Campaign against Yuan Shu 曹操討伐袁術之戰

In the winter of the 2nd year of Xingping (195), when the Son of Heaven was defeated at Caoyang, Yuan Shu assembled his subordinates and asked their views, saying that he would respond to Heaven and follow the people; the Registrar Yan Xiang dissuaded him, saying that even Zhou, though it held two of the three parts of the realm, had still served Yin. Yuan Shu used the prophetic mandate of Zhang Jiong of Henei to usurp the imperial title and made the Administrator of Jiujiang the Intendant of Huainan; while several hundred women of his harem wore fine silks, his soldiers froze and starved, the land between the Yangtze and the Huai was emptied, and people ate one another. Records, Wei 6 §78–79

When Yuan Shu, intending to proclaim himself emperor in Huainan, informed Lü Bu, Lü Bu seized the envoy and sent the letter to the court. The enraged Yuan Shu joined forces with Han Xian and Yang Feng and sent his commander-in-chief Zhang Xun to attack Lü Bu, but Lü Bu, using Chen Gui's plan, turned Han Xian and Yang Feng against him, and Zhang Xun was heavily defeated. Sun Ce too, when Yuan Shu usurped the title, reproached him by letter and broke off relations. Records, Wei 1 §44Records, Wei 7 §24Records, Wu 1 §32

In the 9th month, in autumn, of the 2nd year of Jian'an (197), when Yuan Shu invaded Chen, Cao Cao marched east against him. On hearing that Cao Cao was coming in person, Yuan Shu abandoned his army and fled, leaving behind his commanders Qiao Rui, Li Feng, Liang Gang and Yue Jiu, and Cao Cao arrived, attacked Qiao Rui and the others and beheaded them all. The biography of Yu Jin records that Yu Jin surrounded Qiao Rui at Ku County and beheaded four commanders, Qiao Rui among them. Yuan Shu fled across the Huai River, and Cao Cao returned to Xu. Records, Wei 1 §44Records, Wei 17 §28

Yuan Shu, defeated first by Lü Bu and then by Cao Cao, went to Mount Qian, where his retainers Lei Bo and Chen Lan were, was rejected again, and was full of worry and fear. Yuan Shu wanted to hand over the imperial title to Yuan Shao and go to Yuan Tan in Qing Province, and Yuan Tan also sent men to meet him. In the 4th year of Jian'an (199), when Yuan Shu tried to pass north by way of Xiapi, Cao Cao had Liu Bei lead Zhu Ling and Lu Zhao (路招) to block his way, but before Liu Bei arrived, Yuan Shu fell ill and died on the road. Records, Wei 6 §80Records, Wei 1 §56Records, Shu 2 §14

Yuan Shu's wife and children relied on his former subordinate, the Administrator of Lujiang Liu Xun, and when Sun Ce defeated Liu Xun they were taken in and cared for again, and his daughter entered Sun Quan's harem. Cheng Yu and Guo Jia, hearing that Cao Cao had sent Liu Bei, said that Liu Bei must not be let go, but when Cao Cao sent pursuers it was too late; Liu Bei, on reaching Xiapi, killed the Inspector of Xu Province, Che Zhou, raised troops and stationed himself at Pei County. Records, Wei 6 §80Records, Wei 1 §56