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In early 194 AD, Cao Cao launched his second punitive expedition against Xuzhou, targeting Tao Qian, whom he blamed for the murder of his father, Cao Song. His forces advanced deep into Xuzhou, capturing cities and inflicting heavy casualties.
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In the summer of 194 AD, while Cao Cao was deep in Xuzhou, devastating Tao Qian’s forces and advancing toward Tan County, disaster struck at home. News reached him: Chen Gong and Zhang Miao had rebelled, opening the gates of Yanzhou to Lü Bu, the famed warrior fleeing from Dong Zhuo’s downfall.
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In the summer of 194 AD, Cao Cao assembled a massive army to launch his second invasion of Xu Province, this time under the banner of filial vengeance. His father, Cao Song, had been murdered by soldiers of Tao Qian.
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When Cao Cao escorted Emperor Xian of Han to Xuchang in 196 AD and established a new imperial court under his control, he achieved more than a military victory—he secured a decisive moral and political advantage. By acting in the name of the Son of Heaven, Cao Cao positioned himself as the defender of…
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In January 192 AD, Yuan Shao achieved a decisive victory over Gongsun Zan at the Battle of Jieqiao, a turning point that established Yuan Shao’s dominance in northern China. Despite Gongsun Zan’s elite cavalry, Yuan Shao’s general Qu Yi led a disciplined infantry force to break the charge, crippling Gongsun Zan’s ambitions and securing…
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In a previous article, we discussed why Chen Gong betrayed Cao Cao. Today, let’s explore why Zhang Miao was also persuaded to join the rebellion and betray Cao Cao.
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Chen Gong played a crucial role in Cao Cao’s early rise to power. When Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yan Province(Yanzhou), was killed in battle against the Yellow Turban rebels in 192 AD, a power vacuum emerged. Chen Gong, a native scholar-official of Yan Province and a man of high moral standing, took decisive…
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In the treacherous world of the Three Kingdoms, where brilliant minds often met tragic ends, Jia Xu stands as a singular anomaly—a strategist famed not for grand visions of empire, but for ruthless pragmatism and cold calculation, yet he emerged as one of the very few who lived to a ripe old age and…