Cen Bi 岑璧

In Chapter 32 of the Romance, when Cao Cao followed Guo Jia's advice and turned his army toward Jing Province, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang congratulated each other, and Yuan Xi and Gao Gan each took their leave. Conferring with Guo Tu and Xin Ping, Yuan Tan complained that although he was the eldest son he had not succeeded to his father's enterprise, while Yuan Shang, born of his stepmother, had inherited the great rank. Guo Tu proposed inviting Yuan Shang and Shen Pei to drink and killing them with hidden axemen; the Attendant Officer Mounted Escort Wang Xiu tried to dissuade him, saying that brothers are like the left hand and the right hand, but Yuan Tan rebuked him, sent him away and invited Yuan Shang. Romance, Ch. 32 §15–17

Shen Pei said this was Guo Tu's scheme and that they would do better to seize the moment and attack, and Yuan Shang marched out of the city with 50,000 troops. Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang reviled each other and fought in person; Yuan Tan was badly defeated and fled to Pingyuan with his beaten troops. Romance, Ch. 32 §18–19

Yuan Tan again discussed an advance with Guo Tu and had Cen Bi lead troops forward as his general, while Yuan Shang personally led troops out of Ji Province. As the two armies drew up facing each other, banners and drums in sight of one another, Cen Bi rode out to challenge them and hurled abuse. When Yuan Shang was about to fight in person, his senior general Lü Kuang spurred his horse forward, brandishing his blade, to fight Cen Bi, and within a few bouts cut him down from his horse. Yuan Tan's troops were defeated again and fled back to Pingyuan. Romance, Ch. 32 §19

Yuan Shang pursued him to Pingyuan and surrounded the city on three sides, and Yuan Tan, with little grain in the city and unable to resist, followed Guo Tu's advice and sent Xin Pi to Cao Cao to surrender and ask for help. Romance, Ch. 32 §20–22