Ch. 779The Battle of Jizhou!
Chu State, Wu State, and Yan State mobilized against Wei State as Cao Cao gathered a massive army and prepared to meet Liu Bei in Jizhou. The rival forces began arriving on the battlefield, and Liu Bei launched the first clash to test Wei State's strength.
- Chu State sent Liu Bei and Guan Yu north with its main force while Lü Shen and Taishi Ci guarded its rear, and Luo Qi left Linzi to maintain the alliance with Jin State.
- Luo Chu ordered Wu State to attack Runan, assigned Kuai Yue and Cai Mao to defend Xiangyang, and placed Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and Sun Ce together in a separate force.
- Yan Lin responded to internal unrest over Liaodong's resettlement by accepting Liu Bei's offer and leading Yan State's cavalry south to fight Wei State and Chu State.
- Cao Cao learned that Chu State, Yan State, and Wu State had joined the war, celebrated with his ministers, and declared that he would personally lead Wei State's army against Liu Bei.
- Chu State and Yan State entered Jizhou but kept their armies separate, while Cao Cao advanced behind a forty-thousand-strong Wei vanguard with his main force.
- Liu Bei began fighting the Wei vanguard to test its strength and look for weaknesses.