Yuan Tan
Yuan Tan wished to launch a counterattack against his brother Yuan Shang, but Wang Xiu cautioned against it. When asked directly how to proceed with the campaign, Wang Xiu advocated concord, a recommendation which Yuan Tan rejected. Following some more internecine strife, Yuan Tan sought help from, then ran afoul of Cao Cao. In 205, Cao Cao attacked Yuan Tan at Nanpi. Wang Xiu was in Le'an supervising grain shipments when he heard Yuan Tan was in trouble, and straight away gathered his guards and all the officials in his office, some several dozen men, and rode away to assist.