Xiahou Dun was appointed as the Administrator () of Chenliu (陳留; around present-day Kaifeng, Henan) and Jiyin (濟陰; near present-day Dingtao County, Shandong) commanderies, and held the rank of General Who Builds Martial Might (). He was also enfeoffed as the Marquis of Gao'an District (). While he was in office, a drought broke out and there was a locust infestation in the region. To counter these problems, Xiahou Dun spearheaded an agricultural programme, in which he instructed workers to dam up the Taishou River (太壽水; a tributary of the Huai River) to create a large pond. He personally participated in the construction works and also encouraged the people to grow crops in the inundated land. This programme greatly aided the people during those years of severe famine. He was later reassigned to be the Intendant of Henan ().