Yuan Shu | Other

Name: Yuan Shu

Age: 42 (Born 155)

Appearance: Yuan Shu has dark hair (Tied in a traditional topknot) and eyes and epitomizes arrogant nobility, clad in opulent, layered robes of imperial yellow and purple that signal his desperate ambition for the throne. His appearance is defined by a thin, curled mustache and a perpetually smug sneer, often framed by a high collar or an elaborate, beaded headdress characteristic of Chinese royalty. He carries himself with a pompous air of unearned legitimacy and grandiose delusion.

Personality: Yuan Shu is a lover of extravagance who is obsessed with his wealth and power. He governs poorly and has lost the heart of the people. He is a firm believer in his noble pedigree, even more so than Yuan Shao, and is often at odds with his half-brother, believing himself to be the superior man between them. His arrogance, however, is significantly more inflated than Yuan Shao's, seeing almost everyone else to be inferior men based on their lesser births, lower rank or lack of talent in his eyes. He does not think too highly of Sun Ce, while seeing the youth as a somewhat useful vassal, but mostly as a vassal that should remain subservient to him. Yuan Shu despises Yuan Shao, thinking of him as lesser because Shao’s mother was simply a maid. Yuan Shu’s favorite foods are mandarin oranges and honeyed water. His weapon of choice is a rapier.

Background: Yuan Shu was from Runan Commandery. His family had been prominent in civil service, having produced members in high positions since the first century. Yuan Shu was a son of the Minister of Works Yuan Feng and his principal wife. Yuan Shu is Yuan Shao's younger half-brother. As a young man he gained a reputation for gallantry and liked to go hunting with dogs and falcons.

After the death of He Jin, Yuan Shu led his men to kill the eunuch faction. When Dong Zhuo seized control of the government, he wanted to appoint Yuan Shu as General of the Rear, but in fear, Yuan Shu fled to Nanyang Commandery. Yuan Shu participated in the Campaign against Dong Zhuo led by Yuan Shao, bringing his retainer Sun Jian. Sun Jian succeeded in defeating and killing Dong's general Hua Xiong, but Yuan Shu grew wary that Sun would become too successful and no longer submit to his command, and secretly cut off Sun's food supplies. By the time Sun Jian reached Luoyang, it had been destroyed by fires set by Dong Zhuo, whose forces fled to Chang'an, abducting the emperor.

Yuan Shu's rule in Nanyang was despotic. After the dissolution of the alliance, he vied with Yuan Shao over control of northern China. Yuan Shu allied with Gongsun Zan, and Yuan Shao allied with Liu Biao. Yuan Shu sent Sun Jian to attack Liu Biao, but his proxy was killed in the Battle of Xiangyang in 191. Sun Jian's son Sun Ce took over. After this defeat and his unpopularity due to his extravagant regime in Nanyang, Yuan Shu moved to Chenliu.

In early 193, Yuan Shu suffered repeated defeats by the combined armies of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, and fled to Shouchun, where he built up a powerful warlord state. He deposed Inspector Chen Wen of Yang Province and took the title for himself, also claiming to be Lord of Xu Province.

From 194 to early 197, Sun Jian's son Sun Ce conquered many territories in Jiangdong on Yuan Shu's behalf. He was less successful in expanding his rule in Xu Province, where he fought against Liu Bei and Lü Bu; the latter briefly allied himself to Yuan Shu in 196, but betrayed him again and drove him back to Shouchun. Sun Ce traded his father’s Imperial Seal to Yuan Shu for troops. Yuan Shu then decided the most brilliant idea was to declare himself emperor of the Zhong dynasty in 197, using the Imperial Seal.

Yuan Shu once gave oranges to the son of one of his officers. When the boy did not eat them and instead gave them to his mother, Yuan Shu did not punish him due to being amazed at such an example of filial piety.