Yuan Tan

Historical Record

Yuan Tan was the eldest son of Yuan Shao. He was once sent out to garrison Qing Province as Commandant, and was later appointed Inspector by Cao Cao ^c:6244. During his time in Qing Province, Yuan Tan drove off Tian Kai in the north and attacked Kong Rong in the east, and for a time won the affection of the people. However, because he trusted petty men, was fond of taking counsel from those close to him, and indulged his will in extravagance and licentiousness, the people's livelihood withered, and the taxes and levies he collected did not bring in even a fraction ^c:6244. After Yuan Shao's death, because his wife Lady Liu favored the youngest son Yuan Shang, and because the two factions of Shen Pei and Feng Ji on one side and Xin Ping and Guo Tu on the other contended for power, Yuan Shang was installed as heir. Yuan Tan therefore styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry, and a rift arose between him and Yuan Shang ^c:3339.

During Cao Cao's Southern Campaign Against Jing Province, conflict erupted between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang. Yuan Tan was defeated and retreated to hold Pingyuan, with Yuan Shang pressing close in pursuit. At this critical juncture, Yuan Tan dispatched Xin Pi to seek aid from Cao Cao ^c:3338. Cao Cao adopted Xun You's advice and decided to aid Yuan Tan, even forming a marriage alliance with him ^c:3338. After Cao Cao marched north, Yuan Shang was forced to withdraw his troops back to Ye. Once the siege was lifted, Yuan Tan secretly conferred the seals of office of General upon Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, attempting to use Cao Cao's strength to weaken Yuan Shang and then act when the moment was right ^c:3338. After Cao Cao broke Jizhou, Yuan Tan again betrayed Cao Cao, leading troops to plunder Ganling, Anping, Bohai, Hejian and other places, and attacked Yuan Shang, who had retreated to Zhongshan. Cao Cao thereupon led his army to attack Yuan Tan at Nanpi ^c:3344. In the Battle of Nanpi, Yuan Tan was ultimately defeated and slain by Cao Cao. Wang Xiu had tried to dissuade Yuan Tan from fratricidal strife with Yuan Shang, but Yuan Tan would not listen ^c:3341. After Yuan Tan's death, Wang Xiu even risked his life to beg Cao Cao for permission to gather and bury Yuan Tan's body, and Cao Cao, moved by his loyalty and righteousness, pardoned him ^c:3341.

In the Novel

In the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, Yuan Tan's image is further literary-fied upon the basis of historical fact, especially regarding his fratricidal feud with Yuan Shang and his relationship with Cao Cao. After Liu Bei was defeated at Xu Province, he once turned to Yuan Tan, the Inspector of Qing Province, who treated him with considerable respect and recommended him to Yuan Shao ^c:6247. This differs from the historical record, in which Liu Bei turned directly to Yuan Shao; through Yuan Tan's recommendation, the novel highlights Liu Bei's plight and a "benevolent and righteous" side of Yuan Tan.

After Yuan Shao's death, the succession dispute between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang is portrayed as even more fierce and dramatic. Because Yuan Shao's wife Lady Liu favored Yuan Shang, after Yuan Shao's death she killed Yuan Shao's favored concubine and mutilated her corpse, and Yuan Shang also killed the concubine's family members ^c:13611. Shen Pei and Feng Ji supported Yuan Shang as Grand Marshal and General, while Yuan Tan, on the advice of Guo Tu and Xin Ping, stationed his troops outside the city to probe the situation ^c:13611. In the novel, Guo Tu feigned a request to Yuan Shang that Shen Pei and Feng Ji be sent to assist Yuan Tan; Yuan Shang, having no choice, had the two draw lots, and Feng Ji, drawing the lot, went with Guo Tu to Yuan Tan's camp. When Yuan Tan saw Feng Ji he flew into a rage and wished to behead him, but was dissuaded by Guo Tu ^c:3343.

The conflict between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang is portrayed in the novel as a naked power struggle between brothers, even including a scene in which Yuan Tan wished to set a banquet to kill Yuan Shang ^c:13612. Wang Xiu appears here again, dissuading Yuan Tan from fratricidal strife, but Yuan Tan would not listen and instead angrily rebuked Wang Xiu ^c:13612. In the end, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang clashed directly on the battlefield; Yuan Tan was badly defeated and retreated to hold Pingyuan ^c:13613. In his interactions with Cao Cao, the novel also adds drama. After Yuan Tan sought aid from Cao Cao, Cao Cao betrothed his daughter to Yuan Tan and rewarded Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, but Guo Tu held that this was not Cao Cao's true intent and advised Yuan Tan to secretly carve seals and send them to Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang to serve as inside agents ^c:13616. This further depicts the suspicion and capriciousness of Yuan Tan and his strategists. In the Battle of Nanpi, Yuan Tan's strategist Xin Ping, after failing to persuade Cao Cao to accept a surrender, was suspected by Yuan Tan of harboring disloyalty, and died of indignation ^c:13617. Guo Tu then advised Yuan Tan to drive the common people forward and follow with the army to fight Cao Cao to the death, displaying the viciousness of his schemes ^c:13618.

Key Relationships

* Yuan Shao (kin_of): As Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan was originally invested with high hopes and sent out to garrison Qing Province ^c:6244. However, in his later years Yuan Shao favored Yuan Shang, which prevented Yuan Tan from smoothly inheriting his father's enterprise—the beginning of his tragic fate. In the novel, Yuan Shao's courteous treatment of Liu Bei also indirectly affected the relationship between Yuan Tan and Liu Bei ^c:6247.
* Yuan Shang (rival_of): Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were half-brothers, but turned into bitter enemies over the question of succession. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Shang was installed as heir with the support of Shen Pei, Feng Ji and others, while Yuan Tan styled himself General of Chariots and Cavalry. Fierce internecine strife erupted between the two, who attacked each other, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Yuan faction ^c:3339. In the novel, the conflict between the two brothers is portrayed as even more direct and cruel, even including a scene in which Yuan Tan wished to set a banquet to kill Yuan Shang ^c:13612.
* Yuan Shao's Faction (senior_official): Yuan Tan was an important member of Yuan Shao's faction, having held the front alone in garrisoning Qing Province. However, the factional strife within the group—especially the power struggle between Shen Pei and Feng Ji on one side and Xin Ping and Guo Tu on the other—ultimately led to the feud between the Yuan brothers and accelerated the faction's disintegration ^c:3342.
* Feng Ji (enemy_of): Feng Ji was a supporter of Yuan Shang and had long been at odds with Yuan Tan's strategists Guo Tu and Xin Ping. In the strife between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, Feng Ji stood on Yuan Shang's side, and even when Yuan Tan sought aid from Yuan Shang, Feng Ji was sent to Yuan Tan's camp, where he was later killed in a rage by Yuan Tan ^c:3339. In the novel, Feng Ji was sent to Yuan Tan's camp, where Yuan Tan saw through the falsity of his "illness" and he was nearly killed ^c:3343.
* Guo Tu (ally_of): Guo Tu was an important strategist of Yuan Tan and consistently devised plans for him in the struggle against Yuan Shang. The historical record states he once advised Yuan Tan to use Cao Cao to weaken Yuan Shang ^c:3338. In the novel, Guo Tu offered counsel many times, including advising Yuan Tan to feign an invitation to Yuan Shang to a banquet in order to assassinate him ^c:13612, and, in the Battle of Nanpi, advising Yuan Tan to drive the common people forward and follow with the army to fight Cao Cao to the death ^c:13618.
* Xin Pi (ally_of): Xin Pi was a strategist of Yuan Tan; when Yuan Tan was besieged by Yuan Shang at Pingyuan, he was ordered by Yuan Tan to seek aid from Cao Cao ^c:3338.
* Wang Xiu (loyal_subordinate): Wang Xiu was Yuan Tan's Aide-de-camp and utterly loyal to him. He admonished Yuan Tan many times not to engage in fratricidal strife with Yuan Shang, but Yuan Tan would not listen ^c:3341. After Yuan Tan's death, Wang Xiu even risked his life to beg Cao Cao for permission to gather and bury Yuan Tan's body, and Cao Cao, moved by his loyalty and righteousness, pardoned him ^c:3341. The novel also emphasizes Wang Xiu's loyalty: his words dissuading Yuan Tan from fratricide were met with an angry rebuke from Yuan Tan ^c:13612.
* Liu Bei (former_guest): After Liu Bei was defeated at Xu Province, he turned to Yuan Shao; the novel mentions that he first turned to Yuan Tan, the Inspector of Qing Province, who recommended him to Yuan Shao ^c:6247 (unique to the novel).

Signature Scenes

* Commandant and Inspector of Qing Province: Yuan Tan was sent by Yuan Shao to Qing Province as Commandant, and was later appointed Inspector by Cao Cao. During this time he drove off Tian Kai in the north and attacked Kong Rong in the east, displaying a certain military talent and ambition for expansion ^c:6244. However, because he trusted treacherous and fawning men, the people's livelihood withered.
* Fratricidal Feud and Seeking Aid from Cao Cao: After Yuan Shao's death, civil war erupted between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang over the succession. After his defeat, Yuan Tan had no choice but to seek aid from his old enemy Cao Cao, dispatching Xin Pi ^c:3338. This act directly led to Cao Cao's intervention in the situation north of the Yellow River and accelerated the demise of the Yuan faction.
* Secretly Conferring Seals, Plotting Against Cao Cao: After Cao Cao had aided Yuan Tan and lifted the siege, Yuan Tan secretly conferred the seals of office of General upon Lü Kuang and Lü Xiang, attempting to use Cao Cao's strength to weaken Yuan Shang and then, after Cao Cao had broken Yuan Shang, seize the opportunity to plot against Cao Cao ^c:3338. This reflects Yuan Tan's cunning and capriciousness, and also sowed the seeds of his later downfall.
* Battle of Nanpi, Death on the Battlefield: After Cao Cao broke Jizhou, Yuan Tan betrayed Cao Cao and was ultimately defeated and slain by Cao Cao at Nanpi. This battle marked the complete collapse of the Yuan faction and ended Yuan Tan's life ^c:3344.
* Wang Xiu Mourns His Lord: After Yuan Tan's death, his loyal minister Wang Xiu risked his life to beg Cao Cao for permission to gather and bury Yuan Tan's body, and Cao Cao, moved by his loyalty and righteousness, pardoned him ^c:3341. This scene highlights Wang Xiu's loyalty, and also reflects, from another angle, that although Yuan Tan had his faults, he could still command the devotion of loyal ministers.
* Xin Ping Dies of Indignation: In the novel, during the Battle of Nanpi, Xin Ping sought to surrender to Cao Cao on Yuan Tan's behalf, but Cao Cao would not allow it. After Xin Ping returned to camp, Yuan Tan suspected him of harboring disloyalty, and Xin Ping died of indignation ^c:13617 (unique to the novel). This episode heightens the tragic coloring of Yuan Tan and also displays the suspicious side of his character.