Chapter 17 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms marks a turning point in the fragmentation of the Eastern Han dynasty, where ambition, legitimacy, and survival collide in the wake of Yuan Shu’s fateful decision to declare himself emperor.
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.