Ju Shou

Biodata

Background / History

Official career

Before entering Yuan Shao’s service, Ju Shou served as Ji Province’s assistant governor, received a recommendation as an outstanding talent, and held office twice as a county magistrate. His official career included an audience with the Son of Heaven, allowing him to recognize Emperor Xian’s face and voice 2 7.

Ju Shou urged Yuan Shao to bring the emperor to Ji Province, but his advice was rejected. When a secret report confirmed that Cao Cao had taken Luoyang and escorted the emperor to Xuchang, Ju Shou recognized that Cao Cao could use imperial authority to command the other lords 1 3.

As army supervisor under the Grand General, Ju Shou later holds substantial responsibility for Yuan Shao’s internal and external affairs and acts on his behalf in commanding the armies. Jia Xu identifies him, Shen Pei, and Tian Feng with the Ji Province Faction, contrasting them with Yuan Shao’s earlier followers from Runan 57 123 157.

Discovery of Liu Xie

While fishing outside Ye City, Ju Shou noticed a ragged young refugee repeatedly failing to spear fish. The young man’s exact resemblance to Emperor Xian startled him, but his solitary appearance, poverty, and ability to clean and roast fish convinced Ju Shou that he could not be the emperor 1 2.

Ju Shou devised a plan to present the refugee as the Son of Heaven in Yuan Shao’s territory. Liu Xie initially refused, fearing that he would become a powerful man’s pawn. Ju Shou restrained him from leaving, introduced himself, and persuaded him with promises of food, security, and imperial luxury. Liu Xie accepted and demonstrated a commanding imperial manner that nearly made Ju Shou kneel instinctively 2 3.

Establishing the false emperor

Ju Shou brought Liu Xie to Yuan Shao’s residence, where Yuan Shao and his officials initially accepted him as Emperor Xian. After Liu Xie’s emotional account of escaping Cao Cao, Ju Shou privately revealed the deception to his lord 4 5.

His argument centered on uncertainty rather than universal acceptance: a second emperor would make people question the authenticity of Cao Cao’s emperor, weakening Cao Cao’s authority and giving Yuan Shao a pretext for opposing him. Yuan Shao approved the scheme but warned Ju Shou never to act without permission again 5.

Ju Shou undertook to fabricate supporting evidence and witnesses and arrange instruction in imperial manners. He also warned Yuan Shao that Liu Xie’s rapid switch from commanding emperor to flattering commoner suggested unusual intelligence and warranted tighter control. Yuan Shao dismissed the concern 5 6.

Imperial instruction and appointments

Ju Shou gave Liu Xie one month to learn the Son of Heaven’s conduct before the Heaven-Worship Rite. He supplied the Daily Conduct Records and personally supervised speech, posture, walking, and everyday etiquette. By the end of the month, Liu Xie had memorized five or six volumes and mastered the etiquette of speech, although his bearing still required work 8 11 12.

When Yuan Shao planned to appoint himself Grand General, Ju Shou warned that the disputed emperor’s identity could make the promotion controversial. He also opposed appointing Yuan Shu Grand Commandant beneath Yuan Shao’s military authority, predicting that this would deepen the brothers’ rift. Yuan Shao rejected both objections 12.

Liu Bei’s arrival

Ju Shou notified Liu Xie that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had arrived in Ye City and arranged their imperial audience. During the meeting, he used Liu Bei’s professed loyalty to the Han to urge him to remain in Ji Province and serve the emperor rather than recover Pei County. Liu Bei declined, citing his captive family and the county’s people 20 21 22.

Later, Ju Shou urged Yuan Shao to kill Liu Bei before he became a lasting threat. He argued that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei could not be won over after their brother’s death, making Yuan Shao’s desire to eliminate Liu Bei while recruiting them unrealistic. When the brothers arrived unexpectedly, Ju Shou immediately asked whether they carried weapons or wore armor 29.

Yuan family crises

After Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor and Yuan Shao collapsed in anger, Ju Shou reported the other warlords’ responses and relayed the physician’s advice that Yuan Shao avoid further rage. He supported Yuan Xi’s proposal for a joint campaign against Yuan Shu, emphasizing that it would share the military risks and demonstrate Yuan Shao’s willingness to place loyalty above family 36 38 39.

Yuan Shao’s decision to divide Ye City’s affairs between Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang troubled Ju Shou because it forced the retainers to navigate the brothers’ rivalry. Guo Jia later described Ju Shou and Tian Feng as outwardly neutral between the two, but more inclined toward the eldest son, Yuan Tan 39 44.

When Yuan Shao decided to send Zhen Mi into Liu Xie’s harem, Ju Shou argued that their existing impersonation left no better practical option. He informed Liu Xie that she would arrive within a month and specifically warned him not to let her discover his false identity 49.

Acting on Yuan Shao’s orders, Ju Shou personally welcomed the Zhen Clan’s convoy and identified himself to its steward, Zhen Yuan, as the Grand General’s army supervisor. He accepted the explanation that torrential rain had delayed the party and reassured the steward that their safe arrival was what mattered 57.

Managing imperial legitimacy

When Jia Xu entered the Imperial Palace, Ju Shou promptly reported his arrival to Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao subsequently rebuked him for failing to announce and properly receive the renowned adviser beforehand. Ju Shou accepted responsibility, while Jia Xu explained that he had deliberately concealed his movements to avoid Cao Cao’s retaliation 62 63.

Lü Bu’s capture of Yuan Shu and impending presentation of the Imperial Seal strengthened public support for the emperor in Ye City. Yuan Shao ordered Ju Shou to draft a memorial recommending Lü Bu for General of Agile Cavalry and a County Duke. Ju Shou also asked how Yuan Shu would be punished and was relieved when Yuan Shao firmly chose execution rather than allowing family ties to undermine his political position 81.

Despite Lü Bu’s subsequent hostility, Ju Shou discouraged Chunyu Qiong from pressing for immediate retaliation while Yuan Shao still sought an alliance. After Zhen Yan’s death, he also supported using generous posthumous honors and rewards to draw the wealthy but increasingly vulnerable Zhen Clan into Yuan Shao’s service 87 95.

Cao Cao’s invitation for Kong Rong to examine the emperor in Xu County created a direct threat to the impersonation. Ju Shou helped conceal the reason for Yuan Shao’s alarm by suggesting that Cao Cao could coerce or deceive Kong Rong. Yuan Shao then ordered him to summon Kong Rong to Ye City first. Ju Shou warned Liu Xie to avoid exposing any flaws before the scholar, and Liu Xie answered with apparent composure that he had accepted the danger when he agreed to cooperate 100.

Growing opposition to Liu Xie

When Liu Xie joined Yuan Shao’s army near Yi City, Ju Shou warned that making him address the troops might backfire if he lost his nerve. He remained troubled by Liu Xie’s excessive flattery, although Yuan Shao dismissed this as an ordinary survival tactic and suggested that Ju Shou was being too exacting 128 129.

After Zhao Yun’s defeat of the Ji Province Army and the death of Wen Chou, Ju Shou opposed Yan Liang’s demand for an immediate renewed assault. He urged consideration of the wider military situation despite Yan Liang’s abuse. Yuan Shao then decided to send Liu Xie back to Ye City for safety 135.

Liu Xie’s care for the wounded pleased Yuan Shao but convinced Ju Shou that the supposed puppet was deliberately winning the soldiers’ loyalty. Believing that Liu Xie intended to turn his false imperial status into genuine power, Ju Shou spent the night seeking a way to kill him without damaging the military situation or Yuan Shao’s reputation. He failed to devise a sufficiently safe plan 135.

Ju Shou continued supporting Yuan Shao’s territorial expansion, endorsing Gao Gan’s proposed campaign against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. His loyalty to Yuan Shao’s interests increasingly placed him in direct conflict with Liu Xie’s efforts to escape control 140 157.

Yuan Xi’s coup and the Ye City upheaval

During Yuan Xi’s seizure of the Grand General’s residence, Ju Shou hid, killed two soldiers at the rear gate, seized a horse, and escaped to seek help. He attempted to bring in Yan Liang’s army but could not leave through the North Gate without Yuan Shao’s Golden Token. He also sought assistance from the City Defense Army and alerted Xu You to the attack 152 153.

After Liu Xie refused Yuan Xi an additional office, he summoned Ju Shou alone. Ju Shou urged him to arrest Yuan Xi and release Yuan Shao, only to discover that Liu Xie intended to exploit the family crisis rather than restore the existing order. He threatened Liu Xie with the tens of thousands of troops outside the city, but Liu Xie asserted his imperial authority, denounced him as a rebel, and ordered him escorted out 157.

The respectful treatment Ju Shou received at the palace gate made Yuan Xi suspect an agreement against him. Yuan Xi put a sword to his throat, and Shen Pei and Tian Feng intervened to prevent his death. Ju Shou could not safely expose the impersonation: even if his accusation were believed, it would disgrace both himself and Yuan Shao and endanger their clans. He bitterly regretted originating the scheme 157.

Yuan Xi later accused Ju Shou, Shen Pei, and Tian Feng of spreading reports that he had killed Yuan Shang and imprisoned Yuan Shao. During the confrontation, he threw a teacup that cut Ju Shou’s face. The three denied responsibility and privately considered who else might have circulated the rumors 159.

When Gongsun Zan attacked, Ju Shou urged Yuan Xi to send Yan Liang against him and again appealed for Yuan Shao’s release. After finding their lord inaccessible in a guarded courtyard, Ju Shou recognized that Madam Liu could carry a message outside the residence. He and his colleagues persuaded her to seek help from the City Defense Army, reassuring her that they would plead for Yuan Xi’s safety 163.

Once fighting began outside the residence, Ju Shou proposed taking weapons from its storehouse and rescuing Yuan Shao before his remaining guards could use him as a hostage. When the Imperial Guards Army entered the battle, he judged that the City Defense Army could not defeat it and urged escape. He fled Ye City with Yuan Shao and the others, convinced that Liu Xie was using Yuan Xi as a weapon against them 166 167.

Warnings in Yuan Shao’s camp

At Lecheng, Ju Shou and Shen Pei persuaded Yuan Shao to repel Gongsun Zan before attempting to retake Ye City. Ju Shou privately warned that Liu Xie’s submissive behavior was a disguise and that Jia Xu’s involvement in the coup and Yuan Xi’s use of the Imperial Guards Army pointed to the supposed emperor’s intervention 171.

Yuan Shao remained doubtful. Xu You’s arrival with a letter from Liu Xie further encouraged him to believe in the emperor’s loyalty, but Ju Shou questioned how Xu You had escaped Yuan Xi’s search. His suspicions encompassed Xu You, Zhang He, Gao Lan, and Liu Xie himself 171 172.

Xu You consequently regarded Ju Shou as a greater threat than Shen Pei or Tian Feng and sought to eliminate him. Guo Jia shared that assessment, and Liu Xie explicitly ordered Xu You to kill Ju Shou by whatever means were necessary 172 175.

Ju Shou later reported Liu Xie’s Heaven-Sacrifice Ceremony and Edict to Recruit the Worthy. Yuan Shao instructed him to concentrate on recovering Ye City rather than the emperor’s efforts to establish independent authority. Ju Shou acknowledged that exposing the impersonation would be a mutually destructive last resort 186.

After Xu You killed Shen Pei and fled, Ju Shou found evidence confirming that Xu You had acted for Liu Xie rather than merely colluding with Yuan Xi. He inferred that he or Yuan Shao had probably been Xu You’s intended target and that Shen Pei had been killed after discovering part of the plot. Xu You’s flight toward Cao Cao and Jia Xu’s service with Gongsun Zan revealed a much broader threat 193.

Doubts about the emperor’s identity

While caring for the increasingly ill Yuan Shao, Ju Shou reported Xu You’s entry into Cao Cao’s service and the investigations into the rival emperors. He explained how Xu You’s apparent conviction that Liu Xie was genuine could make Cao Cao and the senior Han courtiers suspect that the emperor had secretly been exchanged 206.

Asked to recount his original discovery, Ju Shou described Liu Xie as a refugee but regarded bringing him to Ye City as the worst decision of his life. Yuan Shao began to suspect that the encounter had been deliberately arranged. When he asked why Ju Shou had not warned him more often, Ju Shou silently reflected that his repeated cautions had already been ignored 206.

Ju Shou himself then became unable to dismiss the possibility that Liu Xie was the real emperor. He recalled the youth’s knowledge of the emperor’s personal name and Yuan Shao’s courtesy name, his appearance, literacy, and convincing imperial manner. Above all, he feared that installing a supposed pretender before the genuine sovereign would expose his enormous clan to extermination 207.

Fear drove him to urge the recall of Gao Gan and the concentration of troops from Bing and Qing Provinces to retake Ye City, despite the danger posed by other enemies. A secret letter’s crude handwriting subsequently gave him a reason to reject his doubts: he argued that a properly educated emperor could not have written so poorly 207.

Defeat and capture

Before Yuan Shao’s attempt to recover Ye City, Ju Shou suspected a trap because the opportunity appeared too convenient. Yuan Shao reminded him that leaving Cui Yan in the city as an inside agent had originally been his and Tian Feng’s proposal. Ju Shou allowed himself to be reassured by Cui Yan’s standing and the interests of the Qinghe Cui Clan 223.

The attack ended disastrously. Ju Shou fled toward Qu Liang with four thousand troops while Zhang He and Gao Lan pursued with the Feathered Forest Guard. Mounted arrow volleys and a cavalry charge broke his force within sight of the city. Yuan Shao could neither bring the pursuers within his archers’ range nor safely send his small garrison to rescue him 227 228.

Surrounded, Ju Shou accused Zhang He of betraying his lord. Zhang He answered that he served the Han emperor rather than Yuan Shao. Ju Shou nearly revealed the impersonation but stopped because of the damage such a disclosure would do to Yuan Shao’s reputation. Gao Lan ordered him bound and taken to Ye City for judgment 228.

Brought before Liu Xie, Ju Shou angrily denounced Cui Yan’s betrayal. Liu Xie offered him the opportunity to serve the nation, and Ju Shou feigned acceptance in the hope of gaining trust and eventually helping Yuan Shao recover Ye City. Liu Xie exposed the pretense, mocked the attempted deception, and recalled the humiliation of his own imprisonment as their puppet 229.

Final fishing trip and death

Liu Xie took his captive to the river where they had first met and again attempted to spear fish. After falling into the water, he had Ju Shou temporarily untied and made him use a fishing rod instead. Ju Shou caught a dark-backed crucian carp, which Liu Xie prepared and roasted after having him bound again 229 230.

Ju Shou rejected what he believed was another effort to recruit him and insisted that Yuan Shao would eventually destroy Liu Xie. In response, Liu Xie revealed his role in sending Jia Xu to Gongsun Zan, financing Gongsun Zan through the Zhen Clan and Mi Family, exploiting Yuan Xi’s coup, and placing Xu You with Cao Cao. Ju Shou pieced together how these moves, together with Liu Bei’s presence in Yi Province, prevented Yuan Shao from freely concentrating his armies against Ye City 230.

Liu Xie then claimed to be the genuine Son of Heaven rather than an impostor. Ju Shou initially refused to believe him, citing their first meeting and his poor handwriting. The surrounding narration describes Liu Xie’s account as a deliberately constructed story, presented after an overwhelming explanation of his schemes to make Yuan Shao’s defeat appear inevitable 231.

Liu Xie promised that if Yuan Shao submitted, he would execute Yuan Shao alone rather than implicate the entire Yuan Clan, and would continue employing Yuan Xi. Ju Shou wrote a farewell letter urging Yuan Shao to surrender. Liu Xie then placed the grilled fish and a dagger before him: Ju Shou understood the fish as repayment for the kindness of their first encounter and the dagger as the means to take his own life. He died beside the river 231.

Liu Xie remained before his body for some time, acknowledging that Ju Shou had been both his enemy and the man who changed his fate. He ordered Zhang He to give him an honorable burial beside the Ye River. Later, he repeatedly checked Ju Shou’s letter for concealed warnings about his arrangements and found none; it urged surrender on the grounds that defeat was certain and continued resistance would endanger the Yuan Clan 232 233.

Posthumous remembrance

After receiving Liu Xie’s claim to be the legitimate emperor, Yuan Shao lamented that Ju Shou was no longer alive to advise him. Much later, he also acknowledged that he had ignored Ju Shou’s warnings about Liu Xie 235 321.

During a later return to Ye City, Liu Xie visited Ju Shou’s grave. There he confessed that he was a false Son of Heaven, while declaring that he had nevertheless brought peace to the Great Han 698.

Personality

Ju Shou combines loyalty to Yuan Shao with a willingness to contradict him. He challenges decisions that threaten his lord’s position, including the imperial appointments, the handling of Liu Bei, and insufficient vigilance toward Liu Xie. Liu Xie considers that loyalty so firm that he rules Ju Shou out as a potential recruit 6 12 18 29.

His methods are pragmatic and sometimes ruthless. He presents imperial impersonation as a means of protecting the Han, while privately explaining how it benefits Yuan Shao through fabricated legitimacy and political confusion. He remains calm when Yuan Shao angrily confronts him about the deception, but later speaks cautiously when asked about sensitive family matters 3 5 49.

As an instructor, Ju Shou is demanding: he corrects even Liu Xie’s drinking habits and insists that imperial bearing become natural in private as well as public. Nevertheless, he eventually allows rest when Liu Xie refuses further practice 11 12.

His tact distinguishes him from the more abrasive Tian Feng. Yuan Shao regards their strategic talents as comparably outstanding but favors Ju Shou’s more pleasing manner. This diplomacy does not prevent him from giving unwelcome advice or enduring frustration when Yuan Shao refuses to listen 81 135 206.

Ju Shou’s caution makes him one of the earliest and most persistent observers of Liu Xie’s ambitions. He recognizes the danger in winning soldiers’ affection and later links the Ye City upheaval to the emperor’s circle. However, Liu Xie ultimately judges that even Ju Shou’s vigilance was limited by contempt for a lowly refugee and an initial failure to regard him as a genuine threat 135 171 232.

His devotion extends beyond Yuan Shao to concern for the clans implicated in their scheme. Fear for his own clan overwhelms him when he considers that Liu Xie might be genuine, and concern for Yuan Shao’s reputation repeatedly prevents him from publicly revealing the impersonation 157 207 228.

Although willing to die, Ju Shou is not inflexibly opposed to deception or temporary submission. As a prisoner, he attempts a false surrender to preserve a chance of restoring Yuan Shao’s power. Even after capture, he remains openly defiant and angrily rejects the suggestion that Liu Xie can easily win him over 229 230.

Abilities & Skills

Political strategy

Ju Shou identifies ways to turn imperial authority and public uncertainty into advantages for Yuan Shao.

• Designs the rival-emperor scheme to undermine Cao Cao’s ability to issue authoritative decrees and recruit talent 2 5.
• Recognizes the danger of humiliating Yuan Shu through a subordinate military appointment 12.
• Supports a coalition against Yuan Shu that would distribute risks among rival lords 39.
• Identifies Zhen Yan’s death and the Zhen Clan’s vulnerable succession as an opportunity to secure its wealth for Yuan Shao 95.
• Helps conceal the reason for Yuan Shao’s fear of Kong Rong’s investigation by presenting Cao Cao’s possible coercion as the concern 100.
• Recognizes that exposing the false-emperor scheme would destroy its creators’ standing as well as threaten Liu Xie 157 186 228.
• Understands how Liu Xie’s use of Gongsun Zan, Cao Cao, and Liu Bei prevents Yuan Shao from concentrating his provincial forces 230.

Persuasion and character assessment

Ju Shou adapts his arguments to his audience’s needs and ambitions.

• Persuades Liu Xie by emphasizing escape from hunger and poverty rather than relying solely on duty to the Han 3.
• Notices that Liu Xie’s contrasting performances reveal more ability than Yuan Shao credits him with 6.
• Uses Liu Bei’s stated commitment to punishing rebels as an argument for remaining in Ji Province 22.
• Recognizes that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei’s loyalty to Liu Bei prevents Yuan Shao from safely separating the brothers 29.
• Identifies Liu Xie’s treatment of wounded soldiers as a deliberate effort to win loyalty, rather than merely a service to Yuan Shao 135.
• Helps persuade Madam Liu to seek military aid by reassuring her that the advisers will plead for Yuan Xi’s safety 163.
• Attempts to feign surrender after capture, hoping to regain freedom of action and aid Yuan Shao from within Liu Xie’s administration 229.

Imperial etiquette

His previous court experience helps him prepare Liu Xie to impersonate Emperor Xian.

• Obtains multiple volumes of the Daily Conduct Records for memorization 8 12.
• Coaches imperial speech, posture, walking, sitting, eating, and drinking 11 12.
• Maintains the appearance of a respectful subject before outsiders while speaking more freely in private 7 8.
• Assists with official documents, including proposed honors for Lü Bu and Zhen Yan 81 95.

Intelligence analysis

Ju Shou receives confidential reports and explains regional developments to Yuan Shao.

• Tracks the responses of Sun Ce, Cao Cao, Zhang Xiu, and other lords to Yuan Shu’s usurpation 38.
• Reports Lü Bu’s rejection of Yuan Shu’s marriage proposal and preparations for war 44.
• Identifies Chen Gong’s likely influence behind Lü Bu’s political decisions 44.
• Promptly reports Jia Xu’s arrival at the Imperial Palace 62.
• Questions Xu You’s escape from Ye City and suspects connections among him, the Imperial Guards Army, and Liu Xie 171 172.
• Infers after Shen Pei’s murder that Xu You was acting for Liu Xie and that either he or Yuan Shao was probably the original target 193.
• Explains why Xu You’s defection could cause Cao Cao and the senior Han courtiers to suspect a secret exchange of emperors 206.
• Suspects the apparent opportunity to recover Ye City is a trap, although he accepts Yuan Shao’s reassurance 223.

Military judgment and personal action

Ju Shou’s responsibilities extend beyond civil advice.

• Serves as army supervisor and oversees military affairs on Yuan Shao’s behalf 57 157.
• Opposes an impulsive renewed assault after Wen Chou’s death, prioritizing the army’s wider position over immediate revenge 135.
• Kills two soldiers, seizes a horse, and escapes Yuan Xi’s attack on the Grand General’s residence 152.
• Proposes arming the advisers to rescue Yuan Shao when most of his guards are occupied by fighting outside 166.
• Recognizes the Imperial Guards Army’s superiority over the City Defense Army and urges withdrawal rather than a hopeless battle 167.
• Advises defending against Gongsun Zan before attempting to recover Ye City, to avoid exposing Hejian Commandery 171.
• Leads four thousand retreating troops toward Qu Liang before being overtaken and captured 227 228.

Fishing

Ju Shou is an experienced recreational fisherman. His first meeting with Liu Xie occurs during a fishing excursion, and on their final return to the river he quickly catches a crucian carp after Liu Xie again fails to spear a fish 1 2 230.

Equipment / Items

• Fishing rod and fish basket — Used during the outing on which he discovers Liu Xie 1 2.
• Daily Conduct Records — Supplies five or six volumes documenting the emperor’s words and actions for Liu Xie’s training 8 12.
• Confidential reports — Consults and delivers intelligence concerning Cao Cao, Yuan Shu, and Lü Bu 1 38 44.
• Seized horse — Takes a horse after killing two soldiers while escaping Yuan Xi’s attack on the Grand General’s residence 152.
• Farewell letter to Yuan Shao — Written in captivity to urge surrender and warn that continued resistance will endanger the Yuan Clan; Liu Xie checks it for concealed disclosures 231 233.
• Grilled crucian carp and dagger — Given to him by Liu Xie at their final riverside meeting. Ju Shou understands the fish as repayment for their first encounter and the dagger as an instruction to take his own life 231.

Relationships

• Yuan Shao — Lord and employer. Relies on Ju Shou to manage the false-emperor scheme but repeatedly rejects his cautions 5 6 12. Ju Shou remains devoted through the coup, exile from Ye City, and military defeat. His final letter urges surrender to preserve the Yuan Clan; Yuan Shao later regrets disregarding his warnings 167 229 231 321.
• Liu Xie — Recruited impostor and pupil. Ju Shou creates his imperial identity, supervises his training, and protects the deception; Liu Xie considers him too loyal to Yuan Shao to recruit 2 8 12 18 49. Their relationship becomes openly hostile as Ju Shou recognizes his ambition and seeks a way to eliminate him. Liu Xie likewise orders his death, later exposes his false surrender, and induces him to write to Yuan Shao before his suicide. Nevertheless, he acknowledges Ju Shou’s role in saving and changing his life, orders an honorable burial, and eventually visits his grave 135 157 175 229 231 232 698.
• Tian Feng — Supportive colleague who defends Ju Shou’s official credentials against rival advisers. Both are described as leaning toward Yuan Tan 7 44. They cooperate in efforts to free Yuan Shao, and Tian Feng helps prevent Yuan Xi from killing Ju Shou at the palace gate. Yuan Shao considers both exceptionally capable but prefers Ju Shou’s more tactful manner 81 157 163.
• Guo Tu and Feng Ji — Hostile colleagues who opposed welcoming the emperor and resent Ju Shou’s apparent success in bringing him to Ye City 7.
• Guo Jia — Fellow adviser with whom Ju Shou has little contact. He accepts Guo Jia’s explanation for visiting Liu Xie without becoming suspicious 20 21. Guo Jia later regards him as a serious threat to Liu Xie and supports Xu You’s intention to eliminate him 175.
• Liu Bei — Initially a recruitment target, later regarded as a threat that Yuan Shao should eliminate 22 29.
• Yuan Xi and Yuan Shang — Their shared administrative responsibilities create a difficult factional situation for Ju Shou; he praises Yuan Xi’s coalition proposal 39. Yuan Xi later imprisons Yuan Shao, threatens Ju Shou with a sword, and injures his face with a thrown teacup. Ju Shou opposes the coup while temporarily working within Yuan Xi’s control to seek his lord’s release 157 159 163.
• Zhen Mi — Her planned entry into Liu Xie’s harem prompts Ju Shou to reinforce the need for secrecy 49. He personally receives the convoy bringing her to Ye City 57.
• Shen Pei — Fellow member of the Ji Province Faction and partner in rescuing Yuan Shao and advising his resistance to Gongsun Zan. Shen Pei intervenes when Yuan Xi threatens Ju Shou, while Ju Shou later investigates the implications of his murder by Xu You 123 157 163 171 193.
• Madam Liu — Yuan Shao’s principal wife. Ju Shou treats her respectfully and later identifies her as the person able to carry an appeal for help out of the guarded residence 44 163.
• Xu You — Fellow adviser whom Ju Shou initially asks to help Yuan Shao during the coup. His later suspicions of Xu You’s escape and allegiance make him a target for assassination. After Shen Pei’s death, he identifies Xu You as an agent of Liu Xie 153 171 172 193.
• Jia Xu — Adviser whose unexpected palace visit Ju Shou reports to Yuan Shao. Ju Shou later connects Jia Xu’s involvement with Yuan Xi and service under Gongsun Zan to Liu Xie’s wider strategy 62 63 171 193 230.
• Zhang He and Gao Lan — Officers whose control of the Imperial Guards Army becomes central to Ju Shou’s suspicions. They pursue and capture him outside Qu Liang; Ju Shou condemns Zhang He as a betrayer, while Zhang He insists that service to the Han emperor takes precedence over loyalty to Yuan Shao 171 228.
• Cui Yan — An intended inside agent in Ye City whose placement Ju Shou and Tian Feng supported. After the failed attack, Ju Shou angrily blames him for betraying Yuan Shao 223 229.
• Ju clan — His concern for his extended clan strongly influences his conduct. The possibility that Liu Xie is the genuine emperor terrifies him because his participation in installing a pretender could bring collective punishment upon them 207.

Notable Quotes

“My lord, what does it matter whether he is real or false? As long as you say he is real, he is real.” 5

“We do not actually need to prove that this emperor is real. We only need everyone under heaven to know that the emperor in Cao Cao's hands might be false.” 5

“If you wish to wear the crown, you must bear its weight.” 11

“You cannot have both the fish and the bear's paw. Guan and Zhang may be fierce warriors, but they cannot be won over.” 29

“Have you never considered that everything he shows you might be an act? With acting skills as good as his, how difficult would it be for him to deceive you?” 171

“I can't tell, my lord. I truly can't tell!” 207

“I'm already your prisoner. If you want to kill me, kill me. If this is merely an attempt to persuade me to surrender, save yourself the trouble!” 230

Trivia

• Ju Shou is the first historical figure Liu Xie meets after transmigrating 3.
• When Liu Xie gives his actual name, Ju Shou mistakes it for an immediate commitment to the emperor’s assumed identity 3.
• His first and final meetings with Liu Xie at the river both involve Liu Xie failing to spear fish and Ju Shou’s ability to catch them with a rod 1 2 229 230.
• Liu Xie interprets the dark-backed crucian carp Ju Shou catches as an auspicious symbol of Qing and Ji Provinces returning to Han rule, using its color and the sound of its name 230.
• The final grilled fish reverses the circumstances of their first meeting: the man Ju Shou once fed now prepares a fish for him before his death 3 231.
• Liu Xie’s eventual visit to his grave includes a private confession that he is a false Son of Heaven, in contrast to the claim of genuine imperial identity used during their final conversation 231 698.