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Chapter 61 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms – Cao Cao marches south again; Sun Quan plots to seize Jingzhou – weaves together two parallel narratives that reveal the fragile balance of power in the post–Red Cliffs era.
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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.