Yuan Shao

史载（Historical Record）

Yuan Shao, styled Benchu, was a native of Ruyang in Runan, born of an illustrious house that had produced "three dukes over four generations." In the last years of Emperor Ling of Han, he stepped onto the historical stage as an adviser to General-in-Chief He Jin. When He Jin sought to exterminate the eunuchs, Yuan Shao took an active part in the planning, advising He Jin to summon heroes from the four quarters into the capital to pressure the Empress Dowager^[1]. In the end, however, He Jin was killed by the eunuchs, and Yuan Shao at once led troops into the palace, seizing and killing more than two thousand eunuchs and throwing the palace into chaos^[2].

After Dong Zhuo entered the capital and sought to depose the young emperor and enthrone the Prince of Chenliu, Yuan Shao opposed it, even drawing his sword, and then fled from Luoyang to Ji Province^[3]. Dong Zhuo, adopting the advice of Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong, pardoned Yuan Shao and appointed him Grand Administrator of Bohai^[4]. Yuan Shao raised troops at Bohai, styling himself General of Chariots and Cavalry, and became the leader of the alliance against Dong Zhuo^[5].

In the first year of Chuping (190 CE), Yuan Shao, together with more than ten lords including the Governor of Ji Province Han Fu and the Inspector of Yu Province Kong Zhou, raised troops at the same time and jointly proclaimed Yuan Shao alliance leader to campaign against Dong Zhuo^[6]. During the campaign, Yuan Shao plotted with Han Fu to enthrone the Governor of You Province, Liu Yu, as emperor, but this was rejected by Cao Cao^[7].

Through the stratagem of his adviser Feng Ji, Yuan Shao used the threat of Gongsun Zan to force Han Fu to yield Ji Province, thereby taking possession of this rich land^[5]. He then waged a long struggle with Gongsun Zan, at last defeating him at the Battle of Jieqiao and ultimately destroying him, annexing the four provinces of You, Bing, Qing, and Ji, with a mighty army numbering several hundred thousand^[8].

Before the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao's adviser Ju Shou advised him to welcome Emperor Xian of Han to Ye and "hold the Son of Heaven to command the lords," but Yuan Shao failed to adopt this^[9]. After Cao Cao welcomed the emperor and made Xu the capital, Yuan Shao regretted it and tried to have Cao Cao move the emperor to Juancheng, but was refused. Emperor Xian once appointed Yuan Shao Grand Commandant, then transferred him to General-in-Chief and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Ye, but Yuan Shao declined and would not accept^[9].

In the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao had an army of more than a hundred thousand, while Cao Cao's forces were comparatively few. Yuan Shao's adviser Tian Feng urged him to adopt a strategy of protracted war, harassing Cao Cao's rear, but Yuan Shao did not listen and instead imprisoned him^[10]. Xu You also offered Yuan Shao a stratagem, but because of his greed it was not adopted, and he at last defected to Cao Cao^[11]. Cao Cao adopted Xu You's advice and made a surprise attack on Wuchao, burning Yuan Shao's grain and supplies, causing the Yuan army to collapse. Yuan Shao and his eldest son Yuan Tan abandoned the army and fled, crossing the river to escape^[11].

Yuan Shao died of illness not long after the Battle of Guandu, and his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang fell into strife over the succession, ultimately leading to the complete destruction of the Yuan faction^[12].

演中（In the Novel）

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yuan Shao's image is further developed, especially in his character traits and in his interactions with figures such as Cao Cao and Liu Bei. The novel opens by displaying Yuan Shao's decisiveness and radicalism in He Jin's effort to exterminate the eunuchs^[13]. He advised He Jin to "cut the grass and pull up the roots," exterminating all the eunuchs, in contrast to He Jin's hesitation^[14]. When He Jin was killed, Yuan Shao at once led troops into the palace and slaughtered the eunuchs and their families on a great scale, even causing many beardless men to be killed by mistake^[2].

When Dong Zhuo deposed and enthroned emperors, the novel's scene of Yuan Shao drawing his sword to confront Dong Zhuo at the banquet greatly highlights Yuan Shao's "fierce in appearance" side^[3]. He bluntly declared Dong Zhuo's act to be "if not rebellion, then what?"—showing his posture as a loyal subject of the house of Han, though in history Yuan Shao merely "made no response, made a long bow with his sword crosswise, and departed"^[15].

At the alliance of the eighteen lords against Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shao was elected alliance leader, manifesting his standing and prestige among the lords of the time^[16]. However, the novel also hints through certain details at Yuan Shao's character of "great ambition but small wisdom" and his "jealous and exclusive" nature. For example, he once fell out with Sun Jian over the rumor that Sun Jian had secretly hidden the Imperial Seal^[17], and he slighted Guan Yu before Hulao Pass^[18].

Before the Battle of Guandu, the novel emphasizes how Yuan Shao missed the prime chance to attack the capital Xu because his young son was ill, and how he failed to adopt Tian Feng's good counsel and instead imprisoned him^[19]. This further reinforces Yuan Shao's image of "great ambition but small wisdom, jealous and exclusive with little authority." In the Battle of Boma, after Yan Liang and Wen Chou were slain by Guan Yu, Yuan Shao once vented his anger on Liu Bei and even sought to behead him, embodying his weakness of "many troops but unclear command, proud generals and inconsistent orders"^[20].

关键关系

* Yuan Shao's Faction (lord_of): Yuan Shao was Governor of Ji Province, annexing the four provinces of You, Bing, Qing, and Ji, with an army of several hundred thousand; under him were advisers such as Ju Shou, Tian Feng, Xu You, Shen Pei, and Feng Ji, and generals such as Yan Liang and Wen Chou, forming a vast military and political bloc^[21].
* Liu Yu (rival_of): Yuan Shao once plotted with Han Fu to enthrone the Governor of You Province, Liu Yu, as emperor, but Liu Yu dared not accept^[5].
* Gongsun Zan (enemy_of): Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan struggled for a long time, and in the end Yuan Shao defeated and destroyed Gongsun Zan, annexing his power^[21].
* Yuan Tan (parent_of): Yuan Tan was Yuan Shao's eldest son, sent by Yuan Shao to Qing Province. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Tan fell into infighting with his brother Yuan Shang over the succession, ultimately leading to the destruction of the Yuan faction^[12].
* Cao Cao (rival_of): Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were allies in the early campaign against Dong Zhuo, but later developed a rift over matters such as welcoming the emperor, and at last fought a decisive battle at Guandu, where Yuan Shao was utterly defeated^[11].
* He Jin (subordinate_of): Yuan Shao once served as He Jin's Colonel-Director of Retainers, taking part in He Jin's plan to exterminate the eunuchs^[13].
* Dong Zhuo (enemy_of): Yuan Shao opposed Dong Zhuo's deposing and enthroning of emperors and raised troops to campaign against Dong Zhuo^[3].
* Han Fu (ally_of/subordinate_of): Han Fu was once an ally in the campaign against Dong Zhuo, then had Ji Province taken from him by Yuan Shao's scheme^[5].
* Liu Bei (ally_of/rival_of): Liu Bei once attached himself to Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao harbored some suspicion of him^[22].
* Tian Feng (subordinate_of): Tian Feng was an important adviser of Yuan Shao, who repeatedly offered him good strategies, but Yuan Shao mostly did not adopt them, in the end imprisoning and killing him^[10].
* Ju Shou (subordinate_of): Ju Shou was also an important adviser of Yuan Shao, who advised him to "hold the Son of Heaven to command the lords," but was not heeded^[9].
* Xu You (subordinate_of/enemy_of): Xu You was once Yuan Shao's adviser, then, because Yuan Shao would not adopt his stratagems and because of his greed, defected to Cao Cao, and at the Battle of Guandu offered the stratagem of the surprise attack on Wuchao^[11].

标志性场景

* Slaughtering the eunuchs: After He Jin was killed by the eunuchs, Yuan Shao led troops into the palace and slaughtered the eunuchs on a great scale, causing blood to flow like a river in the palace, with more than two thousand dead^[2]. This event gave Dong Zhuo the opportunity to enter the capital and also displayed Yuan Shao's cruel side.
* Confronting Dong Zhuo: When Dong Zhuo sought to depose the young emperor, Yuan Shao drew his sword at the banquet to confront Dong Zhuo, bluntly calling his act "rebellion," and then abandoned office and fled^[3]. This scene is depicted with particular intensity in the novel, highlighting Yuan Shao's hardline stance.
* The alliance of the eighteen lords: Yuan Shao was elected leader of the alliance against Dong Zhuo, smearing blood in oath at the assembly and calling on the lords of the realm to campaign jointly against Dong Zhuo^[16]. This marks the great rallying power and influence Yuan Shao possessed in the early period of warlord division.
* Seizing Ji Province: Yuan Shao used the threat of Gongsun Zan to scheme Ji Province out of Han Fu's hands, greatly increasing his power^[5]. This event displays Yuan Shao's scheming and ambition.
* The Battle of Guandu: Yuan Shao fought a decisive battle with Cao Cao at Guandu; because he failed to adopt his advisers' good counsel and his grain was burned, he was utterly defeated and gravely weakened^[11]. This was the turning point of Yuan Shao's life and the beginning of his decline.
* Not heeding Tian Feng's words: Before the Battle of Guandu, Tian Feng repeatedly offered Yuan Shao correct strategic advice, but Yuan Shao not only refused to listen but imprisoned him, in the end killing him after his defeat^[10]. This became the classic illustration of Yuan Shao's "great ambition but small wisdom."
* Venting his anger on Liu Bei after Yan Liang and Wen Chou were slain (unique to the novel): In the Battles of Boma and Yanjin, Yuan Shao's favored generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou were slain one after another by Guan Yu. Yuan Shao therefore vented his anger on Liu Bei, who had attached himself to him, and even once sought to behead him^[20]. This episode in the novel reinforces Yuan Shao's character of being "jealous and exclusive with little authority."