Xiahou Yuan Xiahou Yuan ( died 219 ) , 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 ) 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 ( 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 # In fiction 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 .