汴水之战 / Bianshui Battle (late Han)

Hanji 953 treats the Bianshui engagement as 曹操’s first major direct military move against 董卓. After the anti-Dong coalition refuses to attack promptly, Cao Cao advances west with limited support from 魏兹, only to be intercepted by 徐荣 near Xingyang/Bianshui and badly defeated.

Cao Cao is wounded by arrows and loses his horse. 曹洪 gives him his own horse and escorts him out at night, creating an early survival episode around Cao Cao’s person and future political value. The episode also stresses that Xu Rong withdraws after seeing Cao Cao’s small force hold out for a full day, so the defeat still signals that the Suanzao coalition might be costly to crush if it acted together.

Connections

• 曹操 - defeated but survives and returns to criticize coalition inaction.
• 曹洪 - rescues Cao Cao after his horse is killed.
• 徐荣 - Dong Zhuo general who wins the battle but chooses not to press into the larger camp.
• 魏兹 and 张邈 - limited allied support for Cao Cao’s advance.
• 反董卓联盟 and 酸枣大营 - coalition setting that turns the battle into evidence of wider strategic failure.
• 联盟自保失灵 - conceptual reading of why the defeat is isolated rather than absorbed into a coordinated campaign.