Xiahou Yuan

Xiahou Yuan ( Chinese  夏侯淵  /  夏侯渊 , Pinyin Xiàhóu Yuān , W.-G. Hsiahou Yuan , majority name Miaocai 妙 才 ; † 219 ), was a general of the powerful warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and in the run-up to the Time of the Three Rich in ancient China . Thanks to his decisiveness and caution, he emerged victorious from many campaigns and is considered one of the most famous generals of the Wei dynasty .

Xiahou Yuan was killed in battle against Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong in the Battle of Dingjun Mountain . He was posthumously awarded the title of Marquis Min ( Chinese  愍 侯  - "sympathetic marquis").

Life

Xiahou Yuan was born in Qiao District (谯, now Bozhou , Anhui ). Even then, he and Cao Cao were good friends. The Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms tells that Xiahou Yuan once covered Cao Cao when Cao Cao committed an crime.

In 190 Cao Cao raised an army to join the coalition against Dong Zhuo , who controlled the young Emperor Xian . Xiahou Yuan and his older cousin Xiahou Dun joined Cao Cao and remained loyal to him on many campaigns even after Dong Zhuo's fall.

After the Battle of Guandu (200), Xiahou Yuan was responsible for supplying the troops in Yanzhou (兖 州), Yuzhou (豫州) and Xuzhou (徐州). Cao Cao's forces were closely monitored to prepare quickly for the great campaigns ahead.

In 213 Ma Chao besieged the city of Ji (冀, east of today's Gangu , Gansu ) in Liangzhou (凉 洲). Xiahou Yuan led a relief army to the city, but Ma Chao captured it before Xiahou Yuan arrived. Ma Chao moved against Xiahou Yuan, so that he had to retreat east to Chang'an . A year later, Ma Chao attacked Mount Qi (祁山, qi shan ). Xiahou Yuan saw that it would take too long to ask for help from Cao Cao, who was in Ye . Against the resistance of many officers, he took the initiative and sent Zhang He out with a 5,000-strong engineer force . He himself followed with the supplies. By the time Xiahou Yuan arrived at Mount Qi, Zhang He had already defeated Ma Chao.

After this victory, Xiahou Yuan prepared for the offensive against Ma Chao's former general Han Sui , who quickly retreated west. Xiahou Yuan followed him to Lueyang (略阳). Han Sui's army was a thrown together group consisting mostly of members of the Qiang tribes near Changli (长 离). Xiahou Yuan took advantage of this and attacked Changli to lure Han Sui out of his fortress. He left his supplies behind and launched a mock attack on the city with a small band. As expected, Han Sui immediately came with his entire army to protect the Qiang tribe. His force outnumbered the Xiahou Yuans. However, Xiahou Yuan decided against building fortifications so as not to strain his exhausted warriors. He ordered an immediate attack and, with reinforcements from the hinterland, managed to defeat Han Sui.

After defeating Han Sui, Xiahou Yuan eliminated the last resistance in the region. In 215 most of the Qiang tribes surrendered to him. Cao Cao showered his general with praise and quoted Confucius , "I couldn't have done this as well as you." The smaller Qiang tribes were so impressed with Xiahou Yuan that Cao Cao only had to name his general and were there she meek.

In 216 the warlord Zhang Lu gave the Hanzhong region to Cao Cao. It represented the strategically most important area between the territory of Liu Beis and Cao Cao. Cao Cao entrusted Xiahou Yuan with the defense of Hanzhong. The following year, Liu Bei attacked and his army encountered Xiahou Yuan at Yanping Pass. The fighting remained fruitless for more than a year. But in the end, Liu Bei managed to set fire to the stockade wall in front of Xiahou Yuan's camp at the foot of Mount Dingjun. Xiahou Yuan ordered Zhang He to defend the camp in the east, but Liu Bei harassed him with his entire force, and Zhang He was overwhelmed. Xiahou Yuan went out to support him, but a raid squad led by Huang Zhong attacked him from the flank. Xiahou Yuan fell, and Hanzhong Wei was lost for decades. It was not until 263 that Deng Ai's campaign , which destroyed the Shu empire, returned to Wei's power.

After his death, Xiahou Yuan received the posthumous title of Marquis Ming (愍 侯, sympathetic marquis ).

Offspring

• Xiahou Heng (夏侯 衡)
  • Xiahou Ji (夏侯 绩)
    • Xiahou Bao (夏侯 褒)
• Xiahou Ba (夏侯霸)
• Xiahou Chen (夏侯 称)
• Xiahou Wei (夏侯 威)
  • Xiahou Jun (夏侯 骏)
  • Xiahou Zhuang (夏侯 庄)
    • Xiahou Zhan (夏侯 湛)
• Xiahou Rong (夏侯 荣)
• Xiahou Hui (夏侯 惠)
• Xiahou He (夏侯 和)

Adaptation

In the KOEI game series Dynasty Warriors , Xiahou Yuan wears either a large sword (parts 2-3) or a mighty staff with thorns (parts 4-5 and 6). He has a very offensive fighting style, which is also reflected in his being. He always has elaborately decorated armor and a potbelly. His hair and beard color is black, while his skin is slightly brownish.

In Dynasty Tactics 1-2, he looks like Yuan Shao in Dynasty Warriors, which is very confusing. In these games he does not play a very important role, but is also well versed in the art of lightning attacks.

Web links

Commons : Xiahou Yuan  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Family Trees Cao and Xiahou (English)