Wen Chou

Wen Chou (onyomi: Bun Shū) is a general of Yuan Shao. When his fellow officer Yan Liang was killed by Guan Yu, he swears to avenge his fallen comrade but is also slain by the latter in a single blow.

He placed twenty-seventh with fans in Gamecity's Shin Sangoku Musou Blast character popularity poll.

Dynasty Warriors
Yuan Shao's confidence in Yan Liang and Wen Chou is expressed at Hu Lao Gate or Si Shui Gate in some games. Yuan Shao will show his frustration within the fact that no one is brave enough to challenge either Lu Bu or Hua Xiong by stating, "If only Yan Liang or Wen Chou were here!" Similar to Yan Liang, Wen Chou frequents his appearances as one of his lord's prominent generals, and usually appears powered up significantly. Whenever he is defeated at Guan Du, the commanders of both armies question as to who defeated him.

Quotes

 * "Feel the pain of Yan Liang! Prepare yourself!"
 * "For Yan Liang!"

Historical Information
Wen Chou served under Yuan Shao during the Later Han Dynasty, being described as an infamous general. Soon after Yan Liang was killed at Baima by the forces of Cao Cao before the major battle of Guandu, Wen Chou was sent with Liu Bei and a force of one hundred and ten thousand to advance onto Yanjin Fort. Wen Chou raced to capture Cao Cao's recently dropped supplies, but was killed in a massive ambush.

His Pompous Praise and Dong Zhuo

 * "What a pity my two able generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, are not here! Then should we have someone who would not fear this Hua Xiong."
 * ―Yuan Shao, praising his two best generals at the Battle of Sishui Pass.

Wen Chou was described as being around 6 feet tall with the flat face, similar to a unicorn. In 190 AD, Yuan Shao led an alliance against a tyrant governor, Dong Zhuo, marching his army towards the capital, Luoyang. The alliance encountered a heavy resistance, when they reached Si Pass. Its defender, Hua Xiong, scattered the vanguard led by Sun Jian. Hua Xiong then led an attack on their main camp, killing two allied generals. Yuan Shao said, "What a pity my two able generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, are not here!". Guan Yu, a sworn brother of another leader, Liu Bei, rode out to Hua Xiong, killing him in a battle, before Wen Chou and Yan Liang could arrive.

Eventually, Dong Zhuo withdrew his troops from Si Pass, abandoning the capital before burning it to the ground. The alliance against Dong Zhuo quickly marched onto Luoyang, and started putting out fires, and rebuilding what could be saved. A soldier came to inform Yuan Shao that the imperial seal of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of China, had been found by Sun Jian. The next day, Sun Jian informed Yuan Shao that he and his army would be withdrawn, as he had fallen ill. Yuan Shao then confronted Sun Jian about the Imperial Seal and his supposed possession of it, but Sun Jian denied having it. The argument heated until Sun Jian and his generals drew their weapons. However, Yan Liang and Wen Chou protected Yuan Shao until the matters calmed. The alliance under Yuan Shao broke up soon afterwards.

Campaign against the Great Cavalry

 * "Formerly you were regarded as loyal and public spirited, and we chose you chief of the confederacy. Now your deeds prove you cruel and base and wolf-hearted in behavior! How can you look the world in the face?"
 * ―Gongsun Zan, challenging Yuan Shao.

In the year 191 AD, Yuan Shao decided to take Jizhou from Han Fu, and wrote a letter to Gongsun Zan, a highly-feared warlord. The letter requested a joint attack on the region, which Gongsun Zan accepted. At the same time, however, Yuan Shao wrote a letter to Han Fu, informing him that Gongsun Zan's forces were intent on invading Jizhou. Han Fu surrendered the region to Yuan Shao. Wen Chou and Yan Liang accompanied Yuan Shao, and protected him from two assassination attempts by two of Han Fu's generals. Gongsun Zan heard of Yuan Shao's capture of Jizhou, and sent his brother, Gongsun Yue, to demand his share. However, Yuan Shao rejected Gongsun Yue, requesting to only be spoken to by Gongsun Zan himself. However, when Gongsun Yue was leaving, he was ambushed and killed by soldiers claiming to be Dong Zhuo's. Gongsun Zan then led an invasion against Yuan Shao's company.

Yuan Shao prepared an army to meet Gongsun Zan, and Wen Chou, along with Yan Liang, were given command of the vanguard. Qu Yi commanded the center, while Yuan Shao himself commanded the rear. The forces met at the River Pan. After receiving an insult from his enemy, Yuan Shao ordered Wen Chou forward, and Wen Chou dueled Gongsun Zan. After ten bouts, Gongsun Zan turned around and began to flee. Wen Chou pursued hotly and rode through the middle of Gongsun Zan's army, intent on taking his target. On his path, Wen Chou killed one and repelled three of Gongsun Zan's best generals, while slaying all fodder along the way. Gongsun Zan's horse stumbled, but Wen Chou was intercepted by Zhao Yun. After another fifty bouts, reinforcements came, and Wen Chou was forced to flee. Thankfully, the day's battle was won.

Yuan Shao scored initial success, but was driven back after aid arrived for Gongsun Zan from Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

In 198 AD, Yuan Shao remobilized for a final attack on Gongsun Zan. Yan Liang accompanied the army, and after a siege on the Yijing Tower, Gongsun Zan was finally defeated. Yuan Shao now ruled over four regions, and at the same time, possessing an army of one million men.

Avenging a Fallen Comrade

 * "Yan Liang and I were like brothers. That villain Cao [Cao] has killed him, and I have to avenge him."
 * ―Wen Chou stating his wish to enact vengeance for Yan Liang's death

In 200 AD and chapter 26, during Yuan Shao's campaign for Cao Cao, Yan Liang was stationed at Baima Fort and was killed by Guan Yu, who was separated from his lord Liu Bei and unaware that Liu Bei was in Yuan Shao's service. During a discussion on the topic of avenging Yan Liang, Wen Chou stood up and volunteered himself. Yuan Shao, pleased, said, "You are the on who can avenge Yan Liang. I am giving you one hundred thousand men. Cross the river and rout those villains now."

Liu Bei volunteered to accompany Wen Chou for both Yuan Shao and finding Guan Yu, and his offer was accepted. Wen Chou complained to his lord, saying that Liu Bei was unskillful and would bring bad luck, basing his decision from Liu Bei's previous loss of Xuzhou. However, Wen Chou decided to assign Liu Bei an army of thirty thousand to bring up the rear of the army.

Wen Chou's army reached Yanjin Fort, where they encountered a supply train from Cao Cao. Wen Chou raided the supplies and advanced to capture the abandoned horses. Suddenly, some armies from Cao Cao descended from the hills nearby and slaughtered Wen Chou's men, who were trampling over each other in the chaos.

Wen Chou attempted to escape, but Cao Cao sent forth his generals Zhang Liao and Xu Huang to slay him. Turning around, Wen Chou fired an arrow, which hit Zhang Liao's helmet plume. Wen Chou's next arrow hit Zhang Liao's horse in the face, and Zhang Liao tumbled to the ground. Xu Huang intercepted Wen Chou who was riding for Zhang Liao, but Xu Huang fled at the sight of reinforcements. Guan Yu with a force of a dozen cavalry rode and met the reinforcements, and Wen Chou and Guan Yu dueled. Wen Chou turned and fled, but was struck down at the back of the head by Guan Yu, thus ending the general's life.