Xiahou Yuan

Xiahou Yuan (died 219), style name Miaocai, was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He is known for his exploits in northwestern China in the 210s, where he defeated Cao Cao's rivals Ma Chao and Han Sui in Liang Province and the surrounding areas, and forced several Di and Qiang tribal peoples into submission through military force. He was killed in action at the Battle of Mount Dingjun while defending Hanzhong from attacks by a rival warlord Liu Bei. Xiahou Yuan's death was highly dramatised in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, in which he was slain by Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong during a surprise raid.

Early life and career
Xiahou Yuan was a native of Qiao (譙) in the Pei state (沛國), which is in present-day Bozhou, Anhui. He was a younger cousin of Xiahou Dun and a descendant of Xiahou Ying, who served under the Han Dynasty's founder Liu Bang (Emperor Gao). Cao Cao once committed a serious offence and Xiahou Yuan helped him shoulder the blame. Cao Cao later saved him. When a famine broke out in Yan and Yu provinces, Xiahou Yuan and his family were adversely affected, and he decided to abandon his youngest son in favour of his deceased younger brother's orphaned daughter.

In 190, when Cao Cao was raising an army to join the campaign against Dong Zhuo, Xiahou Yuan joined Cao and became a Major of Separate Command (別部司馬) and Cavalry Commandant (騎都尉) under Cao. He was subsequently appointed as the Administrator (太守) of Chenliu (陳留) and Yingchuan (潁川).

Mid career
In 200, when Cao Cao clashed with his rival Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu, Xiahou Yuan took up the appointment of acting-"Colonel Who Inspects the Army" (督軍校尉). After Cao Cao's victory over Yuan Shao, Xiahou Yuan was put in charge of overseeing the transport of provisions from Yan, Yu and Xu provinces (all in central China) to Cao Cao's armies at the frontline in northern China. Cao Cao's forces was lacking food supplies at that time, but Xiahou Yuan was able to deliver the supplies in time and this helped to boost the men's morale.

In 206, Chang Xi (昌狶) started a rebellion, so Cao Cao sent Yu Jin to lead an army to suppress the revolt. Yu Jin was unsuccessful, so Cao Cao ordered Xiahou Yuan to join Yu Jin in a second expedition against Chang Xi. They defeated the rebels this time and captured over 10 enemy garrisons while Chang Xi surrendered to Yu Jin. Xiahou Yuan was appointed as "Colonel Who Arranges the Army" (典軍校尉) after his success. Xiahou Yuan was known for the swift movements of his units in battle, often taking his enemies by surprise, and there was a saying in Cao Cao's army to describe this: "Xiahou Yuan, the Colonel Who Arranges the Army, travels 500 li in three days and 1,000 li in six days."

In 207, Yellow Turban rebels in Jinan (濟南) and Yue'an (樂安), led by Xu He (徐和) and Sima Ju (司馬俱), attacked cities and killed officials. Xiahou Yuan led military forces from Taishan (泰山), Qi (齊) and Pingyuan (平原) commanderies to attack the rebels. He defeated them, killed Xu He, and pacified the various counties in the region. He also collected the enemy's food supplies and had them distributed among his own troops.

In 209, after Cao Cao returned from his defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs against the allied forces of Sun Quan and Liu Bei, he ordered Xiahou Yuan to lead an assault on Lei Xu (雷緒), who had started a revolt in Lujiang (廬江). After defeating Lei Xu, Xiahou Yuan was appointed as acting-"Protector of the Army Who Attacks the West" (征西護軍) and was sent together with Xu Huang to attack rebels in Taiyuan (太原). They conquered over 20 enemy camps, killed the rebel chief Shang Yao (商曜), and massacred the population in the rebel base.

Campaigns in northwestern China
In 211, Xiahou Yuan participated in the Battle of Tong Pass on Cao Cao's side against a coalition of northwestern warlords led by Han Sui and Ma Chao, in which Cao emerged victorious against the coalition. He and Zhu Ling later led a separate force to pacify the Di tribes in Yumi (隃糜) and Qian (汧). Following that, he rendezvoused with Cao Cao's main force in Anding (安定), where they forced Yang Qiu (an ally of Han Sui and Ma Chao) to surrender.

In 212, Cao Cao returned to Ye, leaving behind Xiahou Yuan, Zhu Ling and Lu Zhao (路招) to garrison in Chang'an. Xiahou Yuan held the appointment of acting-"General Who Protects the Army" (護軍將軍) at that time. He defeated a group of bandits led by Liu Xiong (劉雄) in Nanshan (南山) and forced them to surrender. He also besieged Liang Xing (an ally of Han Sui and Ma Chao) in Hu (鄠) and defeated and killed Liang. He received the title of "Marquis of Bochang Village" (博昌亭侯) from the Han imperial court in recognition of his contributions.

In 213, Ma Chao besieged Wei Kang (韋康), the Inspector (刺史) of Liang Province (涼州) in Ji (兾; or Jicheng). Xiahou Yuan wanted to lead reinforcements to help Wei Kang but arrived too late as Jicheng had already been conquered by Ma Chao. Xiahou Yuan and his army had travelled more than 200 li on their way to Jicheng when they fell into an ambush set up by Ma Chao near Jicheng. Xiahou Yuan was outmatched by the enemy in battle, and he eventually withdrew his army when he heard that the Di tribes in Qian (汧) had rebelled.

In 214, Zhao Qu (趙衢), Yin Feng (尹奉) and several others, who had been coerced to pledge allegiance to Ma Chao after he seized control of Liang Province, were starting to feel disgruntled so they plotted against him. Jiang Xu (姜叙) rebelled against Ma Chao in Lucheng (鹵城) to lure Ma to attack him, while Zhao Qu and the others urged Ma to leave Jicheng to suppress Jiang's revolt. Ma Chao fell for the ruse as Zhao Qu and his allies turned against him after he left Jicheng. They killed his wife and son and drove him out of Liang Province after a few battles.

Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong, where he borrowed troops from Zhang Lu and returned to attack Jiang Xu and his allies at Mount Qi (祁山). Jiang Xu sent a messenger to Chang'an to request for reinforcements. Xiahou Yuan and the officers in Chang'an had a discussion on whether to help Jiang Xu and his allies or not, and many of the officers felt that they should wait for orders from Cao Cao before making any move. However, Xiahou Yuan had a different opinion as he said, "Our lord (Cao Cao) is 4,000 li away in Ye. By the time our report reaches him, Jiang Xu and his allies are done for, so it's imperative that we send reinforcements to them immediately." He appointed Zhang He to lead 5,000 infantry and cavalry troops as the vanguard and head towards Mount Qi via a narrow pass at Chencang (陳倉), while he supervised the transportation of supplies and followed behind with another army. When Zhang He's army reached the Wei River, Ma Chao initially sent a few thousand Di and Qiang horsemen to resist the enemy but called for a retreat later before any engagement took place. Zhang He advanced further and seized the military equipment left behind by Ma Chao's forces. When Xiahou Yuan's army arrived, most the counties in the region had been pacified.

After the victory, Xiahou Yuan prepared for an offensive against Ma Chao's ally Han Sui, who retreated when he heard of Xiahou's approach. Xiahou Yuan captured Han Sui's food supplies and pursued Han to Lueyang (略陽). Han Sui was located some 20 li away, so Xiahou Yuan's subordinates urged their superior to either launch an assault on Han or attack the Di tribes in Xingguo (興國). Xiahou Yuan disagreed as he felt that Han Sui's troops were well-prepared for battle and that Xingguo's fortifications were strong, and he planned to attack the Qiang tribes in Changli (長離) instead. He reasoned that many of Han Sui's soldiers were Qiang tribesmen from Changli, so they would return to save their home if they heard that Changli was under attack. In this way, if Han Sui's troops decided to remain in their current position, they would be isolated, and if they came to Changli's rescue, Xiahou Yuan's forces would be able to engage them in battle. Xiahou Yuan then ordered his subordinates to guard their supplies and heavy equipment while he led a lightly-armed infantry and cavalry unit to raid Changli, burning down many Qiang camps and killing several people. As Xiahou Yuan predicted, the Qiang tribesmen in Han Sui's army returned to Changli and encountered Xiahou's army. Xiahou Yuan's men were apprehensive when they saw Han Sui's larger army, so they proposed setting up camps and defensive structures before fighting the enemy. However, Xiahou Yuan said, "We've been fighting over long distances. If we erect these fortifications, our troops will be worn out and will not be able to hold on for long. The enemy may have superiority in numbers but they are easy to deal with." He then launched an attack on Han Sui's forces and scored a major victory over the enemy, capturing the enemy's flags and banners. After that, he returned to Lueyang and laid siege on Xingguo. The Di chieftains in Xingguo fled to join Ma Chao while the others surrendered. Xiahou Yuan also attacked some Xiongnu encampments at Gaoping (高平), driving the Xiongnu away and capturing their supplies and livestock. He was granted authority by the Han imperial court to oversee the affairs in the region.

When there was turmoil in Liang Province, a rebel chief Song Jian (宋建) declared himself "King of the River Source Who Pacifies Han" (河首平漢王) in Fuhan (枹罕). After Xiahou Yuan had pacified Liang Province, Cao Cao ordered him to attack Song Jian. Xiahou Yuan besieged Fuhan and conquered the city within months, after which he executed Song and all his subjects. He also sent Zhang He to force the other Qiang tribes in the region into submission. By 215, most of northwestern China had been pacified and had come under Cao Cao's control. Cao Cao wrote an order to praise Xiahou Yuan: "Song Jian had been causing trouble for over 30 years. Xiahou Yuan eliminated him in one movement and made an unprecedented achievement. Confucius once said, 'I cannot do as well as you.'"

Battles around Hanzhong
In 216, the Han imperial court awarded Xiahou Yuan with an additional 300 taxable households in his marquisate, bringing the total number to 800. Subsequently, Xiahou Yuan led an attack on the Di and Qiang tribes of Wudu (武都) at Xiabian (下辯), capturing over 100,000 hu (斛; a large unit of measurement) of grain. When Cao Cao led an expedition against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, Xiahou Yuan led all the military officers and nobles in Liang Province to meet Cao at Xiuting (休亭). The Qiang and tribal chieftains were fearful of Xiahou Yuan whenever they attended meetings with Cao Cao.

Zhang Lu surrendered Hanzhong to Cao Cao after his defeat at the Battle of Yangping. Xiahou Yuan was appointed as acting-"Protector General" (都護將軍) and was ordered to pacify Ba commandery (巴郡) together with Zhang He and Xu Huang. Cao Cao later returned to Ye and left Xiahou Yuan and others behind to defend Hanzhong. Xiahou Yuan was commissioned as "General Who Attacks the West" (征西將軍).

In 217, Cao Cao's rival Liu Bei, who had taken over Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) in 215, launched a campaign to wrestle control of Hanzhong from Cao Cao. When Liu Bei's forces reached Yangping Pass (陽平關), Xiahou Yuan led his men to resist the enemy and both sides were locked in a stalemate for nearly a year. One night in the first lunar month of 218, Liu Bei set fire to the barbed fences around Xiahou Yuan's camp, so Xiahou sent Zhang He to defend the eastern part of the camp while he personally led a lightly-armed force to guard the south. Zhang He attacked Liu Bei when the latter taunted him but he failed to overcome the enemy. Xiahou Yuan then despatched a fraction of his own troops to help Zhang He. Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong launched a fierce assault on Xiahou Yuan even though his men were less experienced in battle than Xiahou's troops. Xiahou Yuan was killed in action.

Xiahou Yuan was granted the posthumous title of "Marquis Min" (愍侯), which literally means "sympathetic marquis".

Cao Cao once gave the following piece of advice to Xiahou Yuan when the latter was scoring a series of victories: "A general should consider his weaknesses, be prepared for situations in which he cannot win, and not rely solely on sheer bravery. Courage is a base instinct he should possess, but he should also use wisdom and strategy when he makes moves. One who knows only bravery is no more than an ordinary man who can fight enemies."

Family
Xiahou Yuan's spouse was a younger sister of one of Cao Cao's wives.

Xiahou Yuan's eldest son, Xiahou Heng (夏侯衡), married the daughter of Cao Cao's younger brother, the Marquis Ai of Haiyang (海陽哀侯). Xiahou Heng was favoured by Cao Cao, and he inherited his father's title of "Marquis of Bochang Village" (博昌亭侯). His marquis title was later changed to "Marquis of Anning Village" (安寧亭侯).

Xiahou Yuan's second son, Xiahou Ba, served as a military general in the state of Cao Wei. He defected to Wei's rival state Shu Han after Cao Shuang was massacred by Sima Yi and his family (who had usurped the imperial authority in Wei).

Xiahou Yuan had five other sons who were younger than Xiahou Ba: Xiahou Cheng (夏侯稱), Xiahou Wei, Xiahou Rong (夏侯榮), Xiahou Hui, and Xiahou He.

Xiahou Yuan also had a niece, who was about 12 or 13 years old in 200 CE. She was out gathering firewood when she was taken by Zhang Fei. She became Zhang Fei's wife and bore him a daughter, who later married Liu Shan and became Empress Jing'ai of the state of Shu Han.

In fiction
Xiahou Yuan is featured as a character in the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, which romanticises the historical events before and during the Three Kingdoms period. He made several appearances in the novel, but the most significant one was his death at the Battle of Mount Dingjun in 219. See Battle of Mount Dingjun for details.

Modern references
Xiahou Yuan is featured as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Warriors Orochi video game series. In the games, he is Xiahou Dun's brother, and is portrayed as being a bit hapless, but powerful and loyal nonetheless. He also appears in all 12 instalments of the strategy game series Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the real-time wargame Kessen II, all of which were also produced by Koei.