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Yuan Huan 袁渙

Oct 28, 2015 © Ulrich Theobald

Yuan Huan 袁渙, courtesy name Yaoqing 曜卿, was an official of the early Three Kingdoms period 三國 (220-280).

He hailed from Fule 扶樂 in the commandery of Chenjun 陳郡 (modern Taikang 太康, Henan), where he was head of the labour section (gongcao 功曹). Liu Bei 劉備 elevated him to the status of "cultivated talent" (maocai 茂才). Yuan also served the potentates Yuan Shao 袁術 and Lü Bu 呂布, and rose to high offices under the warlord Cao Cao 曹操, who made him southern defender (nanbu duwei 南部都尉) of Peijun commandery 沛郡, then administrator (xiang 相) of the princedom of Liang 梁, then Grand Master of Remonstrance (jianyu dafu 諫以大夫), and finally Chamberlain for Attendants (langzhong ling 郎中令). For some time, he took also over the responsibility of the Censor-in-chief (yushi dafu 御史大夫).

Yuan Huan suggested to initiate a benevolent government, and to recruit peasants to create agro-colonies for strengthening the downridden economy. Cao Cao highly rewarded Yuan Huan's descendants. Yuan Huan is known by the epithet "Army Supervisor Yuan", Yuan Junshi 袁軍師.

Sources:
Huang Huixian 黄惠賢, ed. (1997). Ershiwushi renming da cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 2. 1833.
Zhang Shunhui 張舜徽, ed. (1992). Sanguozhi cidian 三國志辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe, 1992), 330.