Biography
As the Han Dynasty central government's power collapsed, the warlords Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao fought for control of northern China. After years of destructive war, Gongsun Zan grew weary. He built a splendid fortification at Yi (易), located on the northern bank of Yi river, called it Yijing (易京, meaning "Capital Yi"). He stored enough provisions to last tens of years, locking himself inside, intended to wait for "peace".
Taking the initiation, Yuan Shao went for the kill. Having amassed a massive army, he easily cut through Gongsun Zan's border defense fortifications because Gongsun Zan refused to relieve them. Before long, Yuan Shao and his huge army appeared in front of Yijing.
Alarmed, Gongsun Zan sent his son, Gongsun Xu to ask for help from the leaders of the Heishan bandits.
In the spring of 199, Zhang Yan, leader of the Heishan bandits, joined with Gongsun Xu to lead the relieving force advancing in 3 columns. Before they arrived, Gongsun Zan lost the Battle of Yijing and died.
Gongsun Xu was killed by the Xiongnu group Chuge (屠各).
Read more about this topic: Gongsun Xu
Famous quotes containing the word biography:
“There never was a good biography of a good novelist. There couldn’t be. He is too many people, if he’s any good.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
“Just how difficult it is to write biography can be reckoned by anybody who sits down and considers just how many people know the real truth about his or her love affairs.”
—Rebecca West [Cicily Isabel Fairfield] (1892–1983)
“As we approached the log house,... the projecting ends of the logs lapping over each other irregularly several feet at the corners gave it a very rich and picturesque look, far removed from the meanness of weather-boards. It was a very spacious, low building, about eighty feet long, with many large apartments ... a style of architecture not described by Vitruvius, I suspect, though possibly hinted at in the biography of Orpheus.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)