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When discussing the military hierarchy of Dong Zhuo’s regime, it is essential to look beyond the romanticized narrative of Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms and consult the more sober accounts of historical records such as Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms and Fan Ye’s Book of the Later Han.
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In the chaotic final years of the Eastern Han dynasty, the struggle for supremacy hinged not merely on military might, but on governance, leadership, and strategic vision.