The Three Kingdoms begs Gongsun Zhan of the Eighteenth Road Princes of Dong

Gongsun Zhan (?) —199), Zi Bogui (from "Liu Kuan's Monument Yin", "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and other literary histories as Bo Jue, Gongsun Juan was Liu Kuan's protégé, participated in Liu Kuan's funeral, the stele yin was signed by people at that time and even himself, so he should be from the stele), a native of Lingzhi of Liaoxi (present-day Qian'an, Hebei), a military general and warlord at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and one of the heroes of the late Han Dynasty.

Gongsun Zhan was the son of an aristocrat, but because of his mother's humble origins, he could only serve as a shuzuo. Because of his beauty, loud voice and intellect, he was appreciated by the Taishou and was invited to be his son-in-law. With the help of his father-in-law, he studied with Liu Bei and Liu Deran in Lu Zhi. He also worshiped Liu Kuanmen as a protégé, along with Wang Yi[1], Fu Xie, Wei Jie[2] (Later Han Shu [3], Book of Continuation of Han, etc.) and others as fellow disciples.[4]

Gongsun Zhan later served as the imperial car under Liu Qi (劉基) under Taishou Liu Qi. When Liu Qi broke the law and was sent to the state of Ninan, he dared to disguise himself as a soldier to escort him along the way, and Liu Qi was pardoned on the way. After Gongsun Zhan's return, he was honored with filial piety for this virtue and appointed as the governor of the Liaodong vassal state. Once, gongsun zhan went out with dozens of cavalry to patrol the pass, and when he saw hundreds of xianbei cavalrymen, Gongsun Zhan retreated to the empty pavilion and said to the accompanying team: "If you do not take the initiative to attack, you will be killed." So he led the team with a spear in his hand and rushed into the Xianbei team, killing and wounding dozens of people, although he survived death, he also lost more than half of them. The Xianbei people took this as a warning, and no longer dared to easily cross the barrier. Gongsun Zhan was promoted to Zhuo County.

During the Reign of Guanghe (178-184), When Bian Zhang and Han Sui rebelled, the imperial court sent three thousand elite cavalry from Youzhou (southwest of present-day Beijing) and gave Gongsun Zhan the title of Governor of The Imperial Household to command the three thousand cavalry. When Gongsun Zhan led his army to Jizhong, Zhang Chun, a native of Yuyang (present-day southwest of Miyun, Beijing), lured Qiu Liju, the leader of Wuhuan in Western Liaoning, and other rebels to capture the cities of Youbeiping Commandery (右北平郡, in modern southeastern Fengrun, Hebei) and Liaoxi Commandery. Gongsun Zhan chased zhang chun and other traitors with 3,000 cavalry, made battle merits, and was promoted to cavalry lieutenant. At this time, the leader of the vassal state of Wuhuan was greedy to the king and led the people to surrender to Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zhan was promoted to the rank of Zhonglang General, made the Marquis of Duting, and stationed in the vassal state, and for the next five or six years, he was constantly at war with the northern nomads.

In the fifth year of Zhongping (188), Gongsun Zhan fought with Zhang Chun and Qiu Liju at shimen, a vassal state of Liaodong Province, and Zhang Chun was defeated, so Zhang Chun left his wife and children and fled into Xianbei territory. Gongsun Zhan continued to pursue, but because he was too deep, he was besieged by Qiu Liju in Guanzi City in western Liaoning for more than 200 days, and the grain was exhausted, and most of the soldiers were killed and wounded. Qiu Liju's army was also exhausted and left Liucheng. The imperial court honored Gongsun Zhan as a lieutenant of the lowering school, the Marquis of The Capital Pavilion, and also the head of the state. Gongsun Zhan then commanded the soldiers and horses and guarded the border. Every time he heard the enemy coming, Gongsun Zhan immediately screamed fiercely, as if he were beating his own enemy when fighting, even until late at night. From then on, Wu Huan was afraid of Gongsun Zhan's bravery and did not dare to attack again. Gongsun Zhan often rode a white horse with dozens of people around him who were good at riding and shooting, with left and right wings between each other, calling themselves "white horse righteous conformists".

During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Qiu Liju was slightly qing, Xu, You, and Ji, and the four prefectures were killed by it, and Gongsun Zhan could not resist.

The imperial court sent Emperor Liu Yu to serve as the pastor of Youzhou. After Liu Yu arrived, he sent envoys to the nomadic people to take advantage of the stakes and ordered them to offer Zhang Chun's first rank. Qiu Liju and others heard that Liu Yu had arrived, and sent emissaries to communicate about the annexation. Gongsun Zhan, fearing Liu Yu's meritorious service, secretly sent people to assassinate these emissaries on the way. When the nomads understood this, they took a detour to Liu Yu. Liu Yu reported to the imperial court to withdraw the garrison army, leaving only Gongsun Zhan to command more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry to garrison Youbeiping.

In March of the sixth year of Zhongping (189), Zhang Chun was killed by his protégé Wang Zheng and given the first rank to Liu Yu. Liu Yu was awarded the post of Tai Wei (太尉) for his efforts in appeasing the nomads and was given the title of Marquis of Xiangben. Soon after, he also made Liu Yu the Grand Sima and Gongsun Zhan the general of Fenwu and the marquis of Ji.

In the second year of Chuping (191), the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army attacked bohai (present-day northeast of Nanpi, Hebei), gathering a crowd of 300,000 people to join the Montenegrin Army, Gongsun Zhan led 20,000 people on foot and 20,000 people to break the Qingzhou Yellow Turban in Dongguangnan, beheading more than 30,000 people. The Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army abandoned its weight and ran to cross the river. Gongsun Zhan waited for them to attack halfway through, and once again defeated the Yellow Turban Army, killing tens of thousands, capturing more than 70,000 people, and countless cars and armor, so Gongsun Zhan's prestige was greatly shaken.

Initially, when Gongsun Zhan and Liu Yu were fighting against Karasuma together, Gongsun Zhan was under Liu Yu's frugality. However, because Gongsun Zhan prided himself on the strength of his troops, he indulged his troops and plundered the people many times, while Liu Yu was very kind to the people. As a result, the relationship between the two gradually deteriorated.

Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie, wanted to return east to Luoyang, sent Liu Yu's son Liu He to escape from Chang'an, secretly went out of Wuguan to find Liu Yu, and asked Liu Yu to lead his troops to meet him. Liu He passed by Yuan Shu's residence and informed Yuan Shu of the incident. Yuan Shu detained Liu He and asked Liu He to write a letter to Liu Yu, promising to wait for Liu Yu to lead his troops to come to Yuan Shu's backup and go to Chang'an together. Gongsun Zhan knew that Yuan Shu would defect and stopped Liu Yu, but Liu Yu did not listen. Gongsun Zhan, fearing that Yuan Shu would hate him when he found out, sent his cousin Gongsun Yue to lead more than a thousand cavalry to Yuan Shu to make peace, while secretly letting Yuan Shu detain Liu He and capture Liu He's soldiers and horses. Therefore, the contradiction between Gongsun Zhan and Liu Yu became deeper and deeper.

Yuan Shu sent Gongsun Yue to help Sun Jian attack Zhou Ang, and Gongsun Yue was shot to death by a stray arrow, and Gongsun Zhan angrily said, "My brother's death caused Yuan Shao. So he sent troops to garrison Panhe (in present-day Hebei) to prepare for revenge on Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao was so horrified that he gave the Bohai Commandery Taishouyin to Gongsun Fan, Gongsun Fan's cousin, and sent him to Nanpi in order to help Gongsun Zhan. Gongsun Fan then betrayed Yuan Shao and assisted Gongsun Zhang with Bohai troops to attack the Yellow Turban army of Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and the army became increasingly strong, and entered Jieqiao (in present-day Wei County, Hebei). Gongsun Zan himself appointed Yan Gang as the pastor of Jizhou, Tian Kai as the pastor of Qingzhou, and Shan Jing as the pastor of Yanzhou (兖州, in present-day northwestern Jinxiang County, Shandong), and assigned the order of county shou county.

In the third year of Chuping (192), Yuan Shaotun marched to Guangchuan County (廣川县, in present-day zaoqiang County, Hebei), fighting with Gongsun Zhan twenty miles south of Jieqiao. Gongsun Zhan had 30,000 elite soldiers. Yuan Shao ordered his general Koji Yi to lead eight hundred elite troops in front, and Bu Qiang's crossbow was stretched on both wings. Gongsun Zhan despised Yuan Shao's small number of soldiers and sent his cavalry into battle. Koji ordered the soldiers to lie still under the rafters, and when Gongsun Zhan's army reached ten paces, gongsun zhan was defeated at the same time. Yuan Shao captured Yan Gang and beheaded him. Koji chases Gongsun Zhan to the boundary bridge, and Gongsun Zhan leads his troops to fight back, and is defeated again. So Gongsun Zhan fled to JiXian (present-day Daxing District, Beijing), built another small city southeast of the county seat to defend himself, and approached Liu Yu, gradually forming a hatred. Yuan Shao sent his general Cui Juye to lead an army to attack Gongsun Zhan's hometown, but when he led the army back to the south, he was caught up by Gongsun Zhan's army at Jumashui, and was defeated, with 7,000 or 8,000 people killed. Gongsun Zhan wanted to take advantage of the victory to pursue, but he was defeated by Yuan Shao at Longzhuo, and the two sides fought a balance of power.

In the fourth year of Chuping (193), Liu Yu believed that Gongsun Zhan's repeated battles against Him and Yuan Shao were a serious persecution of the people, so he wanted to restrain Gongsun Zhan's behavior. However, Gongsun Zhan was furious when he heard about this, and then intensified his plundering of the people, and such atrocities deepened the contradictions between him and Liu Yu.

In the end, in order to stop Gongsun Zhan's evil deeds, Liu Yu decided to lead 100,000 troops to attack Gongsun Zhan. At that time, Gongsun Zhan's troops were scattered outside, and the pawns wanted to escape from Dongcheng, Liu Yu's soldiers were not accustomed to fighting, and issued military orders not to harass the people and not to damage the people's houses, resulting in a long siege. Gongsun Zhan then recruited hundreds of elite soldiers, set fire to the wind, and took advantage of the situation to enter Liu Yu's barracks, and Liu Yu was defeated. Liu Yu and his men fled north to Juyong County (juyong County, in present-day Yanqingdong, Beijing). Gongsun Zhan attacked Juyong City in three days and captured Liu Yu and his wife and children alive and returned to Jixian County. At this time, Dong Zhuo was dead, and Emperor Xiandi sent an emissary Duan Xun to increase Liu Yu's fiefdom, ordering him to oversee the six prefectures, promote Gongsun Zhan to former general, and make him the Marquis of Yi. Gongsun Zan framed Liu Yu and Yuan Shao for plotting to claim the title of emperor, and coerced Duan Xun to behead Liu Yu and his wife and children in Jishi. Gongsun Zan sent Liu Yu's head to jingshi, where he was kidnapped and buried on the road by Liu Yu's old subordinate Wei Dun. After Gongsun Zhan killed Liu Yu, he gained the whole of Youzhou, becoming more and more arrogant, not sympathetic to the people, remembering and forgetting, and his eyes will be rewarded.

In the second year of Xingping (195), Liu Yu's yuyang xianyufu, Qi Zhou, and the cavalry governor Xian Yuyin led the Youzhou soldiers and horses to avenge Liu Yu, and because Yan Rou of yan (present-day Daxing, Beijing) was known for his kindness, they elected Yan Rou as Sima Karasuma. Yan Rou gathered xianbei, karasuma and other soldiers and horses, a total of tens of thousands of Han soldiers and Hu soldiers, and fought with Zou Dan of Yuyang Taishou zou dan placed by Gongsun Zhan at the north of the Lu River (present-day Chaobai River), defeated Gongsun Zhan's army and killed Zou Dan. King Wuhuan Qiao also led his tribe and more than 7,000 horsemen of Xianbei cavalry, along with XianYufu to meet Liu Yu's son Liu He and Yuan Shao's general Li Yi, and joined forces with a total of 100,000 troops to attack Gongsun Zhan, defeating Gongsun Zhan at Baoqiu and beheading more than 20,000 people. As a result, Dai Commandery, Guangyang, Shanggu, and Youbeiping each killed Gongsun Zhan's commanders, and joined forces with XianYufu and Liu Hebing, and Gongsun Zhan was repeatedly defeated in battle, so he fled back to Yijing (in present-day northwest of Xiong County, Hebei) to hold out and open Tuntian. The two armies held each other for more than a year, Koji Yi grain withdrew, and Gongsun Zhan took advantage of the situation to attack, defeated Koji Yi, and did his best to gain the weight of his car.

Gongsun Zhan dug more than ten heavy trenches along the Yi River, and built mounds of up to five or six meters in the trenches, and there were fortifications on the hills. The mound in the middle of the trench was the highest, reaching more than ten zhang, and Gongsun Zhan took it upon himself to take iron as a door, and dismissed the left and right, so that men over the age of seven were not allowed to enter, and only lived in it with their wives and concubines, and hoarded three million grain grains. Gongsun Zhan also made the woman accustomed to being loud, so that the voice could send out hundreds of steps to convey orders. Gongsun Zhan alienated the guests again, resulting in not having a single crony around him, and the generals gradually alienated themselves. Since then, there have been few wars.

In the third year of Jian'an (198), Yuan Shao sent a letter to Gongsun Zhan and wanted to make peace with him, but Gongsun Zhan did not reply, but instead strengthened his garrison. Yuan Shao then attacked Gongsun Zhan with his troops. First, Gongsun Zhan was surrounded by a farewell, and Gongsun Zhan refused to save each other, saying: "Save one person, then everyone will only wait for the rescue of the soldiers and will not fight." If I don't save them now, the soldiers who will be besieged after him will encourage themselves. When Yuan Shao came to attack, Gongsun Zhan's boundary bridge camp could not save itself, and Gongsun Zhan would not be willing to save each other, and the people would either surrender or flee. Yuan Shao directly attacked the city gate, and Gongsun Zhan sent his son Gongsun Ji to ask for help from the Yellow Turban Army in Montenegro (present-day northwest of Xun County, Henan), and wanted to personally lead his troops out of the siege and occupy the southwest mountain, relying on the Black Mountain Army to cut off Yuan Shao's rear road. Guan Jing, the chief official, advised him: "Now your generals all have a rebellious heart, and they are no longer able to fight anymore, the reason why they can stick to them is to care for their hometown of the old and young, and regard the general as the main backbone, if the general can hold out for a long time, Yuan Shao will naturally retreat, and the four armies will definitely be able to meet again." If the general abandons Yijing now and leaves, the army will lose its rear town, and the destruction of Yijing is just around the corner. The general lost his foundation and went into exile in the wilderness, how can he achieve his career? Gongsun Zhan then decided not to leave Yijing, waiting for his son to move in to rescue the soldiers, and attacked Yuan Shao from inside and outside.

In March of the fourth year of Jian'an (199), the Black Mountain marshal Zhang Yan and Gongsun Continued to lead 100,000 troops to save Gongsun Zhan in three ways. Before the reinforcements arrived, Gongsun Zhan secretly sent a letter to Gongsun Xu, asking him to lead 5,000 cavalry in the northern region, raise torches in response, and Gongsun Zhan went out from the city to fight. Yuan Shao stole the letter, calculated it, and raised a torch. Gongsun Zhan thought that the rescue troops had arrived, and led the troops to attack. Yuan Shao set up an ambush to attack Gongsun Zhan, who was defeated and returned to the city to hold on. Yuan Shao then dug a tunnel under the city tower, destroyed its watchtower, and gradually reached the central mound. Gongsun Zhan, anticipating his own defeat, set himself on fire and set himself on fire. Gongsun Zhan's first rank was sent by Yuan Shao to Xu Du, where Cao Cao was located.