袁紹

Profile

Head of the grandest house in the empire — "three Excellencies in four generations" — and once the man closest to the throne of all. Elected leader of the coalition, he went on to hold four northern provinces, the largest power bloc of the age. Then Guandu: routed by a Cao Cao several times smaller. The histories give the epitaph: "outwardly generous, inwardly jealous; fond of scheming, incapable of deciding." His sons’ feud scattered even the wreckage.

Key events

1. 189

   The Ten Eunuchs and the Death of He Jin

   Grand General He Jin plots to purge the eunuchs and is murdered instead, plunging Luoyang into bloodshed — the chaos that invited Dong Zhuo in.

   He JinDong Zhuo

2. 190

   The Coalition Against Dong Zhuo

   The eastern lords raise arms against Dong Zhuo under Yuan Shao. Cao Cao and Sun Jian fought hardest of all.

   Cao CaoSun JianYuan ShuGongsun Zan

3. 199

   Fall of Yijing — Gongsun Zan’s End

   Gongsun Zan, the White Horse General, dies by his own hand in his besieged fortress of Yijing. The north falls to Yuan Shao.

   Gongsun Zan

4. 200

   Battle of Baima — Guan Yu Slays Yan Liang

   Temporarily serving Cao Cao, Guan Yu repays the debt by cutting down Yuan Shao’s general Yan Liang amid his army — then rides back to Liu Bei.

   Guan YuCao Cao

5. 200

   Battle of Guandu

   Cao Cao shatters Yuan Shao’s far larger host by burning the Wuchao grain depot — the war for the north. Zhang He defected to Cao Cao here.

   Cao CaoXun YuGuo JiaZhang HeXu Huang

History vs. the novelHistoryvsNovel

The novel flattens him into an indecision exhibit proving Cao Cao’s genius. The historical Yuan Shao commanded the gentry’s devotion and governed the north well — the record even notes the common people weeping at his death.