Yuan Tan

Governor of Qingzhou; opens his gates to the beaten fugitive, entertains him, writes to his father, and escorts Liu Bei as far as the Pingyuan boundary.

Yuan Tan; Yuan Shao's eldest son; rallies remnants after Wuchao.

Marches sixty thousand troops from Qingzhou to his father's rescue and stands beside him at Cangting; sent back afterwards with Xin Ping and Guo Tu to hold Qingzhou. His father's verdict in council - 'my eldest son is hard and cruel' - plants the feud to come.

Kept from the deathbed by Guo Tu's caution, he executes the hostage Peng Ji over the withheld reinforcements, tries the banquet-assassination, loses twice, and is besieged in Pingyuan - whence Xin Pi's embassy buys him Cao Cao's intervention, a promised daughter in marriage, and secretly engraved seals for would-be friends at court. The seals go straight to Cao Cao, who 'thenceforward planned Yuan Tan's doom'.

Ravages four commanderies, absorbs his beaten brother's troops, and defies the summons - so Cao Cao breaks off the betrothal and comes north. Nanpi besieged, his surrender rebuffed, he drives armed peasants ahead of his soldiers as a screen and is cut down in the melee by Cao Hong. His exposed head is guarded against mourners.