Ju Shou
Encyclopedia
Ju Shou was an advisor serving under the warlord Yuan Shao
during the late Han Dynasty
period of Chinese history
.
(who often did not give honest advice for selfish reasons). Ju Shou advised against having Yan Liang
and Wen Chou
strike Cao Cao
's forces at Boma
and Yanjing (延津) and Yuan Shao ignored him both times, resulting in two major defeats and both Yan Liang and Wen Chou were slain in battle. In Luo Guanzhong
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao to kill Liu Bei
(who was with Yuan at the time to avoid Cao Cao) since it is highly likely Liu was acting as a mole
for Cao Cao as Liu Bei's general Guan Yu
slew Yan Liang and Wen Chou. However Yuan Shao was tricked into thinking that an enemy general who resembled Guan Yu had slain his general and refused to execute Liu Bei.
Prior to the Battle of Guandu
, Tian Feng
advised against the strike on the basis that Cao Cao was near Guandu at Xuchang
, and they had missed their perfect chance to capture Xuchang earlier when Cao was busy attacking Liu Bei at Xiapi. Ju Shou also agreed with Tian Feng's suggestion, however this angered Yuan Shao and he perceived it as lowering his army's morale, and put Tian in prison. This also served as a warning to Ju Shou.
Later, Yuan Shao personally led his 150,000 strong army to attack Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu. Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao not to be overconfident, and instead concentrate on defense and reach a stalemate since Yuan's army was abundant in soldiers and supplies, and had landscape advantage, while Cao Cao's army lacked in all three; after Cao's force inevitably weakens, Yuan could launch a full force attack at the retreating Cao forces and score a major victory and take over Xuchang. However, Yuan Shao once again ignored this advice and had Ju Shou locked up under the same charge as Tian Feng, affecting the army's morale. He was overconfident that his forces were significantly stronger and had no need for a long term defensive fight, and it was more "prideful" to launch an all-out offensive.
Yuan Shao assigned Chunyu Qiong
to be in charge of the army's main supply base at Wuchao (乌巢). Ju Shou knew that Chunyu Qiong was incapable of taking the responsibility of guarding the supplies and provisions and requested audience with Yuan Shao. He then advised Yuan Shao to let someone else be in charge as the loss of Wuchao would likely result in defeat. Yuan Shao was sick and tired of Ju Shou and ignored him.
As Ju Shou had predicted, Yuan Shao's army suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Guandu when their supplies and provisions at Wuchao were burnt down by Cao Cao's troops. Yuan Shao managed to flee back to Hebei
but Ju Shou was captured in battle by Cao Cao's troops. Cao Cao treated Ju Shou with respect and offered to let Ju join him as an advisor. Ju Shou stated that his family had always served the Yuans, and that will never change. Cao Cao was moved by his loyalty and gave him a few days to think about the offer and kept him in his camp. However, Ju Shou attempted to escape at night by stealing a horse, but was killed by Cao Cao's men. Saddened by the loss of a great scholar, Ju Shou was given a proper burial and his grave was visited by Cao Cao himself.
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
Biography
Ju Shou was considered to be one of the most brilliant advisors of Yuan Shao and often gave honest and loyal advice to Yuan, who ignored him most of the time since they often contradicted the advice of Yuan's favourite advisor Guo TuGuo Tu
Guo Tu was an advisor to the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Yuan often sought his advice for civil and military decisions.-Serving Yuan Shao:...
(who often did not give honest advice for selfish reasons). Ju Shou advised against having Yan Liang
Yan Liang
Yan Liang was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was slain by Guan Yu at the Battle of Boma.-Biography:...
and Wen Chou
Wen Chou
Wen Chou was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. His force was defeated by that of rival warlord Cao Cao in the Battle of Yan Ford and he was killed in the midst of battle....
strike Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
's forces at Boma
Battle of Boma
The Battle of Boma or Battle of Baima was the first of a series of battles that led to the decisive Battle of Guandu between the warlords Yuan Shao and Cao Cao in northern China during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
and Yanjing (延津) and Yuan Shao ignored him both times, resulting in two major defeats and both Yan Liang and Wen Chou were slain in battle. In Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao to kill Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
(who was with Yuan at the time to avoid Cao Cao) since it is highly likely Liu was acting as a mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
for Cao Cao as Liu Bei's general Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
slew Yan Liang and Wen Chou. However Yuan Shao was tricked into thinking that an enemy general who resembled Guan Yu had slain his general and refused to execute Liu Bei.
Prior to the Battle of Guandu
Battle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was a military conflict between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle, which concluded with victory for Cao Cao, was a turning point in the war between the two warlords...
, Tian Feng
Tian Feng
Tian Feng , style name Yuanhao , was an advisor to the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-In Romance of the Three Kingdoms:...
advised against the strike on the basis that Cao Cao was near Guandu at Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, and they had missed their perfect chance to capture Xuchang earlier when Cao was busy attacking Liu Bei at Xiapi. Ju Shou also agreed with Tian Feng's suggestion, however this angered Yuan Shao and he perceived it as lowering his army's morale, and put Tian in prison. This also served as a warning to Ju Shou.
Later, Yuan Shao personally led his 150,000 strong army to attack Cao Cao during the Battle of Guandu. Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao not to be overconfident, and instead concentrate on defense and reach a stalemate since Yuan's army was abundant in soldiers and supplies, and had landscape advantage, while Cao Cao's army lacked in all three; after Cao's force inevitably weakens, Yuan could launch a full force attack at the retreating Cao forces and score a major victory and take over Xuchang. However, Yuan Shao once again ignored this advice and had Ju Shou locked up under the same charge as Tian Feng, affecting the army's morale. He was overconfident that his forces were significantly stronger and had no need for a long term defensive fight, and it was more "prideful" to launch an all-out offensive.
Yuan Shao assigned Chunyu Qiong
Chunyu Qiong
Chunyu Qiong was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He played a significant part in the Battle of Guandu in 200.-Biography:...
to be in charge of the army's main supply base at Wuchao (乌巢). Ju Shou knew that Chunyu Qiong was incapable of taking the responsibility of guarding the supplies and provisions and requested audience with Yuan Shao. He then advised Yuan Shao to let someone else be in charge as the loss of Wuchao would likely result in defeat. Yuan Shao was sick and tired of Ju Shou and ignored him.
As Ju Shou had predicted, Yuan Shao's army suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Guandu when their supplies and provisions at Wuchao were burnt down by Cao Cao's troops. Yuan Shao managed to flee back to Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
but Ju Shou was captured in battle by Cao Cao's troops. Cao Cao treated Ju Shou with respect and offered to let Ju join him as an advisor. Ju Shou stated that his family had always served the Yuans, and that will never change. Cao Cao was moved by his loyalty and gave him a few days to think about the offer and kept him in his camp. However, Ju Shou attempted to escape at night by stealing a horse, but was killed by Cao Cao's men. Saddened by the loss of a great scholar, Ju Shou was given a proper burial and his grave was visited by Cao Cao himself.
Appointments and titles held
- Attendant Officer in Ji Province (冀州別駕)
- Maocai (茂才)
- County Prefect (縣令)
- Commandant of Cavalry (騎都尉) under Han Fu
- Army Inspector (監軍)
- General of Uplifting Might (奮威將軍)
See also
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms