Guo Tu - Serving Yuan Shao

Serving Yuan Shao

The forces of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao clashed at the Battle of Guandu. Yuan dispatched Chunyu Qiong and others to guard the Wuchao granaries, where he kept his food supplies. Cao Cao personally led a raid on Wuchao with few men in disguise as Yuan's troops, as to debilitate Yuan. Zhang He, one of Yuan's generals, said to his lord: "Duke Cao's armies are elite, they would surely defeat Chunyu Qiong. After Chunyu Qiong is defeated, the army will scatter. Instead, let me and Gao Lan reinforce Wuchao." Guo remarked, "Zhang He's plans are bad. Instead, let us attack the original source (referring to Cao Cao's main camp), power will surely return to our side." "This explanation is why reinforcements should not be sent." Zhang He then replied: "Duke Cao's encampment is solidified, it is too hard to uproot. If Chunyu Qiong's camp is captured we will be depleted and captured in turn." "Cao will be too enveloped in taking Wuchao to leave a guard. I entreat you to attack his main camp."

Yuan Shao did not send the reinforcements to aid Chunyu Qiong, instead he sent five companies under Zhang He and Gao Lan to attack Cao's main army. Through a ruse involving Xu Chu and Zhang Liao, they beat out Chunyu Qiong and Yuan was led to believe that the granaries had been successfully defended. Yuan Shao's army was attacked on three sides, and when the men came back from Wuchao, they came up on Yuan's rear, surrounding the five companies. However, Zhang He and Gao Lan escaped, but altogether Yuan's army was defeated. When Chunyu reached the main army, which was devastated, he was brought in to see Yuan. Yuan railed at him asking why the defenses of the granary had been sparse. Chunyu's men told Yuan that Chunyu had been intoxicated that night, and Chunyu was executed forthwith. Guo was ashamed and plotted against Zhang He and Gao Lan, and said to Yuan, "Zhang He and Gao Lan were glad when your armies were defeated. "He was asked how he knew this and thus replied, "They have long wished to defect to Cao Cao, so when you put them on this duty, they did not try their best and brought on this disaster. Yuan then sent a messenger to recall and interrogate them, but Gao knew of the plans ahead of time and when the messenger came to recall them, he killed him and both he and Zhang truly defected to Cao, lest they be destroyed. They were warmly welcomed by Cao.