As tensions between Li Jue and Guo Si escalated, their covert rivalry erupted into open warfare. In March 195 AD, the conflict reached a critical point: Li Jue seized Emperor Xian of Han as a hostage, while Guo Si retaliated by detaining the imperial ministers.
From rivalry to civil war
For months, the two warlords fought fiercely within the capital Chang’an. Their armies clashed repeatedly, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths—a devastating toll that plunged the imperial court into chaos.
Despite repeated mediation attempts by Emperor Xian, who sent several senior officials to negotiate peace, Li Jue stubbornly refused to compromise.
Barbarians as Mercenaries
In a desperate move to gain the upper hand, Li Jue recruited Qiang and Hu tribesmen from the western frontiers.
He first bribed them with imperial treasures and fine silks, then made a shocking promise: he would reward them with palace women and civilian women from the capital if they helped him defeat Guo Si.
This act not only revealed Li Jue’s moral decay but also deepened the suffering of the people, as the presence of these foreign mercenaries brought terror to Chang’an.
The turning point: Betrayal and Mediation
In June 195 AD, Yang Feng, one of Li Jue’s own officers, secretly plotted to assassinate him. When the plot was exposed, Yang Feng defected with his troops, significantly weakening Li Jue’s military strength.
Around the same time, Zhang Ji arrived from Shan County to mediate. He proposed a temporary peace and suggested relocating Emperor Xian to Hongnong, a strategic location east of Chang’an.
Emperor Xian, eager to escape the war-torn capital, sent envoys to plead with Li Jue for the Eastern Return. After more than ten rounds of negotiation, Li Jue and Guo Si reluctantly agreed.
To ensure compliance, they discussed exchanging sons as hostages. However, Li Jue’s wife vetoed the deal, and the agreement nearly collapsed.
The crisis of the mercenaries
Meanwhile, the Qiang and Hu mercenaries, still awaiting their promised rewards, began pressing Li Jue for fulfillment. Their growing impatience threatened to spark a new crisis in the capital.
Fearing unrest, Emperor Xian dispatched Attendant Minister Liu Ai to seek help from Jia Xu, Li Jue’s chief strategist.
Jia Xu acted swiftly. He hosted a lavish banquet for the tribal leaders, where he promised them noble titles and generous rewards from the imperial court.
Impressed and placated, the Qiang and Hu leaders withdrew their forces. With their departure, Li Jue’s power was severely diminished, leaving him with little choice but to seek peace.
The final agreement: Daughters as hostages
As mediation efforts resumed, Li Jue—now isolated and weakened—agreed to reconcile.
This time, instead of exchanging sons, the two warlords swapped daughters as hostages—a symbolic but effective gesture of trust.
With this arrangement, Li Jue and Guo Si ceased hostilities. The fighting in Chang’an ended, and a fragile peace was restored to the capital.
Though the path ahead remained uncertain and perilous, the temporary truce between Li Jue and Guo Si marked the first step toward the emperor’s liberation from the clutches of the warlords.
Soon began the tumultuous and dramatic Eastern Return of Emperor Xian.
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