It was the first significant clash of arms between the rival warlords in the contest for dominion of Ji and Qing provinces in northern China.

Soon, Yuan Shao himself came in force and the two sides met 40 km south of Jie Bridge, a crossing on the Qing River.

In the centre were placed his "white horse volunteers" (白馬義從), an elite mounted unit which formed the core of his fighting force.

Whilst the numbers may have exaggerated, their appearance must have been impressive; Records of Heroes describes how their "flags and armour lit up Heaven and Earth".

When Gongsun's cavalry was a mere ten paces away, the crossbowmen let loose waves of bolts, followed by the foot soldiers, who rose with their spears.

After a general melée, the front of Yuan Shao's line was littered with fallen horses and Gongsun Zan's dead.

The enemy horsemen, ignorant of Yuan Shao's identity, were beginning to withdraw when Qu Yi arrived on the scene to drive them away.

It is also significant to note that although the numbers involved are very high, the actual fighting is decided by only a small elite portion of the entire army.