Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...
Guangyang Commandery Guangyang Commandery ( zh, 廣陽郡), at times also Guangyang Principality ( zh, 廣陽國), was a territory of early imperial China located in modern Hebei and Beijing.
Western Han dynasty
Guangyang Commandery was first established during Qin Sh ...
(廣陽郡), which is around present-day
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
Xianbei
The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into th ...
tribes in northern China, so he grew up among them and gained their trust over time. In 193, the warlord
Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan () (before 161 - April or May 199), courtesy name Bogui, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
Life
Little is known of Gongsun Zan's early life. He and Liu Bei stu ...
murdered Liu Yu, another warlord who had much prestige in northern China and among the Wuhuan and Xianbei. Liu Yu's son, Liu He (劉和), gathered his father's former subordinates such as Xianyu Fu (鮮于輔), Qi Zhou (齊周),
Tian Chou
''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, "Lo ...
and Xianyu Yin (鮮于銀), and enlisted Yan Rou's help in taking revenge against Gongsun Zan. They fought a battle with Gongsun Zan's forces led by Zou Dan (鄒丹) near the
Chaobai River
The Chaobai River () is a river in northern China. The river is 458 km long and flows from the confluence of the Chao and Bai Rivers at the Miyun Reservoir in Beijing Municipality through Hebei Province and into the Grand Canal of the Hai Ri ...
and defeated and killed Zou Dan along with 4,000 enemy soldiers. In 199, the warlord
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao (, ; died 28 June 202), courtesy name Benchu (), was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil wars that occurred t ...
also sought Yan Rou's help in building friendly ties with the Wuhuan tribes in northern China.
In 200, during the
Battle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 AD in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Cao Cao's decisive victory against Yuan Shao's numerically superior forces marked the turning point in their war. The victo ...
, the warlord Cao Cao, who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
, contacted Yan Rou and appointed him as Colonel Who Protects the Wuhuan (護烏丸校尉). After Cao Cao defeated
Yuan Tan
Yuan Tan (died 205), courtesy name Xiansi, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who was the eldest son of Yuan Shao, a warlord who occupied much of northern China during the late Eastern Han dynasty. After Yuan Shao's death, Y ...
at the
Battle of Nanpi
The Battle of Nanpi happened in the first month of 205, during the period known as the end of the Han Dynasty. The battle spelled the annihilation of Yuan Tan, one of Yuan Shao's sons vying to succeed their father, by their common enemy Cao Ca ...
in 205, Yan Rou led the Wuhuan and Xianbei leaders in the region to pledge allegiance to Cao Cao. In recognition of Yan Rou's contributions, the Han imperial court awarded him the title of a Secondary Marquis (關內侯). Cao Cao also highly favoured Yan Rou and treated him like a son.
In 206, Yan Rou accompanied Cao Cao on a campaign against the Wuhuan tribes in
You Province
You Prefecture or You Province, also known by its Chinese name Youzhou, was a prefecture ('' zhou'') in northern China during its imperial era.
"You Province" was cited in some ancient sources as one of the nine or twelve original provinces ...
and served as his guide. Cao Cao defeated the Wuhuan tribes and the warlords
Yuan Shang
Yuan Shang (died December 207), courtesy name Xianfu, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He was the third son and successor of the warlord Yuan Shao. In the 14th-centu ...
Battle of White Wolf Mountain
The Battle of White Wolf Mountain was a battle fought in 207 in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. The battle took place in northern China, beyond the frontiers of the ruling Eastern Han dynasty. It was fought between the warlord Cao Cao ...
in the following year. After the victory, Yan Rou managed to convince all the Wuhuan leaders in You and
Bing
Bing most often refers to:
* Bing Crosby (1903–1977), American singer
* Microsoft Bing, a web search engine
Bing may also refer to:
Food and drink
* Bing (bread), a Chinese flatbread
* Bing (soft drink), a UK brand
* Bing cherry, a varie ...
provinces to submit to Han rule. The Xianbei chieftains Budugen and
Kebineng
Kebineng (died 235) was a Xianbei chieftain who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He rose to power during the late Eastern Han dynasty after the warlord Cao Cao defeated the Wuhuan tribes in northern C ...
also sent their sons as hostages to Yan Rou to convince him of their allegiance. When Tian Yin (田銀) started a rebellion in Hejian Commandery (河間郡), Kebineng led 3,000 horsemen to assist Yan Rou in suppressing the revolt.
In 220, after Cao Cao's son
Cao Pi
Cao Pi () ( – 29 June 226), courtesy name Zihuan, was the first emperor of the state of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was the second son of Cao Cao, a warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty, but the eldest ...
usurped the throne from
Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe, was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220.
Liu Xie was a so ...
Yan Rou had a younger brother, Yan Zhi (閻志), who served as the Administrator of
Shanggu Commandery
Shanggu Commandery ( zh, 上谷郡) was a commandery in imperial China from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. It was located in present-day Hebei and Beijing.
The commandery was established by the state of Yan for the defense against the ...
(上谷郡; around present-day
Yanqing District
Yanqing District (), formerly known as Yanqing County before 2015, is a district of the municipality of Beijing located northwest of the city proper of Beijing. The district consists of 3 subdistricts, 11 towns and 4 townships, and borders th ...
,
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
). When the Xianbei chieftain Suli (素利) was under attack by other Xianbei tribes, Yan Zhi led military forces to help him.