Xun Chen

Historical Record

Xun Chen, styled Youruo, was the younger brother of Xun Yu, who in his youth was appraised by He Yong of Nanyang as "a talent fit to assist a king." In the first year of Yonghan, Xun Yu was nominated as Filial and Incorrupt and appointed Prefect of the Palace Secretariat. After Dong Zhuo's Coup, he requested to fill an administrative post and was appointed Prefect of Kangfu. Soon, however, Xun Yu resigned his office and returned home, and said to the elders of his hometown, "Yingchuan is a battleground fought over on all sides; when the realm is in upheaval, it will always become a strategic point for the strategists. Everyone should leave as quickly as possible, and not linger long." At the time, many of the townsmen, attached to their native soil, hesitated indecisively; just then Han Fu, the Governor of Jizhou and from the same commandery, sent cavalry to come and escort Xun Yu, but none of the townsmen went along. Xun Yu alone led his clan to Jizhou ^c:6137.

After arriving in Jizhou, Yuan Shao had already seized Han Fu's position as governor, and treated Xun Yu with the courtesy due an honored guest. At this time, Xun Yu's younger brother Xun Chen, as well as Xin Ping and Guo Tu of the same commandery, were all given important positions by Yuan Shao ^c:6137. The historical material records little of Xun Chen's specific deeds, mentioning him chiefly through the biography of his elder brother Xun Yu, indicating that he held an important post in Yuan Shao's faction and was one of the figures Yuan Shao relied on. Xun Yu later judged that Yuan Shao would never accomplish great things in the end, and so left Yuan Shao to join Cao Cao, who was then in Dong Commandery. On meeting Xun Yu, Cao Cao was overjoyed, called him "my own Zifang," and appointed him Major. From this one can see that Xun Chen's standing in Yuan Shao's faction forms a contrast with his elder brother Xun Yu's importance in Cao Cao's faction, but the historical material does not describe in detail Xun Chen's specific strategies or contributions under Yuan Shao ^c:6137.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xun Chen's image receives more literary shaping, especially playing a key role in the process of Yuan Shao's seizure of Jizhou. He first appears when Yuan Shao had stationed his troops at Henei and was short of provisions. At that time, Han Fu, the Governor of Jizhou, sent men to deliver grain to aid Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao's strategist Feng Ji advised Yuan Shao to seize Jizhou, and devised a plan for Yuan Shao to write secretly to Gongsun Zan, agreeing to jointly attack Jizhou. Gongsun Zan indeed raised troops. Yuan Shao then sent men to secretly inform Han Fu ^c:3119.

On learning that Gongsun Zan had raised troops, Han Fu hastily summoned his two strategists Xun Chen and Xin Ping to deliberate. Xun Chen advised Han Fu, pointing out that Gongsun Zan led the multitudes of Yan and Dai, sweeping forward with great momentum, and was hard to resist. He further advised Han Fu that Yuan Shao was a man of surpassing wisdom and courage with many famous generals under him, and that Han Fu could invite Yuan Shao to govern Jizhou jointly, so that Yuan Shao would surely treat Han Fu generously and the threat from Gongsun Zan would be removed. Han Fu heeded Xun Chen's advice and at once sent the Attendant Officer Guan Chun to invite Yuan Shao ^c:3119.

Although the Chief Clerk Geng Wu strenuously remonstrated, holding that Yuan Shao was a solitary guest with an exhausted army, depending on Han Fu's breath like an infant in the palm of one's hand who would starve to death if the milk were cut off, and that he should not entrust the affairs of the province to Yuan Shao, which would be no different from "leading a tiger into a flock of sheep," Han Fu obstinately held to his own view, considering himself a former subordinate of the Yuan clan and his talent inferior to Yuan Shao's, and citing "choosing a worthy man and yielding to him," he disregarded the objections of Geng Wu and the others. In the end, Yuan Shao smoothly took control of Jizhou, while Han Fu regretted it too late and abandoned his family to take refuge with Zhang Miao ^c:3119. In this affair, Xun Chen, as Han Fu's strategist, gave advice that directly brought about Yuan Shao's peaceful takeover of Jizhou; though this was in a sense "inviting a wolf into the house," it displayed his influence in the process of Yuan Shao's seizure of Jizhou.

Xun Chen has another important appearance in the Romance, on the eve of the Battle of Guandu. At that time, Cao Cao sent Zheng Xuan to deliver a letter to Yuan Shao, requesting that Yuan Shao raise troops to help Liu Bei and attack Cao Cao. Yuan Shao hesitated over whether to raise troops. Just then Xu You and Xun Chen entered, and Yuan Shao asked their opinion. The two said in unison that for Yuan Shao "to overcome the few with the many, to attack the weak with the strong, and to chastise the traitor to Han in order to support the royal house—raising troops is right," which exactly accorded with Yuan Shao's wishes. Yuan Shao thereupon decided to raise troops, appointing Tian Feng, Xun Chen, and Xu You as strategists, and Yan Liang and Wen Chou as generals, leading a great army of three hundred thousand to advance toward Liyang ^c:6138. Here Xun Chen again played the role of an important strategist of Yuan Shao, supporting Yuan Shao's military action at a key decision.

Key Relationships

* Yuan Shao's Faction: Xun Chen was an important strategist of Yuan Shao's Faction, given important positions by Yuan Shao ^c:6137. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he further played a key role in the strategic decisions of Yuan Shao's seizure of Jizhou and on the eve of the Battle of Guandu ^c:3119, ^c:6138.
* Han Fu: Xun Chen was once Han Fu's strategist, and offered advice to Han Fu that prompted him to yield Jizhou to Yuan Shao ^c:3119 (unique to the novel).
* Xun Yu: Xun Chen was Xun Yu's younger brother; the historical material mentions Xun Chen mostly through the biography of Xun Yu ^c:6137.
* Xin Ping, Guo Tu: From the same commandery as Xun Chen, all employed by Yuan Shao ^c:6137. In the novel, Xin Ping also devised plans for Han Fu together with Xun Chen ^c:3119.
* Xu You, Tian Feng, Feng Ji: In the novel, fellow important strategists of Yuan Shao together with Xun Chen, jointly taking part in Yuan Shao's military decisions ^c:6138.

Iconic Scenes

* Advising Han Fu to yield Jizhou to Yuan Shao: In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Gongsun Zan advanced his troops on Jizhou, Han Fu was thrown into panic and at a loss. Xun Chen advised Han Fu to invite Yuan Shao to govern Jizhou jointly, in order to avoid Gongsun Zan's onslaught. This advice directly led Han Fu to hand Jizhou over to Yuan Shao, and is one of Xun Chen's best-known stratagems in the novel ^c:3119.
* Supporting Yuan Shao's raising of troops against Cao Cao: Before the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao hesitated over whether to attack Cao Cao. Xun Chen, together with Xu You, advised him, strongly advocating that Yuan Shao raise troops, holding that the move was to "chastise the traitor to Han in order to support the royal house," firming Yuan Shao's resolve to make war; he was appointed a strategist of Yuan Shao and took part in the military deployment ^c:6138 (unique to the novel).
* Accompanying his elder brother Xun Yu to Jizhou: The historical material records that after Dong Zhuo's Coup, Xun Yu urged the townsmen to leave Yingchuan, but most of them did not follow. In the end, Xun Yu alone led his clan to Jizhou, while his younger brother Xun Chen, along with Xin Ping and Guo Tu, were all employed by Yuan Shao ^c:6137. This shows that Xun Chen's presence in Yuan Shao's faction was part of his family's search for a way out in a turbulent age.