Gongsun Yuan

The Liaoning Province (light green) under the rule of the Gongsun family (190-238). The hatched area marks the family's sphere of influence from 204 onwards.

Gongsun Yuan ( Chinese  公孫淵 , Pinyin Gōngsūn Yuān ; † 238 ) was a Chinese warlord in Liaoning and northern Korea .

He was born the son of Gongsun Kang , the governor of Liaodong: Xuantu , Lelang and Daifang . After his death in 221, his uncle Gongsun Gong took control, but he was found to be an incompetent ruler, and Gongsun Yuan took control in 228.

At that time China was divided into three empires: the Wei empire in the north, the Wu empire in the southeast, and the Shu Han empire in the southwest. Gongsun Yuan was nominally a subordinate of Cao Rui , the Wei Emperor, but Sun Quan of Wu tried very hard for him, so Gongsun Yuan considered switching sides. But under pressure from Cao Rui, Gongsun Yuan killed the Wu envoys, some of whom escaped to Goguryeo and allied with the oppressed population there. Together with Wu, they prepared an attack on Gongsun Yuan.

During this crisis, Cao Rui decided to oust the Gongsun family. In 237 he sent General Wuqiu Jian with Chinese, Wuhuan and Xianbei troops, who, however, had to break off the campaign due to a flood. Gongsun Yuan proclaimed himself king of Yan and allied himself with Wu. The next year, Wuqiu Jian and Sima Yi moved to Liaodong again and defeated Gongsun Yuan's general Bei Yan . They killed Gongsun Yuan and wiped out his family. The Wei empire conquered Liaodong and northwestern Korea.