In early 204 CE, Cao Cao launched his decisive campaign to capture Ye City (Yecheng), the capital of Jizhou (Ji Province) and the last stronghold of the Yuan clan. As chronicled in Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Chapters 33–34) and corroborated by historical sources like the Records of the Three Kingdoms, this siege marked the culmination of years of fraternal infighting between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang, which Cao Cao exploited with surgical precision.
This account integrates literary drama with historical fact to reveal how military engineering, psychological warfare, and strategic clemency brought down one of the most fortified cities in northern China – and sealed the fate of a once-mighty dynasty.
Cao Cao’s grand offensive
In January of 204 CE, Cao Cao crossed the Yellow River for the final push into Ji Province. With four of his “Five Elite Generals” – Zhang Liao, Yue Jin, Xu Huang, and Zhang He – accompanying him (only Yu Jin remained to guard Xuchang), along with loyal commanders like Cao Hong and Xu Chu, Cao Cao’s intent was unmistakable: annihilate the Yuan regime by taking Ye City (Yecheng).
At this critical moment, Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan were still locked in civil war. In February 204, Yuan Shang left Shen Pei and Su You to defend Ye while he marched on Pingyuan to crush his brother. This fatal miscalculation gave Cao Cao the opening he needed.
Betrayal from Within: The failed defection of Su You
As Cao Cao approached within 50 li of Ye, Su You, one of the city’s defenders, secretly offered to defect and serve as an inside agent. But the plot was exposed. A brief but fierce clash erupted between Su You and Shen Pei inside the city walls. Su You was defeated and fled to join Cao Cao, leaving Shen Pei in sole command of a demoralized garrison.
Strangling Yecheng: Cutting off supply lines
Rather than assault Ye’s formidable walls head-on – fortified over two generations under Yuan Shao and Yuan Shang – Cao Cao adopted a methodical strategy of isolation.
He left Cao Hong to maintain a feint attack while personally leading troops to sever Ye’s lifeline: its grain supply route from Bingzhou (Bing Province) via She County and Wu’an.
At Wu’an, Cao Cao crushed Yin Kai, the local magistrate.
He then captured Handan, defeating Jü Hu (son of the famed strategist Jü Shou).
Faced with Cao Cao’s relentless advance, Liang Qi (Magistrate of She) and Han Fan (Magistrate of Yiyang) surrendered without resistance.
One by one, Ye’s outer defenses crumbled. Shen Pei could only watch helplessly as Cao Cao tightened the noose.
The failed night raid and the price of treachery
After securing Handan, Cao Cao returned to Yecheng. Inside the city, panic spread. Feng Li, one of Shen Pei’s officers, opened a small gate at night and let 300 elite Cao soldiers slip into the city.
But before reinforcements could follow, Shen Pei discovered the breach. He swiftly sealed the gate and annihilated the trapped force, killing Feng Li and all 300 men. The failed infiltration only hardened Cao Cao’s resolve.
Mercy as strategy: Xu Huang’s diplomacy
Meanwhile, Han Fan, who had earlier surrendered but later rebelled, holed up in Yiyang. Instead of storming the city, Xu Huang sent a letter by arrow:
“If you execute those who surrender, every remaining city will fight to the death. But if you show mercy, they will submit without bloodshed.”
Cao Cao, recognizing the wisdom, pardoned Han Fan and even enfeoffed him as a Marquis Within the Pass (Guan Nei Hou) – a move that encouraged other holdouts to surrender. Liang Qi received the same honor, demonstrating Cao Cao’s blend of force and benevolence.
The moat of death: Engineering starvation
By May 204, Cao Cao abandoned his earlier earthworks and began digging a 40-li-long moat around Yecheng. Initially shallow, it drew ridicule from Shen Pei, who laughed from the walls and took no action.
Overnight, Cao Cao’s laborers deepened it to two zhang wide and two zhang deep (about 6.5 meters). Then, he diverted the Zhang River into the trench, creating an impassable water barrier that cut Yecheng off completely.
From May to July, famine ravaged the city. Half the population starved to death – a grim testament to the siege’s brutality.
Yuan Shang’s last stand: Fire signals and final defeat
In July, Yuan Shang, hearing of Ye’s plight, rushed back with 10,000 troops, camping 17 li away. He coordinated with Shen Pei via signal fires: both would attack Cao Cao simultaneously.
That night, fires blazed – but Cao Cao was ready. He repelled Shen Pei and routed Yuan Shang, who fled to the bend of the Zhang River. Desperate, Yuan Shang sent Yin Kui and Chen Lin to sue for peace. Cao Cao refused.
As Cao Cao closed in, Yuan Shang’s generals Ma Yan and Zhang Yi defected mid-retreat, triggering total collapse. Yuan Shang escaped with remnants to Zhongshan, effectively ending his power.
Yuan Tan’s opportunism and the fragmentation of Jizhou
Seizing the moment, Yuan Tan invaded eastern Ji Province, capturing Anping, Bohai, and Hejian commanderies – not to restore family unity, but to carve out his own domain.
Meanwhile, Qian Zhao, Yuan Shang’s envoy sent to secure grain from Gao Gan in Bing Province, proposed a bold plan:
“Bing has mountains, rivers, cavalry, and 10,000 armored troops. Let us shelter Yuan Shang here and resist Cao Cao together.”
But Gao Gan not only rejected the idea – he tried to kill Qian Zhao. Trapped and with Zhongshan inaccessible, Qian Zhao defected to Cao Cao, who appointed him as a staff officer (Congshi).
The End of an Era
The fall of Ye was not merely a military victory – it was the logical conclusion of decades of Yuan misrule and fraternal betrayal. Cao Cao’s success stemmed not from brute force alone, but from:
- Exploiting internal divisions,
- Masterful logistics and siegecraft,
- Strategic clemency to induce surrenders,
- And the fatal arrogance of his enemies.
With Yecheng captured, Yuan Shang exiled, and Yuan Tan grasping at scraps, Cao Cao now controlled the heart of northern China.
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