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Difference between revisions of "Gongsun Zan"

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{{Character
 
{{Character
 
|Name= Gongsun Zan
 
|Name= Gongsun Zan
 +
|image=[[File:Gongsun zan.png]]
 
|Game=[[Total War: Three Kingdoms]]
 
|Game=[[Total War: Three Kingdoms]]
 
|Culture= Han
 
|Culture= Han
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|Faction Leader= Yes
 
|Faction Leader= Yes
 
|Style Name= Bogui
 
|Style Name= Bogui
|Title= General of the Front and Inspector of You, Marquis of Yi
+
|Title= General of the Front
|Class= Commander
+
Inspector of You,  
 +
Marquis of Yi
 +
|Class= [[Vanguard (TW3K Character Type)|Vanguard]]
 
|Legendary= Yes
 
|Legendary= Yes
 
}}
 
}}
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==Historical Background==
 
==Historical Background==
Hailing from a family of good prestige and minor peerage from Pei state in Yu Province, Cao Cao was originally a middling official in the imperial capitol before he was able to achieve a notable reputation as a commander and administrator during the Yellow Turban rebellion and the failed Coalition against Dong Zhuo (where he was one of the only people who actually fought). Despite having lost much of his army during the latter campaign, Cao Cao was able to put down several major bandit armies, including a Yellow Turban resurgence in Yan Province. These feats, along with the favor of his former schoolmate Yuan Shao, gained him Yan province as his own.
+
From Liaoxi Commandery, You Province, Gongsun Zan was a well respected young man on the northeast frontier and a schoolmate of Liu Bei. Unlike his friend, Gongsun Zan was able to climb up the ladder of imperial service quite easily and gained a good fighting reputation serving in Liaodong against Wuhuan and Xianbei raiders before being transferred back to Zhou Commandery in You. During the Liang revolt, he was given command of a Wuhuan auxiliary force, but the inability of the imperial government to supply them led to a mutiny that Gongsun Zan had to put down. However, this was a prelude to a much larger rebellion under a former official named Zhang Chun, who had been passed over for said command. Zhang Chun's rebellion spread across the north, attracting bandits and nomads from all over the region. Command was first given to Gongsun Zan's superior, Liu Yu, Inspector of You, but after a mutiny of the vassal Xiongnu kingdom ended with the death of the Xiongnu Chanyu, Gongsun Zan took control over the army. Gongsun Zan was initially victorious, but his counteroffensive into Wuhuan territory ended in failure, and the rebellion was not put down until Liu Yu stepped in to end the situation diplomatically with the Wuhuan, who sent them Zhang Chun's head. Gongsun Zan still wanted to punish the Wuhuan, but Liu Yu overruled him.
  
He attempted to conquer Xu province, only to be forced back to Yan to drive off an invasion by Lu Bu. Then, an opportunity arose and Cao Cao managed to take Emperor Xian under his protection from the former forces of Dong Zhuo, becoming Minister of Works. Using this new authority, he put his claim on most of the Henan region, launched a punitive expedition against Yuan Shu to the south (who had declared himself emperor), invaded Xu again (now under Lu Bu) and took it, struck south into Jing province against Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao, and then launched his brilliant campaign against the huge power of Yuan Shao to the north. He emerged victorious from the closely fought Guandu campaign, breaking the back of Yuan power, and then conquered the four northern provinces from Yuan Shao's sons and their Wuhuan and Xiongnu allies, unifying the empire north of the Yangtze and east of the passes.  
+
Despite Gongsun Zan's inability to defeat the Wuhuan, he was still promoted, enoffed, and stationed at Youbeiping Commandery as thanks for crushing Zhang Chun. After the coups in the capitol, Gongsun Zan was made General who Exerts Military Might by Dong Zhuo, likely to buy his loyalty. It may have not actually worked, but Gongsun Zan never took part in coalition. Once the coalition began falling apart, Gongsun Zan attacked the Inspector of Ji Province, Han Fu, on request of Yuan Shao. After he defeated Han Fu however, Yuan Shao had Han Fu surrender to him instead, thus taking Ji Province while having Gongsun Zan do all the work. Gongsun Zan wasn't able to do anything about this at the time, but eventually, he allied himself with Yuan Shu, who was at odds with Yuan Shao. Following the death of his cousin, Gongsun Yue, against Yuan Shao's men while in Yuan Shu's service, Gongsun Zan invaded Ji personally while sending his subordinates (including Liu Bei) against Yuan Shao's subordinates in Qing and Yan provinces. All these ultimately ended in failure. Gongsun Zan was defeated at Jieqiao by Qu Yi and then again at Longcou by Yuan Shao himself, his men in Qing were defeated by Yuan Tan, and his men in Yan were defeated by Cao Cao. Peace was eventually settled between them, but Gongsun Zan had lost many men for little gain.
  
Despite being defeated at the Battle of Chibi by the Sun-Liu alliance, halting his southward advance, he was able to conquer the northwestern province of Liang and solidify control over an area that comprised around 75% of the empire's population. He rebuilt the imperial administration mostly from scratch, using the people who joined him along the way. Many of the best minds in the empire came to work for him, and he even succeeded in making the rebellion sundered northern regions prosperous again, reintroducing the military-agricultural colonies. Xianbei and Wuhuan activity declined as their leaders either sent tribute to Cao Cao or pledged loyalty to him, including the powerful Kebineng. Arts and scholarship flourished once again as he patronized both and funded educational endeavors throughout the north.  
+
No longer fighting Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan took to fortifying himself in You, which included getting rid of Liu Yu. Gongsun Zan encamped outside of Liu Yu's base at Ji city, and when Liu Yu attempted to dislodge him, he counterattacked and ultimately captured Liu Yu. When a representative of the rump imperial government arrived to promote Gongsun Zan to General of the Front, Gongsun Zan used the fact that Yuan Shao had once attempted to convince Liu Yu to be crowned emperor to justify executing him and his family. Now firmly in control of the northeastern corner of the empire, Gongsun Zan ruled as a despot, which eventually caused a major rebellion to break out against him. Yuan Shao sent Liu Yu's son Liu He along with his own general Qu Yi (who had defeated Gongsun Zan at Jieqiao), to support the rebels. Gongsun Zan was crushed and fled to the fortress of Yi in northern Ji province.
  
He was eventually made Imperial Chancellor, unifying the positions of the Three Excellencies, and enoffed as first Duke, then King of Wei, becoming the first non-imperial clan King since the days of Former Han. He died in 220AD, following the victory at Fancheng, leaving behind one of the strongest and most well run states in the world at the time, succeeded by his son Cao Pi. He was posthumously named Emperor Wu of Wei.
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Gongsun Zan cut himself off from the world within this fortress, indulging himself with his concubines and forbidding any male over seven from entering his tower. His generals abandoned him and Yuan Shao eventually arrived with a huge army to finish him off. His son, Gongsun Xu managed to make contact with the Heishan bandits to extract his father, but Yuan Shao intercepted their communication and led Gongsun Zan into an ambush when he tried to link up with his son. Gongsun Zan managed to survive this, but Yuan Shao used sapping to eventually bring down the fortress walls. Gongsun Zan killed his remaining family members and then killed himself in 199 CE, before Yuan Shao's men could storm his tower. Gongsun Xu was killed by the Xiongnu not long after.
  
 
==Start Location==
 
==Start Location==
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==Guanxi==
 
==Guanxi==
Gongsun Zan starts as friends with his old classmate, [[Liu Bei]].
+
Gongsun Zan starts as friends with his old classmate, [[Liu Bei]], and his subordinate, [[Zhao Yun]].
  
 +
{{TW3K}}
 
[[Category: TW3K Characters]]
 
[[Category: TW3K Characters]]

Latest revision as of 23:44, 14 April 2024

Gongsun Zan
Name: Gongsun Zan
Game: Total War: Three Kingdoms
Culture: Han
Starting Faction: The Gongsun Clan of Youbeiping
Faction Leader: Yes
Style Name:Bogui
Title:General of the Front,

Inspector of You,

Marquis of Yi
Class:Vanguard
Legendary:Yes


Gongsun Zan is one of the 12 playable starting warlords in the Total War: Three Kingdoms grand campaign.

Historical Background

From Liaoxi Commandery, You Province, Gongsun Zan was a well respected young man on the northeast frontier and a schoolmate of Liu Bei. Unlike his friend, Gongsun Zan was able to climb up the ladder of imperial service quite easily and gained a good fighting reputation serving in Liaodong against Wuhuan and Xianbei raiders before being transferred back to Zhou Commandery in You. During the Liang revolt, he was given command of a Wuhuan auxiliary force, but the inability of the imperial government to supply them led to a mutiny that Gongsun Zan had to put down. However, this was a prelude to a much larger rebellion under a former official named Zhang Chun, who had been passed over for said command. Zhang Chun's rebellion spread across the north, attracting bandits and nomads from all over the region. Command was first given to Gongsun Zan's superior, Liu Yu, Inspector of You, but after a mutiny of the vassal Xiongnu kingdom ended with the death of the Xiongnu Chanyu, Gongsun Zan took control over the army. Gongsun Zan was initially victorious, but his counteroffensive into Wuhuan territory ended in failure, and the rebellion was not put down until Liu Yu stepped in to end the situation diplomatically with the Wuhuan, who sent them Zhang Chun's head. Gongsun Zan still wanted to punish the Wuhuan, but Liu Yu overruled him.

Despite Gongsun Zan's inability to defeat the Wuhuan, he was still promoted, enoffed, and stationed at Youbeiping Commandery as thanks for crushing Zhang Chun. After the coups in the capitol, Gongsun Zan was made General who Exerts Military Might by Dong Zhuo, likely to buy his loyalty. It may have not actually worked, but Gongsun Zan never took part in coalition. Once the coalition began falling apart, Gongsun Zan attacked the Inspector of Ji Province, Han Fu, on request of Yuan Shao. After he defeated Han Fu however, Yuan Shao had Han Fu surrender to him instead, thus taking Ji Province while having Gongsun Zan do all the work. Gongsun Zan wasn't able to do anything about this at the time, but eventually, he allied himself with Yuan Shu, who was at odds with Yuan Shao. Following the death of his cousin, Gongsun Yue, against Yuan Shao's men while in Yuan Shu's service, Gongsun Zan invaded Ji personally while sending his subordinates (including Liu Bei) against Yuan Shao's subordinates in Qing and Yan provinces. All these ultimately ended in failure. Gongsun Zan was defeated at Jieqiao by Qu Yi and then again at Longcou by Yuan Shao himself, his men in Qing were defeated by Yuan Tan, and his men in Yan were defeated by Cao Cao. Peace was eventually settled between them, but Gongsun Zan had lost many men for little gain.

No longer fighting Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan took to fortifying himself in You, which included getting rid of Liu Yu. Gongsun Zan encamped outside of Liu Yu's base at Ji city, and when Liu Yu attempted to dislodge him, he counterattacked and ultimately captured Liu Yu. When a representative of the rump imperial government arrived to promote Gongsun Zan to General of the Front, Gongsun Zan used the fact that Yuan Shao had once attempted to convince Liu Yu to be crowned emperor to justify executing him and his family. Now firmly in control of the northeastern corner of the empire, Gongsun Zan ruled as a despot, which eventually caused a major rebellion to break out against him. Yuan Shao sent Liu Yu's son Liu He along with his own general Qu Yi (who had defeated Gongsun Zan at Jieqiao), to support the rebels. Gongsun Zan was crushed and fled to the fortress of Yi in northern Ji province.

Gongsun Zan cut himself off from the world within this fortress, indulging himself with his concubines and forbidding any male over seven from entering his tower. His generals abandoned him and Yuan Shao eventually arrived with a huge army to finish him off. His son, Gongsun Xu managed to make contact with the Heishan bandits to extract his father, but Yuan Shao intercepted their communication and led Gongsun Zan into an ambush when he tried to link up with his son. Gongsun Zan managed to survive this, but Yuan Shao used sapping to eventually bring down the fortress walls. Gongsun Zan killed his remaining family members and then killed himself in 199 CE, before Yuan Shao's men could storm his tower. Gongsun Xu was killed by the Xiongnu not long after.

Start Location

Gongsun Zan starts as the faction leader of The Gongsun Clan of Youbeiping, in Youbeiping Commandery.

Start Overview

Background:

  • The Iron Fist General

Traits:

  • Indecisive
  • Determined
  • Brave

Guanxi

Gongsun Zan starts as friends with his old classmate, Liu Bei, and his subordinate, Zhao Yun.

Total War: Three Kingdoms Portal

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Total War: Three Kingdoms - Yellow Turban Rebellion

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