Ju Shou (simplified: 沮授, traditional: 沮授, pinyin: Jǔ Shòu) was the chief strategist of Yuan Shao. He advised welcoming Emperor Xian to Ye when the emperor escaped Li Jue and Guo Si (Yuan Shao did not act, and Cao Cao took the emperor instead). He urged a protracted war and opportunistic strikes against Cao Cao rather than a single decisive battle; Tian Feng shared this view and was imprisoned. At the Battle of Guandu Ju Shou was captured. Cao Cao tried to recruit him; Ju Shou refused and attempted to escape back to Yuan Shao. Cao Cao had him executed. Yuan Shao was said to have “roused loyalty at the crisis of deposition” and “bowed Hebei with one commandery’s troops”—Ju Shou had outlined the strategy of securing Hebei and welcoming the emperor.
Biography
Strategy for Yuan Shao
Ju Shou served Yuan Shao and helped design his rise in Hebei: secure the four provinces (Ji, Qing, You, Bing), gather heroes and troops, and welcome the emperor to restore the Han. When the emperor reached Luoyang, Ju Shou (with Tian Feng and in some accounts Xu You) advised Yuan Shao to bring him to Ye. Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong argued against it; Yuan Shao did not act, and Cao Cao welcomed the emperor to Xuchang. Ju Shou then urged a long war and raids against Cao Cao; Yuan Shao imprisoned Tian Feng for the same advice and went ahead with the Guandu campaign.
Guandu and death
At Guandu, after the raid on Wuchao and the collapse of Yuan Shao’s army, Ju Shou was captured. Cao Cao received him and tried to win him over; Ju Shou would not submit. He tried to flee back to Yuan Shao—some sources say he stole a horse—and was recaptured. Cao Cao had him executed rather than risk his returning to advise Yuan Shao again.
Legacy
Ju Shou is remembered as Yuan Shao’s ablest strategist, whose advice to welcome the emperor and wage protracted war was rejected, and who remained loyal to Yuan Shao after capture and was killed for trying to return.