The Battle of Gaoqiao was fought in the spring of 190 AD between the Liang Province warlord Ma Teng and the rebellious Yellow Turban army of Wang Du during the last years of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Ma Teng easily crushed the small Yellow Turban army, securing his realm.
History[]
By 190 AD, Dong Zhuo had fled west with the emperor, although - in the eyes of his loyal Liang Province governor Ma Teng - he remained the best option for maintaining the Han for the time being.
Ma Teng too had to secure his borders against any and all threats, including the nearby Yellow Turbans. Ma Teng led his sizable 782-strong army south from Shanggui in Wudu Commandery to the border with the Xiabian district to the south; at the border, Wang Du's army of Gong Du's Yellow Turban remnants pillaged the local area.
The two armies met in battle at a clearing near the woods of western Gansu, and the battle opened when Wang Du vainly challenged Ma Teng to a one-on-one duel. While Ma Teng's superior numbers overwhelmed the smaller Yellow Turban army, Ma Teng defeated Wang Du in battle, lopping off his head with his halberd. His army suffered only 10 losses, and the 27 captured Yellow Turbans were pressed into his service.