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121-541: Chen Shou , who wrote the third-century historical text Sanguozhi , named Zhang Liao as one of the Five Elite Generals of his time, alongside Yu Jin , Zhang He , Yue Jin and Xu Huang . Zhang Liao was from Mayi County (馬邑縣), Yanmen Commandery , which is present-day Shuocheng District , Shuozhou , Shanxi . He was a descendant of Nie Yi (聶壹), but his family name had been changed from Nie to Zhang to avoid association with his disgraced ancestor. When he

242-643: A ji , and led his men to attack the enemy formation. He killed tens of enemy soldiers and two officers, shouted his own name, and broke through the barriers until he reached Sun Quan's command post. Sun Quan was shocked and his subordinates were all unsure of what to do. He then went to the top of a knoll, armed himself with a long ji , and stood there. He did not dare to move when Zhang Liao challenged him to come down and fight him. When Sun Quan saw that Zhang Liao did not have many soldiers left with him, he ordered his forces to surround Zhang and his men. However, Zhang Liao fought fiercely and succeeded in breaking out of

363-502: A zhongshuzi to Sima Yu, but was reassigned to be a Regular Mounted Attendant (散騎常侍) again after the crown prince was deposed in 299. Emperor Hui told Zhang Hua, "(Chen) Shou possesses genuine talent. He should not remain in his current appointment for long." Zhang Hua wanted to nominate Chen Shou to take up one of the posts of the Nine Ministers , but lost his life in 300 CE during the War of

484-716: A 27-year-old Zhang Liao as the Chancellor of Lu State (魯國; around present-day Qufu , Shandong ). Despite technically a subordinate of Lü Bu, Zhang Liao was formally independent from Lü Bu as he holds office as prefect of Beidi at that time. In 198, Lu Bu's men were ordered to buy military horses. However, all the gold was plundered by Liu Bei's army on the way. Therefore Zhang Liao fought Liu Bei's forces along with Gao Shun , which prompted Liu Bei to ask Cao Cao reinforcement, Cao Cao dispatched Xiahou Dun to help Liu Bei. However, Gao Shun and Zhang Liao first jointly defeated Xiahou Dun, and then jointly defeated Liu Bei at Peicheng. In 198,

605-556: A Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉). About a month after he killed Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu came under attack by Dong Zhuo's followers, who were led by Li Jue and Guo Si . They defeated him and forced him out of the imperial capital, Chang'an . Zhang Liao accompanied Lü Bu as they headed east and wandered around central and northern China until mid 195, when the warlord Liu Bei offered Lü Bu shelter in Xu Province . In 196, Lü Bu betrayed his host and seized control of Xu Province, after which he appointed

726-458: A Chief District (都鄉侯). Cao Pi also gave Zhang Liao's mother a carriage, sent soldiers to serve as guards in Zhang Liao's residence, and invited Zhang Liao's mother to visit Luoyang . When Zhang Liao's mother arrived, Cao Pi went out of the city and received her. All the officials who were there lined the path and paid respect to her. In late 220, Cao Pi usurped the throne from Emperor Xian , ended

847-516: A bid to appease him. By early 190, however, Yuan became openly hostile. A coalition of regional officials and commanders from the eastern provinces, including Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, Han Fu , Zhang Miao and Bao Xin , formed up behind him in a campaign to oust Dong Zhuo. Yuan Shao declared himself General of Chariots and Cavalry ( 車騎將軍 ) and camped at Henei ( 河內 ), near a fort on the Yellow River just north of Luoyang. On 10 May 190, Dong Zhuo ordered

968-624: A campaign against his rival Cao Cao but was defeated at the Battle of Guandu . He died of illness two years later in Ye . His eventual failure despite his illustrious family background and geographical advantages was commonly blamed on his indecisiveness and inability to heed the advice of his advisors. Yuan Shao was born in Ruyang County ( 汝陽縣 ), Runan Commandery , which is in present-day Shangshui County , Henan . His family had for over four generations been

1089-433: A collection of writings, illustrations, objects and photographs related to Chen Shou's life, his works and his legacy. Yuan Shao Yuan Shao ( 袁紹 , pronunciation ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu ( 本初 ), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty . He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred towards

1210-605: A continuation of the Han dynasty . While " Shu " was a geographical term for where their state was based in, it was also a derisive name used by the Wei and Jin dynasties to discredit their claim of continuing the Han. Chen Shou opted to use the name "Shu" in his works, which in Tang Geng's view, was a deliberate neglect of impartiality to appease his patrons and personal animosity. To contrast, he brought up

1331-515: A different account of Chen Shou's relationship with Xun Xu. It stated that Xun Xu and Zhang Hua were very pleased with Chen Shou's Sanguozhi and they remarked that Chen Shou surpassed Ban Gu and Sima Qian . However, later, Xun Xu was displeased by the Wei Shu – one of the three sections in the Sanguozhi – and did not want Chen Shou to work in the same office as him, so he had Chen Shou reassigned to be

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1452-524: A few times during the battle. Cao Cao was very impressed with Zhang Liao and promoted him to General Who Attacks the East (征東將軍). In 217, when Cao Cao launched another campaign against Sun Quan, he passed by Hefei along the way, visited the site of the Battle of Xiaoyao Ford, and spent a long time in reflection at the location. He increased the number of troops under Zhang Liao's command and then relocated Zhang's unit to

1573-502: A garrison at Juchao (居巢; in present-day Chaohu , Anhui). In 219, when Cao Cao's general Cao Ren was being besieged at Fancheng (樊城; present-day Fancheng District , Xiangyang , Hubei ) by Liu Bei 's general Guan Yu , Cao Cao was away at the Hanzhong Campaign so he ordered his generals to lead troops from their respective garrisons to reinforce Cao Ren. Around the time, Sun Quan had pledged allegiance to Cao Cao, so Zhang Liao

1694-563: A general alliance with Liu Biao against Yuan Shu. In the winter of that year, Yuan Shao defeated Gongsun Zan's elite cavalry at the Battle of Jieqiao with the use of massed crossbowmen. The Han imperial court issued an edict ordering Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan to cease fire. Yuan Shao then returned to Ye and started targeting the Heishan bandits , who had been causing trouble in Ji Province. With temporary aid from Lü Bu , Yuan Shao managed to defeat

1815-630: A government pension. Yuan Shao is featured as a playable character in Koei 's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi video game series. He also appears in all instalments of Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms strategy game series. He also has a minor role in Koei's Kessen II . Yuan Shao also appears as a playable faction leader in the Creative Assembly title Total War: Three Kingdoms . He plays

1936-413: A historian for two reasons. The first one was about Chen Shou attempting to extort 1,000 hu of grain from the sons of Ding Yi (丁儀) and his younger brother Ding Yi (丁廙) – two officials in Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He promised them that he would write biographies for their fathers in the Sanguozhi if they gave him the grain, but they refused, so he did not write the biographies. However,

2057-550: A historian was clearly justified if he decided to not write biographies for the Ding brothers, because, in his opinion, the Dings had committed grievous sins – instigating sibling rivalry and causing instability in the Wei imperial clan – which made them unworthy of having biographies in historical records. Pan further noted that there were also other notable persons in Wei (e.g. Chen Lin , Wu Zhi and Yang Xiu ) who did not have biographies in

2178-756: A leave of absence when his mother died, and he fulfilled her dying wish to be buried in Luoyang . However, he ended up being castigated and demoted because his act of burying his mother in Luoyang – instead of in his hometown in Anhan County – was a violation of the proprieties of his time. The Huayang Guozhi gave a varying account of the events: It was Chen Shou's stepmother (not his biological mother) who died. She did not want to be buried together with his father (in Anhan County), so Chen Shou buried her in Luoyang. According to

2299-459: A major crossing point of the Yellow River. Cao Cao prepared his defences around Guandu (northeast of present-day Zhongmu County , Henan ), slightly south of the river. When Liu Bei defected from Cao Cao in the first month of 200 and planted a foothold in Xu Province , Cao Cao left his northern front exposed to Yuan Shao and turned east to deal with Liu Bei. Tian Feng urged Yuan Shao to seize

2420-540: A newly constructed hall and asked him for his opinion on how to conquer Wu. Cao Pi compared Zhang Liao to Shao Hu (召虎). He also had a new mansion constructed for Zhang Liao and invited Zhang Liao's mother to live there. All the foot soldiers who accompanied Zhang Liao in the battles against Wu were reassigned to the huben (虎賁; "rapid as tigers") unit of the Imperial Guards. In 221, after Sun Quan pledged allegiance to Wei again, Cao Pi reassigned Zhang Liao from Hefei to

2541-412: A prominent force in the Han civil service, having produced numerous members in high positions since the first century CE. Descended from Yuan An , who served during the reign of Emperor Zhang , Yuan Shao's exact parentage was the source of some controversy, being one of the primary points of contention between himself and his half-brother, or cousin, Yuan Shu . Yuan Shao was a son of Yuan Feng ( 袁逢 ) and

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2662-408: A secret alliance with the warlord Gongsun Zan and incite the latter to attack Han Fu's Ji Province . Facing an imminent attack from Gongsun Zan, Han Fu was terrified so he listened to Yuan Shao's lobbyists, Gao Gan (Yuan Shao's nephew) and Xun Chen , to give up the governorship of Ji Province to Yuan Shao in order to drive back Gongsun Zan. Yuan Shao then began to build a warlord state from Ye ,

2783-590: A similar situation during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period , where the Southern Tang was called Wu and the Northern Han was called Jin in derogative manners. Yet, historical documents still refer to them by their respective self titles. Tang Geng then laments that recently, someone had used Chen Shou's works as an example to convince a historian to not record the events he considered minor. According to

2904-526: A single company whose members are all involved in the mutiny, so the mutineers must be trying to cause chaos and make everyone else join them." He ordered all the soldiers who were not involved in the mutiny to remain in their positions and sit down, and then led his personal guards to the main command post to restore order. The leaders of the mutiny were identified and executed. During the Battle of Red Cliffs , Zhang Liao were stationed in Changsha In 209, after

3025-516: A son of each of them the title of a Secondary Marquis." Zhang Liao had an elder brother, Zhang Fan (張汎), who was awarded the title of a marquis in 220 before Cao Pi ended the Han dynasty. Zhang Liao's son, Zhang Hu (張虎), succeeded his father as the next Marquis of Jinyang and held the rank of a Lieutenant-General (偏將軍) in Wei. After Zhang Hu died, his son, Zhang Tong (張統), inherited the peerage. Zhang Liao probably had at least one other son apart from Zhang Hu, because that (unnamed) son of his who received

3146-597: Is in present-day Nanchong , Sichuan . He was known for being studious since he was young and was described as intelligent, insightful and knowledgeable. He was mentored by the Shu official Qiao Zhou , who was also from Baxi Commandery. Under Qiao Zhou's tutelage, he read the Classic of History and Three Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals . He was very well versed in the Records of

3267-700: Is in the Chronicles of Huayang , which was written by Chang Qu in the fourth century during the Eastern Jin dynasty . The second one is in the Book of Jin , which was written by Fang Xuanling and others in the seventh century during the Tang dynasty . He started his career as an official in the state of Shu during the Three Kingdoms era but was demoted and sent out of the capital for his refusal to fawn on Huang Hao , an influential court eunuch in Shu in its twilight years. After

3388-442: The Chronicles of Huayang ( Huayang Guo Zhi ), appraised Chen Shou as follows: "Learn from the past, promote and consolidate those reflections." After Chen Shou's death, the official Fan Jun (范頵) and others wrote a memorial to Emperor Hui : "In the past, Emperor Wu of Han issued an imperial decree: ' Sima Xiangru is critically ill. Retrieve his writings.' The emissary who collected Sima Xiangru's writings told Emperor Wu about

3509-458: The Records of the Grand Historian until his own time, every state in official history is referred to by the name they used no matter their circumstances as it was basic decency to do so. However, Chen Shou was the sole historian who made an exception for Shu Han. Throughout its existence, Liu Bei and Liu Shan always used the name "Han" for their state since they were positioning themselves as

3630-477: The Records of the Three Kingdoms ( Sanguozhi ), which records the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Chen Shou wrote the Sanguozhi primarily in the form of biographies of notable persons of those eras. Today, Chen's Records of the Three Kingdoms is part of the Twenty-Four Histories canon of Chinese history. There are two biographies of Chen Shou. The first one

3751-577: The fengshan ceremonies, which were mentioned in Sima's writings. The emperor was very surprised. We, Your Majesty's subjects, propose: The late zhishu shi yushi Chen Shou wrote the Sanguozhi , which contains good advice and evaluates successes and failures. It is beneficial to promoting culture. Even though its writing style is not comparable to the works of (Sima) Xiangru, its message is simpler and clearer. We hope that it can be collected and reproduced." Emperor Hui approved and issued an imperial decree ordering

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3872-539: The Bashu Qijiu Zhuan (巴蜀耆舊傳; Biographies of Famous People from Bashu ). Chen Shou felt that the Bashu Qijiu Zhuan was not comprehensive enough, so he expanded it to the 10-volume Yibu Qijiu Zhuan (益部耆舊傳; Biographies of Famous People from Yi Province ). His work was presented by the official Wen Li (文立) to Emperor Wu, who praised it. Other writings by Chen Shou include: the 50-volume Gu Guo Zhi (古國志; Records of Ancient States ), which received high praise;

3993-608: The Battle of Guandu , he first sent Zhang Liao to pacify the various counties in Lu State (魯國; around present-day Qufu , Shandong ), and then ordered him and Xiahou Yuan to lead an army to attack a minor warlord Chang Xi (昌豨) in Donghai Commandery (東海郡; around present-day Linyi , Shandong). Zhang Liao and Xiahou Yuan had besieged Chang Xi for months but were unable to defeat him and their supplies were running out, so they considered retreating. Zhang Liao told Xiahou Yuan: "Over

4114-557: The Battle of Red Cliffs in the winter of 208–209, he left behind Zhang Liao, Yue Jin and Li Dian with about 7,000 troops to guard Hefei from attacks by Sun Quan. Around 214, before Cao Cao went on a campaign against the warlord Zhang Lu in Hanzhong Commandery , he instructed Xue Ti (薛悌) to pass a sealed letter to the three generals at Hefei. He wrote "Open when the enemy comes" on the envelope. Later that year, Sun Quan led about 100,000 troops to attack Hefei, so they opened

4235-485: The Battle of Xiaoyao Ford in 214–215, Cao Pi issued an imperial decree: "During the Battle of Hefei, Zhang Liao and Li Dian defeated an enemy force of 100,000 with only 800 foot soldiers. There had never been anything like this before in the history of warfare. They can be referred to as our state's 'claws and teeth' for their success in breaking the enemy's morale. I hereby increase the number of taxable households in Zhang Liao and Li Dian's marquisates by 100 each, and award

4356-531: The Battle of Yijing and held absolute power over the four provinces north of the Yellow River. Then, after establishing an alliance with the Wuhuan tribes on the northern frontier, Yuan Shao turned his attention to Cao Cao, who had consolidated his own power base to the south of the Yellow River. Both sides made preparations for a decisive battle. Towards the end of 199, both sides had already engaged in skirmishes at Liyang (northwest of present-day Xun County , Henan),

4477-466: The Eastern Han dynasty , and established the state of Cao Wei with himself as the new emperor. After his coronation, Cao Pi promoted Zhang Liao from a district marquis to a county marquis under the title "Marquis of Jinyang" (晉陽侯) and increased the number of taxable households in his marquisate to 2,600. In 221, Zhang Liao travelled to the palace in Luoyang for an audience with Cao Pi, who brought him to

4598-601: The Intendant of Henan (河南尹) and Prefect of Luoyang (洛陽令) to send scribes to Chen Shou's house and copy the Sanguozhi . In the fifth century, Emperor Wen of the Liu Song dynasty felt that Chen Shou's Sanguozhi was too short and not comprehensive enough, so he commissioned Pei Songzhi to annotate the Sanguozhi . Pei Songzhi completed his assignment in 429. He included new materials he collected through research, and added his personal commentary. Pei Songzhi's annotations increased

4719-525: The Jin Shu claim: Chen Shou gave highly positive comments about Zhuge Liang's ability as a politician in the Zhuge Liang Collection and in his personal commentary at the end of Zhuge's biography in the Sanguozhi . Zhao Yi's concluding remarks on this issue were that Chen Shou had clearly identified Zhuge Liang's strengths and weaknesses in his appraisal of Zhuge Liang in the Sanguozhi . Chen Shou in

4840-446: The Jin Shu prefaced the anecdote with the term huoyun (或云), which meant "rumours". The Qing dynasty writer Pan Mei (潘眉) rebutted the Jin Shu' s account about Chen Shou attempting to extort from the Dings and called it "uninformed". He disproved the claim that the Ding brothers were very famous officials in Wei by pointing out that they had neither held important appointments nor made any significant achievements. Pan also felt that

4961-521: The Jin Shu , Chen Shou collected and compiled the writings of Zhuge Liang during his early career under the Jin dynasty. The compiled text was called Shu Xiang Zhuge Liang Ji (蜀相諸葛亮集; Collection of the Shu Chancellor Zhuge Liang ). The Huayang Guozhi mentioned that later on, Zhang Hua proposed to Emperor Wu to have the text reorganized and composed as a 24-volumes. At the time, Shou Liang

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5082-466: The Jin Shu , Chen Shou's mentor, Qiao Zhou , often told Chen, "You'll become famous for your talent. However, it might not be a misfortune if you encounter any setback. You should be more mindful about what you do." Fang Xuanling remarked that Chen Shou's experiences – being demoted and humiliated when he was in Shu, and again while he was serving under the Jin dynasty – fitted what Qiao Zhou said about him. Chang Qu , who wrote Chen Shou's biography in

5203-407: The Jin Shu , many years after his demotion, Chen Shou was appointed as a zhongshuzi (中庶子; an aide) to the crown prince Sima Yu , but he did not assume his role. He died of illness at the age of 65 (by East Asian age reckoning ) in 297 during the reign of Emperor Hui . The Huayang Guozhi gave a different account of the events before Chen Shou's death. It stated that Chen Shou was appointed as

5324-622: The Ministry of Personnel appointed Chen Shou as the Administrator (太守) of Changguang Commandery (長廣郡) instead on the recommendation of Xun Xu . The Jin Shu mentioned that Xun Xu detested Zhang Hua and disliked Chen Shou for his association with Zhang Hua, so he urged the Ministry of Personnel to reassign Chen Shou to another position. Chen Shou declined the appointment on the grounds that he had to look after his elderly mother. The Huayang Guozhi gave

5445-421: The Sanguozhi , so being notable did not mean that a person should have a biography written for him. His concluding remarks on this issue were that the Jin Shu made a malicious claim (about Chen Shou). The second one suggested that Chen Shou held personal grudges against the Shu chancellor Zhuge Liang and his son Zhuge Zhan , hence he wrote negative comments about them in the Sanguozhi . Chen Shou's father

5566-478: The end of the Han dynasty . He was also an elder half-brother of Yuan Shu , a warlord who controlled the Huai River region, though the two were not on good terms with each other. One of the most powerful warlords of his time, Yuan Shao spearheaded a coalition of warlords against Dong Zhuo , who held Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial capital, Luoyang , but failed due to internal disunity. In 200, he launched

5687-421: The eunuch faction , but Empress Dowager He was against their idea. He Jin then summoned Dong Zhuo to lead troops into the imperial capital, Luoyang , to pressure the empress dowager. The eunuchs became fearful and they forged an edict in the empress dowager's name, summoning He Jin into the inner palace. Yuan Shao cautioned He Jin, reminding him that he should order an attack on the eunuchs instead of entering

5808-420: The fall of Shu in 263, Chen Shou's career entered a period of stagnation before Zhang Hua recommended him to serve in the Jin government. He held mainly scribal and secretarial positions under the Jin government before dying from illness in 297. He had over 200 writings – about 30 of which he co-wrote with his relatives – attributed to him. Chen Shou was from Anhan County (安漢縣), Baxi Commandery (巴西郡), which

5929-505: The filial mourning period after his father's death. Some guests who visited his home expressed disapproval when they saw him being served medicine by his servants, because he was expected to lead an austere life during that period. His fellow townsfolk criticised him when they heard about it. According to the Huayang Guozhi , Chen Shou was a close friend of Li Xiang , courtesy name was Shulong (叔龍), from Zitong Commandery (梓潼郡). Li Xiang

6050-483: The "partisans". For the "partisans" who were destitute, the plans were to provide material help. For the "partisans" who were imprisoned, the plans were to work within the bureaucracy so that the partisans may escape. After he entered the civil service, Yuan Shao initially served as an aide to General-in-Chief He Jin , who deeply trusted him. After the death of Emperor Ling in May 189, He Jin and Yuan Shao plotted to eliminate

6171-466: The 65-volume Sanguozhi ( Records of the Three Kingdoms ), which records the history of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. The text was divided into three sections – Book of Wei (魏書), Book of Shu (蜀書) and Book of Wu (吳書) – and was composed of mainly biographies of notable persons in those eras. Chen Shou received acclaim from his contemporaries for his work and

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6292-473: The 7-volume Guansi Lun (官司論; Dissertation on Bureaucracy ), which used historical examples to discuss reforms; Shi Yi (釋諱; Explaining Taboos ); Guang Guo Lun (廣國論); Wei Mingchen Zou (魏名臣奏; Memorials by Notable Officials of Cao Wei ). Chen Fu (陳符), whose courtesy name was Changxin (長信), was the son of Chen Shou's elder brother. He was also known for his literary talent and he succeeded his uncle as an Assistant Gentleman of Writing. He also served as

6413-592: The Administrator of Changguang. In 278, before the general Du Yu assumed his appointment as the commander of the Jin military forces in Jing Province , he recommended Chen Shou to Emperor Wu and stated that Chen Shou was capable of serving as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate (黃門侍郎) or Gentleman of Scattered Cavalry (散騎侍郎). Emperor Wu accepted Du Yu's suggestion and appointed Chen Shou as a yushi zhishu (御史治書; an auditor). The Jin Shu mentioned that Chen Shou took

6534-577: The Battle of Red Cliffs, Chen Lan (陳蘭) and Mei Cheng (梅成) started a rebellion in Lu County (六縣; in present-day Lu'an , Anhui ). Cao Cao sent two separate forces to suppress the rebellion: Yu Jin and Zang Ba to attack Mei Cheng; Zhang Liao, with Zhang He and Niu Gai (牛蓋) as his deputies, to attack Chen Lan. Mei Cheng pretended to surrender to Yu Jin, and then led his men to join Chen Lan at Mount Tianzhu as soon as Yu Jin and Zang Ba left. The paths leading up

6655-493: The Eight Princes . Chen Shou died in Luoyang later. His talents and achievements were not reflected in his status at the time of his death and many people felt that it was an injustice to him. The Huayang Guozhi account apparently suggests that Chen Shou died in 300 CE or after, which did not match his year of death mentioned in the Jin Shu account. Sometime in the third century after 280, Chen Shou wrote his magnum opus :

6776-641: The General-in-Chief, He Jin . He Jin then sent him on a mission to Hebei , where Zhang Liao managed to recruit over 1,000 men to serve in He Jin's army. When Zhang Liao returned to Luoyang, the warlord Dong Zhuo had seized control of Luoyang in the aftermath of He Jin's assassination, and replaced He Jin as the de facto head of the Han central government. Zhang Liao and his 1,000 troops then joined Dong Zhuo's army. In 192, after Lü Bu betrayed and killed Dong Zhuo, Zhang Liao served as one of his deputies and became

6897-521: The Grand Historian and Book of Han . According to the Jin Shu , Chen Shou served as a guange lingshi (觀閣令史; a clerk) in Shu. However, the Huayang Guozhi mentioned that he held the following appointments consecutively: Registrar (主簿) of the General of the Guards (衛將軍); donguan mishu lang (東觀秘書郎; an official librarian); Gentleman of Scattered Cavalry (散騎侍郎); and Gentleman of the Yellow Gate (黃門侍郎). In

7018-500: The Heishan bandits despite suffering heavy casualties. In any case, Yuan Shao succeeded in drastically reducing the threat posed by the Heishan bandits to his western flank. Despite warnings from Ju Shou that the move could sow seeds for future trouble, Yuan Shao insisted on sending his first-born son, Yuan Tan , away to "govern" Qing Province . In subsequent years, Yuan Shao achieved considerable success in consolidating his domain. At

7139-596: The Prefect (令) of Shanglian County (上廉縣). Chen Fu's younger brother, Chen Li (陳蒞), whose courtesy name was Shudu (叔度), served as an Attendant Officer (別駕) in Liang Province and later under Sima You , the Prince of Qi (齊王) and General of Agile Cavalry (驃騎將軍). He also died in Luoyang . Chen Li had a younger relative, Chen Jie (陳階), whose courtesy name was Dazhi (達之). Chen Jie assumed the following appointments: Registrar (主簿) of

7260-614: The Three Kingdoms era. It was also the place where Chen Shou studied in his early life. It was destroyed in the 1960s after years of neglect, but was rebuilt in 1990 by the Chinese government at a cost of four million yuan. The present tower, which covers an area of 2,400 square metres, consists of three main attractions – the Reading Tower of Chen Shou, the Chen Shou Memorial Hall, and Collecting Books Tower. The tower has on display

7381-481: The Yuan family. Yuan Shao enjoyed more privileges than Yuan Shu, despite the latter being a blood-related member of the clan. When Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu became involved in disputes later, Yuan Shu used Yuan Shao's mother as an excuse to claim that he was not a "true son" of the Yuan family. When compared to Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao had a more serious appearance and respected men of talent regardless of their background; as such, he

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7502-556: The appointment of Grand Commandant. However, Yuan Shao rejected the appointment because Grand Commandant ranked below General-in-Chief, the position held by Cao Cao. As a result, Cao Cao gave up his position and offered it to Yuan Shao, who readily accepted it. Yuan Shao was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Ye. In 198, Yuan Shao advanced against Gongsun Zan and encircled his remaining force at Yijing (present-day Xiong County , Hebei). By early 199, Yuan Shao had completely defeated Gongsun Zan at

7623-600: The assault on the Wuhuan at White Wolf Mountain (白狼山; near present-day Lingyuan, Liaoning ), defeated them and executed the Wuhuan chieftain Tadun . Around 208, when Cao Cao was preparing to attack Jing Province , he ordered Zhang Liao to garrison at Changshe (長社; present-day Changge , Henan ) and wait to mobilise. During the mobilisation, some soldiers started a mutiny and set fire to the camp at night and caused panic. Zhang Liao told his subordinates: "Don't make any move yet. There isn't

7744-611: The battle, Zhang Liao led an army to the coastal regions and defeated bandit forces led by Liu Yi (柳毅) from Liaodong . When he returned to Ye after the campaign, Cao Cao came out of the city and personally welcomed him back. Zhang Liao was reassigned to serve as General Who Defeats Bandits (盪寇將軍). In around 206, Cao Cao sent Zhang Liao to counter the unrest in some counties in Jiangxia Commandery (present-day eastern Hubei ). Zhang Liao achieved success and returned to his garrison at Linying (臨潁; present-day Linying County , Henan). He

7865-480: The biography of Liu Shan wrote that the state of Shu Han did not have a historical bureau or department, justifying the pitiful condition of the biography of their officials. Tang Geng cast doubt on this claim, remarking that although ancient texts advised to have one scribe write every word of his sovereign while another writes every action, those were merely hyperbolic terms. He provides past examples of people combining their role as historian alongside other function of

7986-632: The capital of Ji Province. In order to curtail Yuan Shu's sphere of influence, Yuan Shao formed an alliance with Cao Cao and Zhang Miao, and named his follower, Zhou Yu ( 周喁 ) as the Inspector of Yu Province , a title to which Sun Jian had already been entitled, and sent him to attack Sun Jian's territories in Yu Province while the latter was on his way back from Luoyang. In response, Yuan Shu allied with Gongsun Zan and Tao Qian , and ordered Sun Jian to fight his half-brother. Although Zhou Yu managed to defeat

8107-404: The capital. However, Cao Cao felt that Liu Biao would not send Liu Bei to attack Xu because he did not trust Liu Bei, so he proceeded with the campaign against Yuan Shang and the Wuhuan. When they encountered the enemy, Zhang Liao displayed great fervour and strongly urged Cao Cao to launch an attack. Cao Cao was so impressed with Zhang Liao that he passed him his personal signal flag. Zhang Liao led

8228-460: The eldest sibling, supposedly to the ire of Yuan Shu. Both Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are recognised as great-grandsons of Yuan An, as recorded in Wang Shen 's Book of Wei ( 魏書 ). Yuan Shao's mother was originally a servant of Yuan Feng. Since Yuan Feng lacked male heirs, the birth of Yuan Shao elevated his mother to the status of a concubine. The Records of the Three Kingdoms contend that Yuan Shao

8349-405: The encirclement with a few of his men. His remaining men, who were still trapped by the enemy, shouted: "General, are you abandoning us?" Zhang Liao then turned back and fought his way into the encirclement and succeeded in rescuing his remaining men. Sun Quan and his men were all stunned by Zhang Liao's valour and did not dare to stand in his way. The skirmish lasted from dawn to the afternoon, and

8470-405: The execution of all members of the Yuan clan in Luoyang; he then sent out emissaries with imperial edicts ordering the regional officials to disband. However, members of the coalition listened to Yuan Shao, and had all the emissaries executed instead (except Han Rong). Dong Zhuo then sent Hu Zhen , Lü Bu and Hua Xiong to deter the coalition vanguard led by Sun Jian . Despite initial success, Sun

8591-496: The faulty logic that if Yuan Shao were to do so, he would have to yield to Emperor Xian on key decisions. Yuan Shao, valuing his autonomy, listened to Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong and let the opportunity pass by. In contrast, his would-be rival, Cao Cao used the opportunity to welcome Emperor Xian to his base in Xuchang , where the new imperial capital was established. In 196, the Han imperial court, under Cao Cao's control, awarded Yuan Shao

8712-455: The final years of Shu ( c. 250s–260s), many officials fawned on Huang Hao , an influential court eunuch , in their bid to win his favour. Chen Shou's refusal to engage in such flattering and obsequious behaviour took a toll on his career: He was demoted on several occasions and sent out of the Shu capital, Chengdu . After the fall of Shu in 263, Chen Shou's career entered a period of stagnation until Zhang Hua recommended him to serve in

8833-489: The first move in the struggle between the two Yuans, marked the beginning of a new stage in the confusion of wars which brought about the end of the Han dynasty. This internecine struggle confirmed the undoing of the alliance against Dong Zhuo as the warlords of the North China Plain started to battle each other for the ultimate dominion of China. In order to focus on the conflicts with Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao entered into

8954-532: The forces of Sun Jian in the Battle of Yangcheng , he lost to Sun Jian in the following battles. The first battles between the brothers ended in Yuan Shu's favour: he had engaged and defeated Yuan Shao's forces in both Yangcheng and Jiujiang, restored the position in Yingchuan Commandery under Sun Jian, and eliminated Zhou Yu as a threat once and for all although Jiujiang was not yet conquered. For Yuan Shao, on

9075-782: The forward base of Liyang north of the Yellow River. At the time, Yuan Shao's main veteran army boasted of numbers over 100,000, supplemented with hundreds of thousands of less skilled militia units. Heavily outnumbering Cao Cao and holding large cavalry force, Yuan Shao's initial attacks almost overwhelmed his enemy's positions. It is recorded in the Records of the Three Kingdoms that Cao Cao on several occasions considered relinquishing his position, and consulted his chief strategist, Xun Yu on that decision, which Xun strongly opposed and further encouraged Cao to hold on. Following an unexpected defection of one of Yuan Shao's strategists and personal friends, Xu You , Cao Cao received confidential information on

9196-590: The garrison at Chen Commandery (陳郡; around present-day Zhoukou , Henan ). Cao Cao died in early 220 and was succeeded by his son Cao Pi as the King of Wei (魏王). Cao Pi promoted Zhang Liao to General of the Vanguard (前將軍) and awarded him with 1,000 rolls of silk and 10,000 hu of grain. When Sun Quan renounced his allegiance to Wei, Cao Pi ordered Zhang Liao to garrison at Hefei again to guard against possible attacks from Wu , and increased his marquis rank to Marquis of

9317-411: The garrison at Yongqiu (雍丘; present-day Qi County , Henan ), where Zhang Liao fell sick. When Cao Pi learnt that Zhang Liao was ill, he sent Liu Ye to visit Zhang Liao and bring along an imperial physician to treat him. He also ordered the huben guards to serve as messengers to constantly update him on Zhang Liao's condition – to the point where these messengers frequently encountered each other along

9438-484: The government of the Jin dynasty . Zhang Hua appreciated Chen Shou's talent and felt that even though Chen did not have an untarnished reputation, he did not deserve to be demoted and dismissed while he was in Shu. Chen Shou was recommended as a xiaolian (civil service candidate), and appointed as a zuo zhuzuo lang (佐著作郎; an assistant scribe) and the acting Prefect (令) of Yangping County (陽平縣). In 274, he collected and compiled

9559-531: The government. Furthermore, when the Rites of Zhou (pre-1st century BC) was written, even local warlords would have a historical bureau, so for Shu Han to suddenly lack one is suspect. Finally, he points out that Chen Shou contradicts the statement in the same biography when he wrote "the Historical Bureau (史官) reported the sighting of a brilliant star," just three paragraphs later. Tang Geng commented that since

9680-402: The governor of Yi Province ; baozhongling (褒中令); West Commandant (西部都尉) of Yongchang Commandery (永昌郡); Administrator (太守) of Jianning (建寧) and Xinggu (興古) commanderies. Chen Jie was also well known for his literary talent. Chen Fu, Chen Li and Chen Jie each wrote more than 10 works out of the over 200 writings attributed to Chen Shou. The Jin Shu mentioned that Chen Shou fell sick during

9801-401: The independent ruler of his Eastern Wu state, Cao Pi ordered Zhang Liao and Cao Xiu to lead a naval fleet to Hailing (海陵; around present-day Taizhou, Jiangsu ), directly facing Wu territory across the river. Sun Quan was afraid when he heard that Zhang Liao was there, and he warned his generals: "Zhang Liao may be ill, but he is still a foe to be reckoned with. Be careful!" Zhang Liao and

9922-545: The length of the Sanguozhi to nearly twice its original. The Wanjuanlou ( 萬卷樓 ; 万卷楼 ; Wànjuànlóu ; 'tower of 10', '000 volumes of writings') – a tourist attraction in the Xishan Scenic Spot, Shunqing District , Nanchong , Sichuan – is named the source of the culture of the Three Kingdoms period by the Sichuan provincial government. The tower was constructed in the early third century (222–237) during

10043-413: The letter. It read: "If Sun Quan comes, Generals Zhang and Li will go out to fight the enemy while General Yue will defend the fortress. Xue Ti will stay out of the battle." They were confused after reading the letter. Zhang Liao told Yue Jin and Li Dian: "Our lord is away on a campaign. By the time his reinforcements reach here, we are already done for. So he is actually instructing us to take advantage of

10164-454: The massacre, while the young Emperor Shao and Prince of Chenliu (future Emperor Xian ) escaped during the chaos. The resulting power vacuum provided Dong Zhuo, who found and rescued the emperor and prince, with an opportunity to seize control of the imperial capital when he arrived. Dong Zhuo then discussed with Yuan Shao about his plan to depose Emperor Shao and replace him with the Prince of Chenliu, but Yuan Shao disagreed. Relations between

10285-467: The morale of Sun Quan's army had fallen significantly. Zhang Liao returned to Hefei fortress and strengthened his defences. The defenders felt much more at ease and were very impressed with him. Sun Quan was unable to conquer Hefei after several days so he withdrew his forces. While Sun Quan was retreating, Zhang Liao suddenly launched a surprise attack and inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy at Xiaoyao Ford (逍遙津). He came very close to capturing Sun Quan

10406-459: The mountain were narrow and dangerous to travel on. When Zhang Liao wanted to attack the rebels, his subordinates advised him against it because of the hazardous terrain. However, Zhang Liao said: "This is where one-to-one fighting will take place. Only the courageous can advance forward." He then ordered his troops to make camp at the foot of the mountain. They attacked the rebels later, defeated them, and killed Chen Lan and Mei Cheng. When Cao Cao

10527-432: The novel to enhance his image as a loyal and righteous general. See the following for other fictitious stories in the novel which involve Zhang Liao: Chen Shou Chen Shou ( Chinese : 陳壽 ; 233–297 ), courtesy name Chengzuo ( 承祚 ), was a Chinese historian , politician, and writer who lived during the Three Kingdoms period and Jin dynasty of China. Chen Shou is best known for his most celebrated work,

10648-508: The offer. When the scene of the ruined capital coming into their eyes, the disunited leaders of the coalition realised that the Han dynasty was coming to an end, and started planning on strengthening their position, and soon returned to their respective home bases. As many volunteers from different provinces had flocked to join Yuan Shao, Bohai Commandery would be far from sufficient to supply his army. Thus, Pang Ji suggested to Yuan Shao to form

10769-452: The opportunity to attack Cao Cao while he was away, but Yuan Shao refused to launch an all-out offensive. Instead, he sent small detachments to harass his enemy. Yu Jin , the general appointed by Cao Cao to defend Yan Ford, defeated Yuan Shao's detachments . Shortly after Cao Cao returned to Guandu, Yuan Shao had Chen Lin draft a document condemning Cao Cao in what was essentially a declaration of war . He then marched his main army towards

10890-636: The other Wei generals initially defeated the Wu forces led by Lü Fan , but the battle eventually turned in favor of the Wu forces, and the Wei forces withdrew. Afterward, however, his condition worsened, and he died not long later in Jiangdu (江都; present-day Jiangdu District , Yangzhou , Jiangsu). Cao Pi cried when he learnt of Zhang Liao's death. He awarded Zhang Liao the posthumous title "Marquis Gang" (剛侯), which literally means "resolute marquis". In 225, in commemoration of Zhang Liao and Li Dian for their contributions at

11011-484: The other hand, the situation was extremely difficult: besides the failure in the south, he was also under threat from Gongsun Zan, who held Yuan Shao responsible for the death of his cousin Gongsun Yue ( 公孫越 ) in battle and formally declared war against him, rejecting all of Yuan Shao's protestations of goodwill. This led to the clash between Yuan Shao and Gongsun in the Battle of Jieqiao . The Battle of Yangcheng, being

11132-625: The outcome when he rushed back from Qing Province. Then, Lady Liu, being in control of the Yuan household after her husband's death, killed Yuan Shao's other five consorts out of jealousy and disfigured them. True to Ju Shou's previous warning, chaos ensued within Yuan Shao's forces. Cao Cao exploited the internal turmoil within the Yuan family to his advantage and completely eliminated Yuan Shao's heirs and remnants by 207. Cao Cao paid his respects at Yuan Shao's tomb after conquering Ye city in 204. He wept bitterly for his old friend in front of his followers and gave Yuan Shao's family consolatory gifts and

11253-553: The palace. After He Jin refused to accept his advice thrice, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu led 200 elite troops to wait outside. On 22 September 189, inside the palace, He Jin was ambushed and assassinated by the eunuchs, who tossed his severed head over the wall. He Jin's angered followers set fire to the palace and charged in, slaughtering every person (except females) without facial hair; to the extreme that many young men without facial hair had to show their genitals to avoid being mistaken for eunuchs and killed. Over 2,000 people were killed in

11374-582: The past several days, whenever we attacked Chang Xi, I noticed he paid careful attention to me. He is also running short of arrows. I suspect he is having doubts, therefore he isn't doing his best to resist us. Wouldn't it be better if I manage to persuade him to surrender?" He then sent a message to Chang Xi and asked to speak to him. When Zhang Liao met Chang Xi, he told the latter that Cao Cao rewarded those who submitted to him. Convinced by Zhang Liao, Chang Xi agreed to surrender to Cao Cao. Zhang Liao then went to Chang Xi's home alone and visited his family. Chang Xi

11495-530: The same time, Yuan Tan also achieved exceptional success on expanding his territories in Qing Province, driving out Gongsun Zan's general Tian Kai in 193 and defeating Beihai chancellor Kong Rong in 196. In 195, Ju Shou suggested to Yuan Shao to welcome Emperor Xian to Ji Province so he could effectively control the Han central government and use the emperor as a figurehead to enhance his legitimacy. However, Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong opposed this move under

11616-445: The situation – when the enemy has just arrived and isn't fully gathered yet – to attack them and devastate their morale so we can calm our men and strengthen our defences. Victory or defeat, it all depends on this battle. Why are the two of you still hesitating?" The three generals then worked together and recruited over 800 elite soldiers that night and prepared for battle the following day. At dawn, Zhang Liao donned his armour, carried

11737-822: The south for a rest. Meanwhile, Yuan Shao was able to reorganise his defeated armies to settle the rebellions in his own domain, soon reestablishing order and restored the status quo ante bellum . Yuan Shao had three sons, and he favoured his third son, Yuan Shang , due to his good looks, and both Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were his choice for succession. However, Yuan was never able to finalise his decision regarding who should succeed him before he died on 28 June 202, leaving his domain to be contested by his sons and Cao Cao. Immediately after Yuan Shao's death, Shen Pei and Pang Ji , two influential advisers, supported Yuan Shang and pushed for him to succeed Yuan Shao, despite opposition from Yuan Tan. Yuan Shao's wife, Lady Liu , supported Yuan Shang, and Yuan Tan could not do anything to change

11858-654: The south of the Yellow River . In early 204, Zhang Liao followed Cao Cao to attack Yuan Shang at Ye again and they succeeded in capturing the city this time. Zhang Liao also led troops to the Zhao State (趙國; around present-day Neiqiu County , Hebei ) and Changshan State (常山國; around present-day Shijiazhuang , Hebei) in Ji Province , where he persuaded the Heishan bandits and other opposing forces to surrender to Cao Cao. In 205, Zhang Liao accompanied Cao Cao to attack Yuan Tan at Nanpi County and they defeated Yuan Tan. After

11979-408: The title of a Secondary Marquis (關內侯) in 225 per Cao Pi's decree was most probably not Zhang Hu. Zhang Liao is featured as a character in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms , which romanticises the events before and during Three Kingdoms period. While his fictionalised persona is generally similar to its historical counterpart, some fictitious elements were included in

12100-429: The two deteriorated and Yuan Shao fled from Luoyang to Ji Province (present day southern Hebei ). At the time, Yuan Shao just got out through the city gates of Luoyang, Dong Zhuo thought about sending men after him, but Zhou Bi , Wu Qiong and He Yong secretly helped Yuan Shao by convincing Dong Zhuo to let him go. As suggested by the three men, Dong Zhuo appointed Yuan Shao as the Administrator of Bohai Commandery in

12221-543: The warlord Cao Cao , who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian , defeated Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi and executed him. Zhang Liao surrendered to Cao Cao and became one of his subordinates. He was commissioned as a General of the Household (中郎將) and received the peerage of a Secondary Marquis (關內侯). He was promoted to Major-General (裨將軍) later for his contributions in battle. In early 201, after Cao Cao defeated his northern rival Yuan Shao at

12342-411: The way while they were travelling between Cao Pi and Zhang Liao's locations. Later on, before Zhang Liao had recovered, Cao Pi visited him, held his hand, gave him an imperial robe as a gift, and ordered his servants to prepare imperial cuisine for Zhang Liao. Zhang Liao returned to the garrison after his condition improved significantly. In 222, after Sun Quan broke ties with Wei and declared himself

12463-453: The whereabouts of Yuan Shao's food storage. In late 200, Cao Cao and Yue Jin led a strike force to attack Yuan Shao's supply depot at Wuchao and burnt it down, inflicting severe damage on the morale of Yuan Shao's army. Two of Yuan Shao's officers, Zhang He and Gao Lan , immediately defected to Cao Cao's side once they got wind of what happened in Wuchao, and many others followed suit. Yuan Shao

12584-409: The writings of Zhuge Liang , the first chancellor of Shu, and submitted them to the Jin imperial court. He was promoted to zhuzuo lang (著作郎; a scribe) and appointed as the zhongzheng (中正) of Baxi Commandery. The Huayang Guozhi mentioned that he also served as the Chancellor (相) to the Marquis of Pingyang (平陽侯). When Zhang Hua recommended Chen Shou to serve as a Gentleman Palace Writer (中書郎),

12705-438: Was a military adviser to the Shu general Ma Su . When Ma Su was executed by Zhuge Liang after his failure at the Battle of Jieting in 228, Chen Shou's father was implicated and sentenced to kun (髡), a punishment involving the shaving of a person's head. Zhuge Zhan belittled Chen Shou before. When Chen Shou wrote the biographies of Zhuge Liang and Zhuge Zhan in the Sanguozhi , he commented on them as follows: Military leadership

12826-526: Was able to capitalise on the internal conflict between Hu Zhen and Lü Bu and defeated them at Yangren. After that loss, Dong Zhuo decided to move the imperial capital to Chang'an , where his home base of Liang Province was nearby. A year later, Dong Zhuo burnt Luoyang to the ground and withdrew to the west with the mass of refugees. Although lacking a logistical base, Sun Jian and Cao Cao requested to pursue Dong Zhuo's retreating force, but Yuan Shao and other members largely disagreed with their opinion. Sun Jian

12947-509: Was able to lead his forces from Juchao to help Cao Ren. However, before Zhang Liao reached Fan, Cao Cao's general Xu Huang had already defeated Guan Yu and lifted the siege on Fancheng. Zhang Liao rendezvoused with Cao Cao, who had returned after being defeated in the Hanzhong Campaign, at Mobei (摩陂; in present-day Jia County, Henan ). Cao Cao rode in a carriage and went out to personally receive Zhang Liao. He then relocated Zhang Liao to

13068-544: Was also doing his own research on Zhuge Liang's works, with his outcome quite different from Chen Shou's original version. In the end, the text was rewritten, and became the Zhuge Liang Gushi (諸葛亮故事; Memoirs of Zhuge Liang ). Since the end of the Jianwu era (25–56 CE) in the Eastern Han dynasty , writers such as Zheng Boyi (鄭伯邑), Zhao Yanxin (趙彥信), Chen Shenbo (陳申伯), Zhu Yuanling (祝元靈) and Wang Wenbiao (王文表) had co-written

13189-457: Was assessing the respective contributions of his generals in the campaign, he said, "The General Who Defeats Bandits (Zhang Liao) was the one who ascended the mountain, travelled through hazardous terrain, and defeated Chen Lan and Mei Cheng." As rewards for his success, Zhang Liao was granted acting imperial authority and given additional taxable households in his marquisate. When Cao Cao retreated after being defeated by Sun Quan and Liu Bei at

13310-588: Was delighted and he followed Zhang Liao and Xiahou Yuan back to meet Cao Cao. When Cao Cao heard about how Zhang Liao persuaded Chang Xi to surrender, he scolded Zhang Liao: "This isn't what a great general should do." Zhang Liao replied: "I was certain that Chang Xi wouldn't dare to harm me because he knows that I am authorised by the imperial court and also because he is influenced by the prestige of you, my lord." In 202, Zhang Liao accompanied Cao Cao to attack Yuan Shao 's sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang at Liyang (黎陽; northwest of present-day Xun County , Henan ). He

13431-650: Was famous for his talent and capacity, his reputation was similar to Chen Shou. He was recommended as a xiucai (秀才) and served as a Gentleman of Writing (尚書郎). He was reassigned to be the Administrator (太守) of Jianping Commandery (建平郡), but he declined the appointment and claimed that he was ill because he wanted to remain in his home province. He was then appointed as the Administrator of Guanghan Commandery (廣漢郡 around present-day Guanghan , Sichuan ). Relations between Chen Shou and Li Xiang deteriorated and they started making false accusations against each other. Other officials scorned them for their petty quarrels. According to

13552-568: Was highly regarded as such after he wrote the Sanguozhi . Despite his achievements, Chen Shou faced accusations and other controversies. The Jin Shu mentioned two controversies surrounding Chen Shou and his writing of the Sanguozhi, which his critics used to disparage him. Tang Geng (唐庚), a scholar from the Song dynasty , in his work called the Three Kingdoms Miscellaneous Cases (三國雜事; Sanguo Zashi ) also criticised Chen Shou as

13673-418: Was in fact an older cousin of Yuan Shu, and was adopted by the elder brother of Yuan Feng, Yuan Cheng (袁成), who also lacked male heirs. The act of adopting Yuan Shao would have infuriated Yuan Shu, because his own mother, a concubine of Yuan Feng, held a higher status than that of Yuan Shao's mother; however, by Yuan Cheng's adoption of Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu was no longer the highest ranked male of his generation of

13794-600: Was not Zhuge Liang's forte, and he lacked the resourcefulness of a brilliant military leader; Zhuge Zhan excelled only in literary arts, and he had an exaggerated reputation. The Qing dynasty writer Zhao Yi refuted the Jin Shu claim that Chen Shou was prejudiced against Zhuge Liang in the Sanguozhi , and remarked that the claim was "an uninformed statement". He commented that military leadership did not necessarily have to be regarded as Zhuge Liang's forte because Zhuge also made outstanding achievements in other fields. Zhao also pointed out two pieces of evidence which contradict

13915-480: Was ordered to rendezvous with Yuan Shu, so Cao Cao led his own men to go on the pursuit alone, and was soundly defeated by Dong Zhuo's subordinate, Xu Rong . During this time, Yuan Shao and Han Fu had intended to establish the legitimacy of the coalition by declaring Liu Yu , the governor of You Province (present day northern Hebei), the new emperor to replace Emperor Xian. However, believing that it would be faithless to Emperor Xian for him to accept, Liu Yu declined

14036-433: Was praised as an excellent historian. Around the time, another historian, Xiahou Zhan (夏侯湛), was writing his own Book of Wei (魏書; Wei Shu ), which recorded the history of Wei in the Three Kingdoms era. He destroyed his work after reading Chen Shou's Sanguozhi . Zhang Hua was so deeply impressed with the Sanguozhi that he told Chen Shou, "We should entrust the responsibility of writing the Book of Jin to you." Chen Shou

14157-514: Was promoted from a Secondary Marquis to a Marquis of a Chief Village (都亭侯). In 207, Zhang Liao followed Cao Cao on a campaign against Yuan Shang, who had allied with the Wuhuan tribes in northern China. When Cao Cao was preparing to attack the enemy in Liucheng (柳城; present-day Xingcheng , Liaoning ), Zhang Liao warned him that Jing Province 's Governor Liu Biao take advantage of his absence from Xu to send Liu Bei to attack Xu and take control of

14278-495: Was promoted to acting Central Resolute General (中堅將軍) for his contributions in battle. Later on, he followed Cao Cao to attack Yuan Shang at Ye (鄴; in present-day Handan , Hebei ) but were unable to conquer the city so they retreated in mid 203. After Cao Cao returned to the imperial capital, Xu (許; present-day Xuchang , Henan), he sent Zhang Liao and Yue Jin to lead an army to conquer Yin'an County (陰安縣; north of present-day Qingfeng County , Henan) and relocate its residents to

14399-438: Was unable to stop the trend and fled north across the Yellow River with only hundreds of loyalists. Yuan Shao's first major defeat was also a decisive one. Thereafter, he lost the advantage over Cao Cao and never regained it. In 201, Cao Cao defeated him again at the Battle of Cangting and proceeded to capture several of Yuan Shao's territories in Ji Province. After the Battle of Cangting, Cao Cao's exhausted troops returned to

14520-633: Was welcomed by many since his childhood, including Cao Cao and Zhang Miao . During Yuan Shao's early life, he participated in saving some of the "partisans" from death or other terrible fates during the second of the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions . One such "partisan" was He Yong , whom Yuan Shao befriended after he escaped to Runan and became close with. When the second of the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions began, He Yong often secretly entered Luoyang, where he discussed plans with Yuan Shao on how to help

14641-491: Was young, he served as a minor official in his home commandery, and experienced many frontier skirmishes against rebellious Donghu people during his youth. Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty , Ding Yuan , the Inspector of Bing Province , heard of Zhang Liao's combat skills and hired him as an assistant officer. Ding Yuan ordered Zhang Liao to lead troops from Bing Province to the imperial capital, Luoyang , to assist

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