Is “Leading the people across the river and defeating Cao Cao in the Battle of Hanzhong” true?
attested in history
The Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Shu, Biography of the Former Lord records that during the retreat from Xinye, over a hundred thousand civilians followed him; in the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei personally led the front and defeated Cao Cao, capturing Hanzhong.
Liu Bei
In official history, he is a bold and strategic hero with refined manners, while in the novel he is portrayed as a tearful, soft-hearted ruler who relies entirely on Zhuge Liang.