Yuan Shu
Starting as a Slave, the Heavenly Screen Reveals I Am an Emperor for the Ages
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Yuan Shu (袁术) |
| Alias(es) | Gonglu; Yuan Gonglu 1 7 |
| Gender | Male |
| Affiliation | Yuan clan; formerly He Jin’s forces; Zhong dynasty 3 5 14 |
| Occupation/Role | Warlord based in Shouchun; self-proclaimed emperor of Zhong; Yang Feng’s slave owner 1 5 |
| Status | Deceased — beheaded by Ji Ling on Yan Xiang’s order 16 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 1 1 |
Background / History
Early Career and Imperial Claim
Yuan Shu belonged to the Yuan clan, a family associated with holders of the Three Excellencies for four generations. He served under General-in-Chief He Jin; after He Jin’s murder, Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao led troops into the palace and slaughtered the eunuchs 3 14.
Based in Shouchun, Yuan Shu obtained the Heirloom Seal of the Realm and proclaimed the Zhong dynasty. His imperial claim made him a target for rival warlords: Cao Cao ordered preparations for a campaign, Liu Bei condemned him as a traitor to the Han, and Yuan Shao demanded his death 5.
Yuan Shu also purchased Yang Feng from Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, selecting him to remain nearby and attend to his brush and ink. Yang Feng outwardly obeyed while planning to escape in spring and seek service under Cao Cao 1.
The Heavenly Screen’s Revelations
When the Heavenly Screen announced the “greatest emperor of all time,” Yuan Shu immediately assumed it meant him. He cited his imperial proclamation and possession of the seal as proof of Heaven’s mandate. Yang Feng encouraged this belief through calculated flattery, and Yuan Shu promised him a lavish reward 2 3.
The screen’s account of his proclamation initially strengthened his confidence, but its next revelations explicitly rejected his claim to greatness and described his future collapse 5 6.
| Foretold event | Details |
|---|---|
| Loss of followers | Sun Ce would break away with Zhou Yu, Lu Su, and other Jiangdong talents; Lü Bu would abandon their alliance 6. |
| Betrayal within his army | Chen Lan and Lei Bo, who had encouraged his imperial proclamation, would seize military provisions and defect 6. |
| Defeat at Shouchun | Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Lü Bu, and Sun Ce would surround Shouchun and crush his forces 6. |
| Failed escape | Yuan Shu would flee toward Runan, attempt to seek refuge with Yuan Shao, and be intercepted by Liu Bei before retreating to Jiangting 6. |
| Death in destitution | In the summer of his third regnal year, his army would run out of food. Unable to obtain even honey water, he would vomit blood and die in grief and rage 6. |
| Yang Feng’s departure | After his downfall, Yang Feng would gather remnants of his forces and escape to Yizhou 7 9. |
Yuan Shu responded by canceling the proposed marriage alliance with Lü Bu, ordering Sun Ce’s arrest, and demanding the execution of Chen Lan and Lei Bo. Yang Feng persuaded him to regard the revelations as advance warnings rather than grounds for indiscriminate killing, temporarily calming him 6.
The screen then identified Yang Feng as the future emperor and exposed his intended escape. It also described a future in which Yuan Shu captured and beat him, subsequently favoring him more while keeping him under close watch. Yuan Shu treated the exposed escape plan as betrayal 8 9.
Deposition and Execution
When Yuan Shu turned his fury on Yang Feng, Yan Xiang ordered Ji Ling to place a sword against Yuan Shu’s neck. The officials urged Yang Feng to take the throne, but Yang Feng refused and ordered Ji Ling to withdraw his weapon 10.
After the screen disappeared, Yuan Shu resolved to kill Yang Feng and Yan Xiang, only to realize that he could no longer rely on his own guards and commanders. Assailants seized him in his darkened palace, gagged him, and carried him away in a sack. Yan Xiang and Ji Ling had secured control of Shouchun’s forces 14.
Brought bound before Yang Feng, Yuan Shu begged for his life. Yan Xiang misinterpreted Yang Feng’s accidental use of the imperial pronoun “Us” as an instruction to eliminate the former ruler. Ji Ling beheaded Yuan Shu before Yang Feng could stop him 16.
Yang Feng subsequently proposed sending Yuan Shu’s head and a memorial to Xu Capital as proof that they had punished a usurper while remaining loyal to the Han. Although Yang Feng initially resisted an imperial proclamation, he later founded the Great Yang Empire in Shouchun 17 19.
Appearance
- Build: Corpulent, with a prominent belly and broad face 1 2 3.
- Imperial dress: Wears a new dragon robe during his celebration of the screen’s apparent endorsement 5.
- Palace attire: Wears an intricately embroidered brocade robe while awaiting developments after the first broadcast 14.
Personality
Yuan Shu is vain, status-conscious, and highly susceptible to flattery. He treats possession of the Heirloom Seal as evidence of divine approval and readily accepts Yang Feng’s contrived explanations that the Heavenly Screen is recounting his rise. His pride in the Yuan family’s standing also fuels his resentment at the possibility of becoming a stepping stone for Cao Cao 2 3 7.
Threats to his authority provoke abrupt shifts from triumph to rage and panic. He orders punishments for betrayals that have only been foretold, yet accepts Yang Feng’s reassurance when it preserves the possibility of his own greatness. Once his officials turn against him, his aggression gives way to fear and, ultimately, desperate pleas for survival 6 10 14 16.
Equipment / Possessions
- Heirloom Seal of the Realm — His central justification for claiming Heaven’s mandate and proclaiming the Zhong dynasty 2 5.
- Zhong Imperial Palace — His renamed palace in Shouchun, later occupied by Yang Feng 5 17 19.
- Military forces — Commanded over one hundred thousand troops before his overthrow, making the speed of his downfall especially shocking to other rulers 20 21.
Relationships
- Yang Feng — Purchased slave and attendant whose flattery wins his favor. The revelation of Yang Feng’s imperial future turns that favor into jealousy and suspicion 1 3 8 9.
- Yuan Shao — Elder brother who condemns his imperial proclamation as a disgrace to their family. After Yuan Shu’s death, Yuan Shao regards his overthrow by a slave as another humiliation 5 20.
- Yan Xiang — Foremost civil official who abandons him, organizes Yang Feng’s elevation, and orders his execution 12 14 16.
- Ji Ling — Leading military commander who threatens him at swordpoint, supports his deposition, and personally beheads him 10 14 16.
- Sun Ce — Subordinate whose foretold independence prompts Yuan Shu to order his arrest 6.
- Lü Bu — Prospective marriage ally; Yuan Shu cancels the arrangement after the screen predicts Lü Bu’s betrayal 6.
- Chen Lan and Lei Bo — Trusted generals who encouraged his imperial claim. Their foretold seizure of provisions leads him to demand their execution 6.
- Cao Cao — Rival who uses Yuan Shu’s imperial proclamation as justification to prepare a campaign against him 5.
Notable Quotes
“This greatest emperor of all time must be me!” 2
“My realm is about to fall! My life is about to end! How do you expect me to calm my anger?!” 6
“Spare me, Your Majesty, spare me! … I just want a sip of honey water!” 16