Battle of Xiaoyao Ford

Battle of Xiaoyao Ford
Part of the wars at the end of the Han dynasty
Date 214–215 Location East of Hefei, Anhui, China 31°51′50″N 117°16′51″E / 31.86389°N 117.28083°E / 31.86389; 117.28083 Result Cao Cao victory; Sun Quan retreat
Belligerents
Cao Cao	Sun Quan
Commanders and leaders
Zhang Liao Li Dian Yue Jin	Sun Quan Gan Ning Ling Tong (WIA) Lü Meng Chen Wu † Jiang Qin Xu Sheng (WIA) Pan Zhang Song Qian
Strength
7,000 soldiers inside Hefei fortress	~100,000, 1,000 bodyguards under Sun Quan, 300 men under Ling Tong
Casualties and losses
700+	1,300+
class=notpageimage| Location within China

The Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, also known as the Battle of Leisure Ford, Battle of Hefei, and Hefei Campaign, was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Sun Quan between 214 and 215 in the late Eastern Han dynasty. The two contending sides were fighting for control over a strategic fortress at Hefei, which was defended by Cao Cao's general Zhang Liao. Towards the end of the campaign, Zhang Liao made use of force concentration and launched a sneak counteroffensive on Sun Quan at Leisure Ford, where Sun only had 1,000 soldiers with him at the time. Amidst the chaos, Sun Quan barely escaped capture with the aid of his general Ling Tong. This action raised Zhang Liao to primacy among Cao Cao's generals.