Battle of Wan Castle

The Battle of Wan Castle (宛城の戦い) was a battle between the forces of Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu in 197 AD. Zhang Xiu led a revolt, ambushing Cao Cao in Wan Castle and burning it. Though Cao Cao escaped, casualties were heavy, including Cao Cao's bodyguard, Dian Wei.

Dynasty Warriors
In Dynasty Warriors 4, Cao Cao is trapped in Wan Castle by the warlord Zhang Xiu. Amidst the flames, there are several battles between forces, Cao An Min being trapped in the south. Zhang Xiu's location is to the north, but is not revealed on the map yet. When you defeat him, he will flee with his men. Dian Wei will come and help Cao Cao escape by holding off the advancing enemy. However, later on in the battle Zhang will return with men pouring in from all corners. Cao An Min will be under more assault assuringly. Cao Cao soon faces too much flames so his advance will be halted. Only later will Dian Wei break down burnt walls. All you need to do is defeat enemy units until Cao Cao escapes to fight another day.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, the battle is focused on Dian Wei's defense on the escape point. While Cao Cao is escaping, the player has to prevent any enemies to pass through the checkpoint. Eventually, Jia Xu will appear followed by Zhang Xiu. After defeating the two officers, Cao Cao will safely escape.

In Dynasty Warriors 7, the battle returns as a two-part battle after its absence in the previous installment. In this version, Dian Wei needs to defend Cao Cao from ambushes, phantoms, fire-breathing statues, ballistas, and arbalests. After going through deadly traps, one will eventually find Cao Ang. Later on, Cao Ang will attack an arbalest only to be killed by the weapon. After escaping Wan Castle, Dian Wei sacrifices his life to let Cao Cao escape. In the second part, Cao Cao seeks revenge for the death of his bodyguard. In the end, Jia Xu is defeated only to be hired by the now-cruel Cao Cao who will spare his life if he is a capable strategist.

Historical Information
Zhang Xiu's forces stormed Cao Cao’s camp. The battle went against Cao Cao, with no advantage, he fled on a light horse. Dian Wei battled at the gate preventing the traitors from entering. The troops then entered from the other gates. At the time Dian Wei had about ten or so men; they all fought a desperate battle; each fought like ten men. The traitors numbered many and were coming from front and rear. Dian Wei using his long crescent halberds attacked left and right destroying ten or more. The surrounding area littered with many casualties and dead. Dian Wei received over ten cuts, yet he continued to fight despite lacking troops. Dian Wei held onto two traitors underneath his arms, killing them. The remaining traitors dared not to advance any further. Dian Wei continued attacking the traitors, killing numerous men. His wounds took its toll, he let out a great cry and then died. The traitors dared not to advance and take his head, instead returned to the army. Cao Cao had retreated back to Wu Yin where he then heard about Dian Wei’s death. The news brought tears to his eyes. Cao Cao's son Cao Ang offered his steed to his father and bravely stayed behind to hold off the enemy, allowing his father to escape while he was killed in the battle. Cao Cao's beloved nephew Cao An Min was also killed in battle.