Wan Castle

Battle of Wan Castle

Battle Information

Date

Around 185 (Sun Jian's siege)

197 (Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu's conflict)

Location

All within Jing Province, Nanyang/South Yang Commandery:

Wan County (modern day Nanyang, He'nan; primary siege between both Sun Jian and Cao Cao's involved conflicts and Dian Wei's death site)

Wuyin County (Cao Cao's eventual retreat point before returning to Xuchang)

Rang County (Zhang Xiu's later retreat point)

Result(s)

Sun Jian and Zhu Jun manage to besiege Wan Castle (187)

Zhang Xiu wins, but Cao Cao escapes; Cao Cao then attempts to siege Wan Castle to no avail, but Zhang Xiu formally surrenders to him (197)

Forces & Commanders

The Battle of Wan Castle (宛城の戦い, rōmaji: Enjō no Tatakai) was a battle within one of the main capital counties of Nanyang Commandery, either a siege lead by Sun Jian around 185 AD, or between the forces of Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu in 197 AD.

Initially this site was also notable during the early days of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Sun Jian as aforementioned, who stepped down from his mayor position at Xiapi to join the fight, lead a long-lasting siege on Wan County/Castle aiding Zhu Jun which nearly cost him is life. It was due to the continuous shift in command that also contributed to the siege's long duration until Zhu Jun was finally able to recapture Wan Castle.

The (Musou Warriors) games normally give focus to the specific battle of Wan Castle between Cao Cao and Zhang Xiu as aforementioned, as Cao Cao needed a way to deal with Zhang Xiu from his rear as he was linked with Liu Biao back at Jing Province despite him being a weaker power (thus preventing Liu Biao being a threat to his western and southern flanks from Nanyang Commandery). Zhang Xiu while being aware of his weaker standing decided to welcome Cao Cao into the county, though Cao Cao later on courted the widowed Zoushi (the wife of Zhang Xiu's uncle) which heavily displeased Zhang Xiu. He on the advice of Jia Xu, led a surprise revolt on Cao Cao's camp around the county and in a number of alternate media deceptions even used a fire attack. Although Cao Cao escaped to a fortified camp Yu Jin prepared for him and later towards Wuyin County, casualties were heavy, including his bodyguard, Dian Wei, his eldest son, Cao Ang, and nephew, Cao Anmin; the horse Cao Cao was riding (Shadow Runner) was also shot in the eye by a stray arrow and also perished.

The siege to claim Wan Castle afterwards akin to the initial conflict during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, ironically also lasted for a long while, though Cao Cao could not besiege it. Though after a counterattack by Cao Cao forcing Zhang Xiu to retreat to Rang County, Jia Xu then advised Zhang Xiu to formally surrender to Cao Cao, where the 2 of them forgave each other for their initial transgressions as Cao Cao took both Jia Xu and Zhang Xiu under his service before the very latter's passing.

It should be heavily noted that for the most part, Zhang Xiu historically nor even in the novel, likely did not set fire to the castle itself, or at least under possible advice under Jia Xu only set fire to the main luxury quarters Cao Cao was reportedly staying at.

Role in Games

Dynasty Warriors

In all installments, Cao Cao is trapped in Wan Castle set on fire by the warlord Zhang Xiu. The beginning cutscene from Dynasty Warriors 3 starts with Cao Cao having a drink with one of his troops pouring him a cup, but on the sidelines enemy troops storm the castle while Cao Cao and/or the player general is relaxing until they realize something is amiss, and soon find the the very central pagoda area of the castle being lit on fire while calling for their troops to secure an escape point. The said central area's south gate is sealed off with Dian Wei guarding the said gate, while Cao Cao and co. attempt to escape the rest of the castle by circling around the said central area via the north then circling back to the south on the west and east sides, fighting through many of Zhang Xiu's generals along the way. Eventually at some point, differing reinforcements will arrive to Cao Cao's aid. The battle ends with either Zhang Xiu being defeated or Cao Cao escaping into the lands outside while the whole entire castle burns as he laments Dian Wei's death and asks for his forgiveness.

Zhang Xiu's scenario on the other hand, is him trying to breach through the central area from the south while Cao Cao tries to escape from the north via circling around. Dian Wei's defeat will open up the way to the central area, and free up more of the map in order to navigate and kill Cao Cao.

In Dynasty Warriors 4, the battle is roughly the same, though burnt passages in the form of broken-burnt-down gates force it to be more of a maze while fire spreads throughout the whole castle building instead of one area. The stage's entire map is used as part of the Nan Yang series of maps, but all of its other scenarios in both the original game and the expansion are meant to be completely different locations in general as the map is mainly a placeholder for stages that involve castle-building-interiors. The battle is the only map that correctly takes place within the Nan Yang region.

Amidst the flames, there are several battles between forces, Cao An Min being trapped in the south and Cao Ang being in the eastern castle balcony route (Cao Cao while starting in the throne room, will immediately mobilize towards the said eastern route). Zhang Xiu's location is to the western entry point, but when you defeat him at any point, he will flee with his men (along with being in Hyper Mode). Dian Wei will come and help Cao Cao escape by holding off the advancing enemy as he remains in the southern chokepoint leading to the northern escape route. At that point, more routes will start to be sealed off via the aforementioned burnt gates spawning in, forcing Cao Cao to move along the western route and inevitably run into Zhang Xiu (if he has not been defeated beforehand). Even if Zhang Xiu has already been defeated or forced to retreat at that point or beforehand, Cao Cao will then end up trapped in the nook of the western area as more burnt passages spawn in. Only then will Dian Wei break down one of the burnt walls from the eastern side (Xu Zhu will do it instead of Dian Wei is controlled by the player as he spawns at the northern escape point itself), allowing Cao Cao to then circle back around to the east to head to the northern escape point.

However, Zhang Xiu then reappears at the northern area where Dian Wei or Xu Zhu spawn, determined to bury Cao Cao with his unit morale rising and 2 of his gate captains respawning (the northeast and very southern ones) to block Cao Cao's route, along with an ambush unit within the treasury room and on the way to the escape point near the center. Cao Ang will automatically stay behind in the treasury room while Cao An Min stays around the southern gate captain's position as Cao Cao will make his way to escape. All that is then left is to defeat Zhang Xiu for good, or have Cao Cao ignore him and head to the escape point on his own, though both the defeat of Zhang Xiu's second appearance and Cao Cao reaching the escape point are required in tandem to clear the stage. However, if Lu Bu is left alive after Battle of Xia Pi is done in Musou Mode Act 3 by letting Lu Bu flee, there is a chance he'll appear by himself to try and slay Cao Cao during the chaos of the situation.

The same map is also used for the battles "Lu Bu's Revolt" (meant to represent the inside of Luo Yang's palace) and several Legend Mode stages in the Xtreme Legends installment, mainly for Dian Wei, Diao Chan and Sun Ce's stages. In Sun Ce and Diao Chan's case, the castle area is somewhat lit dimly, especially for the scholar's room on the very southwest side of the map that's used in the Versus mode.

In Dynasty Warriors 5, the battle is focused on Dian Wei's defense on the escape point, and has a more linear path within a destroyed village within the castle (which is now much smaller overall). Cao Cao must be lead to safety past an enemy check point akin to Dian Wei's prior legend stage while he and/or the player remains behind to cut down anyone who passes through. While Cao Cao is escaping, the player has to prevent any enemies to pass through the checkpoint, otherwise they will interfere with his escape (any more past a specific limit and Cao Cao himself will be cut down). Eventually, Jia Xu will appear followed by Zhang Xiu. After defeating the two officers, Cao Cao will safely escape.

In Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2, the stage appears in Wei's story as Zhang Xiu has overrun most of the castle. While Cao Cao moves to the escape point, Zuo Ci appears at various junctures to impede the warlord's escape. When Cao Cao gets close to the escape point, Zhang Xiu personally gives chase to stop his prey. Defeating Zhang Xiu will move the player to the battle at Tong Gate while letting Cao Cao escape will lead to the battle of Li Yang. The treasure trove in Wei's side is guarded by Ranmaru Mori.

A free mode version detailing Zhang Xiu and Zuo Ci's side appears as they move to defeat Cao Cao's bodyguards before reaching the castle. Despite ambushes from Xu Zhu, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan and Cao Ren, Zhang Xiu's forces will near Cao Cao, but the warlord creates a new path, and he and Dian Wei will charge straight for Zhang Xiu's main camp while Yu Jin's reinforcements keep the enemy at bay. Defeating Cao Cao will end the battle. The treasure trove in Zhang Xiu's side is guarded by Ina.

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.

In Dynasty Warriors 8, the battle starts with Cao Cao and Dian Wei escaping the fiery castle. After defeating Huche'er, the two men encounter arbalests at the hallway while Yang Feng activates the ballistae. Breaking through, they are then impeded by fire breathing qilin statues with Han Xian guarding the passage. Soon an ambush occurs, and Cao Cao wonders about the welfare of both Cao Ang and Cao Anmin. After breaking the ambush, Jia Xu activates the wind traps which will blow allied soldiers into a pit filled with Zhang Xiu's men. After overcoming the trap, the pair reach the exit, but Dian Wei is wounded by projectiles. Attempting to move to the offensive, Guo Jia first orders that the nearby areas be secured, and they soon find Liu Biao's men in the process. Now aware of the situation, Cao Cao's forces plant ambush troops to lure out Zhang Xiu, and defeat Liu Biao's reinforcements. Once the plan is successful, Cao Cao's men storm Zhang Xiu's castle. Defeating both Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu will end the battle. Saving Cao Anmin and Cao Ang is optional; doing so will help clear one of the battle's bonus conditions as well as enable the aforementioned officers and Dian Wei to appear in future battles.

In Dynasty Warriors 9, Wan Castle acts as the opening battle for Wei's Chapter 4. While Cao Cao accepts Zhang Xiu's surrender, Zhang Xiu reveals Jia Xu's ambush, but Dian Wei leaves his station and arrives in time to help Cao. During his escape, Cao Ang and Cao Anmin can be rescued and Huche'er can be defeated to help ease the escape, along with Zhang Xiu himself to stop his archer assault. Jia Xu will attempt to block the path out, and must be defeated to finally leave the castle. Dian Wei, however, will remain behind in the castle, holding off Zhang Xiu's forces.

Once Cao Cao escapes, the mission changes to siege the castle and rescue the isolated bodyguard. Guo Jia first advises that the enemy's plans be found and thwarted before reentering the castle. There will be a scout unit in the area led by Zhang Xian and Li Yue. Jia Xu's fire attack unit will be protected by Yang Feng. Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue will control supplies from Liu Biao. Finally, Yu Jin must also be questioned regarding his suspicious actions nearby. Huche'er and Jia Xu can also be defeated to lower Zhang Xiu's morale. At the end of the battle, Jia Xu's genuine surrender is accepted while Dian Wei dies at the end from his injuries.

This Wan Castle (宛城) however, is not to be mistaken for the second one, located further south near Hefei and Shiting (historically within the Lujiang Commandery). However, the second specific Wan character (皖) can be read as "Huan" instead in pinyin (and is read as "Kanjō" in Japanese on'yomi; Nanyang's Wan Castle is read as "Enjō" instead).

Warriors Orochi

In one of Wu's side stages, the Tokugawa mutiny against Orochi and help a mass evacuation of peasants at Wan Castle. Kunoichi later arrives to assist the effort. Yoshimoto also happens to be in the castle and must be evacuated as well. When all peasants are evacuated and Zhen Ji is forced to withdraw, Kunoichi joins the Wu-Tokugawa alliance.

Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper makes the castl resemble the Hayabusa village. When Ryu Hayabusa, Jia Xu, and Kunoichi arrive to protect the castle. They appear to find no enemies. Suddenly, the officers of the castle begin to attack the ninjas and the strategist assassin. Eventually, the party learns the castle guards are under the mind control of Sun Wukong. It is here that the Coalition meets with Momiji. The demon officers in this stage also seem to be named differently to the others, having names such as Death, War, Fear and Pestilence.

In Ultimate, Zhuge Dan, Lu Xun, and Tadakatsu Honda invade the area in the hopes of catching and sealing Tamamo. Surprisingly, the trio are ambushed by Lu Bu's army, and Lu Xun deduces that they think the allied army is a group of impostors. The trio first move to assist Nezha, who was also caught up in the conflict, and begin proceeding to Wan Castle itself. Despite Zhuge Dan's words, Chen Gong still refuses to believe the words, so Lu Xun instead requests that Tadakatsu defeat multiple soldiers to get Lu Bu's army to open the gates on their own. Using the chaos within the castle, Lu Xun manages to slip a messenger to speak with Chen Gong, however, and Chen Gong begins to doubt his lord. Upon seeing Nezha in the castle's vicinity, Chen Gong asks his lord if he'd like to ride out and engage the mystic. Lu Bu refuses the suggestion, and decides to attack the strategist instead, and the objectives change to saving Chen Gong. Tamamo soon appears after Lu Bu's defeat, and Nezha was also revealed to be an impostor. Once Tamamo is defeated, Tadakatsu will attempt to use the Divine Mirror on her, but it only ends up revealing her true form, Kyūbi.

In the mirror realm version, Lu Xun is able to tell early on that Nezha is a fake and sends a secret messenger to Chen Gong while Lu Bu is not looking. Because of this, Chen Gong opens the gates for the Coalition instead as the Coalition also tackles and defeats Nezha. After both impostors are defeated, Tamamo will arrive but is shocked that her plan has failed, and she will still be defeated to end the battle.

In Warriors Orochi 4 part of the castle has been merged with Xuchang and Odawara Castle.

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 was littered with many dead bodies.

Dian Wei received over ten cuts, yet he continued to fight despite lacking troops. He 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 Anmin was also killed in battle.

Afterwards, Cao Cao after retreating to an established fortified encampment created by Yu Jin, was then able to retreat further eastwards towards Wuyin County as Yu Jin held the retreat in an orderly manner despite his losses. However as he was marching back to Wuyin in a dignified manner, he learned that the Qingzhou Corps under him had committed pillages at various villages along the way, as they tried to cover themselves by blaming Yu Jin when reporting to Cao Cao at Wuyin. Yu Jin however, found no reason to need to explain himself as he simply prepared another bulwark to intercept Zhang Xiu, and Cao Cao already understood to not fall for such lies and let Yu Jin get to work with full honors.

After holding back Zhang Xiu's incoming final wave of assaults, Cao Cao managed to depart from Wuyin County and returned to his home base in Xu County, resting up his army to prepare for another engagement against Zhang Xiu within Nanyang Commandery. Zhang Xiu meanwhile was beaten back to the point where he abandoned Wan County and retreated to Rang County. Cao Cao even then lamented his losses, especially Dian Wei's death.

It is said that on Cao Cao's death bed, this loss of two of his relatives and Dian Wei was one of the regrets he carried to his grave.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Trivia

For the Dynasty Warriors 4 versions of the Runan maps, the name of Wan Castle written in feudal right-to-left order is plastered as a plaque above all the main outer gates of the map's central castle. The engraving of Wan Castle's name is removed in the DLC versions of Bowanpo in Dynasty Warriors 8.
- Likely in the context of the battle of Bowanpo, it may be consolidated with the events of Liu Bei being stationed at Xinye with Cao Cao's HQ likely being Wan Castle (being nearby at the time) only after the skirmish with Zhang Xiu. Though it should be noted that Bowanpo was eastward of Wan Castle and westward of Xuchang, while Xinye was just southwards (as seen in Dynasty Warriors 9's map of China and other similar accounts).
  - Cao Cao's actual HQ was also Xuchang during the events at Xinye, but the fourth installment implies he likely moved to Wan Castle later to engage Liu Bei at Bowanpo, even though this never happened in real life nor in the novel.
For the actual Wan Castle or Nanyang Castle maps in the 4th installment (for both base game and Xtreme Legends expansion variations), many strange cases often have the commander of any variations of the map tends to be placed near very-southern entry point instead of the throne room next to it on the central-southeast. Some NPC's as soon as they start on the map may also glitch through the impassable throne itself as they start directly within it.
In general for this battle and its many depictions across the Musou Warriors games (also likely popularized by the Romance of the Three Kingdoms 1994 drama adaptation), Zhang Xiu setting fire to his own castle county would've been considered illogical and self-destructive depending on how difficult the fire would've been to control. Even then, it would be that either media outside of the Musou Warriors titles only have a nearby camp of Cao Cao's be set ablaze, or only a specific isolated or central portion within the castle for the Musou games (to ensure the fire does not completely consume the city). This is telling that even then historically, Cao Cao could not fully besiege the city after the deaths of Dian Wei, Cao Ang and Cao Anmin which implied the castle was still in functioning condition.