The confrontation dragged on for more than a year until one night, Liu Bei set fire to the barbed fence around Xiahou Yuan's camp at the foot of Mount Dingjun.

Alarmed by the attack, Xiahou Yuan sent Zhang He to defend the eastern corner of the camp, while he guarded the south.

The next day, at the frontline, where the prisoners were exchanged, Huang Zhong fired an arrow at Xiahou Shang and wounded him.

At the advice of Fa Zheng, Huang Zhong moved his forces to Mount Tiandang, a nearby mountain with a higher peak.

Xiahou Yuan could not tolerate enemy forces having the vantage point, and decided to attack Mount Tiandang.

Only then did he understand the words of the soothsayer Guan Lu (管辂): The battle is also reenacted in Peking opera, based on the novel.

The Battle of Mount Dingjun is featured in Koei's popular video game franchise Dynasty Warriors, starting from the third entry onwards.