Tomb of Yuan Shu

Tomb of Yuan Shu

The Tomb of Yuan Shu is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Tomb of Yuan Shu, commonly known as the Yuan Family Mound, is a tomb from the Eastern Han Dynasty. It covers an area of 2,756 square meters and stands 7.5 meters high. At the foot of the tomb mound are several smaller burial mounds. It is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Yuan Shu, courtesy name Gonglu, was a native of Ruyang in Runan. He declared himself the Emperor of Zhong and was referred to as the "False Emperor." He was the son of Yuan Feng, Minister of Works during the Han Dynasty, and a cousin of Yuan Shao. He once served as the Prefect of Henan, Colonel of Tiger Elite, and General of the Vanguard. When Dong Zhuo seized power in the capital, Yuan Shu attacked Nanyang and volunteered to be its governor.

Later, he had a falling out with his elder brother Yuan Shao, allied with Gongsun Zan of Youzhou in the north, and was then attacked by both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. Unable to hold his ground, Yuan Shu led his forces to raid Jiujang and proclaimed himself Inspector of Yangzhou. In the second year of the Jian’an era (197 AD), he declared himself the Emperor of Zhong in Shouchun, established the Zhong state, and indulged in excessive taxation, palace construction, and luxury. His rule left the Jianghuai region in ruins. In the fourth year of Jian’an (199 AD), he was defeated by Liu Bei, a subordinate of Cao Cao, and died on his way to seek refuge with Yuan Tan.

Yuan Shu came from a prominent and aristocratic family. It could be said that throughout history, there have been very few families as illustrious as the Yuans. In Gu Long’s novels, the protagonist Li Xunhuan, also known as the Little Li Flying Dagger, came from a family described as “seven scholars in one generation, three top imperial examinees across two dynasties.” The Zha family of Haining in the Qing Dynasty also had a saying of “seven scholars in one family, two imperial scholars among uncles and nephews.” The Weng family of Changshu in the late Qing Dynasty was known as the “family of top imperial examinees and imperial tutors.” One can imagine how prestigious and glorious such family backgrounds were—but compared to the Yuan family, they were nothing.

When it comes to the Yuan family, there is a popular saying: “Four generations, three Dukes.” Why is this said? Because Yuan Shu’s great-great-grandfather, Yuan An, was the Minister over the Masses during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Yuan An’s second son, Yuan Chang, served as Minister of Works, and although Yuan An’s eldest son, Yuan Jing, only reached the position of Prefect of Shu Commandery, Yuan Jing’s son—Yuan An’s grandson, Yuan Tang—rose to the rank of Grand Commandant. Furthermore, Yuan Tang’s third son, Yuan Feng, and fourth son, Yuan Wei, both held the rank of Three Excellencies. Therefore, people say that from Yuan An onward, four consecutive generations held the rank of Three Excellencies, wielding immense influence across the land. This is the origin of the saying “Four generations, three Dukes.”

Perhaps it was precisely because the Yuan family produced four generations of Three Excellencies, with disciples and former subordinates spread all over the empire, that both Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao harbored ambitions of rebellion. During the period of warlord fragmentation, the two brothers—one in the south and one in the north—became the most powerful among the regional lords. Given their strength and the prestige of their family, not to mention restoring the Han Dynasty, even if the brothers had joined forces to establish a new regime, unifying China would not have been a difficult task. Yet in the end, both met with utter ruin and left behind everlasting infamy.