southern Campaign - Shiting - Jieting - Northern Expeditions - Wu Zhang Plain
The Battle of Changban was a confrontation between the Chinese warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao at the time of the Three Kingdoms .
Changban is located near today's city of Yichang in Hubei Province. At the time of the battle, Cao Cao was in fact the ruler of northern China, Liu Bei was still homeless and had served the warlords Liu Biao and Yuan Shao in the previous years . Liu Bei carried many civilians with him, some of whom died in battle. Liu Bei lost the battle and was pursued by Cao Cao's army, and they fell into their hands with his wife and young son, Liu Shan . Zhao Yun , a general under Liu Bei, was able to save Liu Shan and bring him back to Liu Bei. Cao Cao tried to capture Zhao Yun and force him into his service, but Zhang Fei held Cao Cao's army at the Changban Bridge and shouted, "I am Zhang Fei. Who will fight me to the death?" Why Cao Cao's army withdrew is not entirely clear. Presumably he followed Guan Yu's advice , who warned him of Zhang Fei's heroism. Zhang Fei destroyed the bridge and caught up with Liu Bei's army.
Allegedly, when Liu Bei returned with Zhao Yun, he grabbed his son and threw him to the ground because he had put Zhao Yun in danger. Some see this as the reason for his later incapacity as Shu Han emperor . Liu Bei was able to retire to Xiakou.
After this battle, Liu Bei allied himself with Sun Quan , King of the Wu , and fought the Battle of Chibi with him that same year .
The battle of Changban is romantically transfigured in the story of the Three Kingdoms and is endowed with many images of the bravery of Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun. Zhang Fei's war cry in particular is a motif that is often stylized later. Legend has it that his scream broke the bridge. In another legend, this scream killed a General Cao Caos in shock.