Battle of Nanpi
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Nanpi happened in the first month of 205, during the period known as the end of the Han Dynasty. The battle spelled the annihilation of Yuan Tan
, one of Yuan Shao
's sons vying to succeed their father, by their common enemy Cao Cao
, one of the serving Three Ducal Ministers. Having already dealt a major blow to another son Yuan Shang
, Cao Cao's victory at Nanpi gave him uncontested control of the North China Plain
, while the remnant Yuan power blocs were chased further north.
by Cao Cao in 200. Two years later, he died, leaving his expansive territories of Ji province (冀州), Qing province (青州), Bing province
, and You province
to his three sons and a nephew: Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi
, Yuan Shang, and Gao Gan
. Although the eldest son was expected to succeed his father, Yuan Shang's supporters forged a document declaring the youngest son, him, as the successor. Yuan Tan, predictably resentful, rebelled against Yuan Shang after fending off Cao Cao's invasion together
in 203. Yuan Tan had wanted to take the Yuan family headquarters of Ye
, but Yuan Shang defeated the besiegers chased them three hundred kilometers away to Nanpi
, the capital of Bohai commandery (渤海郡). The commandery was north of Qing province, where Yuan Tan had held the title of Inspector (刺史) since his father's time. Here he was joined by his former subordinates such as Wang Xiu
and Guan Tong (管統), but at the same time some of them rebelled against him under Liu Xun (劉詢) - Yuan Tan's foothold in Nanpi could hardly have been stable.
In the autumn of 202, Cao Cao waged war against the Yuans' ally Liu Biao
to his south, part of a strategy to let the Yuan brothers tire themselves out. Taking advantage of Cao Cao's apparent absence, Yuan Shang marched his men to Nanpi and defeated Yuan Tan there. Yuan Tan fled south into Qing province, to Pingyuan
. Though it was Yuan Tan's former domain, Qing province had been slowly encroached by Cao Cao's general Zang Ba
. So when Yuan Shang followed up his attack by laying siege to Pingyuan, Yuan Tan could not expect much help within his province. Yuan Tan's key advisor Guo Tu
summarized the situation and proposed an unlikely alliance:
Guo Tu's proposal was a marked departure from the calls for reconciliation by Wang Xiu and Liu Biao, and though Yuan Tan was initially reluctant to act on this advice, he soon sent Xin Pi
to negotiate with his father's nemesis.
When Xin Pi reached Xiping (西平), Cao Cao's staging post for his planned attack on Liu Biao, Cao Cao consulted with his advisors on how to react to the current situation. Xun Yu
reasoned that Liu Biao was not ambitious enough to be a threat, so the time was right to take advantage of the Yuan family feud before the brothers reunite. Cao Cao agreed in principle, but was unsure of Yuan Tan's sincerity in an alliance. Now Xin Pi revealed his true colours, and reasoned that Cao Cao need not worry about Yuan Tan's intentions as long as the Yuan brothers remained at odds, since Cao Cao could easily triumph over their armies separately. Cao Cao, now happily convinced, turned his army north and crossed the Yellow River by the end of 203, also arranging to have one of his sons Cao Zheng (曹整) marry a daughter of Yuan Tan. Yuan Shang hurriedly led his army from Pingyang back to Ye in response to the new alliance, while some of Yuan Shang's officers like Lü Xiang
and Lü Kuang
fled over to Cao Cao. The Lüs were rewarded with enfeoffment, but Yuan Tan offered them seals in an attempt to persuade them to join him instead. This was regarded as Yuan Tan's first breach of trust, but Cao Cao took no action at this point.
Cao Cao made preparations to attack Ye in the year 204. Seemingly oblivious to this threat, Yuan Shang led another attempt to subdue Yuan Tan. Although Yuan Shang eventually returned with a relief force of 10,000 men when Cao Cao actually laid siege to Ye
, Cao Cao had no trouble crushing his army and sent him fleeing north to Zhongshan commandery (中山郡); and in September, the city of Ye capitulated. Yuan Tan, now unchecked by his brother, marched north from Pingyuan and took the commanderies of Ganling (甘陵), Anping (安平), Bohai, and Hejian (河間), culminating in an assault in Zhongshan that drove Yuan Shang out of Ji province. At this point Cao Cao, having no more use for the alliance, accused Yuan Tan of not doing his part in the siege of Ye and only sought to further his own ends. The accusation was followed by the cancellation of the alliance, the returning of Yuan Tan's daughter, and the movement of troops into Yuan Tan's territories at the beginning of 205.
tribe to the north under Supuyan (蘇僕延) prepared a force of 5,000 horsemen to help Yuan Tan. Cao Cao's envoy to the Wuhuan Qian Zhao (牽招) made an impressive show of force against a rival envoy at Supuyan's court and successfully convinced the Wuhuan king to disband the relief force.
In the next month, Cao Cao turned north to attack Nanpi and Yuan Tan came out to fight. The casualties were high on both sides, and Cao Cao contemplated a temporary truce. Cao Chun
, the head of Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry (虎豹騎) force, dissuaded him from taking such a decision, apparently aware of Cao Cao's difficulties that Guo Tu had pointed out to Yuan Tan:
Cao Cao agreed and ordered an aggressive strike. Cao Chun personally beat the drums to lead his soldiers in attack, and routed Yuan Tan's army before they had a chance to regroup. Yuan Tan himself fell off his horse while fleeing Cao Chun's men, and in a desperate bid to save himself, he turned to his pursuer and pled: "Tut! Spare me, I can make you wealthy." It was recorded that he was beheaded before he finished talking. With the death of Yuan Tan, Cao Cao captured Nanpi.
The fall of Nanpi, combined with the previous capture of Ye, ousted the Yuan clan from the Ji province and hence confirmed Cao Cao's authority over the North China Plain. The Heishan bandits
confederacy leader Zhang Yan fully submitted to Cao Cao, as with most local officials who previously served the Yuan family. Guan Tong held out in Le'an commandery (樂安) of Qing province and refused to surrender, and Cao Cao ordered Wang Xiu, who submitted to Cao Cao after arriving too late to save Yuan Tan, to kill him. Wang Xiu, however, argued that Guan Tong was being a loyal servant to a fallen state, and a pleased Cao Cao pardoned Guan Tong and took Wang Xiu onto his staff. With the two provinces of Ji and Qing under his control, Cao Cao took the advice of his advisor Guo Jia
and invited local gentry leaders to join his administration. He also suppressed private feuding and vendetta, while also setting some sumptuary law
s forbidding excessive funerary rites, over-extravagant tomb constructions, and the erection of stele
s.
Further north, Yuan Shang sought refuge with his second brother Yuan Xi, who was the Inspector of You Province. Even in the northern province of You, there were some who saw the turn of the tide. Wang Song (王松) in Zhuo commandery (涿郡) and Xianyu Fu (鮮于輔) in Yuyang commandery (漁陽郡) pledged allegiance to Cao Cao, while in Yuan Xi's headquarters he was faced with internal mutiny by Jiao Chu (焦觸) and Zhang Nan (張南). Jiao Chu succeeded in driving away the Yuan brothers, proclaimed himself the Inspector of You Province in Yuan Xi's place, and led many local officials to go over to Cao Cao. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang fled northeast to their allies the Wuhuan, who soon attacked Xianyu Fu in Gongping (獷平; northeast of present-day Miyun) in support of the Yuans. Another source of opposition to Cao Cao was found in Zhao Du (趙犢) and Huo Nu (霍奴), local leaders apparently sympathetic to the Yuans, who attacked and killed the Grand Adminstrator of Zhuo and the Inspector of You. By autumn 205, after settling Ji province, Cao Cao came north to destroy Zhao Du and Huo Nu, and relieved Xianyu Fu from the Wuhuan. The Wuhuan remained a threat, but Cao Cao had no opportunity to deal with them as the recently surrendered Gao Gan in Bing province rebelled, perhaps inspired by the hope that the support from the Wuhuan may reverse the Yuan family's fortunes. Cao Cao defeated Gao Gan for good in 206, and it would be late 207 before he had decisively crushed the united forces of the Yuan family and the Wuhuan
and become the uncontested power in northern China.
Yuan Tan
Yuan Tan was the oldest son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Tan split with his youngest brother Yuan Shang over the successorship to their father's realm. Yuan Tan sought help from the warlord Cao Cao and defeated Yuan...
, one of Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
's sons vying to succeed their father, by their common enemy Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
, one of the serving Three Ducal Ministers. Having already dealt a major blow to another son Yuan Shang
Yuán Shàng
Yuan Shang , style name Xianfu , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the third son of the warlord Yuan Shao, and succeeded his father...
, Cao Cao's victory at Nanpi gave him uncontested control of the North China Plain
North China Plain
The North China Plain is based on the deposits of the Yellow River and is the largest alluvial plain of eastern Asia. The plain is bordered on the north by the Yanshan Mountains and on the west by the Taihang Mountains edge of the Shanxi plateau. To the south, it merges into the Yangtze Plain...
, while the remnant Yuan power blocs were chased further north.
Background
Yuan Shao, the powerful warlord of northern China, had been decisively defeated at the Battle of GuanduBattle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was a military conflict between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle, which concluded with victory for Cao Cao, was a turning point in the war between the two warlords...
by Cao Cao in 200. Two years later, he died, leaving his expansive territories of Ji province (冀州), Qing province (青州), Bing province
Bing (province)
Bing was a province of China during the Han Dynasty, in the approximate area of modern Shanxi and western Hebei. At the end of the Han Dynasty, during a succession dispute among heirs of Yuan Shao , Bing was one of the first provinces to come under control of the warlord Cao Cao...
, and You province
Youzhou
Youzhou is a historical place name in northern China. From the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty in 106 BC to the Five Dynasties period in the 10th century AD, Youzhou generally referred to the prefecture around modern-day Beijing and parts of Hebei Province...
to his three sons and a nephew: Yuan Tan, Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi was the second son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Yuan was described in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as "intelligent but weak and indecisive", in contrast to his older brother Yuan Tan, who was described as...
, Yuan Shang, and Gao Gan
Gao Gan
Gao Gan was a governor of Bing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a nephew of the warlord Yuan Shao and a cousin of Gao Rou. After the dissolution of the coalition against Dong Zhuo, warlords all across China returned to their respective territories...
. Although the eldest son was expected to succeed his father, Yuan Shang's supporters forged a document declaring the youngest son, him, as the successor. Yuan Tan, predictably resentful, rebelled against Yuan Shang after fending off Cao Cao's invasion together
Battle of Ye
The Battle of Ye of 204 took place during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and Yuan Shang, son and successor of Cao Cao's rival Yuan Shao, in the Yuan clan's headquarters Ye...
in 203. Yuan Tan had wanted to take the Yuan family headquarters of Ye
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
, but Yuan Shang defeated the besiegers chased them three hundred kilometers away to Nanpi
Nanpi County
Nanpi County is a county of Hebei, China. It is under the administration of Cangzhou City.-Administrative Divisions:Towns:*Nanpi Town , Pingjiakou , Zhaizi , Baoguantun , Wangsi , Wumaying Townships:...
, the capital of Bohai commandery (渤海郡). The commandery was north of Qing province, where Yuan Tan had held the title of Inspector (刺史) since his father's time. Here he was joined by his former subordinates such as Wang Xiu
Wang Xiu
Wang Xiu, style name Shuzhi , originally named Wang Xiu , was a minister serving under the warlord Yuan Tan of Qing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. After the death of Yuan, Wang defied Cao Cao's orders and showed much grief over the death of Yuan. Impressed with the...
and Guan Tong (管統), but at the same time some of them rebelled against him under Liu Xun (劉詢) - Yuan Tan's foothold in Nanpi could hardly have been stable.
In the autumn of 202, Cao Cao waged war against the Yuans' ally Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
to his south, part of a strategy to let the Yuan brothers tire themselves out. Taking advantage of Cao Cao's apparent absence, Yuan Shang marched his men to Nanpi and defeated Yuan Tan there. Yuan Tan fled south into Qing province, to Pingyuan
Pingyuan County, Shandong
Pingyuan County is a county of northwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It is administered by Dezhou City. It has an area of .- History :...
. Though it was Yuan Tan's former domain, Qing province had been slowly encroached by Cao Cao's general Zang Ba
Zang Ba
Zang Ba was a general during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the warlord Tao Qian initially, followed by Lü Bu and finally Cao Cao and his successors, but for the most part of his career, he remained semi-autonomous over his troops and eastern China...
. So when Yuan Shang followed up his attack by laying siege to Pingyuan, Yuan Tan could not expect much help within his province. Yuan Tan's key advisor Guo Tu
Guo Tu
Guo Tu was an advisor to the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Yuan often sought his advice for civil and military decisions.-Serving Yuan Shao:...
summarized the situation and proposed an unlikely alliance:
Guo Tu's proposal was a marked departure from the calls for reconciliation by Wang Xiu and Liu Biao, and though Yuan Tan was initially reluctant to act on this advice, he soon sent Xin Pi
Xin Pi
Xin Pi, style name Zuozhi , was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He originally served the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period. He had an older brother, Xin Ping. He switched allegiance to Cao Cao after Yuan's defeat and served as a...
to negotiate with his father's nemesis.
When Xin Pi reached Xiping (西平), Cao Cao's staging post for his planned attack on Liu Biao, Cao Cao consulted with his advisors on how to react to the current situation. Xun Yu
Xun Yu
Xun Yu was a strategist and statesman who served as an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early life:...
reasoned that Liu Biao was not ambitious enough to be a threat, so the time was right to take advantage of the Yuan family feud before the brothers reunite. Cao Cao agreed in principle, but was unsure of Yuan Tan's sincerity in an alliance. Now Xin Pi revealed his true colours, and reasoned that Cao Cao need not worry about Yuan Tan's intentions as long as the Yuan brothers remained at odds, since Cao Cao could easily triumph over their armies separately. Cao Cao, now happily convinced, turned his army north and crossed the Yellow River by the end of 203, also arranging to have one of his sons Cao Zheng (曹整) marry a daughter of Yuan Tan. Yuan Shang hurriedly led his army from Pingyang back to Ye in response to the new alliance, while some of Yuan Shang's officers like Lü Xiang
Lu Xiang
Lü Xiang was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the brother of Lü Kuang, who also served under Yuan Shao. The brothers surrendered to Cao Cao after Yuan Shao's death. They joined Cao Cao's general Cao Ren in attacking...
and Lü Kuang
Lü Kuang
Lü Kuang was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the brother of Lü Xiang, who also served under Yuan Shao.-In fiction:...
fled over to Cao Cao. The Lüs were rewarded with enfeoffment, but Yuan Tan offered them seals in an attempt to persuade them to join him instead. This was regarded as Yuan Tan's first breach of trust, but Cao Cao took no action at this point.
Cao Cao made preparations to attack Ye in the year 204. Seemingly oblivious to this threat, Yuan Shang led another attempt to subdue Yuan Tan. Although Yuan Shang eventually returned with a relief force of 10,000 men when Cao Cao actually laid siege to Ye
Battle of Ye
The Battle of Ye of 204 took place during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. It was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and Yuan Shang, son and successor of Cao Cao's rival Yuan Shao, in the Yuan clan's headquarters Ye...
, Cao Cao had no trouble crushing his army and sent him fleeing north to Zhongshan commandery (中山郡); and in September, the city of Ye capitulated. Yuan Tan, now unchecked by his brother, marched north from Pingyuan and took the commanderies of Ganling (甘陵), Anping (安平), Bohai, and Hejian (河間), culminating in an assault in Zhongshan that drove Yuan Shang out of Ji province. At this point Cao Cao, having no more use for the alliance, accused Yuan Tan of not doing his part in the siege of Ye and only sought to further his own ends. The accusation was followed by the cancellation of the alliance, the returning of Yuan Tan's daughter, and the movement of troops into Yuan Tan's territories at the beginning of 205.
Battle
Yuan Tan pitched camp at Longcou (龍湊) after his conquests, positioning himself between Pingyuan and Nanpi against Cao Cao. Despite his recent achievements, he had only reestablished himself in the northern part of Ji province for a few weeks at most and could not have held Longcou and Nanpi securely. When Cao Cao brought his army forth to Longcou, Yuan Tan fled the position and retreated to Nanpi at night, where he set up camp on the nearby Qing River (清河). Yuan Tan's retreat left Pingyuan undefended, and Cao Cao entered the city and established control over its counties. At this time, another of the Yuan clan's traditional allies, the WuhuanWuhuan
The Wuhuan were a proto-Mongolic nomadic people who inhabited northern China, in what is now the provinces of Hebei, Liaoning, Shanxi, the municipality of Beijing and the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia....
tribe to the north under Supuyan (蘇僕延) prepared a force of 5,000 horsemen to help Yuan Tan. Cao Cao's envoy to the Wuhuan Qian Zhao (牽招) made an impressive show of force against a rival envoy at Supuyan's court and successfully convinced the Wuhuan king to disband the relief force.
In the next month, Cao Cao turned north to attack Nanpi and Yuan Tan came out to fight. The casualties were high on both sides, and Cao Cao contemplated a temporary truce. Cao Chun
Cao Chun
Cao Chun was a cavalry general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He commanded the elite mounted force – the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry – in several campaigns against Yuan Tan, Tadun and Liu Bei.-Biography:Cao Chun was a younger...
, the head of Cao Cao's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry (虎豹騎) force, dissuaded him from taking such a decision, apparently aware of Cao Cao's difficulties that Guo Tu had pointed out to Yuan Tan:
Cao Cao agreed and ordered an aggressive strike. Cao Chun personally beat the drums to lead his soldiers in attack, and routed Yuan Tan's army before they had a chance to regroup. Yuan Tan himself fell off his horse while fleeing Cao Chun's men, and in a desperate bid to save himself, he turned to his pursuer and pled: "Tut! Spare me, I can make you wealthy." It was recorded that he was beheaded before he finished talking. With the death of Yuan Tan, Cao Cao captured Nanpi.
Aftermath
As Cao Cao entered the city, he heeded the advice of Li Fu (李孚), the newly surrendered Registrar of Ji Province (冀州主簿), to not sack the city, and sent Li Fu to announce to the populace that business should carry on as usual. However, Cao Cao was not as merciful towards Yuan Tan's chief associates — Guo Tu and the other leaders were summarily executed along with their families, while Yuan Tan's own family may have shared the same fate.The fall of Nanpi, combined with the previous capture of Ye, ousted the Yuan clan from the Ji province and hence confirmed Cao Cao's authority over the North China Plain. The Heishan bandits
Heishan bandits
The Heishan bandits or Black Mountain bandits was a bandit confederacy in the Taihang Mountain range during the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China...
confederacy leader Zhang Yan fully submitted to Cao Cao, as with most local officials who previously served the Yuan family. Guan Tong held out in Le'an commandery (樂安) of Qing province and refused to surrender, and Cao Cao ordered Wang Xiu, who submitted to Cao Cao after arriving too late to save Yuan Tan, to kill him. Wang Xiu, however, argued that Guan Tong was being a loyal servant to a fallen state, and a pleased Cao Cao pardoned Guan Tong and took Wang Xiu onto his staff. With the two provinces of Ji and Qing under his control, Cao Cao took the advice of his advisor Guo Jia
Guo Jia
Guo Jia was a strategist and advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. During his 11 years of service, Guo Jia's brilliance greatly aided Cao Cao in his victories over rival warlords Lü Bu and Yuan Shao, as well as chief of the Wuhuan tribe, Tadun...
and invited local gentry leaders to join his administration. He also suppressed private feuding and vendetta, while also setting some sumptuary law
Sumptuary law
Sumptuary laws are laws that attempt to regulate habits of consumption. Black's Law Dictionary defines them as "Laws made for the purpose of restraining luxury or extravagance, particularly against inordinate expenditures in the matter of apparel, food, furniture, etc." Traditionally, they were...
s forbidding excessive funerary rites, over-extravagant tomb constructions, and the erection of stele
Stele
A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...
s.
Further north, Yuan Shang sought refuge with his second brother Yuan Xi, who was the Inspector of You Province. Even in the northern province of You, there were some who saw the turn of the tide. Wang Song (王松) in Zhuo commandery (涿郡) and Xianyu Fu (鮮于輔) in Yuyang commandery (漁陽郡) pledged allegiance to Cao Cao, while in Yuan Xi's headquarters he was faced with internal mutiny by Jiao Chu (焦觸) and Zhang Nan (張南). Jiao Chu succeeded in driving away the Yuan brothers, proclaimed himself the Inspector of You Province in Yuan Xi's place, and led many local officials to go over to Cao Cao. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang fled northeast to their allies the Wuhuan, who soon attacked Xianyu Fu in Gongping (獷平; northeast of present-day Miyun) in support of the Yuans. Another source of opposition to Cao Cao was found in Zhao Du (趙犢) and Huo Nu (霍奴), local leaders apparently sympathetic to the Yuans, who attacked and killed the Grand Adminstrator of Zhuo and the Inspector of You. By autumn 205, after settling Ji province, Cao Cao came north to destroy Zhao Du and Huo Nu, and relieved Xianyu Fu from the Wuhuan. The Wuhuan remained a threat, but Cao Cao had no opportunity to deal with them as the recently surrendered Gao Gan in Bing province rebelled, perhaps inspired by the hope that the support from the Wuhuan may reverse the Yuan family's fortunes. Cao Cao defeated Gao Gan for good in 206, and it would be late 207 before he had decisively crushed the united forces of the Yuan family and the Wuhuan
Battle of White Wolf Mountain
The Battle of White Wolf Mountain was a battle fought in 207 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle took place in northern China, beyond the frontiers of the ruling Later Han Dynasty. It was fought between the warlord Cao Cao and the nomadic Wuhuan tribes,...
and become the uncontested power in northern China.