The Kindly Governor Who Thrice Yielded Xu Province
Governor of Xu province, whose officers in his later years mistakenly killed Cao Cao’s father Cao Song, bringing Cao Cao’s army to bathe Xu province in blood in revenge. In his peril he sought aid from Kong Rong of Beihai and Liu Bei of Pingyuan, and afterward, feeling too old and weak to hold his land, three times sincerely offered Xu province to Liu Bei, who accepted only after repeated refusals. That magnanimity of "yielding to the worthy" made him stand out among the warlords — unlike most who would not release power till death, he willingly handed over the domain he had run half his life.
Cao Cao’s father Cao Song moved his household south to take refuge with Tao Qian, and on the way was killed for his wealth by Tao Qian’s officer Zhang Kai. On the news, Cao Cao, grief-stricken and enraged, raised an army to avenge his father, massacring cities as he went, and the people of Xu province died in droves. This disaster, sprung from an officer’s greed, nearly destroyed the base Tao Qian had run for half a lifetime.
Amid Cao Cao’s onslaught, Tao Qian sought Liu Bei’s aid, and Liu Bei broke the siege. Feeling himself old and frail and his sons unworthy, Tao Qian several times asked Liu Bei to take over Xu province, and Liu Bei refused again and again. On his deathbed Tao Qian charged his officers to be sure to invite Liu Bei to rule, and at last Liu Bei took Xu province — "thrice yielding Xu province" thus became a rare model of the peaceful transfer of power in a chaotic age.
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