styled Benchu, he was the son of Yuan Feng, Minister of Interior. Advised He Jin to
kill the eunuchs in court, until He Jin was killed in a ploy by Duan Gui. Yuan Shu's half
brother Yuan Shu tried to defeat Duan Gui with his 200 Huben troops, but failed. Yuan Shao chsed the fleeing Duan Gui (who had captured the King of Chen Liu. Benchu had all of the eunuchs executed and chased Duan Gui, eventually causing Gui to
kill himself. Cao Cao appointed Yuan Shao the commander of the
anti Dong Zhuo alliance, and eventually, the alliance disbanded after Zhuo's death.Eventually, Shao defeated Gongsun Zan at the battle of Yi
Jing and took command of some of Zan's troops, and He Bei. Cao Cao led a campaign against Yuan Shao to gain
control of He Bei, where his guest general Guan Yu routed
Yan Laing's forces (killing Liang) and Xu Huang routed Wen Chou's (killing Chou). They met at the battle of Guan Du, where Shao had Lord Cao in a
tight position, but with Cao's catapults, he managed to hold off Shao. Then Cao crossed the
river and burned Yuan Shao's supplies at Wu Chao. Eventually, Yuan Shao had his strategist Tian Feng executed, and Liu Bei (his guest general) left his service. Shao eventually died of illness in 202AD
