Cao Cao's execution of Liu Cong and his mother is the betrayal that follows their surrender: after accepting their authority and thanking him in person, they are sent away from Xiangyang and killed on the road. The episode reveals how Cao Cao uses promises to secure Liu Biao's Jingzhou regime, then removes the surrendered ruler and his mother once control of the city is his.

Causes and Negotiations

After Liu Biao's death, Cao Mao and Zhang Yun persuade Liu Zong to surrender. Despite Liu Zong's uncertainty and the counsel of other ministers, the two officials go to Fancheng to negotiate. Cao Cao rewards them with honorary senior posts, places them in charge of the naval troops, and promises Liu Zong a region to govern in perpetuity. The terms appeal to the negotiators' interests and help bring the surrender to completion.

When Xun You asks why Cao Cao has shown such favor to men he considers untrustworthy, Cao Cao explains that he needs their naval experience but does not trust their character. He says he will deal with them later. The exchange makes clear that the honors are strategic: Cao Cao separates the practical value of their service from any lasting confidence in them.

Surrender and Reversal

On hearing that a deal has been made, Liu Zong and his mother are pleased. They cross the river to thank Cao Cao in person and hand over the symbols of authority; he receives them with the honors due to their rank. That welcome appears to confirm that the surrender has secured their future.

The assurance lasts only until the following day. Cao Cao enters Xiangyang and takes control, then orders Liu Zong and his mother to go north. Liu Zong is told he will govern a distant city, not remain near Xiangyang, and his request to stay close to the city is refused. The promised future as a ruler has narrowed to an exile imposed by the new master of the region.

Execution and Consequences

Not long after their departure, one of Cao Cao's trusted officers catches up with them and announces that he has orders to kill both mother and son. Liu Zong and his mother are killed beside the road. Their fate completes the reversal: the people who had surrendered, handed over authority, and received formal honors are eliminated once they no longer serve Cao Cao's immediate purpose.

Cao Cao's next move is against Xuande, whom he orders a crack force of five thousand warriors to overtake and destroy. The sequence places Liu Zong's death within a wider campaign to consolidate power in Jingzhou and pursue the remaining opposing force. The episode's political contrast is stark: public ceremony accompanies surrender, but it offers no protection once Cao Cao has secured control.