In the third month of the fourth year of the Jian'an Era, at the beginning of spring, the years-long struggle between Hebei's two great heroes finally reached its end.
Because Gongsun Zan's secret plea for aid was intercepted by Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao had his troops raise torches outside the city.
When Gongsun Zan saw them, he mistook them for arriving reinforcements and led his troops out to attack, only to suffer a crushing blow from Yuan Shao.
That battle scattered Gongsun Zan's forces in all directions, leaving him no choice but to turtle up inside the city.
Having gained the advantage, Yuan Shao ordered his men to dig tunnels with all their strength and burn the tower platform where Gongsun Zan was located.
With no road left to retreat, Gongsun Zan had all the women of his household strangled, then set himself ablaze.
But before he could die, Yuan Shao's charging soldiers beheaded him. Thus, the curtain fell completely on the great warlord Gongsun Zan.
After Gongsun Zan's death, his strategist Guan Jing knew that he had led Gongsun Zan astray. He spurred his horse into Yuan Shao's army and died.
Having finally killed the two men, Yuan Shao ordered their heads sent to Xudu.
Yet one matter continued to perplex Yuan Shao greatly: Gongsun Zan's wife and children had not been found among his army.
Though there were many concubines, his two sons and principal wife were nowhere to be seen.
To cut the grass and pull out the roots, exterminating Gongsun Zan's bloodline entirely, he ordered his spies to search everywhere.
After two consecutive days, they finally learned that before Gongsun Zan's defeat, a mysterious person had come to visit him.
After speaking with that person, Gongsun Zan entrusted his wife and children to him and had