The Xuzhou coup marks a precarious return to power for Xuande: forewarned of Che Zhou’s ambush, he and his two sworn brothers turn the trap against the governor and regain entry to Xuzhou. But Zhang Fei’s retaliation against Che Zhou’s family makes the victory politically dangerous, leaving Xuande to anticipate Cao Cao’s response and seek a way to avert it.

Causes and Background

After Xuande reports Yuan Shu’s defeat and death to the emperor, Cao Cao grows increasingly concerned about Xuande’s popularity. He orders Che Zhou, the governor of Xuzhou, to conspire against Xuande and ambush him as he returns to the city. The plot turns Xuande’s journey home into a contest over control of Xuzhou, with Cao Cao attempting to remove a rival through his local governor.

Xuande is forewarned, so the intended ambush does not catch him unprepared. He and his two sworn brothers spring a counter-trap. The account emphasizes not merely the clash itself but the reversal of initiative: Cao Cao’s plan to ensnare Xuande instead ends with Che Zhou defeated and the brothers able to enter Xuzhou.

The Coup and Its Immediate Aftermath

In the ensuing mêlée, Guan Yu kills Che Zhou. The brothers gain entry to Xuzhou, but the recovery of the city is followed by a separate act of violence: Zhang Fei, angered by what he regards as Che Zhou’s betrayal, kills Che Zhou’s family. The narrative distinguishes this reprisal from the fight against the governor; it is Zhang Fei’s response to the perceived treachery, not a necessary step in the brothers’ return to the city.

That distinction matters to Xuande. Zhang Fei’s impulsive action deeply alarms him because he expects Cao Cao to seek revenge for the death of his governor. The coup therefore resolves the immediate threat while creating another: the brothers have regained access to Xuzhou, but their success has given Cao Cao grounds to retaliate.

Consequences and Narrative Significance

Chen Deng responds to the danger with another plan. Having previously succeeded in capturing Lü Bu, he believes he can save Xuande from Cao Cao, and the account turns from the brothers’ armed counterstroke toward the political strategy needed to protect their position. The episode’s outcome is consequently unsettled: the coup restores Xuande’s foothold, while Zhang Fei’s reprisal leaves that foothold exposed to a larger confrontation.

The incident also shows how the novel makes political upheaval legible through personal decisions and their consequences. Its broader historical setting is the collapse of the Han and the emergence of rival powers, but here that fragmentation takes the concentrated form of an ambush, a counter-trap, and an act of retaliation that imperils a hard-won position. The novel’s treatment of such events belongs to a layered tradition: historical events provide a foundation, while storytelling and theatrical traditions shape their dramatic presentation, and the novelist gathers those materials into an epic narrative.