Lu Kang

  • Jin Conquered Wu and the Unification of the Three Kingdoms [Three Kingdoms]

    The Sima Ascendancy and the Fall of Wei After decades of consolidating power, Sima Zhao – de facto ruler of Cao Wei – was enfeoffed as King of Jin and appointed Chancellor. Though courtiers urged him to usurp the throne, he declined, instead appointing his son Sima Yan as Deputy Chancellor, a clear signal…

  • Why Sun Ce broke with Yuan Shu? [Three Kingdoms]

    In the turbulent years of the late Eastern Han dynasty, alliances were fragile, and loyalty was often a transaction. Nowhere is this more evident than in the dramatic rupture between Sun Ce and Yuan Shu in 197 AD. What began as a patron-client relationship—born from the legacy of Sun Ce’s father, the famed general…

  • Yuan Shu’s Struggle for Yanzhou and Yangzhou [Three Kingdoms]

    The years between 192 and 195 AD marked a critical period in the disintegration of Eastern Han authority and the rise of regional warlords vying for control of the central and southern territories. Amidst shifting alliances, imperial appointments, and military campaigns, the struggle for control of Yan Province (Yanzhou) and Yang Province (Yangzhou) became…

  • Sun Jian: From rebel queller to warlord’s vassal [Three Kingdoms]

    Sun Jian earned his reputation as a fearless warrior through his distinguished service in two major campaigns of the late Han Dynasty. He had fought under General Zhang Wen during the suppression of the Liang Province Rebellion, and later played a crucial role alongside Zhu Jun in crushing the Yellow Turban Uprising. His battlefield…