王粲
The threat of the Yuan brothers would soon resolve itself, as Guo Jia had reasoned. The Yuan brothers had turned against each other, with Yuan Shang gaining the upper hand in the fraternal conflict. Yuan Tan was eventually driven from Nanpi and took refuge in Pingyuan; besieged there, he turned to Cao Cao for help. The Governor of Jing Province Liu Biao, an old ally of Yuan Shao, had the famed writer Wang Can write a letter each to Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang on his behalf, urging them to fight against their nemesis Cao Cao, not amongst themselves. The letter to Yuan Tan in particular celebrated the Yuan brothers' victory in Ye against a strong enemy, and sternly disapproved of Yuan Tan's reliance on Cao Cao. Still, Liu Biao's remonstrances fell on deaf ears.