Han Xian (?-197) was a Yellow Turban general. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he led the White Wave Bandits. He served Yuan Shu and Lu Bu and was killed by Liu Bei for allowing his soldiers to plunder the people.
Biography[]
Han Xian was originally a general of the Yellow Turbans, and he fought at the Battle of Julu in 184 AD, where the Yellow Turban Rebellion was crushed by the Later Han forces. Han Xian fled and became a leader of the White Wave Bandits sect of the Yellow Turbans, and along with Li Yue and Hu Cai, he was called by his friend Yang Feng to assist Emperor Xian of Han in escaping Li Jue and Guo Si in 195 AD. Han Xian assisted them, and he was made General Who Conquers the South as a reward for his assistance.
When Cao Cao took over control of the emperor, Yang Feng and Han Xian attempted to stop him, but Cao Cao defeated them, and they were forced to flee to Yuan Shu for protection. There, Han Xian fought alongside Yang Feng in the invasion of Xu Province, but Lu Bu's generals Chen Gui and Chen Deng persuaded Han Xian and Yang Feng to defect to Lu Bu. They agreed, and Han Xian was made Governor of Yidu and Yang Feng was made Governor of Langye.
While in command, he allowed his soldiers to plunder the people, so Liu Bei had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei behead them at a banquet when he signalled them by dropping a cup. Their heads were presented to Cao Cao, who praised Liu Bei's actions.