Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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In 211 AD, following Cao Cao’s consolidation of power in central China, he ordered Zhong Yao, Inspector of Sili, and Xiahou Yuan, General Who Protects the West, to assemble troops for a campaign ostensibly aimed at Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. However, the warlords of Guanzhong (the Guanzhong Plain) – notably Ma Chao and Han…
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In the turbulent final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, as warlords carved up the empire, a lesser-known figure emerged in the strategic heartland between the Central Plains and the Yangtze River. Zhang Xiu, a nephew of the fallen warlord Zhang Ji, found himself thrust into leadership after a fateful raid in 196 AD.…