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Chapter 62 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks the irreversible descent of Liu Bei’s western campaign from diplomatic maneuver into open warfare. What began as a mission to “aid” Liu Zhang against Zhang Lu now transforms into a full-scale conquest of Yizhou (modern Sichuan), driven by strategic necessity but stained by betrayal and…
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The Three Kingdoms era was defined by fluid loyalties. Warlords rose and fell; generals and advisors routinely switched masters in pursuit of survival or ambition.
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Chapter 60 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks a decisive turning point in the novel’s geopolitical arc. With Cao Cao dominant in the north and Sun Quan entrenched in the east, the vast, fertile province of Yizhou (modern Sichuan) becomes the final prize for aspiring hegemonies.
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The late Eastern Han dynasty was a time of chaos, corruption, and moral crisis. As peasant uprisings like the Yellow Turban Rebellion shook the foundations of imperial rule, ambitious men emerged to shape the future.
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To eliminate the threat posed by Liu Bei and Lü Bu’s control of Xuzhou, Cao Cao adopted a step-by-step strategy proposed by Xun Yu. First, he used the “Feeding Two Tigers to Fight” stratagem, petitioning the court to appoint Liu Bei as Governor of Xuzhou while secretly ordering him to execute Lü Bu. This…