Wen Chou 文醜

In Chapter 5 of the Romance, when Hua Xiong cuts down Yu She and then Pan Feng and everyone turns pale, Yuan Shao laments, 'What a pity that my senior generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou have not yet arrived! If only one of them were here, why should I fear Hua Xiong!' In Chapter 6, when Yuan Shao and Sun Jian draw their swords over the imperial seal, Wen Chou draws his sword together with Yan Liang behind Yuan Shao. In Chapter 7, when Yuan Shao arrives in Ji Province, Geng Wu and Guan Chun draw their blades intending to stab Yuan Shao, but Yan Liang cuts down Geng Wu and Wen Chou cuts down Guan Chun. Romance, Ch. 5 §32–33Romance, Ch. 6 §30–31Romance, Ch. 7 §7

In the battle of the Pan River in Chapter 7, when Yuan Shao asks, 'Who will capture him?', Wen Chou levels his spear and charges straight up onto the bridge. Gongsun Zan cannot hold out even for a dozen bouts and flees, and Wen Chou dashes right into the central army and spears one of the four brave generals who face him, knocking him from his horse, so that the other three flee. He pursues Gongsun Zan into a mountain valley and is about to spear him after he has tumbled down a slope when a young general, Zhao Yun, appears; they fight fifty or sixty bouts without either winning, and when Gongsun Zan's relief troops arrive, Wen Chou turns his horse and leaves. Romance, Ch. 7 §11–13

In the next day's battle, Yuan Shao makes Yan Liang and Wen Chou the vanguard, each leading a thousand archers and crossbowmen, and the archers of the two men hold off with their arrows Gongsun Zan's left and right wings as they come to the rescue. In Chapter 22, to attack Cao Cao, Yuan Shao makes Yan Liang and Wen Chou his generals and raises 150,000 horse and 150,000 foot, 300,000 elite troops in all, to advance on Liyang. Romance, Ch. 7 §14 · 17Romance, Ch. 22 §9

In Chapter 26, after Yan Liang's death, when Yuan Shao discusses taking revenge, Wen Chou steps forward, saying, 'Yan Liang and I were like brothers.' The Romance portrays him as a famous general of Hebei, eight chi tall with a face like a xiezhi. Yuan Shao gives him 100,000 troops to cross the Yellow River, and when Liu Bei says he will go with him, Wen Chou says, 'Liu Xuande is a general who has been defeated many times and will bring no advantage to the army,' assigns him 30,000 troops as the rear guard, and sets out first himself at the head of 70,000. Romance, Ch. 26 §2 · 4–5

When Wen Chou crosses the Yellow River and occupies the ground above Yanjin, Cao Cao sends his grain and fodder in front and puts his troops behind. When Wen Chou's troops arrive, Cao Cao's soldiers abandon the grain and fodder and scatter, and on an earthen mound Cao Cao has his soldiers take off their armour and let their horses loose. As Wen Chou's troops seize the grain carts and then come to grab the horses as well, their ranks fall into disorder; Cao Cao's troops come down the mound and attack, and Wen Chou, fighting alone, turns his horse and flees. He shoots an arrow at the pursuing Zhang Liao that carries away the tassel of his helmet and hits the cheek of Zhang Liao's horse, throwing him to the ground, and Xu Huang, who blocks his way with a great axe, turns his horse and goes back when Wen Chou's troops surge up behind him. Romance, Ch. 26 §6–11

As Wen Chou pursues along the river, Guan Yunchang appears at the head of a dozen or so horsemen; in fewer than three bouts Wen Chou loses his nerve and flees along the river, but is struck by a blade on the back of his head and falls from his horse. More than half of the Hebei troops end up in the water. Yuan Shao, saying that Liu Bei deliberately had his younger brother kill another of his senior generals, is about to behead him, but releases him after hearing Liu Bei say that Cao Cao is trying to kill him by Yuan Shao's hand. Later, at Huarong Road in Chapter 50, Lord Guan tells Cao Cao that he has already repaid his kindness by beheading Yan Liang, killing Wen Chou and lifting the siege of Baima. Romance, Ch. 26 §11–12 · 14–16Romance, Ch. 50 §28