He wanted to appoint Huang Zhong as "General of the Rear" (後將軍), placing the latter on the same level as three other senior generals: Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao. In the same year, Liu Bei proclaimed himself "King of Hanzhong" (漢中王), a symbolic move comparing himself to Emperor Gao (the founder of the Han Dynasty). Huang Zhong was promoted to "General Who Attacks the West" (征西將軍) for his contributions in the Hanzhong Campaign. The victory at Mount Dingjun was a major stepping stone to the later conquest of Hanzhong. The battle became a rout and Xiahou Yuan was killed in action.
Huang Zhong rallied his men and, accompanied by thundering drums, they descended upon Xiahou Yuan's dwindling force. Xiahou Yuan thus despatched a fraction of his own troops to Zhang He's rescue. Liu Bei's main force pressed against Zhang He, outmatching the latter. Alarmed by the attack, Xiahou Yuan sent Zhang He to defend the eastern corner of the camp while he guarded the south. The confrontation dragged on for more than a year until one night in 219, when Liu Bei set fire to the barbed fence around Xiahou Yuan's camp at the foot of Mount Dingjun. His force met with resistance led by Xiahou Yuan at Yangping Pass. In 217, Liu Bei started the Hanzhong Campaign to seize control of Hanzhong commandery, which was under Cao Cao's control. After Yi Province was taken, Huang Zhong was promoted to "General Who Attacks Rebels" (討虜將軍). Since his appointment at Jiameng (葭萌), Huang Zhong had performed well in Liu Bei's conquest of Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from 212 to 215 - he was often the first to scale the walls of enemy cities and the first to charge into enemy formations. Han Xuan agreed and Huang Zhong came to serve Liu Bei. Huang Zhong actively urged Han Xuan to surrender to Liu Bei, who held strong influence in the province.
įollowing Cao Cao's defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs in the same year, the victorious allied forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan were gradually taking over the various commanderies in southern Jing Province, including Changsha. Huang Zhong was appointed as an acting Major-General (裨將軍) and he continued serving in Changsha under Han Xuan, the commandery's new Administrator (太守). Liu Biao died in 208 and his successor, Liu Cong, surrendered Jing Province to the warlord Cao Cao. He was tasked to defend Changsha commandery (長沙郡) with Liu Biao's nephew Liu Pan. He initially served as a "General of the Household" (中郎將) under Liu Biao, the Governor (牧) of Jing Province.
Huang Zhong was a native of Nanyang (present-day Nanyang, Henan).