Cao Cao first orders the two generals who earlier surrendered to him, Song Xian and Wei Xu, to fight. In fact this is only to get rid of them ’by the use of another man’s sword’; he lets Yan Liang kill them. Thereafter he sends the four generals, Xu Chu, Xiaohou Dun, Zhang Liao and Xu Huang to take turns in fighting Yan Liang. However, they are not able to defeat the enemy and have to withdraw to the hill.
曹操先命以前的兩個降將宋憲、魏續去戰，實爲“借刀殺人”，讓顔良將他們殺死。後又先後命許褚、夏侯惇、張遼、徐晃四將輪戰顔良，仍不敵，收兵回山。