Buzz
Triệu Vân's valor shone in the Three Kingdoms when he broke through Tào's forces alone. Meanwhile, Lã Bố and Quan Vu found themselves unable, each for their own reasons.
In the waning years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, chaos engulfed the realm, giving rise to countless heroes. Among them were esteemed warriors pivotal in the clashes between the mightiest warlords of the era.
Foremost among these formidable warriors were Lã Bố, Quan Vu, Trương Phi, and Triệu Vân.
In terms of martial prowess, Lã Bố and Quan Vu undoubtedly outshine Triệu Vân. Lã Bố, hailed as the unrivaled warrior of his time, seemed unbeatable in solo combat, possessing extraordinary martial skills, mastery in archery, fierce combativeness, and two rare treasures: the Xích Thố steed and the Phương Thiên Họa Kích.
Although Quan Vu and Triệu Vân never engaged in solitary combat, their strengths can be measured through their adversaries. One such adversary was Hà Bắc Văn Xú, a general under Viên Thiệu.
According to the historical epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, during the Battle of Bạch Mã, while Công Tôn Toản lay fallen and Văn Xú poised to strike him down, Triệu Vân intervened. The two engaged in over 50 rounds of combat without a clear victor. The skirmish was interrupted when reinforcements for Công Tôn Toản arrived.
In contrast, during the Battle of Bạch Mã, Quan Vũ defeated Văn Xú in just three rounds. From this, it is evident that Quan Vũ surpasses Triệu Vân in strength.
So why could Triệu Vân break through the enemy's encirclement, achieving fame in the Three Kingdoms during the Battle of Trường Bản, while Lã Bố and Quan Vũ could not?
Before this question, three reasons have been identified.
Why couldn't Lã Bố and Quan Vũ break through the encirclement?
Firstly, Triệu Vân's concerns were relatively minor.
In the Battle of Trường Bản in 208, one major reason Triệu Vân could unleash such formidable combat prowess, overwhelming Tào Ngụy's massive army, was his relatively minor concern. At that time, Triệu Vân had only one thought in mind: to rescue A Đẩu (the son of Liu Bei) from the encirclement. Holding the child tightly, he disregarded the danger and charged into the siege.
In contrast, if Lã Bố found himself in a similar situation, could this general break through the encirclement and save his daughter? During his lifetime, Lã Bố intended to marry his daughter to Viên Thuật's son in 197. However, he later changed his mind, leading his troops to retrieve his daughter from Hạ Bì, declaring the cancellation of the marriage contract with Viên Thuật.
Lã Bố didn't face the necessity of solitary infiltration like Triệu Vân when reclaiming his daughter. If forced into such a situation, Lã Bố's chances of breaking through the enemy's encirclement would be quite slim. His daughter, being older and seated behind him on the horse, would make it challenging for Lã Bố to risk breaking through without endangering her.
Meanwhile, at Thổ Sơn, Tào Tháo's forces surrounded Quan Vũ, intending to pressure this general into a difficult situation. However, Tào Tháo underestimated Quan Vũ's combat capabilities. Despite Hứa Chử and Từ Hoảng's alliance, they were no match for Quan Vũ.
Quan Vũ could have easily escaped the encirclement at Thổ Sơn alone but chose to temporarily surrender. The reason was his concern for the safety of Liu Bei's family. Therefore, Quan Vũ refrained from rash actions. One significant factor leading Quan Vũ to surrender to Tào Tháo was to protect Liu Bei's family.
Secondly, Triệu Vân's reputation was relatively modest.
According to the historical epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in the early days, Triệu Vân was a relatively unknown figure, far less renowned than Lã Bố and Quan Vũ. However, this was one of the significant factors that helped Triệu Vân break through the encirclement.
Furthermore, Lã Bố was a renowned general known throughout the realm. The battle of 'Three Heroes Combat Lã Bố' demonstrated Lã Bố's exceptional fighting prowess. Subsequently, the clash between Lã Bố and Tào Ngụy's six mighty generals also made Tào Tháo realize that the Lã family's generals were not easily defeated. Therefore, when facing Lã Bố, Tào Tháo would undoubtedly employ more troops and devise a more comprehensive plan. This would create greater pressure on Lã Bố during battle.
If the intention is to besiege Quan Vũ, Tào Tháo would certainly calculate meticulously.
Similarly, due to Quan Vũ's widespread fame, Tào Tháo himself was aware of this general's strength, so he strategically deployed powerful generals for battle. It is clear that Quan Vũ could defeat Hứa Chử and Từ Hoảng, but his combat effectiveness would diminish significantly. Therefore, predicting Quan Vũ's ability to break through Tào's encirclement is uncertain.
Furthermore, compared to Lã Bố and Quan Vũ, Triệu Vân was only surrounded by Tào Ngụy's soldiers, unlike Tào's top generals.
On the other hand, if not for Tào Tháo's praise of 'Truly a tiger general!' and his order for soldiers to only capture, not shoot, preventing Triệu Vân from being injured, it would be difficult for this general to achieve feats at Trường Bản. Triệu Vân not only escaped the encirclement but also partially saved A Đẩu due to Tào Tháo's admiration for talented individuals.
Thirdly, Triệu Vân faced a more favorable battlefield situation.
What Quan Vũ and Lã Bố had to contend with was Tào Tháo's deliberate arrangements, a master strategist. Facing two formidable generals like Lã Bố and Quan Vũ, Tào Tháo surely wouldn't underestimate them and would deploy a host of heroes and strong generals to resist, even devising strategies to press them into difficult situations.
On the contrary, when Triệu Vân broke into Tào's encirclement, it was a situation that Tào Tháo hadn't anticipated. In the Battle of Trường Bản, Tào Tháo's primary goal was to defeat Liu Bei.
After Liu Bei's defeat and scattered retreat, leaving behind even his wife and children, Tào Ngụy's army was in a position of victory, tidying up the battlefield. It was precisely at this moment that Triệu Vân suddenly charged forward, rushing toward Tào Ngụy's forces. The unexpected turn of events, coupled with the assistance from Tào Tháo's order to capture, inadvertently created conditions for Triệu Vân to unleash all his combat strength and break through the encirclement to save A Đẩu.
Despite having many favorable factors compared to Lã Bố and Quan Vũ, there is one undeniable thing. That is Triệu Vân's outstanding combat ability, along with his bravery, integrity, and dedication to Liu Bei and the Shu Han. Later generations also highly praised Triệu Vân's talent and loyalty. Evidence of this is that he and Quan Vũ are the only two generals of the Three Kingdoms era to be honored at the Imperial Shrine of Emperors (built by the Ming and Qing dynasties).
Reference sources: Sohu, Baidu
