Xiahou Yuan: A Healthy obsession with provisions?

[Lu Kang]

Xiahou Yuan was always portrayed as a little pudgey in Dynasty Warrios but I never really thought that he was in real life. After reading his SGZ Bio I wonder if he did have an obsession with food.

Multiple times Xiahou Yuan seemed to have an interest in maintaining the food of the army. For example, after beating Ma Teng he took his provisions, then pursued him.

[Han] Sui fled. [Xiahou] Yuan collected [Han] Sui’s army provisions and he pursued to Yuelang City

Another time he sent Zhang He ahead to attack while he "took the rear and supervised provisions"

He forthwith sent out Zhang He to lead the march forward with 5,000 men and horses. Xiahou Yuan himself supervised provisions and the rear.

I can almost imagen what was happening. Xiahou Yuan telling Zhang He to go ahead....while he was munching on a big ham.

There are also a couple more times were his bio specifically mentioned that he sent for provisions or that he recieved, much different from what you would see in other bios.

He sent a messenger to supervise the provisions of YanZhou, YuZhou, and XuZhou. When the food for the army ran low, [Xiahou] Yuan continued to give them food and the army was inspired.....

He pacified many regions and he received his provisions in the valley to provide his army.....

[Xiahou Yuan] shifted to attack the Chuge in Gaoping and in all cases they were scattered. He received his provisions in the valley by oxen and horse.....

Is this a "healthy" obsession or rather a condition brought on by the many other times when lack of provisions caused great harm to the army (Guan Du and so on)?

[Liu He]

Hmmm -- I would've imagined that this obsession, in terms of provisions for the army, would have been quite pervasive at this time, as it has been in all other times! The feeding of an army is always a huge problem in history... it is very interesting that Xiahou Yuan's biography seems to have been so much more involved in provisions than that of others, however! Maybe Xiahou Yuan was a master of logistical support and thus, was very often given command of supply?

[Destiny Edge]

It would seem from the evidence that Xiahou Yuan was certainly very concerned when it came to supplies. I wouldn't call it a culinary obsession, but perhaps he was quite anal when it came to making sure everybody had enough to keep themselves going during war, which is, at the end of a day, the only sensible way of thinking.

[SCHWARTZRITTER]

It has been stated in other threads that during the Three Kingdoms Era, famine was a major problem for China. The massive demand on the body from combat had to be dealt with. A malnourished soldier is incapabale of functioning as well as a well-fed soldier regardless of training and personal skill. A starving army has "Rout Me" printed on all of their banners as they liteally do not have the energy to fight. From what I have read, Xiahou Yuan was a short tempered hardass who took care of his troops. More likely than not, he oversaw the quartermeasters when he was with Cao Cao.

[jiang cheng]

he is a smart and welfare man. he knew that provision is necessary for the soldiers to do well and that when they are fed, they are well prepare for war.

[Zhilong]

Satisfying his own personal appetite does not require an army amount of provisions. The fare he could seize would probably not be the first rate stuff he was used to at home.

[Mistelten]

It's one of the most important aspects of war. I think it implies that he is one of our overrated RTK heroes.

Amateurs study tactics, experts study logistics.

[CaTigeReptile]

I think that it was just coincidentally mentioned a lot in his biography. As the supervisor/commander of other capable generals, it makes sense to send them out to fight as he held down the fort, so to speak.

Using food to increase the morale of a starving army makes sense, too.

Since receiving provisions is mentioned to have happened after a battle more than once in his bio, I assume that to mean his troops were fighting with low provisions.

Also, capturing provisions is a standard thing to do. For instance, in the case of sending Zhang He to attack Ma Chao while he protected the rear, the only reason why Zhang He even crossed ther river was to collect the equipment that Ma Chao's Di/Qiang army had left behind while fleeing (at Zhang He's mere presence, might I add).

Yeah, so I think it's a combination of job requirements and coincidence that led to Yuan's biography mentioning food so much.