Chapter 113: The Death of Lu Bu

The biting north wind howled as spring approached. Nature was gradually awakening; outside the walls of Xiapi, the withered grass of the previous year began to show faint, vibrant traces of green, breathing new life into the bleak landscape.

Later generations have remarked that the region of Xuzhou had been the site of over fifty large-scale military campaigns throughout history, with the rights and wrongs of each difficult to untangle. Among the fertile lands of Huaibei, the Battle of Xiapi—where Cao Cao laid siege to Lu Bu—stands as one of the most renowned of these conflicts.

A melodious horn sounded across the desolate earth. The piercing, long notes echoed back and forth, resonating throughout the wilderness. From atop the White Gate Tower, one could see the Cao army’s camp situated at the southwest corner of the city. Countless banners fluttered, and a dense, endless swarm of dark figures poured continuously from the encampment.

The army of thirty thousand was not stationed in one place. Cao Cao had assigned Xiahou Dun to the West Gate and Yu Jin to the North Gate. He also dispatched a flanking force under Xu Huang to attack Juan County and Yuanwu, stationing them in the north to guard against reinforcements from Zhang Liao, who was currently serving as the Chancellor of Lu.

Had Lu Bu followed Chen Gong’s advice—personally leading his cavalry out of the city to establish a camp in the field, creating a pincer formation with Xiapi, and coordinating with the forces of Zhang Liao, Zhao Shu, and Li Zou outside—he might have had a chance to repel the Cao army. Unfortunately, he did not. Consequently, the bulk of Lu Bu’s main force remained trapped within the city. Yuan Shu refused to send reinforcements, and with Zhang Liao kept in check by Xu Huang, Lu Bu found himself isolated and without aid.

The sun hung high in the sky, but in the biting cold, its light was as pallid as a flicker of flame in the darkness, offering no warmth and only deepening the chill.

Cao Cao personally led an army of about fifteen thousand, supplemented by Liu Bei’s pitiful force of one or two thousand men. They surged toward Xiapi like a tidal wave, arriving outside the South Gate—about a mile from the White Gate Tower—and began to form their ranks. They arrayed themselves in square formations, with spearmen in the front and a full complement of various units behind. Officers at every level organized their men with precision. In just over ten minutes, the fifteen-thousand-strong force was fully arrayed, demonstrating the exceptional military discipline of the Cao army.

Further away, the Si River, located to the northwest of Xiapi, had been artificially dammed. Although the water flow was less than in previous years, the stored water had already filled the city’s moats and reservoirs. Downstream, the riverbed was nearly dry, while the upstream waters had all gathered outside Xiapi. Three years prior, this river had been choked with corpses; now, it had become a surging torrent once more.

Cao Cao sat upon his horse, staring coldly at the city standing in the freezing wind. Without warning or preamble, he waved his hand and commanded his messengers, "Breach the dikes and flood the city gates!"

"The Excellency commands: breach the dikes!"
"The Excellency commands: breach the dikes!"
"The Excellency commands: breach the dikes!"

The messengers galloped through the wind, their voices echoing in every direction.

Xiapi lay on the east bank of the Si River, on low-lying ground. Cao Cao had blocked the river and channeled the water toward the city, accumulating it for several days. In fact, the water had already begun to overflow, filling the moat and seeping into the city in shallow puddles. But when the dam was suddenly breached, it sounded like a thunderous roar, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing. As the soldiers of Lu Bu on the walls watched in terror, a massive torrent rushed toward the city, threatening to destroy it entirely.

However, the flood-control technology of the ancient world could not compare to the industrial age. Combined with the severe droughts that had plagued the entire country in recent years, most "flooding of cities"—unlike Guan Yu’s legendary flooding of the Seven Armies—merely resulted in water filling the streets. To truly create a cataclysmic flood capable of leveling walls and obliterating homes was impossible. Thus, while the surging waves looked fearsome, they merely formed a massive sheet of water that began to submerge Xiapi.

No matter how tightly the gates were sealed, they could not keep the water out. Soon, the water level inside the city began to rise rapidly—past the toes, over the feet, and up to the ankles. Eventually, it reached the calves. Many know that beriberi is caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B1, which is abundant in vegetables, fish, and grains like the millet that served as the staple diet of the Han people. Under normal circumstances, the Han people would not contract it. However, if feet are soaked in water for long periods, the skin begins to rot, and the bacteria in the water lead to infection. The feet swell, fester, and ooze pus—this was the true horror of a flooded city.

With so many of Lu Bu’s troops crammed into the city, as the water rose, many instinctively scrambled for the walls or higher ground. But the space was limited, and the crowding was immense. Wails filled the air; before a single battle had been fought, morale had plummeted to the nadir.

"Damn it!" Lu Bu stood atop the wall, watching the water backflow into the city. In a fit of rage, he slammed his fist against the parapet. He truly regretted not listening to Chen Gong; had he led his men out earlier, he could have launched a surprise attack.

His subordinates urged, "General, the city is flooded. If this continues, we will have nowhere left to stand, and we will all be trapped to death. It would be better to open the gates and charge out!"

"Charge out?" Lu Bu hesitated again. This was his recurring flaw—indecisive in battle, he constantly missed his opportunities.

At that moment, a commotion broke out at the West Gate. Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu, long dissatisfied with Lu Bu, took advantage of the chaos and the Cao siege to stage a mutiny. They bound Chen Gong, who was guarding the West Gate, and threw the gates open.

Xiahou Dun was stationed at the West Gate. Having lost an eye to an arrow from Cao Xing half a year prior while supporting Liu Bei against Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, he saw the gates open and assumed the enemy was launching a sally. He immediately roared, "Prepare to charge with me!"

"Charge!" The battle cries of the Cao army shook the heavens.

Fortunately, Hou Cheng and his men shouted, "We surrender! We surrender!"

Two or three thousand men waded out of the city, kneeling in the mud before Xiahou Dun’s ranks. The Cao soldiers, ready for a desperate fight, were momentarily stunned by the sight of Lu Bu’s troops, who had lost all will to fight. Although the battle did not materialize, Xiahou Dun immediately realized this was a golden opportunity to take the city. He issued the order, "Slay your way into the city!"

"Charge!"

The melodious horns and war drums sounded in unison. Xiahou Dun, his left eye covered by a cloth, relied on his limited vision—something he had grown accustomed to over the last six months. Gripping his great blade, he spurred his horse and was the first to charge into the city.

What began as a surrender by a small group of West Gate defenders quickly plunged the entire city into chaos. With the city breached, countless Lu Bu soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt in the pools of water.

At the South Gate, Lu Bu saw the scene and nearly spat blood in his rage. "Those scoundrels, Hou Cheng and the others, have ruined me!"

"General, the situation is lost. We must flee," his loyal subordinates advised. "If we escape back to Bingzhou, there may still be hope."

Lu Bu laughed bitterly. "Where is there a place for me in this world? Cut off my head and surrender to Cao Cao."

"General!" his men cried, unable to bear the thought.

"Then bind me and take me to Cao Cao," Lu Bu sighed. With the enemy at the gates, surrender was the only path remaining.

Soon, all of Lu Bu’s forces in the city surrendered. The moat of Xiapi had been formed by diverting the Si River and digging a channel around the city. Cao Cao had blocked both the upstream and downstream sections; once the dam was breached, the backed-up water had flooded the city. After Lu Bu surrendered, Cao Cao ordered the downstream channel to be cleared and the upstream blocked, restoring the flow of the Si River. Consequently, as the terrain leveled out, the water receded within an hour, and the Cao army took full control of the city.

"Xuande, what do you think?" Cao Cao asked, riding his horse beside Liu Bei.

Liu Bei, who harbored a deep hatred for Lu Bu, was delighted to hear of his capture. "Your Excellency’s military genius is divine; you are truly the pillar of the nation."

Cao Cao laughed heartily. "Come, let us go see this Lu Bu."

"As you command." Liu Bei followed him eagerly. At this time, Liu Bei genuinely wished to work with Cao Cao. Like many in the world who were blinded, Liu Bei did not yet know Cao Cao’s true character. Though he had witnessed the slaughter in Xuzhou, he chose to endure for the sake of the crumbling Han Dynasty. Everyone knew the court relied on Cao Cao to stand in these chaotic times; to break with him would cause the already fragile situation of the Han to collapse completely.

In a sense, Liu Bei was no different from Kong Rong or Wang Lang—regional warlords who, after losing their territories, responded to the court’s call, traveled great distances to join Cao Cao, and initially served him with absolute loyalty. The difference was that after the incident of the "Embroidered Belt Decree," Liu Bei quickly realized Cao Cao was a traitor to the Han and defected to Yuan Shao, who claimed to be loyal to the throne and intended to overthrow Cao Cao. Kong Rong, though he realized the truth, was powerless and could only curse Cao Cao for sport. Wang Lang chose to defect, reasoning that if he could not be a loyal minister to the Han, he would be a loyal minister to the Cao Wei; as long as his family flourished, the emperor mattered little.

Ultimately, when Liu Bei sought to join Liu Biao to attack Cao Cao, Yuan Shao proved incompetent and was defeated by Cao Cao at Guandu, forcing Liu Bei to flee to Jingzhou, where he eventually founded his own base with the help of Zhuge Liang. Kong Rong’s entire clan was executed by Cao Cao. Wang Lang lived a much better life, rising to the Three Excellencies in Cao Wei, and later, when the Sima family rose to power, he seamlessly transitioned to them; his granddaughter Wang Yuanji married Sima Zhao, making the Wang family one of the most prominent of the Jin Dynasty.

This was the true reflection of the various factions at the end of the Han. The great noble families, caring only for their own interests, defected to Cao Wei. The loyalist faction, including Kong Rong and Xun Yu, was purged. Liu Bei, another loyalist, had the foresight to realize that "a tree that stands alone in the wind will fall," and established his own state.

But for now, Liu Bei was unaware of Cao Cao’s true intentions. It would take later events—Cao Cao’s bullying of the Emperor, the issuance of the secret decree, and the execution of Dong Cheng, Wang Fu, Zhong Ji, and even the pregnant Consort Dong—for him to understand. Thus, he followed Cao Cao with high spirits to meet Lu Bu. Compared to Cao Cao, his hatred for Lu Bu was bone-deep; skinning him alive would hardly satisfy his grudge.

They entered the city and reached the White Gate Tower. Surrounded by Xu Chu, Guan Yu, and others, Cao Cao walked to the front. Lu Bu had been bound tightly and was brought before him.

"Hmph!" Cao Cao sneered. "Lu Bu, I have ordered you to surrender and serve the court time and again. Why have you been so fickle?"

Lu Bu remained silent, his face set in a grim mask.

"Hm?" Cao Cao frowned. "A defeated general, how dare you be so rude?"

Lu Bu replied, "I treated my soldiers with such generosity, yet they betrayed me. It is not a failure of strategy."

"Oh?" Cao Cao smiled thinly. "I heard you had affairs with the wives of your subordinates behind your own wife’s back. How can you call that generous?"

Lu Bu fell silent. After a moment, he said, "These ropes are too tight. Please, loosen them a little."

Cao Cao laughed, "One must tie a tiger tightly."

Lu Bu added, "If you obtain me today, and I lead your cavalry while you lead your infantry, we could unify the world."

"Hmm?" Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, stroking his beard, clearly tempted. Lu Bu was peerless in bravery and a master of cavalry. Cao Cao lacked such a general; gaining Lu Bu would indeed greatly bolster his cavalry’s strength.

Liu Bei, seeing Cao Cao’s hesitation, grew anxious. He shared a life-or-death enmity with Lu Bu; how could he let him go? He immediately stepped forward and said, "Sir, have you forgotten the fates of Ding Jianyang and Grand Tutor Dong Zhuo?"

Lu Bu flew into a rage. "That big-eared scoundrel is the least trustworthy of all!"

"Hmph," Cao Cao commanded, "Take Lu Bu away and strangle him."

"As you command!" The guards immediately dragged Lu Bu away.

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency! Your Excellency!" Lu Bu’s cries faded into the distance until there was silence.

In truth, Lu Bu never understood until his death that he was rejected because of his fickle nature. Many say Liu Bei was even more of a "servant of three masters" because he defected so often. But Liu Bei, from beginning to end, served only the Emperor. He followed Gongsun Zan to help an old classmate resist Yuan Shao. He followed Tao Qian to help him resist Cao Cao. He followed Cao Cao, but was effectively serving the Emperor. He followed Yuan Shao only because, after the secret decree, he realized Cao Cao’s true nature and believed Yuan Shao was the loyalist—only for Yuan Shao to go up in flames at Guandu. He followed Liu Biao as an allied guest general, much like Zhang Xiu.

Liu Bei never betrayed his hosts. He either served the court or was forced into exile while trying to act for the Emperor. Conversely, look at Lu Bu: Ding Yuan, Dong Zhuo, Liu Bei. Whoever took him in suffered. Aside from Liu Bei, who survived by luck, everyone who took him in was betrayed and killed. Because of this, Lu Bu’s reputation for fickleness was so foul that even Yuan Shu refused to save him.

The social consensus of the time was abysmal: Chen Deng called him "light and fickle," Cao Cao called him a "wolf with a wild heart," and Chen Shou described him as "fickle and sly, seeing only profit." Liu Bei, by contrast, was highly regarded. No one ever accused him of being fickle, proving that their reputations were not in the same league. Otherwise, why would Cao Cao, a man of such strong will and appreciation for talent, have listened to Liu Bei and had Lu Bu executed?