Records of the Three Kingdoms
Zhao Yun, courtesy name Zilong, was from Zhending in Changshan. He began under Gongsun Zan and later joined Liu Bei. At Changban in Dangyang, Liu Bei abandoned his family and fled south. Zhao Yun protected Lady Gan and the boy Liu Shan and brought them through. Chen Shou records the rescue of the heir in a very short sentence.
In the Hanzhong war Huang Zhong went for grain and Zhao Yun went to support him. Cao’s army arrived in force. Zhao Yun returned to camp, lowered the flags, stilled the drums, and opened the gates. Cao Cao suspected an ambush and withdrew. Liu Bei said Zhao Yun was all courage. The episode is in Zhao Yun’s separate biography, brought in by Pei Songzhi’s notes.
On Zhuge Liang’s first northern campaign Zhao Yun and Deng Zhi led a side force out of Jigu. They were not at Jieting itself. After the setback Zhao Yun gathered the men and held, so the wing did not wholly collapse. He was still demoted. After his death he was given the posthumous title Marquis Shunping.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
The novel spreads Changban into repeated charges, with Adou inside his coat. Liu Bei throws the child to the ground and says he nearly lost a general for this. That is a famous scene of the book.
Cutting off the boats to take Adou back is also Zhao Yun’s: Lady Sun means to carry Liu Shan to Wu, and he and Zhang Fei stop her. In the histories the episode is in a separate biography quoted by Pei, without so many exchanges. The empty camp in Hanzhong is taken into the picture of a man who is all courage.
Reference: Wikipedia · Zhao Yun