《北史·列传·卷四十三》
他的性格温柔谨慎，高欢讨伐刘蠡升，天寒地冻，大雪覆地，高欢命人用手支起毛毯挡住风寒，元康在毯子下起草军书，他挥动毫笔，飒飒有声，笔墨还没有结冰，不大一会儿就写成了几页公文。
性又柔谨。神武之伐刘蠡升，天寒雪深，使人举氈，元康于氈下作军书，飒飒运笔，笔不及冻，俄顷数纸。
Yuan Kang had a gentle and cautious character. When Gao Huan was conquering Liu Lisheng, the weather was bitterly cold and there was a heavy snowfall that had blanketed the land. Gao Huan instructed people to use their hands to hold up a blanket to block out the wind and snow, and Yuan Kang drafted the war report beneath the blanket. He brandished his brush, creating a rustling sound, and before long had completed several pages of official documents with no ink freezing.