Battle of Liyang 黎陽之戰

Yuan Shao, who had fallen ill after his army's defeat at Guandu, vomited blood and died in the 5th month of summer in the 7th year of Jian'an (202), and his youngest son Yuan Shang succeeded him. According to the Biography of Yuan Shao, Shen Pei and Feng Ji sided with Yuan Shang while Xin Ping and Guo Tu sided with Yuan Tan; when the majority wanted to set up Yuan Tan as the eldest, Shen Pei and the others, fearing they would be harmed if Yuan Tan were set up, used Yuan Shao's long-held wishes as a pretext to support Yuan Shang. When Yuan Tan arrived and could not be set up, he styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry, and this opened a rift between the brothers. Records, Wei 1 §76Records, Wei 6 §60

Yuan Tan was stationed at Liyang. Yuan Shang gave Yuan Tan only a few soldiers and sent Feng Ji with him, and when Yuan Tan asked for more soldiers, Shen Pei and the others decided not to give them, so Yuan Tan in anger killed Feng Ji. In the 9th month of autumn, when Cao Cao crossed the Yellow River and attacked Yuan Tan, Yuan Tan reported the emergency to Yuan Shang. Fearing that if he sent part of his troops Yuan Tan would take them over, Yuan Shang had Shen Pei guard Ye and came in person with his troops to help Yuan Tan, facing Cao Cao at Liyang. Records, Wei 1 §76Records, Wei 6 §61

In the successive battles Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were beaten again and again, fell back and held fast. The Biography of Yuan Shao records that they fought great battles below the city from the 2nd month to the 9th month. Yue Jin's biography says that he beheaded Yan Jing, a senior general of Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, at Liyang, and the biographies of Zhang Liao, Guo Jia and Xun You also record that they took part in the fighting at Liyang. Provisions were carried by boat by Cheng Yu and Li Dian, and when Yuan Shang had Gao Fan, the Administrator of Wei Commandery, cut the waterway on the Yellow River, Li Dian and the others crossed the Yellow River, defeated Gao Fan and opened the waterway. Records, Wei 1 §76Records, Wei 6 §61Records, Wei 17 §21 · 5Records, Wei 14 §36Records, Wei 10 §61Records, Wei 18 §4–5

While Cao Cao was attacking Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at Liyang, Yuan Tan sent Guo Yuan, Gao Gan and others to raid Hedong, and Cao Cao had Zhong Yao lead the generals of Guanzhong to stop them. Pang De's biography records that he followed Ma Chao to stop Guo Yuan and Gao Gan at Pingyang, crushed them, and personally beheaded Guo Yuan. Records, Wei 18 §68

In the 3rd month of spring in the 8th year of Jian'an (203), when Cao Cao attacked the outer wall, they finally came out to fight, and Cao Cao crushed them, so Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang fled by night. The Biography of Yuan Shao records that they fled by night when Cao Cao was about to surround them. Cao Cao pursued them as far as Ye, gathered their wheat and took Yinan, and Zhang Liao's biography records that he took Yinan together with Yue Jin and moved its people south of the Yellow River. In the 4th month of summer Cao Cao advanced to Ye, and returning to Xu in the 5th month, he left Jia Xin stationed at Liyang. Records, Wei 1 §77Records, Wei 6 §62Records, Wei 17 §5

In Guo Jia's biography, when the generals proposed pressing on to finish the enemy while they had the advantage, Guo Jia said that since Yuan Shao had loved both sons and set up neither as his heir, pressing them hard would make them stand together while easing off would breed rivalry between them, and proposed pretending to march south against Liu Biao and waiting for things to change. In the 8th month, when Cao Cao stationed himself at Xiping to attack Liu Biao, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang attacked each other over Ji Province, and Yuan Tan, beaten by Yuan Shang and fleeing to Pingyuan, sent Xin Pi to ask Cao Cao for help. Records, Wei 14 §36Records, Wei 1 §80Records, Wei 6 §62