14 Facts About Ju Shou

Ju Shou was from Guangping County, Julu Commandery, which is in present-day Quzhou County, Hebei.

Ju Shou was allegedly a descendant of Ju Song, who served as a historian under the mythical Yellow Emperor.

Ju Shou started his career as an Attendant Officer under Han Fu, the Governor of Ji Province, probably sometime in the reign of Emperor Ling.

In 191, Ju Shou came to serve the warlord Yuan Shao after Han Fu relinquished his governorship of Ji Province to Yuan Shao.

Ju Shou proposed to Yuan Shao a grand plan: conquer Ji, Qing, You and Bing provinces in northern China, recruit all the talents in these four provinces, and bring the figurehead Emperor Xian to Ji Province.

In 195, when Emperor Xian was in Luoyang, Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao to welcome the emperor to Ye city, the capital of Ji Province, and use him as a "trump card" against rival warlords.

However, Ju Shou strongly objected to this idea and argued that it would sow the seeds for internal conflict later.

Ju Shou's prediction came true as conflict broke out between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang almost immediately after Yuan Shao's death in 202.

In 200, before the Battle of Boma, Ju Shou warned Yuan Shao not to put Yan Liang in charge of leading the attack on Cao Cao's garrison at Boma because Yan Liang was petty and narrow-minded.

When Yuan Shao did not heed his advice, Ju Shou sighed, claimed that he was ill and refused to meet anyone.

When Ju Shou advised Yuan Shao to send Jiang Qi to lead a unit to escort the supply convoy, Yuan Shao ignored him again.

Ju Shou was captured by Cao Cao's men while Yuan Shao's forces were retreating after their defeat.

Ju Shou was later killed by Cao Cao's men while attempting to escape and return to Yuan Shao.

Ju Shou had a son, Ju Hu, who served under Yuan Shang after the latter succeeded his father as the Governor of Ji Province.