Exemplarious translation:
Book of Wei: 1, Emperor Wei Wudi: (Emperor Wudi, Cao Cao, thirteenth year of the era Xingping "Peace") In the 12th mongth, SUN QUAN conquered Hefei to help LIU BEI. Duke CAO CAO attacked LIU BEI from Jiangling and could advance to Baqiu, from where he sent ZHANG XXX to liberate Hefei. When SUN QUAN heard of this, he left Hefei. The Duke advanced to Red Cliff where he suffered a bad defeat. A pestilence came over his troops, and many people died. The army withdraw, and from this time on, the area of Jingzhou and all prefectures south of the Yangtse belonged to LIU BEI's territories.
Book of Shu: 31, The Governors Liu: The First Ruler, LIU BEI, sent ZHUGE LIANG to join an allicance with SUN QUAN. SUN sent ZHOU YU and CHENG JIN with a naval army of several ten thousand men, to unite their forces with the First Ruler. Fighting with Duke CAO at the Red cliff, they could achieve a great victory by burning CAO's ships. Toghether, the forces of the two victorious ruler advanced to the southern prefectures. At the same time was a bad pestilence, and many people of CAO's northern army died. Duke CAO could not but withdraw his troops.
35, Biography of Zhuge Liang: ZHUGE LIANG said: "Although our armies of Yuzhou have been defeated at Changbang, the people returning together with GUAN YU's naval army are ten thousand well equipped man, and there are not less than ten thousand soldiers who fought at Jiangxia under LIU QI. On the other side, CAO CAO's men are tired and exhausted, pursuing the Yuzhou army, their light cavalry did not have a rest for one day and one night on a distance of more than 300 miles. [...] And, the northern people are not accustomed with water ways. CAO CAO's followers in the area of Jingzhou do not serve him with their heart and feelings. Uniting the armies of the fierce generals, counting several ten thousand men, and join their forces with our Yuzhou army, we will definitely beat CAO CAO. He cannout but withdraw to the north, and the areas of Jingzhou and Wu will be strong, shaping China to a three legged pot - symbolizing three kingdoms. The chance to beat CAO CAO has come!" SUN QUAN was very pleased and sent out ZHOU YU, CHENG PU, and LU SU with a naval army of thirty thousand men. ZHUGE LIANG reported this event to the First Ruler, and the armies joined their forces. CAO CAO was defeated at the Red Cliff, and withdrew to Ye.
Book of Wu: 47, Rulers of Wu: (In the 13th year, ) LIU BEI advanced to Xiakou and sent ZHUGE LIANG to make a proposal to SUN QUAN, who had marched off ZHOU YU and CHENG PU. At the same time, Duke CAO had newly recruited troops, and his army was strong and overwhelming. All ministers looked fearful at the rising wind and told SUN QUAN to submit to CAO CAO. But the will of ZHOU and CHENG was upright and stood at the side of SUN QUAN. Both of them acted as generals and commanded ten thousand men. The army advanced together with the troops of LIU BEI, and they met at the Red Cliff, where they defeated CAO CAO. Duke CAO burned the rest of his ships and withdrew to the north. More than half of his army had died from pestilence and starvation. LIU BEI and ZHOU YU pursued his troops and advanced to the area south of the Yangtse.
54, Biography of Zhou Yu: At that time, LIU BEI has been defeated by Duke CAO and wanted to withdraw by crossing the Yangtse southwards. He met with LU SU in Dangyang and invented a plot together with him. They marched to Xiakou from where they sent ZHUGE LIANG to SUN QUAN. QUAN set into march the army of ZHOU YU and CHENG PU to unite their forces with the troops of LIU BEI to fight against Duke CAO. The armies met at the Red Cliff. At this time, the army of CAO CAO was very numerous, but the soldiers were already weakened by a pestilence, and during the first clashes, CAO CAO suffered a defeat and withdrew his troops to the north bank of the Yangtse. ZHOU YU and the others camped at the southern bank. YU's division general HUANG GAI said, "The troops of the thieves (of CAO CAO) are numerous, but we are left alone; it would be difficult to hold our position for longer time. But if we have a look at CAO CAO 's war ships we see that he has tied the ships together at bow and stern. It is easy to burn all the ships and make him run away." HUANG made use of ten big war-ships, filled them with fire wood and dry reeds, soaked with oil and stuffed with fabrics. On the top he erected flags with indentations. He had written a letter to CAO CAO, pretending to go over to him. He also had prepared propelling ships that were bound at the stern of the burning ships to push them forward. The soldiers of CAO CAO's army all left the camp to gaze at the ships and expected HUANG GAI to desert, like he had promised. HUANG GAI commanded all ships and incended all of them at the same time. In a fierce wind, the fire spread to the river bank and burned down CAO CAO's camp where the flames reached high up to the sky. Masses of people and horses died in the flames. Being thus defeated, CAO CAO's army withdrew, turned and sought a sure place in the commandery Nanjun. LIU BEI and ZHOU Yu together persecuted the fleeing army.
55. Biography of Huang Gai: In the era Jian'an, HUANG GAI was a follower of ZHOU YU and together with him mastered Duke CAO at the Red Cliff, carrying out the plot with the fire attack. This story is told in ZHOU YU's biography.
Translated by Ulrich Theobald.
