The Battle of Cangting was part of a mop-up operation undertaken by the warlord Cao Cao after his victory over his rival Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu in 200 in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.

[1] Yuan Shao still retained a presence south of the river at Cangting (倉亭; north of present-day Yanggu County, Shandong), a lone bridgehead down the river east from the battlefields of Guandu.

Cao Cao had originally wanted to follow up his victory over Yuan Shao by turning south to attack Liu Biao[2] and Sun Quan, the latter who had newly inherited his domain from his deceased brother Sun Ce.

Yuan Shao was able to regather his defeated armies to settle the rebellions in his own domain, soon reestablishing order and restored the status quo ante.

In Chapter 31 of the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the scarcely recorded Battle of Cangting was elaborated on and given new light.

Xu Huang's subordinate Shi Huan (史渙) challenged Yuan Shang, but was shot in the left eye and died.

Finally, Cao Hong and Xiahou Dun appeared before him, and the desperate Yuan Shao had to fight his way out.

After the battle, all of Yuan Shao's warhorses were dead, corpses piled across the fields, and blood flowed like creeks.

You [sons] shall return to your home provinces and promise to settle matters with Cao once and for all!