Battle of Nanpi 南皮之戰

While Cao Cao was besieging Ye, Yuan Tan attacked and seized Ganling, Anping, Bohai and Hejian, and attacked Yuan Shang at Zhongshan, taking over all the followers of Yuan Shang, who fled to Gu'an and placed himself under Yuan Xi. Cao Cao sent Yuan Tan a letter reproaching him for breaking his pledge, severed the marriage alliance and sent the daughter back, and then advanced. Records, Wei 1 §87Records, Wei 6 §67

Yuan Tan, afraid, abandoned Pingyuan, took Nanpi as well, and camped in person at Longcou. In the 12th month of the 9th year of Jian'an (204) Cao Cao entered Pingyuan, attacked and pacified its counties, and drew up his army before Yuan Tan's gates, but Yuan Tan did not come out and fled at night to Nanpi, where he camped by the Qing River. Records, Wei 1 §87Records, Wei 6 §67

In the 1st month of spring in the 10th year of Jian'an (205) Cao Cao attacked Nanpi. According to the biography of Cao Chun, when Yuan Tan came out to fight and many of Cao Cao's soldiers died, Cao Cao wanted to slacken the attack. Cao Chun, who commanded the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, said that having come a thousand li, to withdraw without a victory would cost them their prestige, that an army deep in enemy territory could hardly hold out long, and that the enemy was proud in victory while they themselves were fearful in defeat, and that attacking a proud enemy with fearful troops was sure to succeed. Cao Cao approved his words and attacked fiercely, Yuan Tan was defeated, and horsemen under Cao Chun's command took Yuan Tan's head. The biography of Yue Jin records that Yue Jin led the way in through Yuan Tan's east gate. Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 9 §45–46Records, Wei 17 §21

Cao Cao beheaded Yuan Tan, Guo Tu and others and put his wife and children to death, and Ji Province was pacified. Cao Cao issued an order making a fresh start even with those who had joined the Yuans in their evil deeds, and forbade the people to take private vengeance or to hold lavish funerals. When he first attacked Yuan Tan he had ordered that people who had fled to avoid the corvée of breaking the ice not be accepted when they surrendered, and to one who came to the gate of the camp and gave himself up, Cao Cao said to go and hide himself well so as not to be caught by the officials, and sent him back; that man was caught in the end. Records, Wei 1 §88–89Records, Wei 6 §67

Yuan Tan's Attendant Officer with Separate Carriage, Wang Xiu, was transporting grain at Le'an when he heard that Yuan Tan was in danger and hurried to him, but at Gaomi he heard of Yuan Tan's death, and weeping, he asked Cao Cao to let him collect the body and bury it, and was granted permission. After breaking Nanpi, Cao Cao saw that Wang Xiu's house held less than ten hu of grain but several hundred scrolls of books, and sighed that a gentleman does not win his name for nothing. The biographies of Guo Jia, Xun You, Xu Huang and others also record that they took part in the attack on Yuan Tan at Nanpi. Records, Wei 11 §61–63Records, Wei 14 §37Records, Wei 10 §63Records, Wei 17 §60

In the same month Yuan Xi's senior generals Jiao Chu, Zhang Nan and others attacked Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, and the two fled to the Wuhuan of the Three Commanderies, while Jiao Chu and the others surrendered their counties to Cao Cao and were enfeoffed as full marquises. Records, Wei 1 §88Records, Wei 6 §68