Battle of Guandu 官渡之戰

In the 4th year of Jian'an (199) Yuan Shao swallowed up Gongsun Zan, took the lands of four provinces and prepared to attack Xu with more than 100,000 followers. The Biography of Yuan Shao records that his followers numbered several hundred thousand, and that he put Shen Pei and Feng Ji in overall command of the troops, made Tian Feng, Xun Chen and Xu You his chief strategists and Yan Liang and Wen Chou his generals, and picked 100,000 elite troops and 10,000 cavalry. When his generals said Yuan Shao could not be matched, Cao Cao said that Yuan Shao's ambitions were great but his wisdom small. In the 8th month Cao Cao advanced to Liyang, left Yu Jin on the bank of the Yellow River, returned to Xu in the 9th month and divided his troops to guard Guandu, and in the 12th month he stationed himself at Guandu. Records, Wei 1 §54–55Records, Wei 6 §49

In the 1st month of the 5th year of Jian'an (200), when Cao Cao marched east against Liu Bei in person, his generals feared that Yuan Shao would strike his rear, but Cao Cao said that Yuan Shao was slow to see how things stood and would not move. Tian Feng urged a surprise attack on Cao Cao's rear, but Yuan Shao refused, pleading his son's illness. Liu Bei fled to Yuan Shao and Guan Yu surrendered, and Cao Cao returned to Guandu, but Yuan Shao never came out. Records, Wei 1 §58–59Records, Wei 6 §50

In the 2nd month Yuan Shao sent Guo Tu, Chunyu Qiong and Yan Liang to attack Liu Yan, the Administrator of Dong Commandery, at Baima, and himself reached Liyang. In the 4th month, following Xun You's plan, Cao Cao made as if to cross the river at Yanjin, drew Yuan Shao's troops west, then raced to Baima and, sending Zhang Liao and Guan Yu ahead, beheaded Yan Liang. When Yuan Shao crossed the Yellow River in pursuit, Cao Cao used his baggage train as bait and beheaded Wen Chou with fewer than 600 cavalry, and Yuan Shao's army was badly shaken. Cao Cao returned to Guandu, and Yuan Shao advanced and held Yangwu. Records, Wei 1 §60–63

Ju Shou advised holding out for a long time, saying that the south's advantage lay in a quick battle and the north's in a slow contest, but Yuan Shao did not follow him. In the 8th month Yuan Shao advanced little by little with his camps linked together and set up encampments stretching several tens of li from east to west, relying on sand mounds, and the pitched battles went against Cao Cao. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that at this time Cao Cao's troops numbered fewer than 10,000 and two or three in ten were wounded. When Yuan Shao built tall towers and earthen hills and shot arrows into Cao Cao's camp, everyone moved about covered with shields; Cao Cao destroyed all the towers with stone-throwing carts, which Yuan Shao's men called the Pili Che, the thunderclap carts. When Yuan Shao dug tunnels, Cao Cao blocked them by digging a long trench on the inside. Records, Wei 6 §51–52Records, Wei 1 §64

When provisions ran short, Cao Cao wrote to Xun Yu to discuss returning to Xu. Xun Yu dissuaded him, saying that Yuan Shao had gathered his whole army at Guandu to settle victory and defeat, so this was the great turning point of the realm, and that having held his ground for half a year with troops one tenth the enemy's, as if behind a line drawn on the earth, there was sure to be a change. Using Xun You's plan, Cao Cao had Xu Huang and Shi Huan attack several thousand of Yuan Shao's grain wagons and burn them all. Meanwhile Liu Bei, who had been helping Liu Pi of Runan, who had risen in support of Yuan Shao, was defeated by Cao Ren, and Sun Ce, who meant to raid Xu, was killed before he could set out. Records, Wei 1 §64–68Records, Wei 10 §31–32

In the 10th month of winter Yuan Shao had Chunyu Qiong and four others escort grain wagons with more than 10,000 men, and Chunyu Qiong camped at Wuchao, 40 li from Yuan Shao's camp. Ju Shou advised sending Jiang Qi to set up a separate detachment outside, but Yuan Shao did not listen. Yuan Shao's strategist Xu You fled over and urged an attack on Chunyu Qiong and the others; the Annals of Emperor Wu say this was because he was greedy for wealth and Yuan Shao could not satisfy him, while Xun Yu's biography says it was in anger after Shen Pei arrested his wife and children over his family's lawbreaking. Those around Cao Cao were doubtful, but when Xun You and Jia Xu urged him on, Cao Cao left Cao Hong to guard the camp (Xun You's biography says Xun You and Cao Hong) and personally set out at night with 5,000 infantry and cavalry. Records, Wei 1 §68–69Records, Wei 6 §53Records, Wei 10 §32

Around daybreak Cao Cao reached Wuchao and attacked the camp. When told that cavalry sent by Yuan Shao were approaching, Cao Cao said, "Report to me when the enemy is at our backs," and the soldiers fought to the death and beheaded Chunyu Qiong and the others. Yue Jin's biography records that Yue Jin fought hard and beheaded Chunyu Qiong. In Zhang He's biography, Zhang He proposed rescuing Chunyu Qiong but Guo Tu proposed attacking the main camp, and Yuan Shao sent only light cavalry to rescue Chunyu Qiong and attacked Cao Cao's camp with his main army, but could not take it. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that Yuan Shao told Yuan Tan that if they seized the camp in the meantime, the enemy would have nowhere to return to, and had Zhang He and Gao Lan attack Cao Hong. Records, Wei 1 §69–70Records, Wei 17 §21 · 42–43

On hearing that Chunyu Qiong had been defeated, Zhang He and the others came and surrendered, and Yuan Shao's army collapsed. Zhang He's biography says that Guo Tu slandered Zhang He, who came over out of fear, and Xun You's biography records that Zhang He and Gao Lan burned their siege towers and surrendered. Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan abandoned their troops and crossed the Yellow River, and the Biography of Yuan Shao records that the rest of his followers, who surrendered falsely, were all buried alive in pits. Cao Cao took the baggage, documents and treasures, captured Yuan Shao's followers, and burned all the letters from people in Xu and in his own army that turned up among Yuan Shao's papers. Jia Xu's biography records that at Jia Xu's urging Cao Cao combined his forces, went out, and surrounded and broke Yuan Shao's encampments, which stretched over 30-odd li. Records, Wei 1 §70–71Records, Wei 17 §44Records, Wei 10 §60 · 80–81Records, Wei 6 §54

After the battle many in the commanderies of Ji Province surrendered with their cities. Yuan Shao returned and, saying, "Because I did not use Tian Feng's words, I have become a laughingstock," killed Tian Feng, who had been in confinement; he attacked and pacified the cities that had rebelled, but fell ill after the defeat and died of grief in the 7th year of Jian'an (202). Ju Shou, who had been captured, was treated generously by Cao Cao but was killed when he tried to return to the Yuan family. The Annals of Emperor Wu record that in the time of Emperor Huan, Yin Kui had said that in fifty years a True Man would arise between Liang and Pei, and that at this point exactly fifty years had passed; with Cao Cao's defeat of Yuan Shao, no one in the realm could stand against him. Records, Wei 1 §71–72Records, Wei 6 §54 · 56–58