Ju Shou 沮授

After Yuan Shao took over Ji Province from Han Fu and became its Governor, the Attendant Officer Ju Shou spoke to Yuan Shao. He said that the general had entered court service at the age of twenty and made his name known; at the time of the deposition and enthronement of emperors he had displayed loyalty and righteousness; when he fled alone on horseback, Dong Zhuo had been afraid; and when he crossed the Yellow River and came north, Bohai had bowed its head. Now, if he turned his troops east, Qing Province could be pacified; if he attacked the Black Mountain bandits, Zhang Yan could be destroyed; if he faced north, Gongsun Zan would surely perish; and if he overawed the Rong and Di, the Xiongnu would surely submit. Records, Wei 6 §43 · 45

Ju Shou went on to say that if Yuan Shao spanned the lands north of the great river and united the territory of four provinces, gathered heroic talents and commanded a host of a million, welcomed the Son of Heaven's carriage from the Western Capital and restored the ancestral temples at Luoyi, and issued commands to the realm, no one could stand against him, and within a few years this achievement would not be difficult. Yuan Shao was delighted, saying, 'This is exactly what I have in mind,' and at once submitted a memorial making Ju Shou Army Supervisor and General Who Displays Might. Records, Wei 6 §46

After defeating Gongsun Zan at Yijing and absorbing his followers, Yuan Shao sent out his eldest son Yuan Tan to govern Qing Province. Ju Shou remonstrated, 'This will surely be the beginning of disaster,' but Yuan Shao would not listen, saying, 'I intend to have each of my sons hold a province.' Yuan Shao gave You Province to his second son Yuan Xi and Bing Province to his nephew Gao Gan, put Shen Pei and Feng Ji in overall charge of military affairs, made Tian Feng, Xun Chen and Xu You his chief strategists and Yan Liang and Wen Chou his commanders, and prepared to attack Xu with 100,000 picked troops and 10,000 cavalry. Records, Wei 6 §49

In the 5th year of Jian'an (200), Yuan Shao advanced to Liyang and sent Yan Liang to attack Liu Yan at Baima. Ju Shou remonstrated, 'Yan Liang is narrow by nature; though he is swift and brave, he must not be given sole command,' but Yuan Shao did not listen, and Cao Cao came to relieve Liu Yan, defeated Yan Liang and beheaded him. Yuan Shao crossed the Yellow River, built ramparts south of Yanjin and had Liu Bei and Wen Chou offer battle, but Cao Cao defeated them and beheaded Wen Chou as well. Records, Wei 6 §50–51

When Cao Cao returned to Guandu, Ju Shou spoke again. The northern troops, he said, were numerous but not the equal of the southern troops in boldness and toughness, while the south was short of grain and its wealth did not match the north's; the south's advantage lay in a quick battle, and the north's in a slow contest. Therefore they should hold out slowly and patiently and draw out the months, but Yuan Shao did not follow this and, linking his camps, advanced little by little to close in on Guandu. Records, Wei 6 §51–52

After the two armies had faced each other for a long time, Yuan Shao gave Chunyu Qiong and others more than 10,000 troops to go north and meet the grain carts, and Ju Shou proposed sending the general Jiang Qi to post a separate force on the outer flank to cut off raids by Lord Cao. Again Yuan Shao did not follow him. Chunyu Qiong camped at Wuchao, forty li from Yuan Shao's army, and Cao Cao, leaving Cao Hong to hold his camp, personally led 5,000 infantry and cavalry by night in secret and attacked Chunyu Qiong. Records, Wei 6 §53

Cao Cao defeated Chunyu Qiong and the others and beheaded them all, and Yuan Shao's generals Gao Lan and Zhang He surrendered with their troops. As Yuan Shao's army collapsed, Yuan Shao and Yuan Tan retreated across the Yellow River alone on horseback. Ju Shou, failing to cross the river with Yuan Shao, was seized and sent to Cao Cao, who treated him generously. Later Ju Shou plotted to return to the Yuan and was put to death. The Records do not give the year of his death. Records, Wei 6 §54

In his assessment, Chen Shou did not mention Ju Shou by name. He wrote only that Yuan Shao and Liu Biao were both outwardly tolerant but inwardly jealous, fond of scheming but unable to decide, that they had men of talent but could not use them, and heard good counsel but could not accept it. Records, Wei 6 §96