| Struggle at He Bei | |||||||
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| Forces | |||||||
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| Cao Cao's Forces | Yuan Shao's Forces | ||||||
| Commanders | |||||||
| Cao Pi | Yuan Shao Yuan Shang Yuan Tan | ||||||
Hebei, which literally means "north of the Yellow River", refers to the four provinces of You, Qing, Ji and Bing to the north of the Yellow River under the rule of the Han Dynasty during the period of the story.
The Struggle at He Bei (河北掃討戦) is an alternate coverage to the aftermath of Guandu where Cao Cao's forces attempt to defeat Yuan Shao's sons including Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi. It was introduced in Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2. To follow with his father's ambitions to subjugate the province, Cao Pi leads an army to crush the Yuan family after the Battle of Guandu.
Historically, Hebei was Yuan Shao's most influential bases and home to many of his family members. It was one of the final battle grounds of the campaign against the Yuans. It's also noted that Guo Jia died shortly after his contributions in these campaigns.
Role in Games[]
In Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2, the battle is known as "Battle of Liyang". The stage starts out with Cao Cao being separated from the main unit, with Guo Jia ordering the rest of the troops to find a hidden path leading to their lord. After some time, Cao Cao will soon be attacked by Tadun's forces, and will be defeated if not aided. When Tadun's forces are defeated, a full assault on Yuan Shao's camp is ordered. As Cao Cao's forces near the enemy main camp, Yuan Shao's sons all appear and charge the player's character. Defeating Yuan Shao will end the battle.
While given a passing mention in other titles, the fall of the Yuan family becomes its own battle in Dynasty Warriors 6: Special as Cao Pi's second Musou Mode stage. His father wins Guan Du, but Yuan Shao escaped death from the battle. With the Yuan family still a looming threat on the horizon, Cao Pi volunteers to exterminate them for his father. He plans to experience how it feels to end a once reputable family, in hopes of better improving his future leadership.
Yuan Shao stations himself on the northern mountain castle and has three gates to defend himself from Cao Pi's advance. The young leader has himself and several talented generals -such Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Zhang He- at the bottom of the mountain. While Yuan Shao orders his army to strengthen the defenses and wait for reinforcements, Cao Pi orders his army to eradicate the gates and take down the castle walls as quickly as possible. If Yuan Shao is defeated quickly, his sons will arrive too late to save their father. Realizing that the fate of the family is now up for grabs, Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan will bicker with one another over the right to lead(For Yuan Tan Forces will defect to yellow team). Their unwillingness to cooperate with one another makes Cao Pi's job easier to accomplish.
Should Cao Pi take too long to defeat the father, Yuan Shao's sons will appear on the eastern side of the map and outnumber Cao Pi's troops or Yuan Xi arrives when their father almost dying. Cao Pi remarks that his plan has failed and orders his men to pull back and rebuild the defenses. Ally morale will suffer and Cao Pi will need to face the entire Yuan family at once. Yuan Shao will also be in hyper mode if this occurs, declaring that his family shall never fall so long as he lives.
Waiting a little longer in the battle has Yuan Xi and his wife Zhen Ji appear in the upper right corner of the map, exclude if Yuan Shao becomes dying, along with his sons stayed on the map will fail Cao Pi's plan. If Cao Pi approaches them, he will be taken by the maiden and flirts with her. Both members of the couple are insulted by his impulsiveness and will be enraged as a result. If Cao Pi defeats both of them, Zhen Ji will be impressed the strength he possesses over her husband and swears to be with him from then on. When Yuan Xi is still alive after his wife defeated, his fighting spirit will be reduced. The battle will won if Cao Pi defeats Yuan Shao alogside his sons and Cao Cao Forces returning to Xu Chang triumphantly.
In Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends, this appears under the name of "Campaign Against the Yuans" as a legend scenario for Guo Jia. He invites the Xiliang forces led by Ma Chao to join Cao Cao's army and uses dissent between the Yuan sons to make them hesitant and allows raids on two mountains to isolate Yuan Tan and make him easier to defeat. Reinforcements led by Liu Bei make the effort harder to go through than anticipated but a victory is eventually earned by the Wei forces who parry off the threat. After the battle, Guo Jia laments that he does not have much time left.
In Dynasty Warriors 8, the battle of Liyang is not mentioned in the narrative and instead replaced by the battle of Mt. Bailang as the confrontation that sees the end of the Yuan family.
In Dynasty Warriors 9, this doesn't appear in any of the main story modes nor Guo Jia's hypothetical. However, it does appear in Chen Gong's hypothetical where he attempts to recruit these forces after Cao Cao had decimated the Yuan's reputation and strength at Guandu. Leading a unit with Liu Bei and backed by Cao Cao, Chen Gong conspires to get the two brothers to join him in his rebellion against Cao Cao. The battle consists of defeating supply units, repelling the Wuhuan and getting rid of bandits from Liaodong. Surrounding Mt.Bailang and doing all missions causes the two to surrender without a fight, while not completely surrounding them leads to them rallying. Regardless, either way leads to their defection into Chen Gong's forces and he soon breaks out against Cao Cao.
In Dynasty Warriors: Origins, the stage appears in Wei's story and occurs after Guandu. Following Yuan Shao's death, Cao Cao forms an alliance with Yuan Tan and attacks the region, now under Yuan Shang's control. The battle begins with Cao Cao's forces advancing north with the riverbank being held by Yuan Shang's forces with ballistae. While one can rush to through the river, it is also possible to take the eastern path with Cao Hong to get behind the defenders. Once the eastern fort is taken, Cao Cao's forces will be stopped by Yuan Shang's army at Ye's city gates. As a result, Guo Jia will order to northern garrison to be taken by Xu Huang to build siege weapons while Xun You advances south to pressure Yuan Shang's men near the gate into defecting.
Once one of the gates is breached, Zhenji will rally the defenders and will rush out towards the player and must be defeated to decrease their morale. Once Yuan Shang is defeated, Bailuan appears to ambush Cao Cao, and Yuan Tan's forces will take the opportunity to desert their allies and attack Cao Cao but will be stalled by Zhang He. Defeating both Bailuan and Yuan Tan will end the stage.
Historical Information[]
After Yuan Shao's defeat at the Battle of Guandu in 200, Cao Cao continued his offensive against Yuan Shao at Cangting and won. Several local officials in Hebei attempted to defect to Cao Cao, but were suppressed by Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao had previously dispatched Liu Bei to recruit the Yellow Turbans to disrupt Cao Cao's rear, but Liu Bei and his allies fled. Yuan Shao, suffering from an illness at the time and widely believed to have suffered a blow to his pride after the defeat, died in 202.
Yuan Shao announced to his subordinates that he would have each of his four children—Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi, Yuan Shang, and his nephew Gao Gan—rule a province. His advisor, Ju Shou, believed this would lead to a succession dispute, but Yuan Shao ignored his advice. It is generally believed that Yuan Shao favored his younger son, Yuan Shang. To secure Yuan Shang's position, he adopted Yuan Tan to his brother, Yuan Ji, who had been executed by Dong Zhuo. However, Yuan Shao's lack of clarity led to a struggle between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang's allies over their respective masters' succession rights.
After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Shang's allies, Shen Pei and Pang Ji, fearing potential persecution from Yuan Tan, privately decided to let Yuan Shang succeed. Yuan Tan, stationed in Liyang, proclaimed himself General of Chariots and Cavalry (a title Yuan Shao had held as leader of the alliance). Yuan Tan demanded troops from Yuan Shang, but Yuan Shang responded passively and sent Pang Ji to monitor him. Humiliated, Yuan Tan executed Pang Ji, while Shen Pei placated Yuan Tan by blaming Pang Ji for the rift between the brothers.
Battle of Liyang[]
In 202, Cao Cao launched an attack on Liyang, where Yuan Tan was stationed. Yuan Tan sought help from Yuan Shang, who personally sent troops to support him to prevent Yuan Tan's expansion. Cao Cao defeated them, forcing the brothers to retreat to Ye City. Cao Cao attacked Ye but was unable to secure it. Southern Dynasty historian Fan Ye claims that Yuan Shang counterattacked and defeated Cao Cao. Cao Cao attacked other areas to plunder food, intending to renew the siege, but his advisor Guo Jia advised him to slow down his attack and wait for the feud between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang to intensify. In May 203, Cao Cao lifted the siege and returned to Capital Xu, where he began to announce his shift in the enemy's focus to Liu Biao.
Concurrently with the Battle of Liyang, Gao Gan formed an alliance with Ma Teng and the Southern Xiongnu, aiming to gain advantage on other fronts. Cao Cao's lobbyist Zhang Ji (Derong) persuaded Ma Teng to return to Cao Cao's side. Ma Teng then sent Ma Chao and Pang De to defeat Gao Gan's general Guo Yuan. Gao Gan declared his submission to Cao Cao.
Upon learning of Cao Cao's withdrawal, Yuan Tan continued to demand equipment and soldiers from Yuan Shang, declaring his intention to pursue Cao Cao across the river. Yuan Shang refused. Yuan Tan's advisors, Guo Tu and Xin Ping, claimed that this was Shen Pei's idea. Yuan Tan attacked Yuan Shang, was defeated, and fled to Nanpi. Yuan Tan's advisors Guo Tu and Xin Pi fled, while Xin Pi's brother Xin Ping was arrested. Liu Biao wrote a letter to Yuan Tan urging him to reconcile with Yuan Shang. Yuan Tan reportedly shed tears after reading it, but still refused to accept. Yuan Tan was subsequently besieged by Yuan Shang in Pingyuan, forcing him to send his advisor, Xin Pi, to Cao Cao for help. Cao Cao expressed his doubts about Yuan Tan's intentions to Xin Pi, but Xin Pi directly declared that this was Cao Cao's opportunity to conquer Hebei.
Siege of Ye[]
In 204, after crossing the river and defeating some of Yuan Shang's generals, Cao Cao renewed his siege of Ye, the Yuan capital. Shen Pei, the defender, successfully thwarted two attempts at defection. Cao Cao began digging shallow trenches around Ye. Shen Pei, dismissing this as ridiculous, ignored the attack. Overnight, Cao Cao significantly expanded the trenches and flooded them with river water. With the city isolated, many residents starved to death in the later stages of the siege.
Yuan Shang decided to abandon the siege against Yuan Tan and rescue Ye. He sent his subordinate, Li Fu, to inform Shen Pei. Li Fu, posing as an overseer, beat and tied up Cao Cao's soldiers, creating an opening to infiltrate the city. After conferring with Shen Pei, Shen Pei released a large number of civilians, and Li Fu escaped among them. Cao Cao laughed heartily upon hearing Li Fu's ruse.
Cao Cao's subordinates argued that, according to the theory of Sun Tzu, Yuan Shang's army, which was rescuing Ye, was in a desperate situation and would fight fiercely, so they should avoid engaging them. Cao Cao declared that if Yuan Shang came by the main road, he would indeed be unable to engage Yuan Shang, but if Yuan Shang came by the mountain road (expecting the assistance of Gao Gan), Yuan Shang could be defeated. As Cao Cao expected, Yuan Shang failed to put himself in danger and headed towards Ye from the northern mountain road.
According to the pre-planned plan, Yuan Shang and Shen Pei attacked Cao Cao from both sides, but Cao Cao still defeated them. Cao Cao pursued Yuan Shang, who sent envoys Yin Kui and Chen Lin to seek peace, but Cao Cao refused. Cao Cao continued to pursue Yuan Shang, and Yuan Shang was defeated again. His generals Ma Yan and Zhang Yi surrendered. Cao Cao seized Yuan Shang's seals, tokens, and axes—symbols of power.
Cao Cao displayed Yuan Shang's belongings to the Ye defenders, informing them that their lord had been defeated. Shen Pei continued to motivate the soldiers, declaring that Yuan Xi would soon arrive to provide assistance. Shen Pei also attempted to snipe Cao Cao with his archers, nearly hitting him. Ultimately, Shen Pei's nephew, Shen Rong, surrendered to Cao Cao and opened the city gates to allow Cao Cao's troops to enter. Shen Pei blamed his failure on Xin Pi, who had asked Cao Cao for help, and executed Xin Pi's brother Xin Ping and his family. Shen Pei was subsequently captured in street fighting. Some records claim that he was found by soldiers after hiding in a well, but the Southern Dynasty historian Pei Songzhi believed that Shen Pei, known for his strong character, would not have acted in such a cowardly manner.
Because of Shen Pei's previous behavior, many of those who had surrendered to Cao Cao took the opportunity to humiliate him. Xin Pi was so angry about his brother's murder that he beat Shen Pei with a whip. Cao Cao attempted to persuade Shen Pei to surrender, but he refused. Xin Pi and others begged Cao Cao for revenge, leading to Shen Pei's execution. Cao Cao wept and paid respects at Yuan Shao's tomb, offering condolences to Yuan Shao's family. Cao Pi, while invading Yuan Shao's residence, took possession of Yuan Xi's wife, Lady Zhen. Kong Rong mocked Cao Cao, claiming that "after King Wu (of Zhou Kingdom) defeated King Zhou (Dixin of Yin Dynasty), he gave Daji to the Duke of Zhou" (In traditional records, Daji was a vicious woman who bewitched Dixin, leading to her execution after the fall of the Yin Dynasty).
Battle of Nanpi[]
After Yuan Shang's defeat, Yuan Tan aggressively expanded his territory. Cao Cao, in turn, accused Yuan Tan of not assisting in the war and breaking the alliance. Yuan Tan eventually retreated his forces to Nanpi. Wuhuan Cliff King Supuyan planned to send cavalry to support Yuan Tan and join forces with Gongsun Kang against Cao Cao. Cao Cao dispatched Qian Zhao, a former follower of Yuan Shang, as an envoy to angrily rebuke Gongsun Kang's envoy, Han Zhong, declaring that Gongsun Kang and his men should be executed for their crimes against the Han dynasty. This successfully intimidated the Cliff King into withdrawing his reinforcements. Cao Cao and Yuan Tan engaged in a stalemate at Nanpi. Cao Cao briefly considered withdrawing his troops, but Cao Chun persuaded him to continue fighting, ultimately defeating and executing Yuan Tan and Guo Tu.
You Province Mutiny[]
Gao Gan who had nominally surrendered to Cao Cao refused to accept Yuan Shang. Yuan Shang then sought refuge with Yuan Xi, but Yuan Xi's subordinates Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan staged a coup and expelled the Yuan brothers. Jiao Chu summoned the generals of You Province and demanded a blood oath to pledge allegiance to Cao Cao, threatening execution for those who refused. Han Heng refused to participate, but Jiao Chu, declaring that "a major event doesn't depend on just one person," allowed Han Heng to escape unharmed.
Siege of Hu Pass[]
In 205, remnants of the Yuan clan joined forces with the Wuhuan, killed Cao Cao's newly appointed governor of You Province (some believe it was Jiao Chu, but artifacts indicate a high-ranking officer named Chu existed in Cao Pi's reign), and laid siege to the garrisoned Xianyu Fu. Cao Cao personally went to suppress the rebellion. Upon learning of Cao Cao's departure, Gao Gan sent troops to attack Ye city, but the defending general Xun Yan executed his accomplices. Gao Gan retreated to Hu Pass, where Cao Cao sent Li Dian and Yue Jin to siege the castle, but failed to capture it.
In January 206, Cao Cao personally attacked Hu Pass. Cao Cao's poems describe the harshness and coldness of the area, necessitating the use of ice cut for water. Cao Cao also ordered a halt to the use of mountain water sources to prevent epidemics. Gao Gan sought support from the Xiongnu Chanyu Huchuquan, but was refused. Cao Cao ordered the execution of all prisoners after the capture of the Hu Pass, leading Gao Gan's troops to resist stubbornly for a month. Cao Ren pointed out that according to military theory, during a siege, one should offer escape routes to lower morale, so Cao Cao rescinded the order and surrendered the defenders. Gao Gan led a small number of his closest associates in an attempt to defect to Liu Biao, but was arrested and executed on the way by Wang Yan, a low-ranking official of Cao Cao.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms[]
The Battle of Cangting, briefly described in history, was expanded into a lengthy chapter, claiming that Cao Cao once again defeated Yuan Shao's army using the "Ten-Sided Ambush" tactic.
The family of Xin Ping executed by Shen Pei was changed from Xin Pi's to Xin Ping's, and the cause of Xin Ping's death was altered to indicate that he died of anger after learning that his brother had defected to Cao Cao. The reason for Shen Rong's surrender, which was not historically mentioned, was attributed to sympathy for Xin Pi.
Yuan Tan was portrayed as a villain who forced civilians to serve as human shields against Cao Cao.
The person who betrayed Yuan Xi in You Province and swore a blood oath was attributed to a "Wuhuan Chu", a punctuation error in the author's reading of historical sources.