Yuan Shao 爰邵
| Occupation | RGeneral · Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs NGeneral · Bodyguard | Faction | Wei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appears | RN | Biography in | |
| Existence | Historical | Mentions | R1 |
Profile
Yuan Shao (爰邵) was the Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs whom Deng Ai of Wei consulted about a dream, and a different person from Yuan Shao (袁紹). He has no biography of his own in the Records, and in Chen Shou's main text he appears once, in the record of Deng Ai in the Biographies of Wang, Guanqiu, Zhuge, Deng and Zhong (Records of Wei 28). When Deng Ai, about to attack Shu, dreamt that he was sitting on a mountain with water flowing, Yuan Shao interpreted the dream by the hexagram Jian (Obstruction) of the Changes and said that if he went he would surely conquer Shu, but would probably not return. Records, Wei 28 §82
Chen Shou's main text does not record his courtesy name, his origins, or his other deeds and death, and the Records contain no assessment of him. In the Romance he appears only in Chapter 116, and no chapter has his name in its title. The Romance depicts him as Deng Ai's bodyguard, long versed in the Book of Changes, and on hearing his interpretation of the dream Deng Ai changes color and is displeased. Records, Wei 28 §82Romance, Ch. 116 §7–8
In the Records
In the autumn of the 4th year of Jingyuan (263), when an edict ordered the various armies to attack Shu, Deng Ai was charged with pinning down Jiang Wei, and in the 10th month of winter he marched more than seven hundred li through uninhabited land by the Yinping road and reached Chengdu. Liu Shan, leading the crown prince, the princes and more than sixty of his ministers, bound himself, had his coffin carried on a cart, and came to Deng Ai's camp gate. Records, Wei 28 §67 · 71 · 73
Afterwards Deng Ai was to be summoned in a cage cart, and after Zhong Hui died, when the officers and men of Deng Ai's own camp pulled him out of the cage cart and tried to bring him back, Tian Xu and others sent by Wei Guan cut Deng Ai down west of Mianzhu. His son Deng Zhong died with him. Records, Wei 28 §80–81
After recording this, the Biography of Deng Ai appends Yuan Shao's interpretation of the dream, introduced by the word "earlier". When Deng Ai was about to attack Shu, he dreamt that he was sitting on a mountain with water flowing, and asked Yuan Shao, Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs, about it. Yuan Shao said that according to the hexagrams of the Changes, water on a mountain is called Jian (Obstruction); that the judgment of the hexagram Jian says, "Jian: advantage in the southwest, no advantage in the northeast"; and that Confucius said, "Jian: advantage in the southwest, for going there brings merit; no advantage in the northeast, for that way is blocked." He then said that if Deng Ai went he would surely conquer Shu, but would probably not return. Deng Ai was dismayed and displeased. Records, Wei 28 §82
In Chen Shou's main text this passage is the only place where Yuan Shao appears. His courtesy name, his origins, his other deeds and his death are not recorded, and the Records contain no assessment of him. Records, Wei 28 §82
In the Romance
In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Deng Ai, who is in Longxi, receives the edict to attack Shu and has Sima Wang hold off the Qiang, while ordering Zhuge Xu, Inspector of Yong Province, and several Administrators to come with the troops under their command. Around the time the troops and horses gather like clouds, Deng Ai has a dream at night: he climbs a high mountain and looks toward Hanzhong, when suddenly a spring bursts out beneath his feet and the water surges upward. Romance, Ch. 116 §6
Waking with a start to find himself drenched in sweat, Deng Ai sits up to wait for daybreak and then summons his bodyguard Yuan Shao to ask him about it. Yuan Shao has long been versed in the Book of Changes. When Deng Ai relates the dream in detail, Yuan Shao replies that water on a mountain is called Jian (Obstruction), that the hexagram Jian has advantage in the southwest and no advantage in the northeast, and that Confucius said the advantage in the southwest is because going there brings merit, and the lack of advantage in the northeast is because that way is blocked. He then says that on this campaign the general will surely conquer Shu, but that, regrettably, he will be blocked and unable to return. Romance, Ch. 116 §7
Hearing this, Deng Ai changes color and is displeased. Just then Zhong Hui's dispatch arrives, proposing that they join forces at Hanzhong, and Deng Ai divides his troops to attack Jiang Wei at Tazhong, among other things having Zhuge Xu first cut off Jiang Wei's road of retreat, while he himself leads 30,000 troops back and forth to give support. Yuan Shao does not appear again after this passage. Romance, Ch. 116 §8–9
In Chapter 119, Deng Ai, released from the cage cart and about to return to Chengdu, is cut down at Mianzhu with a single stroke by the Protector of the Army Tian Xu, sent by Wei Guan, and Deng Zhong also dies amid the confused fighting. Romance, Ch. 119 §19
Where the Romance differs
Office: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Yuan Shao appears as Deng Ai's bodyguard. The Biography of Deng Ai in the Records calls him Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs. Romance, Ch. 116 §7Records, Wei 28 §82
The content of the dream: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Deng Ai dreams that he climbs a high mountain and looks toward Hanzhong, when a spring bursts out beneath his feet and the water surges upward. In the Records, it is a dream of sitting on a mountain with water flowing. Romance, Ch. 116 §6Records, Wei 28 §82
When he asked about the dream: In Chapter 116 of the Romance, Deng Ai waits for daybreak to ask Yuan Shao about a dream he had at night around the time the troops and horses were gathering after he received the edict to attack Shu. The Records say only "earlier, when Deng Ai was about to attack Shu", and append this episode after the account of Deng Ai being cut down west of Mianzhu. Romance, Ch. 116 §6–7Records, Wei 28 §81–82
Versed in the Book of Changes: Chapter 116 of the Romance introduces Yuan Shao as having long been versed in the Book of Changes. The Records state only that Yuan Shao interpreted the dream by the hexagrams of the Changes, and give no such introduction. Romance, Ch. 116 §7Records, Wei 28 §82
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.
Abilities
The Records score (Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms, main text) is the baseline. Each ability compares how the Romance redrew the same person, and the evidence from both sources explains the difference.
- LEA4238−4
- STR3335+2
- INT6262±0
- POL4038−2
- CHA3838±0
- VIR5250−2
- ADP4040±0
- SCH6266+4
- DIP4542−3
- DIS3535±0
Abilities shaped by the Romance — where it differs from the Records Differences of 10 or more
No ability differs by 10 or more — the Romance portrays this person much as the Records do.
10 similar abilities — show evidence
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs under Deng AiWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs under Deng AiWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
RInterpreted Deng Ai's dream by the hexagram Jian, foreseeing that he would conquer Shu but not returnWei 28 §82
NInterpreted the dream to mean he would conquer Shu but be blocked and unable to returnCh. 116 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs under Deng AiWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs under Deng AiWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
RDid not hide an interpretation Deng Ai would dislikeWei 28 §82
NTold Deng Ai an unfavorable interpretation just as it wasCh. 116 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs under Deng AiWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
RInterpreted the dream by quoting the judgment of the Changes and the words of ConfuciusWei 28 §82
NLong versed in the Book of Changes, he interpreted the dream by quoting the hexagram's judgmentCh. 116 §7
RExplained what lay ahead coherently by citing the hexagram's judgmentWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
RNo direct record — estimated from his role as Protector of the Army Who Exterminates Caitiffs under Deng AiWei 28 §82
NNo direct record — estimated from his role as Deng Ai's bodyguardCh. 116 §7
Special — talents Records +10 · Romance +25
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Divination & astronomy
RSkilled +10 Divined Deng Ai's dream by the hexagram Jian and interpreted itWei 28 §82
NMaster +25 Long versed in the Book of Changes, interpreted Deng Ai's dream by the hexagramsCh. 116 §7
Records Romance Unverified No direct record; scored from their actions (evidence grade C)
3KDEX scoring — the Records use the main text of Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms; the Romance uses the 120-chapter Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Click a source tag to open that passage in the reader.
Romance chapters (1)
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