Tadun

Historical Record

Tadun, a chieftain (daren) of the Liaoxi Wuhuan, rose to prominence amid the great chaos at the end of the Han. Originally, the Liaoxi Wuhuan chieftain Qiuliju had over five thousand encampments of followers, the Shanggu Wuhuan chieftain Nanlou had over nine thousand, the chieftain of the Liaodong Dependent State, Su Puyan, styled himself the Qiao King, and the Youbeiping Wuhuan chieftain Wuyan styled himself the Hanlu King; each held his own region, and all possessed courage and strategy. In the last years of Emperor Ling, the Grand Administrator of Zhongshan, Zhang Chun, rebelled and went over to Qiuliju, styling himself the Heaven-Reaching Pacifying King and becoming marshal of the Wuhuan of the three commanderies; he raided far and wide across the four provinces of Qing, Xu, You, and Ji, slaughtering officials and commoners. Later Liu Yu was appointed provincial governor and recruited tribesmen to slay Zhang Chun, after which the north was at last pacified. When Qiuliju died, his son Loupan was young, and so Qiuliju's nephew Tadun, on account of his outstanding martial strategy, took over as leader, overseeing the followers of the three kings, and all the followers obeyed his commands ^c:3768.

During the years of warfare between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan, Tadun sent envoys to Yuan Shao seeking a marriage alliance, and aided Yuan Shao in attacking Gongsun Zan, finally defeating him. For this Yuan Shao, borrowing the authority of an imperial edict, conferred seals and ribbons on Tadun, the Qiao King, and the Hanlu King, all enfeoffing them as chanyu. Yuan Shao sent the envoy Yang Lin bearing chanyu seals and ribbons and carriages and robes to formally invest the three Wuhuan kings as chanyu, equipping them with comfortable carriages, ornate canopies, feathered banners, yellow roof-cloth, left pennons, and other regalia. In the edict Yuan Shao praised how the Wuhuan ancestors had admired righteousness and submitted, resisting the Xianyun in the north and the Huimo in the east, generation after generation guarding the northern frontier and safeguarding the people. He noted that in a time of much trouble for the royal house and the rebellion of Gongsun Zan, the three kings had risen up and, in concert with the Han troops, acted in coordination, their loyalty and filial devotion praiseworthy. Yuan Shao promised that their positions would be hereditary, that they would forever be chiefs of the hundred barbarian peoples, and stipulated that the Wuhuan chanyu would superintend the followers, with the left and right chanyu under his command, all other matters to be handled according to old precedent ^c:3768.

Amid the great chaos under heaven, the Wuhuan of the three commanderies seized the chance to break into You Province and carried off more than a hundred thousand households of Han people. Yuan Shao set up all the Wuhuan chiefs as chanyu, and married the daughters of his own household to them. Among them, the Liaoxi chanyu Tadun was especially powerful and deeply esteemed by Yuan Shao. For this reason, after Yuan Shao's death, the brothers Shang (Yuan Shang) and Yuan Xi took refuge with him, and repeatedly led their followers into the frontier passes to wreak havoc. Cao Cao resolved to campaign against the Wuhuan, and for this purpose dug the Pinglu Canal and the Quanzhou Canal to open up waterways and ease the advance of his army ^c:3767.

In the Novel

Romance of the Three Kingdoms does not directly depict Tadun's life and deeds. In the novel's narrative, Tadun is mentioned only once, in Chapter 33, as the figure to whom the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi fled after Yuan Shao's death. The novel's description of Tadun broadly matches the historical record—that is, after the defeat of the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi in Ji Province, they fled to the Liaoxi Wuhuan chanyu Tadun. The novel does not elaborate on how Tadun oversaw the followers of the three kings, nor narrate in detail his alliance with Yuan Shao or how he helped Yuan Shao defeat Gongsun Zan and other historical episodes ^c:3767. The novel's portrayal of Tadun is therefore relatively brief, casting him chiefly as an ally and protector of the Yuan brothers rather than an independent military-political figure with rich deeds. As for Tadun's martial strategy and his leadership position among the Wuhuan, the novel offers no in-depth portrayal, only mentioning in passing his strength, which led the Yuan brothers to choose to seek his protection ^c:3767.

Key Relationships

* Yuan Shao (friend_of): A deep alliance was forged between Tadun and Yuan Shao. When Yuan Shao was at war with Gongsun Zan, Tadun took the initiative to send envoys seeking a marriage alliance and sent troops to help Yuan Shao defeat Gongsun Zan. To reward his merit, Yuan Shao, borrowing the authority of the court, invested Tadun as chanyu, bestowed seals, ribbons, carriages, and robes upon him, and married a daughter of his household to him, making him an important ally of Yuan Shao ^c:3767, ^c:3768. This relationship continued after Yuan Shao's death, when the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, having lost power, took refuge with the powerful Tadun.
* Qiuliju (kin_of): Tadun was the nephew of the Liaoxi Wuhuan chieftain Qiuliju. After Qiuliju's death, because his son Loupan was young, Tadun, by virtue of his martial strategy, took over as leader, overseeing the followers of the three kings and inheriting Qiuliju's leadership position among the Wuhuan ^c:3768.

Iconic Scenes

* Overseeing the Followers of the Three Kings: After Qiuliju's death, with his son Loupan still young, Tadun, by virtue of his outstanding martial strategy, replaced Loupan as the actual leader of the followers of the three Wuhuan kings, and all the followers obeyed his commands. This marked the peak of Tadun's power and the establishment of his leadership position among the Wuhuan ^c:3768.
* Helping Yuan Shao Defeat Gongsun Zan: Tadun sent envoys to ally with Yuan Shao and dispatched troops to help him defeat Gongsun Zan. This event not only cemented Tadun's alliance with Yuan Shao but also displayed his military influence, earning him generous rewards from Yuan Shao and a formal investiture ^c:3768.
* Receiving Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi: After Yuan Shao's death, his sons Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, defeated in Ji Province and with nowhere to go, finally took refuge with the powerful Liaoxi chanyu Tadun. This scene highlighted Tadun's formidable military strength and political influence in the northern frontier region of the time, such that the Yuan brothers had no choice but to attach themselves to him ^c:3767.
* Cao Cao Digs Canals to Campaign: To campaign against Tadun, Cao Cao specially dug the Pinglu Canal and the Quanzhou Canal to open up waterways and ease his army's advance. This move indirectly reflected Tadun's strength—so great that Cao Cao had to undertake large-scale engineering works to support his military operation—and foreshadowed the major conflict about to erupt between Cao Cao and Tadun ^c:3767.