Xiahou Yuan

Cao Cao again launches a campaign to conquer Hanzhong in 215.

Initially, Zhang Lu has no hope of standing against Cao Cao's armies, and plans to surrender.

His younger brother Zhang Wei, however, insists on fighting and leads his army against the invading forces.

He is soon killed in battle, and again Zhang Lu considers surrendering.

His advisor Yan Pu tells him that in surrendering so readily, they would have no position to negotiate from.

Instead, Zhang Lu retreats to his fortress at Bazhong.

When leaving his capital, he does not destroy his wealth and treasures, nor attempt to take them with him, instead leaving them behind saying "These things belong to the country, not to me."

Cao Cao is greatly impressed by this, and sends a messenger to Zhang Lu asking him to surrender.

Yan Pu's plan is successful, as Zhang Lu and his forces are warmly welcomed by Cao Cao.

He is given the title General who Suppresses the South and his five sons are granted the rank of marquis.

He marries his daughter to a younger son of Cao Cao, Cao Yu.

As further demonstration of the bad blood between Zhang Lu and Ma Chao, when Cao Cao turns Ma Chao's son Ma Qiu over to Zhang Lu, he immediately executes him.

Following Cao Cao’s defeat of Zhang Lu and subsequent seizure of Hanzhong, Sima Yi and Liu Ye advise him to take advantage of the victory to attack Yi Province, since it is still unstable under Liu Bei's new government and Liu himself is away in Jing Province.

Cao Cao refuses and leaves Xiahou Yuan, Zhang He and Xu Huang to defend Hanzhong.

Fa Zheng, in 217, points out the strategic necessities of seizing Hanzhong and advises Liu Bei to drive Cao Cao's force out of the area.

Liu Bei sends Zhang Fei, Ma Chao, and several subordinate generals to Wudu, while he assembles an army and advances to Yangping Pass.

Zhang Fei is forced to retreat after his aides Wu Lan and Lei Tong are defeated and killed by Cao Cao's forces.

Liu Bei, engaging Xiahou Yuan at Yangping Pass, tries to cut the enemy's supply route by sending his general Chen Shi to Mamingge, but is routed by Xiahou's subordinate, Xu Huang.

Liu Bei then presses on Zhang He at Guangshi but fails to achieve any success; at the same time, Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He are not able to hinder Liu Bei from mobilizing forces around the area.

The war turns into a stalemate, and Cao Cao decides to gather an army in Chang'an to fight Liu Bei.

Liu Bei and Xiahou Yuan have by the spring of 219 faced each other for over a year.

Liu Bei leads the main army to the south of the Mian River and orders Huang Zhong to set up camps on Mount Dingjun, where Xiahou Yuan's encampment in the valley below could be easily monitored.

One night, Liu Bei sends ten thousand troops to attack Zhang He in Guangshi and sets fire to Xiahou Yuan's barricades.

Xiahou Yuan then leads a small detachment to put out the fire and sends the main army to reinforce Zhang He.

Fa Zheng sees an opportunity for attack and signals to Liu Bei to launch an assault.

Liu sends Huang Zhong to attack the weakened enemy from above.

Huang Zhong targets Xiahou Yuan's unit and completely routs it.

Both Xiahou Yuan and Zhao Yong, Cao Cao's appointed Inspector of Yi Province, ae killed in the battle.

Zhang He, who had been informally elected to succeed Xiahou Yuan by Du Xi and Guo Huai, retreats to the northern bank of the Han River, and awaits Cao Cao's reinforcement.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei secures all strategic points at the exit of the passes linking Chang'an and Hangzhong while Cao Cao is approaching via Yegu Pass.

Liu Bei faces Cao Cao for several months but never engages the latter in battle, effectively forcing Cao to retreat as his soldiers start to desert.

Zhang He also retreats to Chencang to set up defenses for a potential invasion by Liu Bei.

Liu Bei leads his main army to Nanzheng and sends Meng Da and Liu Feng to capture Fangling and Shangyong.

Liu Bei, after securing Hanzhong, declares himself "King of Hanzhong" and sets up his headquarters in Chengdu.

He appoints Liu Shan as the heir-apparent.

Wei Yan is promoted to the rank of "General Who Maintains Distant Lands in Peace" and Administrator of Hanzhong.

Xu Jing is appointed as "Grand Tutor" while Fa Zheng is made "Prefect of the Masters of Writing".

Guan Yu is appointed as "General of the Vanguard", Zhang Fei as "General of the Right", Ma Chao as "General of the Left" and Huang Zhong as "General of the Rear".

The rest of Liu's subjects are promoted as well.

In the same year, Sun Quan's forces, led by Lü Meng, capture Guan Yu, who is promptly executed, and conquer Jing Province.

After hearing of Guan Yu's death, Liu Bei becomes furious, and orders his troops to begin preparing for war with Sun Quan.