The event
Liu Bei’s Conquest of Yi Province
刘备入蜀
From 211 Liu Bei moved into Yi province, and by 214 he had besieged Chengdu and taken control of it from Liu Zhang. Huang Zhong, who received his orders at Jiameng, returned with the army to attack Liu Zhang and repeatedly led assaults that broke enemy formations. Zhuge Liang led Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun upstream from Jing province to pacify counties for Liu Bei. At Jiangzhou, Zhang Fei defeated Liu Zhang’s officer Yan Yan and took him alive; when Yan Yan said Yi province had only generals ready to die, not generals who would yield, Zhang Fei admired his resolve, released him and received him as a guest. Zhao Yun took the Outer River route toward Jiangyang and rejoined Zhuge Liang at Chengdu, while Zhang Fei won the engagements along his route and met Liu Bei there. Ma Chao, who had fled to Hanzhong after failing to regain Jicheng, sent a secret letter asking to surrender once Chengdu was besieged; an annotation quoting the Dian Lüe says his arrival outside the walls frightened the city and helped prompt Liu Zhang’s surrender.
The people
Who took part
Novel vs history
How the novel retells it
Romance of the Three Kingdoms changes parts of this story. These fact-checks show what the records say instead.
Sources
Historical sources
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书二·先主传
Liu Bei entered Yi province and eventually took control of Chengdu from Liu Zhang.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
From Jiameng, Huang Zhong received orders and returned with Liu Bei’s forces to attack Liu Zhang.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
The biography says Huang Zhong repeatedly led assaults and broke through enemy formations.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
When Liu Bei campaigned against Liu Zhang, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang led troops upstream to support him.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
At Jiangzhou, Zhang Fei defeated Liu Zhang’s officer Yan Yan and captured him alive.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
Yan Yan refused to surrender, saying his province had only generals ready to die, not generals who would yield.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
Zhang Fei admired Yan Yan’s resolve, released him, and received him as a guest.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
Zhang Fei won the engagements along his route and joined Liu Bei at Chengdu.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
Zhuge Liang later led Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei upstream to pacify counties for Liu Bei.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
From Jiangzhou, Zhao Yun took the Outer River route toward Jiangyang before rejoining Zhuge Liang at Chengdu.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
Unable to regain Jicheng, Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong and sought protection from Zhang Lu.
- Historical record三国志 · 蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
After learning that Liu Bei was besieging Chengdu, Ma Chao sent a secret letter asking to surrender.
- Later annotation三国志 · 裴松之注·蜀书六·关张马黄赵传
The Pei Songzhi annotation quoting Dian Lüe says Ma Chao’s arrival outside Chengdu frightened the city and helped prompt Liu Zhang’s surrender.