Battle of Guandu
Around the time, Cao Cao was at war with the northern warlord Yuan Shao at the Battle of Guandu. Having performed well during the conflict, Zhang Xiu was soon promoted to General who Defeats the Qiang (). In 207, Zhang Xiu died at Liucheng (present-day Chaoyang, Liaoning) en route to join Cao Cao in a northern campaign against the Wuhuan tribes. The Han imperial court honoured him with the posthumous title "Marquis Ding" (), literally meaning "steadfast marquis".