jˈuːən wʌz ˈeɪbəl tə pɚswˈeɪd ɐ nˈʌmbɚɹ ʌv zˈaɪənbˌeɪ tɹˈaɪbz, wˌɪtʃ hɐdbɪn sˈʌbdʒɛkts ʌv hɪz ɡɹˈændfɑːðɚ tˈuːfə sɪfˈuːdʒiən tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ, tə səbmˈɪt tə ðə nˈɔːɹðɚn wˈaɪ ˈɑːɹmi, ɡɹˈeɪtli hˈɛlpɪŋ nˈɔːɹðɚn wˈaɪ fˈoːɹsᵻz wɪð ðɛɹ fˈuːd səplˈaɪz dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə səksˈɛsfəl sˈiːdʒ ʌv nˈɔːɹðɚn ljˈæŋz kˈæpɪɾəl ɡjˈuːzæŋ tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ tʃˈaɪniːzlˌɛɾɚ, ɪn mˈɑːdɚn wˈuːweɪ, ɡˈænsuː.
Yuan was able to persuade a number of Xianbei tribes, which had been subjects of his grandfather Tufa Sifujian (禿髮思復犍), to submit to the Northern Wei army, greatly helping Northern Wei forces with their food supplies during the successful siege of Northern Liang's capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu).