Yuan Shao 袁紹

Yuan Shao had a fine and dignified appearance, and because he humbled himself to treat men of learning with courtesy, many of them attached themselves to him. Cao Cao befriended him in his youth. From clerk on the staff of the General-in-Chief he became Attendant Imperial Clerk, and by way of Colonel of the Central Army he rose to Colonel-Director of Retainers. When Emperor Ling died, he plotted with the General-in-Chief He Jin to kill the eunuchs. When the eunuchs came to He Jin to apologize, Yuan Shao urged him two or three times to settle the matter then and there, but He Jin did not listen. After the Palace Regular Attendant Duan Gui and others killed He Jin, Yuan Shao beheaded Xu Xiang, whom the eunuchs had appointed Colonel-Director of Retainers, then seized the eunuchs and killed them all. More than 2,000 died. Records, Wei 6 §33–36

When Dong Zhuo discussed deposing the emperor and enthroning the Prince of Chenliu, Yuan Shao feigned consent, saying he would consult his uncle, the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei. When Dong Zhuo said, "The seed of the Liu clan is not worth preserving any longer," Yuan Shao made no reply, held his sword crosswise, bowed deeply with clasped hands, and left, fleeing to Ji Province. Following the advice of Zhou Bi, Wu Qiong, He Yong and others to pardon Yuan Shao and give him a commandery, Dong Zhuo made him Administrator of Bohai and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Kangxiang. Records, Wei 6 §37–38

In the first month of the 1st year of Chuping (190), Yuan Shu, Han Fu, Zhang Miao and others raised troops at the same time and chose Yuan Shao, the Administrator of Bohai, as leader of the alliance, and Yuan Shao styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry. Together with Han Fu he also tried to set up Liu Yu, Governor of You Province, as emperor, but Liu Yu refused. On hearing that Yuan Shao had won over the lands east of the passes, Dong Zhuo put to death all of Yuan Shao's clan, including Yuan Wei. Records, Wei 1 §7 · 16Records, Wei 6 §39 · 47

When Gongsun Zan defeated Han Fu and entered Ji Province, Yuan Shao sent Gao Gan, Xun Chen and others to persuade Han Fu to yield Ji Province. Geng Wu and others tried to stop him, but Han Fu handed over Ji Province, saying that he was a former subordinate of the Yuan family and less talented than Benchu. The Annals of Emperor Wu recorded this event of the seventh month of the 2nd year of Chuping (191) as "Yuan Shao coerced Han Fu and seized Ji Province." Han Fu later took refuge with Zhang Miao, and on seeing Yuan Shao's envoy whispering with Zhang Miao, he killed himself in the privy. Records, Wei 6 §39–43 · 47Records, Wei 1 §16–18

When Ju Shou urged him to unite the four provinces north of the Yellow River, welcome the Son of Heaven and command the realm, Yuan Shao was delighted and said, "This is exactly what I have in mind." Yet he did not follow Guo Tu's advice to welcome the Son of Heaven and make Ye the capital, and he regretted it when Cao Cao installed the Son of Heaven at Xu. In the 1st year of Jian'an (196), when Yuan Shao was made Grand Commandant, he was ashamed to rank below Cao Cao and refused it, and Cao Cao yielded the post of General-in-Chief to him. He declined enfeoffment as Marquis of Ye. Records, Wei 6 §45–46 · 48Records, Wei 1 §36 · 40

In the 4th year of Jian'an (199), Yuan Shao besieged Yijing with his entire army and brought down its watchtowers by tunneling, and Gongsun Zan killed his wife and children and then himself. Yuan Shao put his eldest son Yuan Tan in charge of Qing Province, saying he wanted each of his sons to hold a province, and did not listen when Ju Shou remonstrated that this would be the beginning of calamity. He entrusted You Province to his second son Yuan Xi and Bing Province to his nephew Gao Gan. Placing Shen Pei and Feng Ji over military affairs, Tian Feng, Xun Chen and Xu You over strategy, and Yan Liang and Wen Chou as generals, he picked 100,000 elite troops and 10,000 cavalry, intending to attack Xu. Records, Wei 8 §18 · 20Records, Wei 6 §49

In the 5th year of Jian'an (200), when Cao Cao marched east against Liu Bei, Tian Feng urged Yuan Shao to strike his rear, but Yuan Shao refused, pleading that his son was ill. Tian Feng struck the ground with his staff and lamented that the opportunity was being lost because of an infant's illness. Yuan Shao advanced to Liyang and sent Yan Liang to attack Liu Yan at Baima; he ignored Ju Shou's warning that Yan Liang should not be given sole command, and Yan Liang was beheaded by Cao Cao. Crossing the Yellow River, he had Liu Bei and Wen Chou offer battle south of Yanjin, but Wen Chou too was beheaded. Records, Wei 6 §50–51

Ju Shou argued that the north stood to gain from a slow, prolonged contest, but Yuan Shao did not heed him and pressed on toward Guandu. He built watchtowers and earthen mounds and shot arrows into Cao Cao's camp, but his towers were smashed by catapults, his tunnels were blocked by a long trench, and his supply wagons were ambushed and all their grain burned. In the tenth month, in winter, when he gave Chunyu Qiong and others more than 10,000 men to meet the supply wagons, he again rejected Ju Shou's advice to send Jiang Qi to guard the outer flank. Records, Wei 6 §51–53Records, Wei 1 §68

Xu You, who was greedy for wealth, fled to Cao Cao when Yuan Shao could not satisfy his desires, and urged him to attack Chunyu Qiong. When Cao Cao personally led 5,000 men to attack Wuchao by night, Yuan Shao told Yuan Tan that if they seized the enemy camp in the meantime, the enemy would have nowhere to return to, and sent Zhang He and Gao Lan to attack Cao Hong. Chunyu Qiong and the others were all beheaded, and Zhang He and Gao Lan surrendered to Cao Cao. As his army collapsed, Yuan Shao crossed the Yellow River on horseback with Yuan Tan alone, and Ju Shou was captured. Records, Wei 1 §69–70Records, Wei 6 §53–54

When Yuan Shao first advanced south, Tian Feng remonstrated that if he held out for the long term and harried the lands south of the river, he would win within two years, but Yuan Shao imprisoned him for undermining the troops' morale. Returning in defeat, Yuan Shao said, "I did not use Tian Feng's advice, and now I have indeed become his laughingstock," and had him killed. Chen Shou wrote that Yuan Shao was outwardly magnanimous and broad-minded but inwardly full of jealousy. Yuan Shao again pacified the towns of Ji Province that had rebelled, but after his army's defeat he fell ill, and in the fifth month, in summer, of the 7th year of Jian'an (202) he died vomiting blood. Records, Wei 6 §55–58Records, Wei 1 §76

Yuan Shao loved his youngest son Yuan Shang and meant to make him his heir, but did not make it known. When Shen Pei and Feng Ji installed Yuan Shang on the pretext of Yuan Shao's long-held wish, his eldest son Yuan Tan styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry, and a rift opened between the brothers. After pacifying Ye, Cao Cao offered sacrifices at Yuan Shao's tomb and wept. Records, Wei 6 §60Records, Wei 1 §84

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Yuan Shao and Liu Biao both won renown in their day for their dignified bearing and capacity, but that they were outwardly magnanimous and inwardly jealous, fond of scheming but unable to decide, unable to use the talent they had, and unable to accept good advice when they heard it. He said that the downfall of their heirs after they set aside the rightful heir for a younger son was no mere misfortune, and wrote that while Xiang Yu lost his royal enterprise by rejecting Fan Zeng's plans, Yuan Shao's killing of Tian Feng was far worse. Records, Wei 6 §96–97