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Yuan Xi, courtesy name Xianyi, was a native of Ruyang, Runan. He was the governor of Youzhou during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and the second son of Yuan Shao.

Yuan Xi followed his father in battles in his early years. After Yuan Shao occupied the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You and Bing, he was appointed as the governor of You Province.

After the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao suffered a major defeat at the hands of Cao Cao. In 202 AD, Yuan Shao died of grief and despair following his defeat. After Yuan Shao's death, Yuan Xi did not participate in the power struggle between the brothers Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang.

In 204 AD, when Cao Cao pacified Hebei, Yuan Xi took in his brother Yuan Shang, who had been defeated by Cao Cao.

In the tenth year of Jian'an (205 AD), Yuan Xi's subordinates Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan launched a rebellion, and Yuan Xi took the opportunity to flee to the Wuhuan in Liaoxi.

In 207 AD, he was defeated by Cao Cao and went to Liaodong to seek refuge with Gongsun Kang. Cao Cao used the strategy of watching the fire from across the river to order Gongsun Kang to kill Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang, and then present their heads to Cao Cao.

Liu Biao praised Yuan Xi, saying that he had an extraordinary demeanor, was magnanimous, and was generous in his manner.

Emperor Xian of Han appointed Yuan Shao as Grand Commandant, and later changed him to General-in-Chief, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Ye. However, Yuan Shao declined the title of marquis and did not accept it.

Soon after, Yuan Shao defeated Gongsun Zan at Yijing and annexed his troops. Yuan Shao then sent his eldest son, Yuan Tan, to Qingzhou as governor, but Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao that this would sow the seeds of disaster. However, Yuan Shao did not listen and said, "I want my sons to each occupy a province."

Yuan Shao then appointed his second son, Yuan Xi, as the governor of Youzhou, and his nephew, Gao Gan, as the governor of Bingzhou.

In the ninth year of Jian'an, when Cao Cao besieged Ye City, Yuan Tan took the opportunity to occupy Ganling, Anping, Bohai, Hejian and other places, and attacked Yuan Shang in Zhongshan.

After his defeat, Yuan Shang fled to Gu'an and sought refuge with Yuan Xi, while Yuan Tan absorbed all of Yuan Shang's troops.

In the tenth year of Jian'an (205 AD), Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, generals under Yuan Xi, launched a rebellion and attacked Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang fled to the Wuhuan of the three commanderies.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the land, the Wuhuan people of the three commanderies invaded Youzhou and plundered more than 100,000 Han households. In order to win over the Wuhuan, Yuan Shao appointed their leader as Chanyu and married him off to a Wuhuan leader, pretending to be his own daughter.

Therefore, after their defeat, Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang sought refuge with the Wuhuan, hoping to use the strength of this foreign tribe to fight their way back to Ji Province.

In February of the twelfth year of Jian'an (207 AD), Cao Cao returned to Ye City from Chunyu, preparing to launch a northern expedition against the Wuhuan people of the three commanderies.

The generals all said, "Yuan Shang is nothing but a fugitive traitor. The Wuhuan people are greedy and have no sense of kinship. How could they possibly risk their lives for Yuan Shang? Now that we have penetrated deep into Wuhuan territory, Liu Bei will surely persuade Liu Biao to attack Xuchang. If something happens in Xuchang, the situation will be irreversible."

Only Guo Jia believed that Liu Biao would not value Liu Bei and advised Cao Cao to send troops. In May, Cao Cao arrived at Wuzhong. In July, floods raged, making coastal roads impassable. Tian Chou offered to be a guide, and Cao Cao accepted his suggestion.

The army set out from Lulong Pass, but the roads outside the pass were completely impassable. So they dug through mountains and filled valleys for more than 500 li, passing through Baitan, crossing Pinggang, and traversing the territory of the Xianbei, heading east directly towards Liucheng. The enemy army only learned of this when they were still 200 li away from Liucheng.

Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, along with Wuhuan leader Tadun, Liaoxi Chanyu Louban, and Youbeiping Chanyu Nengchen Dizhi, led tens of thousands of cavalry to meet the enemy. In August, Cao Cao ascended Bailang Mountain and suddenly encountered the enemy army, which was overwhelming in strength.

Cao Cao's army's wagons and supplies were at the rear, with few armored soldiers, and his men were terrified. Cao Cao climbed to a high point and observed that the enemy's formation was disorganized.
He then ordered a full-scale attack, sending Zhang Liao as the vanguard. The enemy was utterly defeated, and Tadun and other important leaders were killed. More than 200,000 Hu and Han people surrendered.

The Chanyu of Liaodong, Supuwan, and the leaders of Liaoxi and Beiping abandoned their people and fled to Liaodong with Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, leaving behind only a few thousand cavalry.

Initially, Gongsun Kang, the governor of Liaodong, refused to submit to Cao Cao due to the remoteness of the region. After Cao Cao defeated the Wuhuan, some people advised him to take the opportunity to attack Gongsun Kang and capture the Yuan brothers.

Cao Cao said, "I was just about to have Gongsun Kang send over the heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, so there's no need to trouble our troops."

In September, Cao Cao led his army back from Liucheng. Gongsun Kang indeed killed Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Supuwan, among others, and sent their heads to him. One of the generals asked, "As soon as you withdrew your army, Gongsun Kang sent the heads of Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi. Why is that?"

Cao Cao said, "Gongsun Kang has always been afraid of Yuan Shang and others. If we pressure him, he will join forces with Yuan Shang. If we relax our efforts, they will fight each other. This is the way things are."

In November, Cao Cao arrived at the Yi River, where Pufulu, the acting Chanyu of the Wuhuan tribe in Dai Commandery, and Nalou, the acting Chanyu of the Wuhuan tribe in Shang Commandery, led their leaders to offer their congratulations.

Yuan Xi was Yuan Shao's second son. Unlike his elder brother Yuan Tan and younger brother Yuan Shang, he did not participate in the struggle for succession from the beginning. Instead, he was appointed by Yuan Shao as the governor of Youzhou, far away from the political center. After the Battle of Guandu, he did not fight among himself like his two brothers, but instead developed peacefully in Youzhou, guarding against the arrival of Cao Cao.

Yuan Xi, courtesy name Xianyong, was arguably the most magnanimous of Yuan Shao's children. After the Battle of Guandu, he returned to Youzhou to recuperate, and his brothers did not cause him any trouble.

Later, Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were both defeated. Cao Cao pacified Hebei, and the younger brother Yuan Shang fled to Yuan Xi's territory in a sorry state, asking his brother for shelter. Yuan Xi accepted Yuan Shang, who had been defeated by Cao Cao, without any hesitation.

However, not long after, Yuan Xi's subordinates Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan believed that the Yuan family's power was gone, so they launched a rebellion and led troops to pursue Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang. In the end, Yuan Xi could only flee to the Wuhuan in Liaoxi.

In the twelfth year of Jian'an (208 AD), Yuan Xi was again caught up and defeated by Cao Cao, who was on a campaign against the Wuhuan. He eventually fled to Liaodong and sought refuge with Gongsun Kang, the governor of Liaodong. However, Gongsun Kang plotted against him and killed him. Yuan Xi and his brother Yuan Shang's heads were sent to Cao Cao by Gongsun Kang via express courier. From then on, the Yuan family's power was completely eradicated.

Another noteworthy aspect of Yuan Xi's history is his wives. Yuan Xi had two wives. His first wife was named Wu, but unfortunately, she died young.

The second wife was Zhen Ji, whom we all know well. She was Cao Pi's later wife, Empress Wenzhao Zhen, Zhen Mi. Zhen Mi was a blessed person. A fortune teller once said that she would surely be of immeasurable nobility in the future. After hearing this, Yuan Shao betrothed her to his second son, Yuan Xi.

Subsequently, Yuan Xi went to Youzhou to take up his post, while Zhen Mi stayed in Jizhou to take care of her mother. However, after the defeat at the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao led his army to capture Ye City. Because of her outstanding beauty, Zhen Mi was favored by Cao Pi, who took her in as his concubine and she was greatly loved.

Later, she gave birth to Emperor Cao Rui of Wei and Princess Dongxiang. Because of Yuan Xi, some people have speculated that Emperor Cao Rui of Wei may not be Cao Pi's biological child, but the probability of this is extremely small, and there is no basis for this view.

In 204 AD, Cao Cao besieged Ye City, and the defending general Shen Pei vowed to hold it to the death. At that time, in order to encourage his soldiers, Shen Pei claimed that reinforcements from Yuan Xi, the governor of Youzhou, would arrive soon.

However, Shen Pei held Ye City for months before it fell, but Yuan Xi's reinforcements never arrived. At that time, Yuan Xi's mother, Lady Liu, and wife, Zhen Mi, were in Ye City. Why did Yuan Xi refuse to come to Ye City's aid? Let the captain explain in detail. Yuan Xi was born into the Yuan clan of Runan, the son of Yuan Shao, the governor of Ji Province, and his second wife, Lady Liu. Because the Yuan family was one of the top aristocratic families at the end of the Han Dynasty, Yuan Xi lived a privileged life and received an excellent education from a young age.

In the second year of the Chuping era (191 AD), Yuan Shao seized Ji Province from Han Fu, the governor of Ji Province, and became the governor of Ji Province. From then on, Ye City, the capital of Ji Province, became the main base of the Yuan family.

Because Ji Province was very important to Yuan Shao, in order to win over the local aristocratic families and consolidate his rule, he arranged for his second son, Yuan Xi, to marry Zhen Mi, the daughter of the Zhen family of Wuji County in Zhongshan Commandery.

Therefore, Yuan Xi was Zhen Mi's first husband, but he was far less famous than his wife. Zhen Mi was later taken by Cao Pi, who gave birth to Emperor Cao Rui of Wei and posthumously recognized her as Empress of Cao Wei. However, the Zhongshan Zhen clan had already declined by the end of the Han Dynasty, indicating that Yuan Xi was not particularly favored by Yuan Shao.

Then, relying on Ji Province, Yuan Shao conquered Bing Province, Qing Province, and You Province, gradually becoming the most powerful warlord at the end of the Han Dynasty. In 199 AD, Yuan Shao eliminated Gongsun Zan, who was besieging Yijing, and suddenly gained control of four provinces in Hebei.

Subsequently, Yuan Shao dispatched his three sons and one nephew to govern four provinces, and Yuan Xi became the governor of You Province. Yuan Xi remained in You Province thereafter, while his wife Zhen Mi stayed in Ye City to take care of her mother-in-law, Lady Liu. Thus, this parting between Yuan Xi and Zhen Mi was their last, and the couple never saw each other again.

However, Yuan Xi only controlled the western part of Youzhou, while the four commanderies in the eastern part of Youzhou—Liaodong Commandery, Lelang Commandery, Xuantu Commandery, and Liaodong Dependent State—were controlled by Gongsun Du, the governor of Liaodong.

However, Yuan Shao did not advance into the four commanderies of Youdong after eliminating Gongsun Zan. This may be because Youdong was too remote, or because Gongsun Du was too powerful to be eliminated in a short time.

In 200 AD, Yuan Shao was eager to seize the Central Plains, but he was defeated by Cao Cao at the Battle of Guandu. From then on, the Yuan family went from prosperity to decline.

In 202 AD, Yuan Shao died of illness, and his eldest son Yuan Tan and second son Yuan Shang vied for the throne. Yuan Xi, as the third son, remained neutral amidst the infighting between his two brothers.

On the one hand, Yuan Xi was not as favored as his third brother Yuan Xi and was not made heir; on the other hand, he was not as legitimate as his eldest brother Yuan Tan, who was the eldest son of the legitimate wife.

Seeing that Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were fighting amongst themselves, Cao Cao took the opportunity to conquer Hebei and even rallied the weaker Yuan Tan to attack the stronger Yuan Shang.

In 204 AD, Cao Cao captured Ye City, and his son Cao Pi seized Zhen Mi. Yuan Shang was defeated and fled to Youzhou to seek refuge with his second brother Yuan Xi, while Yuan Tan was subsequently killed by Cao Cao.

Previously, Shen Pei, the garrison commander of Ye City, was loyal to the Yuan family and vowed to resist Cao Cao to the death, waiting every day for Yuan Xi's reinforcements to arrive. However, just like the two brothers had fought amongst themselves before, Yuan Xi remained in Youzhou, watching from the sidelines, and did not send troops to rescue them.

This was likely because Gongsun Du was powerful and ambitious in eastern Youzhou at the time, and frequently plotted to advance westward. Therefore, in order to protect Youzhou, Yuan Xi had no choice but to remain stationed there to prevent Gongsun Du from taking advantage of the situation.

In the tenth year of Jian'an (205 AD), Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, generals under Yuan Xi, saw that the Yuan family's power was waning, so they raised an army in rebellion, drove away Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi, and surrendered Youzhou to Cao Cao.

Fortunately, Yuan Shao had been on good terms with the Wuhuan people during his lifetime and had joined forces with them to eliminate Gongsun Zan. Therefore, Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang fled east and sought refuge with the Wuhuan people.

In 207 AD, Cao Cao launched a campaign against the Wuhuan and won the Battle of White Wolf Mountain, crippling the Wuhuan. Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang were forced to continue their eastward flight and sought refuge with Gongsun Kang, the governor of Liaodong.

However, Yuan Shang was unwilling to accept defeat, so he conspired with Yuan Xi to kill Gongsun Kang and seize Liaodong to fight against Cao Cao. In order to curry favor with Cao Cao, Gongsun Kang decided to kill Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang to show his goodwill to Cao Cao.

Then Gongsun Kang hosted a banquet to invite the two Yuan brothers, during which he arrested them and tied them to the ground.

At that time, the climate in Liaodong was cold, so Yuan Shang, who was kneeling on the ground, was freezing and asked Gongsun Kang to provide a straw mat for him to place on the ground.

Knowing his days were numbered, Yuan Xi mocked himself, saying, "My head is going to travel ten thousand miles, what's the point of having a straw mat?" Gongsun Kang then killed the two Yuan brothers and presented their heads to Cao Cao.

Cao Rui's birth mother was Zhen Mi, a famous beauty during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period. Zhen Mi had two husbands: Yuan Xi, the son of Yuan Shao, and Cao Pi, the son of Cao Cao.

Zhen Mi married Yuan Xi in the early years of the Jian'an era. It was a political marriage arranged by Yuan Shao to win over the Zhen family of Zhongshan, but the exact time is unknown.

Later, Yuan Xi was appointed Governor of Youzhou by Yuan Shao, and he went to Youzhou to guard the city, leaving his wife Zhen Mi in Ye City to take care of his mother.

In August of the ninth year of Jian'an (September 204), Cao Cao's army captured Ye City. Cao Pi then broke into Yuan Shao's residence and discovered Yuan Xi's wife, Zhen Mi. Finding her exceptionally beautiful, he forcibly married her. Zhen Mi then gave birth to Cao Pi's son, Cao Rui, and Princess Dongxiang.

However, as Zhen Mi aged and lost her beauty, Cao Shuang's favor towards her gradually diminished. In the first year of Huangchu (220 AD), Cao Pi declared himself emperor and established the Wei dynasty, but surprisingly did not make his wife Zhen Mi his empress.

In the second year of the Huangchu era (221 AD), Cao Pi heard that Zhen Mi was dissatisfied with his favoritism towards Empress Guo and the two daughters of Emperor Xian of Han, so he actually sent someone to order Zhen Mi to commit suicide.

Cao Rui was Cao Pi's eldest son, but Cao Pi delayed in making him crown prince. After Zhen Mi was murdered, Cao Pi was even more worried that Cao Rui would hate him and therefore did not want to make Cao Rui crown prince.

In the seventh year of the Huangchu era (226 AD), Cao Pi fell critically ill and, on his deathbed, appointed Cao Rui as Crown Prince, allowing him to inherit the throne.

Based on the fact that Cao Rui died at the age of 36 in the third year of Jingchu (239), it is speculated that he was born in the ninth year of Jian'an (204).

This is quite strange, since Cao Pi married Zhen Mi in August of that year, so Cao Rui should have been born no earlier than the tenth year of Jian'an (205 AD). Therefore, some people suspect that Cao Rui was Yuan Xi's son based on this and Cao Pi's poor treatment of Zhen Mi and Cao Rui.

First of all, Cao Pi was a normal person, and he certainly knew whether Cao Rui was his son or not. If Cao Rui was Yuan Xi's son, then Zhen Mi would have been at least six months pregnant, and Cao Pi couldn't possibly not have noticed.

Judging from Cao Pi's passing the throne to Cao Rui and Cao Cao's great affection for Cao Rui, Cao Rui was undoubtedly Cao Pi's son. Furthermore, Cao Pi had ten sons, most of whom died young, but five were still alive when he died. If Cao Rui were not Cao Pi's son, Cao Pi could have easily passed the throne to one of his other four sons; there was no possibility of him passing it to Cao Rui.

Secondly, Cao Pi's most favored woman was Empress Guo, whom he immediately made empress after Zhen Mi's death. However, Empress Guo was unable to bear children, so Cao Pi adopted Cao Rui as her son. (End of Chapter)