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Tian Feng, courtesy name Yuanhao, was a native of Julu, or according to another account, Bohai. Tian Feng was exceptionally intelligent and resourceful, and was one of Yuan Shao's most important strategists, eventually rising to the position of Prefectural Administrator of Ji Province.

He assisted Yuan Shao in quelling the rebellion of Gongsun Zan and advised Yuan Shao to welcome the emperor and use him to control the other warlords. Tian Feng was upright and outspoken, and his suggestions were repeatedly rejected by Yuan Shao.

Before the Battle of Guandu, Tian Feng advised Yuan Shao against attacking Cao Cao and suggested a protracted war, which Yuan Shao rejected, leading to his imprisonment. After Yuan Shao's defeat at Guandu, Tian Feng was executed by Yuan Shao.

Tian Feng was intelligent and resourceful. He lost a relative when he was young and was deeply saddened during the mourning period. Even after the mourning period had ended, he still did not smile.

He was learned and knowledgeable, and quite famous in Ji Province. He was initially recruited by the Grand Commandant's office, recommended as an outstanding talent, and selected as a Supervising Censor. At that time, eunuchs held power, and loyal officials were persecuted, so Tian Feng resigned and returned home.

He later became Han Fu's subordinate, but was not given important positions because of his integrity. When Yuan Shao launched his rebellion, he used humble words and generous gifts to recruit Tian Feng. Tian Feng believed that the royal family was in danger and was determined to help them, so he joined Yuan Shao's forces and became his advisor.

When Yuan Shao was campaigning against Gongsun Zan, a battle broke out between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan's army twenty li south of Jieqiao. Yuan Shao ordered Qu Yi to lead the army into battle first, and they inflicted a great defeat on Gongsun Zan.

Yuan Shao, leading only a hundred or so men, marched behind. When they were about ten li from Jieqiao, they heard that Gongsun Zan had been defeated, so they dismounted to rest. Suddenly, two thousand of Gongsun Zan's scattered cavalry appeared and surrounded Yuan Shao, raining arrows down upon him.

Bieji Tian Feng grabbed Yuan Shao, trying to get him to hide behind a wall. Yuan Shao threw his helmet on the ground, saying that a true man should fight to the death and that hiding behind a wall might not guarantee his survival.

Yuan Shao then commanded his archers to kill many of Gongsun Zan's cavalry. Gongsun Zan's troops, unaware that Yuan Shao was the one besieging them, gradually retreated. Just then, Qu returned to reinforce, and Gongsun Zan's cavalry withdrew. Later, Yuan Shao used Tian Feng's strategy to quell Gongsun Zan's rebellion.

In the first year of Jian'an, Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Xian of Han to the capital in Xuchang. He also used Emperor Xian's words to issue an edict criticizing Yuan Shao for failing to serve the emperor effectively and for building up his own faction.

Every time Yuan Shao received an imperial edict, he worried that it would be detrimental to him, so he wanted to move the emperor to a place closer to him. He sent someone to tell Cao Cao that Xuchang was damp and Luoyang was dilapidated, and that it was more suitable to move to Zhencheng.

Cao Cao rejected Yuan Shao's proposal. Tian Feng advised Yuan Shao that since Cao Cao wouldn't agree to move the capital, it would be best to seize Xuchang as soon as possible to welcome the emperor and issue edicts in the emperor's name to command the entire country. Otherwise, they would eventually be controlled by others. But Yuan Shao did not heed this advice.

In the fifth year of Jian'an (200 AD), General Liu Bei killed Che Zhou, the governor of Xu Province, and occupied Pei County, betraying Cao Cao. Cao Cao personally led his army to attack Liu Bei.

Tian Feng advised Yuan Shao to take advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack on Cao Cao, arguing that Cao Cao was the one vying for power with Yuan Shao, and that since Yuan Shao was currently campaigning against Liu Bei, the conflict between the two sides would not end quickly. He suggested that a surprise attack would allow them to quell the rebellion in one fell swoop.

Yuan Shao refused, citing his son's illness, and took no action. Tian Feng struck the ground with his cane, lamenting that such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had been missed because of his infant's illness, which was a great pity. Yuan Shao was furious upon hearing this and distanced himself from Tian Feng from then on.

Yuan Shao wanted to send troops to attack Cao Cao, but Ju Shou and Tian Feng argued against it. Their reasoning was that the army had been campaigning for years, the people were exhausted, taxes were heavy, and food was scarce. Therefore, they suggested first sending envoys to inform the emperor to develop agriculture and allow the people to rest.

If the problem cannot be solved, submit a memorial stating that Cao Cao has blocked the King's army's path. Then, station troops in Liyang, build ships and manufacture weapons in Henan, and dispatch elite troops to garrison the surrounding areas.

Therefore, Cao Cao could be defeated within three years. Shen Pei and Guo Tu, however, argued that Yuan Shao held a large army, several times the size of Cao Cao's, and should seize the opportunity to attack Cao Cao. Yuan Shao heeded the advice of Shen Pei and Guo Tu.

Cao Cao was worried that Yuan Shao would cross the Yellow River and quickly defeat Liu Bei. Liu Bei then sought refuge with Yuan Shao, who then launched an attack on Xuchang.

Tian Feng believed that since the opportunity to attack had been lost, it was not advisable to send troops now. He advised Yuan Shao to adopt a strategy of attrition, and he analyzed that:
Cao Cao was skilled in military tactics. Although he had fewer men, he should not be underestimated. It would be better to fight him for a long time. Yuan Shao relied on the stronghold of the mountains and the Yellow River and had troops from four provinces. He made friends with heroes and powerful figures outside and developed agriculture and prepared for war inside.

Select elite troops, divide them into surprise forces, and harass Henan. When the enemy comes to the rescue of the right flank, attack the left flank; when the enemy comes to the rescue of the left flank, attack the right flank. Keep them busy and prevent the people from living in peace. Before Yuan's army even makes a move, they will be impoverished. In less than two years, they can be conquered.

If we try to determine success or failure through a single war instead of employing a sure-win strategy, and things don't go as planned, it will be too late for regrets.

Yuan Shao ignored him. Tian Feng earnestly advised him, but Yuan Shao was furious, believing that Tian Feng was undermining the morale of the army, and had him bound and imprisoned.

When Cao Cao learned that Tian Feng would not join the army in the battle, he was delighted, believing that Yuan Shao would surely be defeated.

After the victory at the Battle of Guandu and Yuan Shao's escape, Cao Cao lamented once again that if Yuan Shao had used Tian Feng's strategy, the outcome would have been uncertain.

Yuan Shao's army was defeated and fled north. The soldiers beat their chests and wept, lamenting that if Tian Feng had been here, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

Yuan Shao told Feng Ji that when the people of Ji Province heard of his army's defeat, only Tian Feng advised him against fighting before the battle, which was different from others, and he felt ashamed to face Tian Feng.

Feng Ji replied, "When Tian Feng heard that the general had been defeated, he clapped his hands and laughed, saying happily that he had been right." Thus, Yuan Shao conceived the idea of ​​killing Tian Feng.

After Yuan Shao's defeat, someone said to Tian Feng, "You will surely be given an important position." Tian Feng replied, "If we had won, I would have survived; now that we have lost, I will die."

When Yuan Shao returned, he told those around him that he would not use Tian Feng's strategies, which was met with ridicule. Consequently, Yuan Shao killed Tian Feng.

Famous strategists emerged in abundance, such as Guo Jia under Cao Cao and Chen Gong under Lü Bu. Ironically, Yuan Shao, who dominated a region, seemed to have few well-known and insightful strategists under his command.

Yuan Shao, whose family had been dukes and marquises for generations, once confronted the powerful minister Dong Zhuo in the imperial court. During the coalition of warlords to fight against Dong Zhuo and protect the country, he was elected as the leader of the alliance and held a pivotal position among the many warlords.

Yuan Shao had a strong and well-equipped army. To say that he lacked capable strategists would be untenable.

Here, let's talk about a remarkable strategist under Yuan Shao whose talent and wisdom were no less than Guo Jia's. It could even be said that if Yuan Shao had listened to him, the one who ultimately unified the north might not have been Cao Cao.

This extraordinary man was the strategist Tian Feng, a strategic genius shrouded in tragedy.

After Liu Bei killed Che Zhou and seized Xuzhou right under Cao Cao's nose, Cao Cao was furious. He personally led his main army to attack Xuzhou, vowing to wipe out Liu Bei's forces. However, Cao Cao's attack on Xuzhou left his stronghold, Xuchang, vulnerable.

Tian Feng astutely recognized Cao Cao's fatal mistake and quickly sought an audience with Yuan Shao, suggesting that he take advantage of the battle between Cao Cao and Liu Bei in Xuzhou to lead his army to attack Xudu.

Tian Feng's strategy was simple and wise. By having Yuan Shao send troops to Xuchang, he could put Cao Cao in a difficult situation where he had to attend to both ends, and he could easily use his superior forces to defeat Cao Cao in one fell swoop and drive him out of the historical stage.

Secondly, he could take the opportunity to rescue Liu Bei, the imperial uncle, making the Eastern Han court owe him a huge favor, thereby establishing his position as the most powerful minister in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Unfortunately, at this very moment, Yuan Shao was preoccupied with his young son's scabies and had no interest in waging war. Despite Tian Feng's repeated and earnest attempts to persuade him, all his efforts were in vain.

As a seasoned military strategist, Cao Cao did not give Yuan Shao a second chance. After swiftly conquering Xuzhou, he quickly made defensive deployments, completely eliminating this fatal military threat.

Judging from Cao Cao's later reactions, Tian Feng's judgment was undoubtedly correct! His keen insight and unfathomable military strategies should be in no way inferior to Guo Jia in the early period and Zhuge Liang in the later period.

After the fall of Xuzhou, Liu Bei led his remaining troops to join Yuan Shao, earnestly requesting Yuan Shao to attack Cao Cao. Meanwhile, Yuan Shao's youngest son's sores had healed, and Yuan Shao regained his good mood.

After being persuaded by Liu Bei, he readily agreed to the suggestion to go to war with Cao Cao.

At this juncture, Tian Feng, assessing the situation, solemnly voiced his opposition to Yuan Shao:
The other day, Cao Cao launched an attack on Xuzhou, leaving his rear vulnerable. This was a golden opportunity to launch an attack, but you remained inactive, letting this golden opportunity slip away.
Now that Cao Cao has won a great victory, his military forces are deployed properly, and his morale is high, there is absolutely no reason to fight Cao Cao at this critical juncture!
However, for some reason, Yuan Shao's brain short-circuited at this moment. He publicly rebuked Tian Feng and, on the grounds of disrupting the morale of the army, imprisoned Tian Feng, claiming that he would further humiliate him after the victorious return.

The rest of the story is familiar: on the eve of the decisive battle between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, Liu Bei, under the pretext of stabilizing a third party for Yuan Shao, successfully escaped from Yuan Shao. Meanwhile, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao led their armies in a decisive battle around Guandu.

With a series of continuous mistakes, Yuan Shao finally paid a heavy price for his errors. After the defeat in the battle, he led his remaining troops back to Ji Province.

The disheveled Yuan Shao had no face to humiliate Tian Feng, who was imprisoned there.

Tian Feng understood even more clearly that with the defeat at Guandu, Yuan Shao's power was already gone, and he could no longer help Yuan Shao achieve his great cause.

Furthermore, those strategists who initially sided with Yuan Shao and ostracized Tian Feng are now ashamed to face the living Tian Feng.

Under the dim light of an oil lamp, in the chilly air, a jailer rushed in and said to Tian Feng: "Congratulations, sir! The lord ignored your advice and suffered a crushing defeat. He will surely give you an important position in the future."

Upon hearing this, Tian Feng sneered and said, "You are mistaken. If I win this time, I might be pardoned; otherwise, my lord will be ashamed to see me and will surely kill me. What is there to be happy about?"

As fate would have it, within days, the brilliant strategist Tian Feng was secretly executed by Yuan Shao in prison.

Tian Feng, courtesy name Yuanhao, was born in Jizhou during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was intelligent from a young age, diligent in his studies, and erudite.

In that era, scholars valued poetry, literature, and etiquette. Tian Feng was influenced by this from a young age and studied diligently. As he grew older, his talent gradually came to the fore, and he was highly regarded by the world.

Tian Feng's talent was not limited to books. He was well-versed in military strategy and was skilled in tactics, often using his wisdom to assist those around him.

In that era of war and turmoil, Tian Feng's military talents were fully demonstrated. He advised Yuan Shao, helping him pacify Ji Province and make it the most powerful warlord at the time.

Yuan Shao was not Tian Feng's final destination. Due to his dissatisfaction with Yuan Shao's autocratic rule, Tian Feng clashed with him and eventually left his command.

This event not only showcased Tian Feng's independent personality but also marked a new turning point in his life.

After leaving Yuan Shao, Tian Feng joined Cao Cao. Cao Cao always valued talent and greatly admired Tian Feng's abilities.

Tian Feng's arrival injected new vitality into Cao Cao's strategic thinking. He worked with Cao Cao to plan his great undertaking and helped him achieve victory in many battles.

His life was not without its challenges. During the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao did not heed Tian Feng's advice, which led to Cao Cao's dissatisfaction after his great victory over Yuan Shao.

Tian Feng was imprisoned by Cao Cao for speaking frankly and offering advice. This event dramatically changed Tian Feng's fate.

Nevertheless, Tian Feng's talent and wisdom were not buried. During his imprisonment, he continued to dedicate himself to the study of military strategy, leaving behind a wealth of valuable experience and wisdom for posterity. At the same time, his loyalty and courage are still praised by later generations.

Although Tian Feng failed to help Cao Cao unify the Three Kingdoms, his wisdom and talent are admired by later generations.

Tian Feng was a native of Julu County during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He was exceptionally intelligent and learned from a young age, and was highly respected in the area. After serving as an official in the imperial court, he resigned and returned to his hometown due to his dissatisfaction with the corruption of the government and the eunuchs' monopoly of power.

After Han Fu became the governor of Ji Province, Tian Feng served under Han Fu, but he was not given important positions because of his uprightness and incorruptibility and his inability to flatter.

Han Fu was later driven away by Yuan Shao, but Yuan Shao valued Tian Feng highly and "humbly offered generous gifts to win him over." Tian Feng, "seeing that the royal family was in many troubles and determined to save it, responded to Shao's order."

In other words, Yuan Shao invited Tian Feng to serve him with humble words and generous gifts, and Tian Feng accepted Yuan Shao's invitation because he was determined to help the long-suffering Han Dynasty.

What Tian Feng said is exactly what Sun Tzu called strategic planning, defeating the enemy on a strategic level! Tian Feng pointed out that Yuan Shao's advantages lay in his large territory, numerous troops, and ample supplies, all of which were Cao Cao's disadvantages;
Cao Cao's advantage lies in his skill in military strategy, so Tian Feng advised against engaging Cao Cao in a decisive battle, but rather to wage a protracted war, constantly wearing down the enemy until Cao Cao was exhausted!
Yuan Shao possessed natural defenses and was not afraid of Cao Cao's attacks; he had a large army, so even if he sent his elite troops to harass Cao Cao, he could still ensure the safety of his homeland; he had a large territory and sufficient food and supplies, so he was not afraid of being worn down!
Cao Cao, on the other hand, occupied Henan, a flat plain with no natural defenses, making him vulnerable to Yuan Shao's army.
With a small army, they can't attend to other areas while rescuing others; with a small territory and a tight food supply, they will inevitably be dragged down and killed if the war turns into a protracted war of attrition!
Tian Feng's strategy was based on "using the strong to control the weak," relying on his superior military and economic strength to wear down and overwhelm Cao Cao! (End of Chapter)