Chapter 19: Cao Cao Fights in Xiapi; Lu Bu Perishes at The White Gate Tower

Gao Shun and Zhang Liao attacked Guan Yu while Lu Bu engaged Zhang Fei. Liu Bei held his force in reserve. Suddenly, Lu Bu ambushed Guan Yu and Zhang Fei from the rear, forcing them to retreat. Liu Bei, with a small band of horsemen, fled back to Xiaopei. As Lu Bu pressed close behind, Liu Bei shouted to the gate guards to lower the drawbridge. Fearing they might accidentally harm Liu Bei, the guards hesitated, allowing Lu Bu to enter the city. Unable to hold him back, the defenders scattered.

Seeing the situation was hopeless, Liu Bei abandoned his family and escaped through the west gate with his followers. Lu Bu, upon reaching Liu Bei’s residence, was met by Mi Zhu, who appealed to his sense of honor. “Your rival is Cao Cao,” Mi Zhu said. “My master remembers the good you did at the Archery Feast and would not be ungrateful.”

Lu Bu, moved by these words, spared Liu Bei’s family and sent them to Xuzhou under Mi Zhu’s care. He then left Gao Shun and Zhang Liao to guard Xiaopei and marched to Yanzhou.

During this chaos, Liu Bei’s brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, fled separately, each with a few men, while Sun Qian also escaped. Liu Bei, traveling with his small group, lamented, “I know not the fate of my brothers or my family. What can I do?”

Sun Qian suggested, “We should seek refuge with Cao Cao and plan our next steps.”

Liu Bei agreed. They took backroads to Xuchang, relying on villagers for supplies. Upon hearing of Liu Bei’s plight, locals generously offered aid. One day, seeking shelter, they met a young hunter named Liu An, who welcomed them warmly. Wishing to honor his guest but unable to find game, Liu An killed his wife and served her meat, claiming it was wolf. Liu Bei, unaware, ate gratefully. The next morning, as Liu Bei passed through the kitchen, he saw the woman’s body and realized the truth. Deeply moved, he wept as he left, thanking Liu An, who declined to join him, citing his duty to his elderly mother.

On the road, Liu Bei encountered Cao Cao’s troops and was escorted to their camp. Moved by Liu Bei’s story of loss, Cao Cao offered comfort. When he learned of Liu An’s sacrifice, he sent the hunter a hundred ounces of silver in gratitude.

Cao Cao and Liu Bei then marched east against Lu Bu. Near Xiao Pass, they encountered bandits blocking their path. Xu Chu swiftly defeated them, and the pass was cleared. Meanwhile, Lu Bu, stationed in Xuzhou, set out to reinforce Xiaopei. Chen Deng, one of his advisors, secretly plotted against him. Chen Deng convinced Lu Bu to send his family and supplies to Xiapi for safekeeping, then betrayed him by coordinating with Cao Cao.

Chen Deng tricked Lu Bu and Chen Gong into abandoning key positions. As a result, Cao Cao’s forces captured Xiaopei and Xuzhou. When Lu Bu attempted to return to Xuzhou, he was met with arrows from the city walls. Mi Zhu shouted down, “You stole our city, and now we reclaim it for our master!”

Realizing Chen Deng’s betrayal, Lu Bu retreated to Xiaopei, only to find it also fallen to Cao Ren. In his fury, Lu Bu vowed revenge but was soon surrounded by Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Cao Cao’s forces. Despite desperate resistance, Lu Bu narrowly escaped to Xiapi.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, reunited after their separation, wept with joy. Together, they rejoined Liu Bei, who was overwhelmed with mixed emotions of relief and sorrow. Cao Cao welcomed them warmly and celebrated their reunion with a grand banquet, rewarding Chen Deng and his father for their cunning.

With Lu Bu isolated in Xiapi, Cao Cao began planning its siege. Cheng Yu advised caution, warning that if pressured too hard, Lu Bu might ally with Yuan Shu. Cao Cao agreed to secure the Huashang Mountains and tasked Liu Bei with guarding the southern territories.

Liu Bei, accompanied by his brothers, accepted the command and departed, leaving Xuzhou under Mi Zhu’s care, while Cao Cao advanced toward Xiapi to confront Lu Bu.

Lu Bu felt secure in his city, protected by ample grain supplies and the River Si. Ignoring Chen Gong’s advice to strike first, he waited as Cao Cao’s army established its camp. Cao Cao approached the city and called out to Lu Bu, urging him to surrender and join the imperial cause. Lu Bu dismissed him, and Chen Gong’s taunts prompted the siege to begin.

Chen Gong proposed a plan: Lu Bu would take troops to confront the enemy while Chen defended the city. Lady Yan, Lu Bu’s wife, opposed the plan, fearing for their family. Swayed by her tears, Lu Bu delayed for days. When Chen Gong urged action again, Lu Bu prepared to intercept enemy supplies but ultimately deemed the report a ruse and stayed put, drinking heavily to dull his worries.

Two advisers, Xu Si and Wang Kai, suggested renewing the marriage alliance with Yuan Shu. Lu Bu sent them with a letter, guarded by Zhang Liao and He Meng. The messengers evaded the siege but were betrayed upon their return. He Meng was captured, and Cao Cao executed him, tightening security around the city.

Desperate, Lu Bu attempted to send his daughter to Yuan Shu under heavy escort. Carrying her on his back, he led the group but was intercepted by Liu Bei’s forces. Overwhelmed, Lu Bu abandoned the plan and returned to the city.

Cao Cao, frustrated by the stalemate, adopted Guo Jia’s suggestion to flood the city using the rivers. Water engulfed Xiapi, isolating the defenders. Lu Bu, demoralized, sought solace in wine despite issuing a strict ban. When Hou Cheng brewed wine to celebrate recovering stolen horses, Lu Bu punished him harshly, alienating his officers.

Resentful, Hou Cheng conspired with Song Xian and Wei Xu to betray Lu Bu. Hou Cheng stole Red Hare, Lu Bu’s prized steed, and fled to Cao Cao, arranging a signal for surrender. Cao Cao spread news of rewards for capturing Lu Bu, raising morale among his troops.

At dawn, as the attackers stormed the city, Song Xian and Wei Xu overpowered Lu Bu while he rested. They bound him tightly and signaled surrender. Cao Cao’s forces entered Xiapi, capturing Chen Gong, Zhang Liao, and Gao Shun. The rivers were redirected, and order restored.

Lu Bu, bound and defeated, was brought before Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Pleading for mercy, he cursed his betrayers. Cao Cao responded coldly, and Lu Bu’s fate was sealed.