page_title: Zhang Xiu (warlord)
section_title: Life
hierarchical_section_title: Zhang Xiu (warlord) / Life
caption_attribution_description: English: Map showing the major warlords in China in the 190s, before the definitive end of the Han dynasty in 220. Dong Zhuo faction: When Emperor Ling died in 189, Dong Zhuo was appointed protector over Emperor Shao, a position he abused to control the government and install Emperor Xian. Cao Cao and Yuan Shao launched the Campaign against Dong Zhuo (190–191), forcing Dong Zhuo's faction and the captive Emperor Xian to flee from Luoyang to Chang'an. Lü Bu staged a coup and killed Dong Zhuo in 192, but was expelled by Li Jue and Guo Si. These entered into war in 195, lost the emperor to Cao Cao in 196 and were eliminated in 198. Cao Cao faction: Cao Cao began his gradual conquest of Yan Province in 191, completing it by 195 and expanding into the neighbouring provinces of Xu, Yu and Sili (completed by 199), capturing the emperor in 196 and defeating numerous minor warlords until he clashed with the powerful and wealthy but indecisive Yuan Shao. Cao Cao's victory over Yuan Shao at Guandu in 200 and successive victories made him the most powerful warlord in China, laying the foundation of the later Kingdom of Wei. By 214, he had also conquered the northwestern provinces. Sun Ce faction: Sun Ce, son of Sun Jian, served under Yuan Shu until the latter declared himself emperor in 197, and was defeated by a coalition of warlords. Sun Ce seceded from Yuan Shu, established his own territory in Jiangdong, defeated Liu Yong in 198, and was succeeded by his brother Sun Quan in 200, laying the foundation of the later Kingdom of Wu. In 215, Sun Quan and Liu Bei divided the Jing Province between them, but in 219 Sun Quan conquered the whole province. In 226, Wu ally Shi Xie died and Wu general Lü Dai conquered and annexed Jiao Province from Shi Xie's sons. Liu Bei faction: Liu Bei succeeded Tao Qian as the governor of Xu Province in 194. He was captured by Lü Bu in 195, but escaped to Cao Cao in 196; in 199 they jointly defeated and executed Lü Bu and captured Xu Province. Liu Bei then defected to Yuan Shao, but when the latter was defeated by Cao Cao in 200, he fled south and eventually allied himself with Sun Quan. In 212–214 he conquered Yi Province, laying the foundation of the later Kingdom of Shu. He tried to remain allies with Wu while attacking Wei, conquering Hanzhong in 217–219. Yuan Shao faction: In 191, Yuan Shao tricked governor Han Fu into surrendering Ji Province to him. Yuan Shao's son Yuan Tan conquered Qing Province from Kong Rong in 196. Around 199, Yuan Shao's nephew Gao Gan became governor of Bing Province. Gongsun Zan was definitively defeated by Yuan Shao in 199, giving him control of most of You Province. Cao Cao heavily defeated Yuan Shao in the 200 Battle of Guandu, and successively eliminated the entire Yuan clan and conquered their four provinces by 207. 中文（中国大陆）‎: 东汉末年的群雄军阀割据示意图，包括曹操、袁绍、刘表、孙策、公孙瓒、士燮、马腾、刘璋、刘备、吕布、袁术、公孙度、张鲁、张绣、李傕等 العربية: خريطة تظهر أمراء الحرب الرئيسيين في الصين في حوالي العام 190م، قبل نهاية سلالة هان في العام 200م.
context_page_description: Zhang Xiu was a military general and minor warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. In 197, he clashed with the warlord Cao Cao, who was then the de facto head of the Han central government, at the Battle of Wancheng and subsequent skirmishes. However, in 200, he heeded the suggestion from his adviser Jia Xu and surrendered to Cao Cao, who accepted his surrender and appointed him as a general. Having fought on Cao Cao's side at the decisive Battle of Guandu against a rival warlord Yuan Shao and in the subsequent campaigns against Yuan Shao's heirs, Zhang Xiu made great contributions during his service under Cao Cao. In 207, he died en route to joining Cao Cao on a campaign against the Wuhuan tribes. The Han imperial court honoured with the posthumous title "Marquis Ding".
context_section_description: Zhang Xiu was from Zuli County (祖厲縣), Wuwei Commandery (武威郡), which is in present-day Jingyuan County, Gansu. He was a distant nephew of Zhang Ji, who served under the tyrannical warlord Dong Zhuo. After Dong Zhuo's death in 192, his former subjects, including Zhang Ji, waged a coup and took over the imperial capital Chang'an. For his part in the coup, Zhang Xiu was also promoted to General who Builds Loyalty (建忠將軍) and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Xuanwei (宣威侯).
  After Zhang Ji's death, Zhang Xiu took over command of his troops and occupied Wan (宛; or Wancheng (宛城); in present-day Nanyang, Henan). He allied himself with Liu Biao, the Governor of Jing Province and a major warlord of the time. In 197, the warlord Cao Cao, who controlled the Han central government, led his forces on campaigns against rival warlords. When he arrived at the banks of the Bai River (白河), Zhang Xiu promptly surrendered to him and was allowed to retain control over Wan.
  Cao Cao then took Zhang Ji's widow as a concubine, which angered Zhang Xiu. Cao Cao heard of Zhang Xiu's displeasure and plotted to kill him. However, the plan was leaked and Zhang Xiu waged a surprise attack against Cao Cao, leading to the Battle of Wancheng. Cao Cao's personal bodyguard Dian Wei died defending the front gate to the camp so that Cao Cao could escape through the back gate. In the hasty retreat, Cao Cao's eldest son, Cao Ang, offered his own horse to his father, whose steed was felled by enemy arrows, and was killed by the pursuers. Cao Cao's nephew Cao Anmin was also killed.
  Henceafter, Cao Cao had sent forces to attack Zhang Xiu for years without success. In 200, however, Zhang Xiu heeded the suggestion from his adviser, Jia Xu, and surrendered to Cao Cao again. Cao Cao decided to put aside his past feud with Zhang Xiu and accept his surrender. He also proposed a marriage between his son Cao Jun and Zhang Xiu's daughter.
  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 (破羌將軍). 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" (定侯), literally meaning "steadfast marquis".
caption: Map showing the major warlords of the Han dynasty in the 190s, including Zhang Xiu
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