Dong Zhuo, courtesy name Zhongying, was from Lintao in Longxi.
In youth Dong Zhuo delighted in chivalrous pursuits. He traveled among the Qiang and befriended their powerful chiefs. Later he returned to farming. When chiefs visited him, he took them home and slaughtered a plow ox for a feast. Moved by his generosity, they collected more than a thousand animals of various kinds and presented them to him.
Late in Emperor Huan of Han (Liu Zhi)'s reign, he entered the Feathered Forest Guard as a son of a respectable family from the six commanderies. He possessed military talent and almost unmatched physical strength, carrying two bow cases and shooting from horseback to either side. As an army major he served under General of the Household Zhang Huan on a successful campaign in Bing Province. Appointed a Gentleman of the Household, he received nine thousand bolts of silk, all of which he distributed among his officers and soldiers. He became Magistrate of Guangwu, Northern Commandant of Shu Commandery, and Wuji Colonel in the Western Regions, but was dismissed. Recalled, he became Inspector of Bing Province and Administrator of Hedong.
Promoted to General of the Household, he attacked the Yellow Turbans, was defeated, and incurred punishment. When Han Sui and others rose in Liang Province, he was again appointed General of the Household to resist them in the west. North of Wangyuan Gorge, several tens of thousands of Qiang and other non-Han troops surrounded him; food ran out. Pretending to catch fish, he dammed a watercourse along his intended retreat, creating a pool extending several tens of li. He quietly moved his army below the dam and then breached it. By the time his pursuers learned what had happened, the water was too deep to cross. Six armies had advanced into Longxi, and five were defeated; only Dong Zhuo brought his force back intact. He stationed it at Fufeng. Appointed General of the Front and Marquis of Tai Township, he was summoned to become Governor of Bing Province.
Emperor Ling (Liu Hong) died, and the Young Emperor (Liu Bian) <the designation for the youthful emperor later deposed by Dong Zhuo> ascended the throne. General-in-Chief He Jin and Colonel Director of Retainers Yuan Shao plotted to kill the eunuchs, but the empress dowager refused. He Jin therefore summoned Dong Zhuo to bring troops to the capital and secretly instructed him to memorialize: “Palace Attendant Zhang Rang and the others exploit imperial favor and pollute the realm. Formerly Zhao Yang raised troops at Jinyang to expel evil men from his ruler's side. I shall now sound bells and drums and proceed to Luoyang to punish Zhang Rang and the others.” The intention was to intimidate the empress dowager. Before Dong Zhuo arrived, He Jin's plan failed.
Palace Attendant Duan Gui and others abducted the emperor and fled toward Xiaoping Ford. Dong Zhuo led his men to meet the emperor at Beimang and escorted him back to the palace.
At this time He Jin's younger brother, General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao, was killed by He Jin's troops.
He Jin's and He Miao's troops, left without a commander, all joined Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo also had Lü Bu kill Commandant of the Capital Ding Yuan and absorbed his men. Thus military power in the capital rested solely with Dong Zhuo.
Previously He Jin had sent Cavalry Commandant Bao Xin of Taishan to recruit soldiers. Upon arriving, Bao Xin told Yuan Shao, “Dong Zhuo has a powerful army and disloyal ambitions. Unless we act early, he will control us. His newly arrived troops are exhausted; a surprise attack could capture him.” Yuan Shao feared Dong Zhuo and dared not act. Bao Xin therefore returned home.
Using the prolonged lack of rain as grounds, the court dismissed Minister of Works Liu Hong [劉弘] and appointed Dong Zhuo in his place. Soon Dong Zhuo became Grand Commandant, with credentials, a ceremonial battle-axe, and Tiger Guards. He deposed the emperor as King of Hongnong (Liu Bian), and shortly afterward killed him and Empress Dowager He. He installed Emperor Ling (Liu Hong [劉宏])'s younger son, the King of Chenliu (Liu Xie), who became Emperor Xian (Liu Xie) <Han's last emperor>.
Dong Zhuo became Chancellor of State and Marquis of Mei. His personal name was not announced when he bowed, and he could enter the hall wearing his sword and shoes. His mother was made Lady of Chiyang, with a household prefect and assistant. Arriving with elite troops just when the imperial house was in chaos, he could control depositions and accessions, possessed the state arsenals and treasures, and made his might felt throughout the realm. Cruel and inhumane, he intimidated everyone with severe punishments and avenged the slightest grievance. No one felt secure.
He once sent troops to Yangcheng during the second-month festival of the soil. People were gathered at their local altars. His troops beheaded all the men, took their carts and oxen, loaded them with women and property, and tied the severed heads to the shafts and axles. Returning to Luoyang in an unbroken convoy, they claimed a great victory over bandits and shouted acclamations. At Kaiyang Gate they burned the heads and distributed the women among the soldiers as servants and concubines. He even violated palace women and princesses. Such was his vicious rebellion.
Initially Dong Zhuo trusted Master of Writing Zhou Bi, Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong, and others. On their recommendations he sent Han Fu, Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Zhang Zi, Zhang Miao, and others to govern provinces and commanderies. Once in office, they all combined their forces against him. Hearing this, Dong Zhuo thought Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong had conspired to betray him and executed them both.
Administrator of Henei Wang Kuang sent troops from Taishan to Heyang Ford against Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo feinted a crossing at Pingyin while secretly sending elite troops north across at Xiaoping. They circled behind Wang Kuang's army and defeated it north of the ford, killing almost all its men. Alarmed by the simultaneous rising of the eastern leaders, Dong Zhuo moved the emperor's capital to Chang'an in the second month of Chuping 1. He burned Luoyang's palaces and excavated its tombs for treasure.
Reaching the western capital, Dong Zhuo became Grand Preceptor and was styled Shangfu (Dong Zhuo) <Esteemed Father, an honorific traditionally associated with Lü Wang>. He rode a carriage with a blue canopy, gold ornamentation, and painted claws on its side screens. People called it the ganmo carriage [竿摩車].
His younger brother Dong Min became General of the Left and Marquis of Hu. His nephew Dong Huang became Palace Attendant and Colonel of the Central Army, commanding troops. Relatives on both sides of his family filled the court.
When high ministers met Dong Zhuo, they bowed below his carriage, but he returned no courtesy. He summoned the officials of the Three Terraces, the masters of writing, and those below them to report personally at his residence.
He built a fortress at Mei as high as Chang'an's walls, storing grain sufficient for thirty years.
He said that if his undertaking succeeded, he would dominate the realm; if it failed, this stronghold would sustain him to old age. Once, as he left to inspect it, the high ministers gave him a farewell feast outside Heng Gate—
—where he had prepared tents for drinking. Several hundred rebels from Beidi had been induced to surrender. During the banquet he had their tongues cut out; some lost hands or feet, some had their eyes gouged out, and some were boiled in cauldrons. Still alive, they writhed among the cups and tables. The guests trembled and dropped spoons and chopsticks, while Dong Zhuo ate and drank undisturbed. The grand astrologer, observing the emanations, predicted that a great minister would be executed. Former Grand Commandant Zhang Wen, now Minister of the Guards, had long been at odds with Dong Zhuo. Bearing him a grudge, Dong Zhuo seized upon the celestial anomaly to avert its threatened punishment: he had someone accuse Zhang Wen of communicating with Yuan Shu and had him beaten to death.
Laws were harsh, and arbitrary punishments followed affection and hatred. People falsely accused one another; thousands died unjustly. The people groaned and communicated their resentment only with their eyes along the roads.
He smashed the bronze statues and bell stands and destroyed the five-zhu coins, recasting them as small coins five fen across. They bore no inscriptions or markings; neither their faces nor central holes had raised rims, and they were not filed smooth. Currency lost value and goods became expensive; a hu of grain cost several hundred thousand coins. Thereafter money ceased to circulate.
In the fourth month of the third year, Minister over the Masses Wang Yun, Supervisor of the Masters of Writing Shisun Rui, and Dong Zhuo's general Lü Bu plotted to kill Dong Zhuo. The emperor had just recovered from illness and held a great gathering at Weiyang Hall. Lü Bu had Cavalry Commandant Li Su, a fellow native of his commandery, and more than ten trusted soldiers disguise themselves as guards at the side gate. Lü Bu carried an imperial edict concealed on his person. When Dong Zhuo arrived, Li Su's men struck at him. Startled, he called for Lü Bu. Lü Bu said, “There is an edict,” and killed him, exterminating his three degrees of kin. Registrar Tian Jing hurried toward the corpse and was also killed by Lü Bu. Three men were killed in all; no one else dared move.
Officials and commoners in Chang'an celebrated together. Those who had attached themselves to Dong Zhuo were imprisoned and put to death.
Earlier Dong Zhuo's son-in-law, General of the Household Niu Fu, had commanded a separate force at Shan. He sent Colonels Li Jue, Guo Si, and Zhang Ji to plunder the counties of Chenliu and Yingchuan. After Dong Zhuo's death, Lü Bu sent Li Su to Shan to execute Niu Fu under an imperial edict. Niu Fu's men fought him; Li Su fled in defeat to Hongnong, and Lü Bu executed him.
Later some soldiers fled Niu Fu's camp by night. Amid the alarm he thought everyone had rebelled. Taking gold and treasures, he escaped over the wall with only five or six trusted companions, including Hu Chi'er, and crossed the river northward. Coveting his wealth, Hu Chi'er and the others killed him and sent his head to Chang'an.
When Li Jue and the others returned, Niu Fu had already fallen. Their men, without anyone to depend on, wanted to disperse home. No amnesty had arrived, however, and they heard that everyone from Liang Province in Chang'an was to be killed. Frightened and uncertain, they followed Jia Xu's plan and led their men west, gathering troops along the way. By Chang'an they numbered more than one hundred thousand.
Together with Dong Zhuo's former commanders Fan Chou, Li Meng, Wang Fang, and others, they besieged Chang'an. After ten days it fell. They fought Lü Bu inside the city and drove him out. Li Jue's troops plundered the city and indiscriminately slaughtered old and young, leaving bodies everywhere. They executed Dong Zhuo's killers and exposed Wang Yun's corpse in the marketplace.
Dong Zhuo was buried at Mei. A violent storm struck his tomb; water flooded the chamber and floated his coffins away. Li Jue became General of Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Chiyang, concurrently Colonel Director of Retainers, with credentials. Guo Si became General of the Rear and Marquis of Meiyang; Fan Chou became General of the Right and Marquis of Wannian. The three monopolized court government.
Zhang Ji became General of Agile Cavalry and Marquis of Pingyang, stationed at Hongnong.
That year Han Sui, Ma Teng, and others submitted and brought their forces to Chang'an. Han Sui became General Garrisoning the West and was sent back to Liang Province; Ma Teng became General Conquering the West and camped at Mei. Palace Attendant Ma Yu, Grand Master of Remonstrance Chong Shao, and General of the Household of the Left Liu Fan planned to have Ma Teng attack Chang'an while they acted from within to kill Li Jue and the others. Ma Teng advanced to Changping Lodge, but the plot leaked and Ma Yu's group fled to Huaili. Fan Chou defeated Ma Teng, who returned to Liang Province, and then attacked Huaili, killing all the conspirators. Several hundred thousand households still inhabited the capital region. Li Jue's forces plundered and assaulted its towns. Hunger and distress followed; within two years the people had almost entirely consumed one another.
The generals struggled for power. Fan Chou was killed and his troops absorbed.
Guo Si and Li Jue increasingly distrusted one another and fought within Chang'an.
Li Jue held the emperor hostage in his camp, burned palace halls and city gates, plundered government offices, and moved all imperial clothing and possessions into his own home.
Li Jue sent the high ministers to Guo Si to request peace, but Guo Si detained them all.
Their fighting continued for months, killing tens of thousands.
Li Jue's general Yang Feng conspired with military officer Song Guo and others to kill him. When the plot leaked, Yang Feng led his troops in rebellion. As followers deserted him, Li Jue weakened. Zhang Ji came from Shan to mediate, and the emperor was allowed to depart, reaching the area between Xinfeng and Baling.
Guo Si again tried to force the emperor to move the capital back to Mei. The emperor fled to Yang Feng's camp. Yang Feng defeated Guo Si, who fled to the southern mountains. Yang Feng and General Dong Cheng escorted the emperor toward Luoyang. Regretting their release of the emperor, Li Jue and Guo Si reconciled and overtook him at Caoyang in Hongnong. Yang Feng urgently summoned former Baibo leaders Han Xian, Hu Cai, Li Le, and others from Hedong. They fought a great battle against Li Jue and Guo Si but were defeated. Li Jue's men killed ministers and officials and carried palace women away to Hongnong.
The emperor fled to Shan, crossed the river northward, lost his baggage, and continued on foot with only the empress and honored consorts. At Dayang he sheltered in a peasant's house.
Yang Feng, Han Xian, and the others then established the emperor at Anyi, traveling in an ox cart. Grand Commandant Yang Biao, Minister Coachman Han Rong, and only a dozen close attendants followed. Han Xian became General Conquering the East, Hu Cai General Conquering the West, and Li Le General Conquering the North; together with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng, they controlled government. Han Rong was sent to Hongnong to make peace with Li Jue and Guo Si and recover the captured palace women, ministers, officials, and several imperial carriages and horses. Locusts and drought left no grain, and the accompanying officials lived on jujubes and vegetables.
The generals could not coordinate, rank and order collapsed, and food ran out. Yang Feng, Han Xian, and Dong Cheng therefore escorted the emperor back to Luoyang. They passed through Ji Pass and down Zhi Road. Zhang Yang met them with food along the way and was appointed Grand Marshal; the account appears in his biography. The emperor entered Luoyang to find its palaces burned and streets overgrown. Officials cleared thorns and sheltered among mounds and ruined walls. Provincial and commandery leaders kept their own armies and acted independently; none came. Hunger deepened. Secretariat gentlemen and lower officials gathered firewood themselves, and some starved among the walls.
Taizu (Cao Cao) <Great Ancestor; a temple name conferred on Cao Cao posthumously> then brought the emperor to establish the capital at Xu. Han Xian and Yang Feng could not obey royal law and fled, raiding between Xu and Yang provinces. They were killed by Liu Bei.
Dong Cheng followed Taizu (Cao Cao) for more than a year before being executed. In Jian'an 2, Supervisor of the Internuncios Pei Mao was sent to lead the generals west of the passes against Li Jue, exterminating his three degrees of kin.
Guo Si was attacked by his general Wu Xi and died at Mei. Starving, Zhang Ji plundered Nanyang and was killed by the people of Rang; his nephew Zhang Xiu took over his troops. Hu Cai and Li Le remained in Hedong: Hu Cai was killed by enemies, and Li Le died of illness. Han Sui and Ma Teng returned to Liang Province and fought one another. Later Ma Teng entered court as Minister of the Guards, leaving his son Ma Chao in command. In the sixteenth year, Ma Chao, Han Sui, and the Guanzhong generals rebelled; Taizu (Cao Cao) defeated them, as recorded in the Annals of Emperor Wu (Cao Cao). Han Sui fled to Jincheng and was killed by his generals. Ma Chao occupied Hanyang, and Ma Teng's three degrees of kin were exterminated because of him. Zhao Qu and others raised loyal troops against Ma Chao, who fled to Zhang Lu in Hanzhong and later to Liu Bei, dying in Shu.
Yuan Shao, courtesy name Benchu, was from Ruyang in Runan. His great-great-grandfather Yuan An was Han's Minister over the Masses. For four generations from Yuan An onward, the family held posts among the Three Excellencies and wielded immense influence throughout the realm.
Yuan Shao had impressive appearance and bearing and could humble himself before men of talent, attracting many followers. Taizu (Cao Cao) befriended him while young. From clerk in the General-in-Chief's office he became Attending Censor.
He gradually rose to Colonel of the Central Army and then Colonel Director of Retainers.
When Emperor Ling (Liu Hong) died, the empress dowager's brother, General-in-Chief He Jin, plotted with Yuan Shao to kill the eunuchs.
The empress dowager refused. They therefore summoned Dong Zhuo to intimidate her. Hearing of this, the eunuchs came to He Jin, apologized, and offered to accept his decisions. Yuan Shao repeatedly urged He Jin to settle the matter at once, but He Jin refused. Instead he had Yuan Shao assign resourceful military officials in Luoyang to watch the eunuchs. He also ordered Yuan Shao's younger brother Yuan Shu, General of the Household of the Tiger Guards, to select two hundred mild-tempered guards to replace the armed eunuchs at the palace stairs and gates. Palace Attendant Duan Gui and others forged the empress dowager's command, summoned He Jin for discussion, and killed him. The palace fell into chaos.
Yuan Shu led the Tiger Guards to burn Qingsuo Gate at Jiade Hall in the Southern Palace, hoping to force Duan Gui and the others out. They refused and abducted the emperor and his younger brother, King of Chenliu (Liu Xie), fleeing toward Xiaoping Ford. After executing Xu Xiang, whom the eunuchs had appointed Colonel Director of Retainers, Yuan Shao led troops to seize every eunuch, killing old and young alike. Some beardless men were mistakenly killed; others escaped only by exposing their bodies. Even eunuchs who had behaved well and kept to themselves were caught in the slaughter. Such was its indiscriminate character. More than two thousand died. Duan Gui's party, pursued closely, all drowned themselves. The emperor returned to the palace.
Dong Zhuo summoned Yuan Shao to discuss deposing the emperor and installing the King of Chenliu (Liu Xie). Yuan Shao's uncle Yuan Wei was then Grand Tutor. Yuan Shao pretended to agree: “This is a great matter; I should discuss it with the Grand Tutor when I leave.” Dong Zhuo said, “None of Liu's stock need be left.” Yuan Shao did not answer, held his sword across himself, bowed formally, and left.
Once outside, Yuan Shao fled to Ji Province. Palace Attendant Zhou Bi, Colonel of the City Gates Wu Qiong, Consultant He Yong, and others were renowned men trusted by Dong Zhuo but secretly favored Yuan Shao. They persuaded him: “Deposition and accession are great matters beyond ordinary understanding. Yuan Shao failed to grasp the whole and fled in fear, without another intention. Pursuing him urgently will force him to rebel. The Yuan family has cultivated favor for four generations; its clients and former officials fill the realm. If he gathers heroes and followers, the east will no longer be yours. Better pardon him and make him a commandery administrator. Delighted at escaping punishment, he will cause no trouble.” Dong Zhuo agreed and appointed him Administrator of Bohai and Marquis of Kang Township.
Yuan Shao raised troops at Bohai to punish Dong Zhuo, as recorded in the Annals of Emperor Wu (Cao Cao). Styling himself General of Chariots and Cavalry, he led the alliance. With Governor of Ji Province Han Fu, he proposed making Governor of You Province Liu Yu emperor and sent a memorial, but Liu Yu dared not accept. Later Han Fu's army at Anping was defeated by Gongsun Zan. Claiming to attack Dong Zhuo but secretly intending to seize Han Fu's territory, Gongsun Zan entered Ji Province. Han Fu became anxious.
When Dong Zhuo went west through the passes, Yuan Shao returned to Yanjin. Exploiting Han Fu's alarm, he sent Gao Gan of Chenliu, Xun Chen of Yingchuan, and others to persuade him: “Gongsun Zan advances south in victory, and the commanderies respond. General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan Shao is marching east; his intention is uncertain. We fear for you.” Han Fu asked what to do. Xun Chen replied, “Gongsun Zan's troops from Yan and Dai are irresistible. Yuan Shao is an outstanding man who will not remain subordinate to you. Ji Province is a great resource of the realm. If both heroes combine and fight beneath your walls, destruction will come at once. Yuan Shao is your old associate and ally. Your best course is to yield Ji Province to him. Once he holds it, Gongsun Zan cannot contend, and he will be deeply grateful. The province will pass to a friend; you will gain the reputation of yielding to worth and be as secure as Mount Tai. Do not hesitate.” Timid by nature, Han Fu accepted. Chief Clerk Geng Wu, Assistant Administrator Min Chun, and Administrative Clerk Li Li remonstrated: “Our province may be remote, but it has a million armored men and grain for ten years. Yuan Shao is an isolated guest with an impoverished army, dependent on our breath, like an infant in our hands. Cut off his nourishment and he will starve. Why give him the province?” Han Fu replied, “I am a former officer of the Yuan house and less talented than Benchu [Yuan Shao]. The ancients valued yielding after judging virtue. Why object?” Attendants Zhao Fu and Cheng Huan offered armed resistance, but he refused and yielded to Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao thus assumed the governorship of Ji Province.
—advised him: “Entering court around twenty, you became renowned throughout the realm. During the deposition and accession you displayed loyalty and righteousness. Your flight alone on horseback frightened Dong Zhuo; after crossing north of the river, Bohai bowed to you. Raising one commandery's troops and gathering Ji Province's forces, you have shaken the north and gained worldwide fame. Though the Yellow Turbans cause disorder and the Black Mountain forces are unruly, an eastward campaign can settle Qing Province. Return against Black Mountain, and Zhang Yan can be destroyed. Turn north, and Gongsun Zan must fall. Intimidate the frontier peoples, and the Xiongnu will submit. Command the lands north of the great river, unite four provinces, recruit heroes, and gather a million men. Receive the emperor from the western capital, restore the ancestral temples at Luoyang, and command the realm against those who do not submit. Who could rival you? Within a few years this achievement would not be difficult.” Yuan Shao rejoiced: “That is my very intention.” He recommended Ju Shou as Supervisor of the Army and General Exerting Might.
Dong Zhuo sent Commandant of the Capital Humu Ban and Court Architect Wu Xiu with an edict to instruct Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao had Administrator of Henei Wang Kuang kill them.
Hearing that Yuan Shao had gained the east, Dong Zhuo killed his relatives, including Grand Tutor Yuan Wei. Many chivalrous men attached themselves to Yuan Shao and wanted revenge. Provincial and commandery armies rose everywhere in his name. Frightened, Han Fu asked to leave and went to Zhang Miao.
Later Yuan Shao sent an envoy to discuss matters privately with Zhang Miao. Seeing them whisper while he sat nearby, Han Fu thought they were plotting against him. Shortly afterward he went to the privy and killed himself.
The emperor's accession had originally opposed Yuan Shao's wishes. When the emperor was in Hedong, Yuan Shao sent Guo Tu of Yingchuan as envoy. On returning, Guo Tu urged receiving the emperor and establishing his capital at Ye, but Yuan Shao refused.
Taizu (Cao Cao) received the emperor at Xu, secured Henan, and won Guanzhong's allegiance. Regretting his decision, Yuan Shao wanted Taizu (Cao Cao) to move the emperor to Juancheng, closer to himself, but Taizu (Cao Cao) refused. The emperor appointed Yuan Shao Grand Commandant, then General-in-Chief, and Marquis of Ye.
Yuan Shao declined the marquisate. Soon he defeated Gongsun Zan at Yijing and absorbed his troops.
Yuan Shao sent his eldest son Yuan Tan to Qing Province. Ju Shou warned, “This will begin disaster.” Yuan Shao refused to listen: “I want each son to hold a province.”
He also sent his middle son Yuan Xi to You Province and his nephew Gao Gan to Bing Province. With several hundred thousand men, he placed Shen Pei and Feng Ji over military affairs, employed Tian Feng, Xun Chen, and Xu You as chief advisers, and appointed Yan Liang and Wen Chou as commanders. Selecting one hundred thousand elite infantry and ten thousand cavalry, he prepared to attack Xu.
Earlier Taizu (Cao Cao) had sent Liu Bei to Xu Province against Yuan Shu. After Yuan Shu died, Liu Bei killed Inspector Che Zhou and camped at Pei. Yuan Shao sent cavalry to assist him. Taizu (Cao Cao) sent Liu Dai and Wang Zhong against him, without success. In Jian'an 5, Taizu (Cao Cao) personally marched east. Tian Feng urged Yuan Shao to attack his rear, but Yuan Shao refused because his son was ill. Tian Feng struck the ground with his staff: “To lose such a rare opportunity over a child's illness! What a pity!” Taizu (Cao Cao) defeated Liu Bei, who fled to Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao advanced to Liyang and sent Yan Liang against Liu Yan at Baima. Ju Shou warned, “Yan Liang is narrow-minded. Though brave, he cannot be entrusted with independent command.” Yuan Shao ignored him. Taizu (Cao Cao) relieved Liu Yan and defeated and killed Yan Liang.
Yuan Shao crossed the river and camped south of Yanjin, sending Liu Bei and Wen Chou to challenge battle. Taizu (Cao Cao) defeated them and killed Wen Chou. In two engagements Yuan Shao lost great generals, and his army was shaken.
Taizu (Cao Cao) returned to Guandu. Ju Shou again said, “Our northern troops are numerous but inferior in resolution and vigor to the southern army. The south has little grain and less wealth than the north. A quick battle favors them; a slow contest favors us. We should prolong the struggle.” Yuan Shao refused, advancing linked camps toward Guandu. In battle Taizu (Cao Cao)'s army fared badly and withdrew behind its defenses. Yuan Shao erected high towers and earth mounds to shoot into the camp. Soldiers sheltered under shields in great fear. Taizu (Cao Cao) built stone-throwing engines, shattered the towers, and earned from Yuan Shao's men the name “thunderbolt carts.”
Yuan Shao dug tunnels to attack the camp, but Taizu (Cao Cao) countered with long trenches inside his lines. He also sent a surprise force against Yuan Shao's supply carts, defeated them, and burned all their grain. The prolonged confrontation exhausted the people, many of whom rebelled for Yuan Shao, while Taizu (Cao Cao)'s army lacked food. Yuan Shao sent Chunyu Qiong and others with more than ten thousand men north to meet the supply convoy. Ju Shou advised sending Jiang Qi with a separate supporting force to prevent raids by Lord Cao (Cao Cao), but Yuan Shao again refused. Chunyu Qiong camped at Wuchao, forty li from the main army. Leaving Cao Hong to defend, Taizu (Cao Cao) personally led five thousand infantry and cavalry secretly by night against him. Yuan Shao's relief cavalry were defeated. Chunyu Qiong's force was destroyed and its commanders all executed. Before Taizu (Cao Cao) returned to camp, Gao Lan, Zhang He, and other Yuan generals surrendered with their men. Yuan Shao's army collapsed, and he and Yuan Tan escaped across the river with only their mounts. The remaining troops feigned surrender and were all put to death.
Ju Shou failed to cross with Yuan Shao, was captured, and was brought before Taizu (Cao Cao).
Taizu (Cao Cao) treated him generously. Later, when he plotted to return to the Yuans, he was killed.
Before Yuan Shao's southern advance, Tian Feng had advised: “Lord Cao (Cao Cao) is skilled in warfare and endlessly adaptable. Few though his men are, he cannot be slighted. Better prolong the contest. You hold mountains, rivers, and four provinces. Ally with heroes, improve farming and military preparation, then divide elite troops into raiding parties, striking openings alternately across Henan. When he rescues the right, attack the left; when he rescues the left, attack the right. Exhaust him with responses and deny his people stable work. Before we tire, he will be spent; within two years we can win at ease. Abandoning this secure plan to stake everything on one battle may bring irreparable regret.” Yuan Shao refused. When Tian Feng earnestly persisted, he angrily accused him of discouraging the army and imprisoned him in fetters. After the defeat someone said Tian Feng would now be valued. He replied, “Had the army succeeded, I would have survived. Now it is defeated, I shall die.” Returning, Yuan Shao told his attendants, “I ignored Tian Feng and now he will laugh at me.” He killed him.
Yuan Shao appeared generous, refined, and broad-minded, concealing joy and sorrow, but inwardly he was jealous and destructive. His behavior was generally of this kind.
Yuan Shao favored his handsome youngest son Yuan Shang and wanted him as heir, but had not made this public.
Shen Pei and Feng Ji competed for power with Xin Ping and Guo Tu. The former supported Yuan Shang, the latter Yuan Tan. Most wanted the eldest, Yuan Tan, to succeed. Fearing retaliation if he did, Shen Pei's group invoked Yuan Shao's known preference and installed Yuan Shang. Arriving too late to inherit, Yuan Tan styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry. Thus the brothers became estranged. Taizu (Cao Cao) campaigned north against them. Yuan Tan camped at Liyang. Yuan Shang gave him few soldiers but sent Feng Ji with him. Yuan Tan requested reinforcements, which Shen Pei's group refused. Angry, Yuan Tan killed Feng Ji.
Taizu (Cao Cao) crossed the river against Yuan Tan, who urgently sought Yuan Shang's help. Yuan Shang wanted to reinforce him but feared losing control of the troops. Leaving Shen Pei at Ye, he therefore led the reinforcements himself and confronted Taizu (Cao Cao) at Liyang. From the second through the ninth month they fought great battles beneath the walls. Defeated, the brothers withdrew into the city. Before Taizu (Cao Cao) could besiege it, they fled by night. He pursued to Ye, harvested their wheat, took Yin'an, and returned to Xu. He then campaigned south toward Jing Province, reaching Xiping. The brothers attacked each other. Defeated, Yuan Tan fled to Pingyuan. Under urgent pressure from Yuan Shang, he sent Xin Pi to seek Taizu (Cao Cao)'s help. Taizu (Cao Cao) turned back to assist him and reached Liyang in the tenth month.
Hearing that Taizu (Cao Cao) was coming north, Yuan Shang lifted the siege of Pingyuan and returned to Ye. His generals Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang deserted to Taizu (Cao Cao). Yuan Tan secretly had generals' seals carved and bestowed them on the two men.
Aware of Yuan Tan's deceit, Taizu (Cao Cao) arranged a marriage alliance to reassure him and withdrew. Yuan Shang left Shen Pei and Su You to defend Ye and attacked Yuan Tan at Pingyuan again. Taizu (Cao Cao) advanced toward Ye, reaching the Huan River fifty li away. Su You intended to assist from inside, but his plot leaked; defeated by Shen Pei in street fighting, he fled to Taizu (Cao Cao). Taizu (Cao Cao) attacked with tunnels, which Shen Pei countered with interior trenches. Shen Pei's general Feng Li opened a sally gate and admitted over three hundred attackers. Discovering this, Shen Pei dropped great stones from the wall against the passage's barred gate, closing it and trapping all who entered. Taizu (Cao Cao) then surrounded the city with a trench forty li long. Initially shallow enough to cross, it made Shen Pei laugh, and he did not contest it. In one night Taizu (Cao Cao) deepened and widened it to two zhang and diverted the Zhang River into it. From the fifth to the eighth month, more than half the city's people starved. Yuan Shang returned with over ten thousand men, approaching along the western mountains to Yangping Village, seventeen li from Ye. From the Fu River he signaled with fires, answered inside. Shen Pei sent troops north to join him in breaking the siege, but Taizu (Cao Cao) defeated them. Yuan Shang too was routed and camped at Quzhang, where Taizu (Cao Cao) surrounded him. Before the ring closed, he sent Yin Kui and Chen Lin to seek surrender, which was refused. He fled to Lankou, where the siege tightened. His generals Ma Yan and others surrendered in battle; his army collapsed and he fled to Zhongshan. Taizu (Cao Cao) captured all his baggage, seals, ribbons, credentials, battle-axe, and clothes and displayed them to his household, destroying morale inside Ye. Shen Pei's nephew Shen Rong, guarding the eastern gate, admitted Taizu (Cao Cao)'s men by night. Shen Pei fought in the city and was captured alive. His voice and spirit remained fierce, and he never yielded in speech, winning the admiration of witnesses. He was executed.
Gao Gan surrendered Bing Province and was reinstated as its inspector.
During the siege of Ye, Yuan Tan seized Ganling, Anping, Bohai, and Hejian and attacked Yuan Shang at Zhongshan. Yuan Shang fled to Yuan Xi at Gu'an, and Yuan Tan absorbed his troops. When Taizu (Cao Cao) prepared to attack, Yuan Tan evacuated Pingyuan and occupied Nanpi, personally camping at Longcou. In the twelfth month, Taizu (Cao Cao) reached his gates. Yuan Tan did not come out and fled by night to Nanpi, camping beside the Qing River. In the first month of the tenth year, Taizu (Cao Cao) captured it and killed Yuan Tan, Guo Tu, and others. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang were attacked by their generals Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan and fled to the Wuhuan in Liaoxi. Styling himself Inspector of You Province, Jiao Chu gathered the commandery administrators and county magistrates to turn from Yuan to Cao. He arrayed tens of thousands of troops and killed a white horse for an oath: “Disobedience means execution!” No one dared speak, and each tasted the blood in turn. When Assistant Administrator Han Heng's turn came, he said, “The Yuans have favored me greatly. As they fall, I lack the wisdom to save them and the courage to die for them, already failing in duty. But I cannot become Cao Cao's subject.” Everyone turned pale. Jiao Chu said, “Great undertakings require great principles. Success does not depend on one man. Let him fulfill his intention and encourage loyal service.” Gao Gan rebelled, seized Shangdang's administrator, and defended Hukou Pass. Yue Jin and Li Dian attacked without taking it. In the eleventh year Taizu (Cao Cao) campaigned against him. Leaving Xia Zhao and Deng Sheng to defend, Gao Gan sought help from the Xiongnu chanyu, failed, and fled with a few horsemen toward Jing Province. The Commandant of Shangluo captured and executed him.
In the twelfth year Taizu (Cao Cao) attacked the Wuhuan in Liaoxi. Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi joined them in battle, were defeated, and fled to Liaodong. Gongsun Kang lured them in, executed them, and sent their heads.
Taizu (Cao Cao) admired Han Heng's integrity and repeatedly invited him to office, but he never came and died at home.
Yuan Shu, courtesy name Gonglu, was the son of Minister of Works Yuan Feng and Yuan Shao's younger cousin [the main biography's relationship, differing from the half-brother account above]. Renowned for chivalrous spirit, he was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt and became a Gentleman of the Household. After offices inside and outside the capital, he became Colonel Breaking Enemy Charges and General of the Household of the Tiger Guards. As Dong Zhuo prepared to depose the emperor, he appointed Yuan Shu General of the Rear. Fearing disaster, Yuan Shu fled to Nanyang. Administrator of Changsha Sun Jian happened to kill Administrator of Nanyang Zhang Zi, enabling Yuan Shu to occupy the commandery. Nanyang had a population of several million, but Yuan Shu's unrestrained extravagance and unlimited exactions made the people suffer. Estranged from Yuan Shao and hostile to Liu Biao, he allied northward with Gongsun Zan; Yuan Shao, hostile to Gongsun Zan, allied southward with Liu Biao. Thus the brothers rejected nearby partners for distant allies.
Yuan Shu led his army into Chenliu. Taizu (Cao Cao) and Yuan Shao jointly defeated him. Fleeing with his remaining troops to Jiujiang, he killed Inspector of Yang Province Chen Wen and took the province.
He appointed Zhang Xun, Qiao Rui, and others generals-in-chief. After entering Chang'an, Li Jue wanted his support and appointed him General of the Left and Marquis of Yangdi with credentials, sending Grand Tutor Ma Midi to confer these during his inspection tour. Yuan Shu seized Ma Midi's credentials and detained him.
Chancellor of Pei Chen Gui of Xiapi was the nephew of former Grand Commandant Chen Qiu. Like Yuan Shu, he descended from high ministers, and they had known each other in youth. Yuan Shu wrote: “When Qin lost good government, heroes competed for the realm, and wisdom and courage finally won it. Today's disorder again threatens collapse, a time for outstanding men to act. As an old friend, will you support me? If the great undertaking succeeds, you will be my heart and backbone.” Chen Gui's middle son Chen Ying was then in Xiapi. Yuan Shu also threatened to hold him hostage, hoping to compel Chen Gui. Chen Gui replied: “Late Qin indulged violence and spread cruelty until the people could endure no more and the state collapsed. Although our age declines, it has not experienced Qin's violent disorder. General Cao (Cao Cao)'s inspired martial ability answers the times. He restores institutions and will eliminate evil and settle the realm; the evidence is clear. I thought you would unite with him to support Han. Instead you secretly plot rebellion and test disaster with your own life. How painful! If you recognize your error and turn back, escape remains possible. As an old acquaintance I speak sincerely. Though disagreeable, these words offer life-saving kindness. To expect me to seek private advantage and flatter you is impossible, even at risk of death.”
In winter of Xingping 2, the emperor was defeated at Caoyang. Yuan Shu assembled his followers: “The Liu house is weak and the realm seethes. My family has held high ministerial offices for four generations and the people turn to us. I wish to answer Heaven and follow the people. What do you think?” None dared answer. Registrar Yan Xiang said, “From Hou Ji to King Wen (Ji Chang), Zhou accumulated virtue and achievement, possessed two-thirds of the realm, and still served Yin. Although your family has prospered for generations, it has not matched Zhou's power; although Han is weak, it has not matched King Zhou of Shang (Di Xin)'s cruelty.” Yuan Shu fell silent in displeasure. Using Zhang Jiong of Henei's claims of Heaven's mandate, he usurped the imperial title.
He made Jiujiang's administrator Intendant of Huainan, established high ministers, and sacrificed in the northern and southern suburbs. His extravagance grew worse. Hundreds of palace women wore fine silks and gauze and had grain and meat to spare.
Meanwhile soldiers froze and starved, the lands between the Yangtze and Huai were emptied, and people ate one another. Defeated first by Lü Bu and then by Taizu (Cao Cao), Yuan Shu fled to his commanders Lei Bo and Chen Lan at Qian Mountain, but they refused him. Anxious and afraid, he knew nowhere to go. Intending to transfer the imperial title to Yuan Shao and join Yuan Tan in Qing Province, he fell ill and died on the road.
His wife and children sought refuge with his former officer, Administrator of Lujiang Liu Xun. After defeating Liu Xun, Sun Ce took them into his care. Yuan Shu's daughter entered Sun Quan's palace. His son Yuan Yao became a Gentleman of the Household, and Yuan Yao's daughter married Sun Quan's son Sun Fen.
Liu Biao, courtesy name Jingsheng, was from Gaoping in Shanyang. Renowned while young, he was counted among the Eight Eminent Men.
More than eight chi tall, Liu Biao had imposing looks. From clerk in the General-in-Chief's office he became Central Supervisor of the Northern Army. After Emperor Ling (Liu Hong)'s death, he replaced Wang Rui as Inspector of Jing Province. As armies rose in the east, he too gathered troops at Xiangyang.
While in Nanyang, Yuan Shu allied with Sun Jian and sent him against Liu Biao to seize the province. A stray arrow killed Sun Jian and his army was defeated, leaving Yuan Shu unable to overcome Liu Biao. After Li Jue and Guo Si entered Chang'an, they sought Liu Biao's support and appointed him General Garrisoning the South, Governor of Jing Province, and Marquis of Chengwu, with credentials. Once the emperor established his capital at Xu, Liu Biao sent tribute but remained allied northward with Yuan Shao. Administrative Clerk Deng Xi remonstrated, but Liu Biao refused to listen.
Deng Xi retired, pleading illness, and remained out of office throughout Liu Biao's life. Zhang Ji entered Jing Province and attacked Rang, where a stray arrow killed him. Liu Biao's officials congratulated him, but he said, “Zhang Ji came in distress; his host failed in courtesy, leading to fighting. This was not my intention. I accept condolences, not congratulations.” He sent men to receive Zhang Ji's troops. Delighted, they submitted. Administrator of Changsha Zhang Xian rebelled against Liu Biao.
Liu Biao besieged him for years without success. Zhang Xian died of illness, and Changsha installed his son Zhang Yi. Liu Biao defeated and absorbed him, securing Lingling and Guiyang southward and Hanchuan northward. His territory extended several thousand li and his armored troops numbered over one hundred thousand.
While Taizu (Cao Cao) and Yuan Shao confronted each other at Guandu, Yuan Shao sought Liu Biao's help. Liu Biao promised but did not come; neither did he assist Taizu (Cao Cao), preferring to preserve the lands between the Yangtze and Han and observe events. Attendant General of the Household Han Song and Assistant Administrator Liu Xian advised: “Heroes contend and two great powers confront each other; the balance rests with you. If you intend to act independently, exploit their exhaustion now. Otherwise choose whom to follow. You hold one hundred thousand men yet merely watch. If you neither aid the worthy nor secure peace, both sides' resentment will converge upon you. You cannot remain neutral. Lord Cao (Cao Cao) is discerning and attracts the realm's talent. He must defeat Yuan Shao and then advance against the Yangtze and Han, where you may not withstand him. Better submit the province now. He will be grateful, and lasting blessings will reach your descendants. This is the securest policy.” Senior General Kuai Yue agreed. Hesitating, Liu Biao sent Han Song to assess Taizu (Cao Cao)'s strength. Returning, Han Song praised his authority and virtue and urged sending a son as hostage. Suspecting that Han Song had become Taizu (Cao Cao)'s advocate, Liu Biao angrily wanted to kill him. He tortured Han Song's companions to death, but, learning that Han Song had no ulterior purpose, desisted.
Although outwardly scholarly and refined, Liu Biao was inwardly suspicious and jealous. His behavior was generally of this kind.
Liu Biao and his wife favored their younger son Liu Cong and wanted him as heir. Cai Mao and Zhang Yun supported him, so the eldest son Liu Qi was sent out as Administrator of Jiangxia. The others installed Liu Cong, and the brothers became enemies.
Kuai Yue, Han Song, Eastern Office Clerk Fu Xun, and others urged Liu Cong to submit to Taizu (Cao Cao). Liu Cong asked, “Why can we not hold all Chu, preserve my father's undertaking, and observe the realm?” Fu Xun replied, “Loyalty and rebellion have distinct principles, and strength and weakness fixed realities. A subject resisting the sovereign rebels. Newly established Chu cannot match the state, nor Liu Bei Lord Cao (Cao Cao). All three considerations are against us. To resist the royal army means destruction. How do you compare with Liu Bei?” “I am inferior.” “If Liu Bei cannot withstand Lord Cao (Cao Cao), even holding Chu will not save you. If he can, he will not remain beneath you. Do not hesitate.” When Taizu (Cao Cao)'s army reached Xiangyang, Liu Cong surrendered the province. Liu Bei fled to Xiakou.
The appraisal says: Dong Zhuo was savage, murderous, cruel, and inhumane, perhaps unmatched since written records began.
Yuan Shu's extravagance and unrestrained indulgence prevented his glory from lasting his lifetime. He brought this upon himself.
Yuan Shao and Liu Biao both had imposing presence and capacity and were renowned in their time. Liu Biao held the lands south of the Han, and Yuan Shao soared over the north. Yet both were generous outwardly and suspicious inwardly, fond of plans but unable to decide, unable to employ talent or accept good advice. They displaced elder heirs for younger sons, abandoned ritual for affection, and brought their descendants to defeat and their states to ruin. This was no mere misfortune. Xiang Yu lost his kingship by rejecting Fan Zeng's counsel, but Yuan Shao's killing of Tian Feng was far worse!