Yuan Shu

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Yuan Shu
袁術
Yang Province (揚州牧)
(self-appointed)
In office
192 (192)–197 (197)
MonarchEmperor Xian of Han
Administrator of Nanyang (南陽太守)
In office
189 (189)–192 (192)
MonarchEmperor Xian of Han
General of the Rear (後將軍)
In office
189 (189)–190 (190)
MonarchEmperor Xian of Han
Personal details
Born155
Shangshui County, Henan
Died199[1]
Anhui
SpouseLady Feng
Parent
  • Yuan Feng (father)
Relatives
  • Yuan Tang (grandfather)
  • Yuan Ji (half-brother)
  • Yuan Shao (half-brother)
  • Yuan Yi (cousin)
  • Yuan Yin (cousin)
  • Yuan Wei (uncle)
  • Yang Biao (brother-in-law)
  • Yang Xiu (nephew)
  • He Kui (cousin)
  • Sun Fen's wife (granddaughter)
OccupationMilitary general, politician, warlord
Courtesy nameGonglu (公路)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Yuan.
Yuan Shu
Hanyu Pinyin
Yuán Shù
IPA[ɥɛ̌n ʂû]

Yuan Shu (pronunciation

Eastern Han dynasty. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the Han central government in 189.[1] He declared himself Emperor of China
in 197 under the short-lived Zhong dynasty, two years before his death in 199.

Life

Early life

Yuan Shu was from Ruyang County (汝陽縣),

Minister of Works Yuan Feng (袁逢) and his principal wife. Yuan Shu is sometimes described to be a younger cousin[3][4] of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother.[a]

As a young man he gained a reputation for gallantry and liked to go hunting with dogs and falcons. Nominated as Filial and Incorrupt, he later became Intendant of Henan (河南尹) and then General of the Household Rapid as a Tiger (虎賁中郎將).[1]

Campaign against Dong Zhuo (189–191)

Main article: Campaign against Dong Zhuo

After the death of General-in-Chief He Jin (22 September 189), Yuan Shu, as the Imperial Corps Commander of the Imperial Tiger Guards, led his men to kill the eunuch faction. When Dong Zhuo seized control of the Han central government, he wanted to appoint Yuan Shu as General of the Rear, but, fearing Dong Zhuo, Yuan Shu fled to Nanyang Commandery,[5] which he took control over after Sun Jian killed its grand administrator, Zhang Zi.[6]

Yuan Shu participated in the Campaign against Dong Zhuo led by Yuan Shao. He was joined by Sun Jian, whom he appointed to Inspector of Yu Province.[7] Sun Jian succeeded in defeating and killing Dong's general Hua Xiong (191),[8] but Yuan Shu grew wary that Sun would become too successful and no longer submit to his command, and temporarily secretly cut off Sun's food supplies, thereby hindering his advance. By the time Sun Jian reached Luoyang, it had been largely destroyed by fires set by Dong Zhuo, whose forces fled westwards to Chang'an, abducting the emperor. However, his soldiers found the Imperial Seal, which Sun Jian passed to his superior Yuan Shu.[7]

Rule in Nanyang and Chenliu (190–193)

Yuan Shu's rule in Nanyang was despotic.

Yang Province in 192.[11]

Warlord in Shouchun (193–197)

See also: Sun Ce's conquests in Jiangdong

In early 193, Yuan Shu suffered repeated defeats, such as the

Xu Province.[11]

From 194 to early 197, Sun Jian's son Sun Ce and brother-in-law Wu Jing conquered many territories in Jiangdong on Yuan Shu's behalf. He was less successful in expanding his rule in Xu Province, where he fought against Liu Bei and Lü Bu; the latter briefly allied himself to Yuan Shu in 196, but betrayed him again and drove him back to Shouchun.[11]

Emperor of Zhongshi Dynasty (197–199)

Main article: Campaign against Yuan Shu

Yuan Shu declared himself emperor under the short-lived Zhongshi (仲氏) dynasty in early 197,

Shouchun by Liu Bei.[14] He died shortly thereafter of starvation, being unable to swallow the coarse food that his soldiers ate. His final request was for a glass of honey water, which his soldiers had none.[15]

Family

  • Grandfather: Yuan Tang (袁湯)
  • Father: Yuan Feng (袁逢)
  • Siblings:
  • Cousins:
    • Yuan Yi, elder cousin
    • Yuan Yin (袁胤), younger cousin
  • Spouse: Lady Feng (馮氏), daughter of Feng Fang (馮方)
  • Children:
    • Yuan Yao (袁耀), son. After Yuan Shu's death, Yuan Yao and his family fled to Lujiang Commandery to join the minor warlord Liu Xun. After Sun Ce defeated Liu Xun and conquered Lujiang Commandery, Yuan Yao was captured and eventually worked as a Palace Gentleman (郎中) in the state of Sun Quan's (Sun Ce's younger brother) state of Eastern Wu. Yuan Yao's daughter married Sun Fen (孫奮), the fifth son of Sun Quan.
    • Lady Yuan (袁夫人), daughter, personal name unknown, became one of Sun Quan's concubines after she and her brother were captured. She was known for good character but did not give birth. Sun Quan let her raise children which were born by other concubines, however, all the children that she raised died at early ages. When
      Lady Bu
      died in 238, Sun Quan wanted to instate Lady Yuan as the empress. Lady Yuan refused with the reason of having no child.
    • Lady Yuan (袁夫人), daughter, personal name unknown, married Huang Yi (黃猗)
  • Relatives:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ See Yuan Shao#Family background for the details on the relationship between Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yuan Shu.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d de Crespigny (2007), p. 1011.
  2. Jian'an 4, during the reign of the Xian Emperor
    . This corresponds to 11 July to 9 August 199 on the proleptic Gregorian calendar. ((建安四年)六月，至江亭。...因愤慨结病，欧血死。) Book of the Later Han, vol. 75
  3. ^ (绍之从弟也) Sanguozhi vol. 6.
  4. ^ Houhanshu vols. 74–75.
  5. ^ (董卓之将废帝，以术为后将军；术亦畏卓之祸，出奔南阳。) Sanguozhi vol. 6.
  6. ^ (会长沙太守孙坚杀南阳太守张咨，术得据其郡。) Sanguozhi vol. 6.
  7. ^ a b de Crespigny (2006), 769.
  8. ^ de Crespigny (2006), 333.
  9. ^ (南阳户口数百万，而术奢淫肆欲，徵敛无度，百姓苦之) Sanguozhi vol. 6.
  10. ^ (既与绍有隙，又与刘表不平而北连公孙瓚；绍与瓚不和而南连刘表。) Sanguozhi vol. 6.
  11. ^ a b c de Crespigny (2007), 1012.
  12. ^ de Crespigny (2007), pp. 36.
  13. Jian'an
    2, per the Xian Emperor's biography in the Book of the Later Han. The period corresponds to 5 Feb to 4 May 197 in the Julian calendar.
  14. ^ (术因欲北至青州从袁谭，曹操使刘备徼之，不得过，复走还寿春。) Houhanshu, vol.75
  15. ^ (将归帝号於绍，欲至青州从袁谭，发病道死。) Sanguozhi vol. 6.

Bibliography

  • Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
  • ISBN 9789004156050
    .
  • Fan, Ye (5th century). Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).
  • Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.
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