Qu Yi | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 麴義 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 麴义 | ||||||
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Qu Yi (fl. 190s;died 196-199 [1] ) was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Eastern Han dynasty of China.
Qu Yi was from Liang Province and was familiar with the military strategy of the Xiongnu and Qiang nomads. Qu Yi originally served under Han Fu. During this time,Yuan Shao was also expanding his influence among the Han military elites;Han Fu was deeply jealous of this and thus reduced his troops' rations. This caused Qu Yi to rebel;he then defeated the troops sent by Han Fu. It was this time that Qu Yi was recruited under Yuan Shao's wing. [2]
In the Battle of Jieqiao,Qu Yi took the high position of controlling the central army. During this battle,Qu Yi slew Yan Gang (嚴綱) and was a great asset to Yuan Shao's army. However,this would also be his downfall. It is said that Qu Yi was arrogant and was eventually purged by Yuan Shao. [3]
Qu Yi's last recorded campaign was in 195,where he defeated Gongsun Zan at Baoqiu,and killed at least 20000 of Gongsun Zan's troops. After this defeat,Gongsun Zan retreated to Yijing,where he fortified his position and forced Qu Yi into a stalemate lasting more than a year. By then,Qu Yi's troops had run out of supplies;a few thousands troops deserted. Gongsun Zan seized the opportunity and counter-attacked,resulting in a great victory. [4]
In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms ,Qu Yi was killed in the Battle of Jieqiao by Zhao Yun during the counterattack by Gongsun Zan's army. Historically,it was unknown if Zhao Yun and Qu Yi ever met each other,as it is unknown if Zhao Yun joined Gongsun Zan before or after the Battle of Jieqiao. Qu Yi's importance in history was downplayed in the novel to enhance the importance of other characters.
Ma Chao (176–222),courtesy name Mengqi,was a Chinese military general and warlord who lived in the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. A descendant of the general Ma Yuan,Ma Chao was the eldest son of Ma Teng,a prominent warlord in Liang Province. In 211,he formed a coalition with Han Sui and other northwestern warlords and revolted against the Han central government,which was led by the warlord Cao Cao. The coalition broke up after losing the Battle of Tong Pass against Cao Cao's forces. Ma Chao initially retreated,but later returned to attack and seize control of Liang Province by killing the provincial inspector Wei Kang and forcing Wei Kang's subordinates to submit to him. About a year after Ma Chao started his uprising,Emperor Xian issued an imperial decree ordering the execution of Ma Chao's family members,who were in Ye city at the time. In the meantime,Wei Kang's subordinates,led by Zhao Ang,Yang Fu and others,rebelled against Ma Chao and forced him out of Liang Province. Ma Chao retreated to Hanzhong Commandery,where he borrowed troops from the warlord Zhang Lu,and returned to attack Liang Province but was ultimately defeated and driven back. Ma Chao took shelter under Zhang Lu for a while until around 214,when he heard that the warlord Liu Bei was fighting for control over Yi Province with Yi Province's governor,Liu Zhang. He defected to Liu Bei's side and assisted Liu Bei in capturing Yi Province from Liu Zhang. Ma Chao had served as a general under Liu Bei since then and participated in the Hanzhong Campaign in 219. He died in 222.
Liu Bei,courtesy name Xuande (玄德),was a Chinese warlord in the late Eastern Han dynasty who later became the founding emperor of Shu Han,one of the Three Kingdoms of China. Although he was a distant relative of the Han imperial family,Liu Bei's father died when he was a child and left his family impoverished. To help his mother,he sold shoes and straw mats. When he reached the age of fifteen,his mother sent him to study under Lu Zhi. In his youth,Liu Bei was known as ambitious and charismatic. He gathered a militia army to fight the Yellow Turbans. Liu Bei fought bravely in many battles and grew famous for his exploits. Later,he participated in the coalition against Dong Zhuo,following this joined his childhood friend Gongsun Zan and fought under him against Yuan Shao.
Zhao Yun,courtesy name Zilong (子龍),was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan,Zhao Yun later came to serve another warlord,Liu Bei,and had since accompanied him on most of his military exploits,from the Battle of Changban (208) to the Hanzhong Campaign (217–219). He continued serving in the state of Shu Han –founded by Liu Bei in 221 –in the Three Kingdoms period and participated in the first of the Northern Expeditions until his death in 229. While many facts about Zhao Yun's life remain unclear due to limited information in historical sources,some aspects and activities in his life have been dramatised or exaggerated in folklore and fiction. In the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms,he was lauded as a member of the Five Tiger Generals under Liu Bei.
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Xiahou Yuan,courtesy name Miaocai,was a Chinese military general and politician serving under the warlord Cao Cao in the late Eastern Han dynasty of China. He is known for his exploits in western China in the 210s,during which he defeated Cao Cao's rivals Ma Chao and Han Sui in Liang Province and the surrounding areas,and forced several Di and Qiang tribal peoples into submission. He was killed in action at the Battle of Mount Dingjun while defending Hanzhong Commandery from attacks by a rival warlord Liu Bei. Xiahou Yuan's death was highly dramatised in the 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms,in which he was slain by Liu Bei's general Huang Zhong during a surprise raid.
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