Yuan Zhao, a native of Luoyang, Henan, is the sixth great-grandson of Emperor Zhaocheng of Wei. His grandfather was the Prince of Puyang in the Wei Kingdom, and his father was the Wuling King. Yuan Zhao was brave and skilled in martial arts from a young age, with striking looks and an intimidating presence. King Xian of the Zhou Dynasty took a liking to him and frequently brought him along to battle. He later rose to the rank of Grand General. When Gaozu was summoned to the palace to take on an important position, he first called for Yuan Zhao, and then for Tao Cheng, treating them as confidants and often having them stay overnight in the inner palace. When Gaozu became Prime Minister, he would bring along his brother Yuan Wei to serve as his guard whenever he entered the palace with his troops.
King Zhao of the Zhou Dynasty knew that Gaozu wanted to move the sacrificial tripod of the Zhou Dynasty, so he invited Gaozu to his mansion as a guest. King Zhao brought Gaozu into the bedroom, not allowing anyone else to follow, with only Yang Hong and his brother Yuanzhou sitting at the door. King Zhao said to his two sons, Yuan and Guan, "You two bring the melons later, and I will take the opportunity to kill him." As they drank, King Zhao wanted to make a move, using his dagger to slice the melon, eating while watching Gaozu, preparing to attack him. Yuanzhou quickly said, "There are still matters at the Prime Minister's Mansion; we cannot stay long." King Zhao scolded him, "I’m speaking with the Prime Minister; who do you think you are?" and sent him aside. Yuanzhou's eyes widened as he angrily pulled out a knife to defend Gaozu. King Zhao asked him his name, and Yuanzhou truthfully told him. King Zhao said, "Aren't you the one who used to serve Prince Qi? You are truly a hero!" So he gave him wine and said, "Why would I have any bad intentions? Why are you so vigilant?" King Zhao pretended to be sick to get into the inner room. Yuanzhou, suspecting a trick, helped him back to his seat several times. King Zhao said his throat was dry and asked Yuanzhou to get wine from the kitchen, but Yuanzhou did not move. Just then, King You of Teng arrived, and Gaozu hurried down the steps to greet him. Yuanzhou whispered urgently to Gaozu, "Something's off; we need to leave now!" Gaozu hadn’t reacted yet and replied, "He has no soldiers or horses; what can he do?" Yuanzhou said, "All the soldiers and horses are his; as long as he makes the first move, it's all over. I am not afraid of death; even if I die, it's useless!" Gaozu sat down again. Yuanzhou heard the clanking of armor from behind the house and quickly said, "There are urgent matters at the Prime Minister's Mansion; why are you still here?" Then he helped Gaozu off the bed and left quickly. King Zhao tried to pursue them, but Yuanzhou blocked the door with his body, keeping him from getting out. Gaozu reached the door, and Yuanzhou followed. King Zhao was furious, and his fingers bled from snapping them in anger. Eventually, King Zhao was killed, and Yuanzhou received countless rewards.
After the abdication of Emperor Gaozu and his proclamation as emperor, he promoted him to be a pillar of the nation, conferred upon him the title of Duke of Wuling, and granted him a fief of three thousand households. Later, he was promoted to Left Guard General, and not long after, he was further promoted to Right Guard Grand General. The founding emperor casually said, "My safety and the success of this foundation are all thanks to Yuanzhou!" After a few years, Yuanzhou was appointed as the governor of Yuzhou, and later served as governor of Bozhou and Xizhou. At that time, the Turks frequently invaded the borders, and because of Yuanzhou's reputation, he was appointed as the Governor of Lingzhou, striking fear into the hearts of the northern ethnic minorities. Later, he was summoned back to the court and appointed as the Right Guard Grand General, with the emperor placing even greater trust in him.
I recall one time on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the emperor and his courtiers climbed up high to take in the view, and Yuanzhou was on duty at the time. The emperor urgently summoned him. When Yuanzhou arrived, the emperor said, "Being by my side is more enjoyable than climbing with others!" He then threw a feast, and everyone had a wonderful time. Prince Jin, Yang Guang, frequently visited him. When Prince Fangling was deposed, Yuanzhou played a role in the conspiracy. Later, while the emperor was busy handling matters in the Eastern Palace, Left Guard Grand General Yuan Min earnestly counseled against it, but Yang Su undermined him behind the scenes. The emperor was furious and immediately arrested Yuan Min. Yuanzhou was on duty at the time and did not leave his post. Instead, he reported, "I stayed at my post to keep an eye on Yuan Min." This infuriated the emperor, who ultimately executed Yuan Min and rewarded Yuanzhou with a thousand bolts of silk.
Later, King Yang Xiu of Shu made an error, and Yuan Zhou, who had dealings with Yang Xiu, was dismissed from his position. After Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, Yuan Zhou was never given another chance. At that time, the governor of Cizhou, Shangguan Zheng, was exiled to Lingnan for committing a crime, and General Qiu He was dismissed from his position for his wrongdoing. Yuan Zhou and Qiu He had known each other for some time and often went out together. Once, Yuan Zhou got drunk and said to Qiu He, "Shangguan Zheng is a powerful figure; now that he has been exiled to Lingnan, might he stir up any trouble?" Then he patted his stomach and said, "If it were someone like you, he wouldn't back down easily!" Qiu He reported this to the emperor the next day, and as a result, Yuan Zhou was put to death. Later, Shangguan Zheng was appointed as the General of the Cavalry, and Qiu He was appointed as the governor of Daizhou.
Historical accounts suggest that if Han Xin had not missed the opportunity at Gaixia, Xiang Yu would not have perished; if Ying Bu had not caused trouble in Huainan, the Han Dynasty wouldn't have been as powerful. People like them, who had achieved great things, ultimately fell victim to jealousy, let alone those who have no merits and harbor rebellious thoughts. Liang Shiyi and Yuwen Xin were famous warriors at that time. They rose to fame in troubled times with their courage and strategy, but ended up taking credit for themselves.
Those who tire of rewards are never satisfied with what they get; they must continue to rise step by step, feed their ambitions, and eventually end up with a ruined reputation. They only have themselves to blame! Wang Yi, Yuan Xie, Wang Shiji, Yu Qingze, and Yuan Zhou, some of whom experienced hardships and some who had longstanding ties with Liu Bang, were slowly neglected when it came time to enjoy peace and prosperity, feeling slighted and constantly bragging. While Liu Bang could be pretty harsh, they often created their own problems with their words and actions, didn't they?
Think about it, during the period when Liu Bang was establishing his career, very few of Liu Bang's outstanding generals and officials ended well, let alone be honored in the ancestral temple or go down in history. This is mainly because in the early days of the dynasty, decisions were often made on a whim, and everyone wasn't really on the same page. As time went on, their bonds naturally weakened. For example, the story of plowing fields with cows, even if they were guilty, Liu Bang's methods were downright unfair. How could they not feel bitter about it? Liu Bang constantly threw around all kinds of baseless charges to punish them. His paranoid and cruel nature was truly frightening! It's tough for their descendants to find any good fortune!
