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The Ambitious Warlord of Longyou Wei Xiao, a respected scholar from Chengji (northwest of modern Qin’an, Gansu), rose to prominence during the anti-Wang Mang uprisings. Appointed by local elites, he seized control of Tianshui and built a powerful regional base. Though he briefly submitted to Liu Xuan (the Gengshi Emperor), he later joined the…
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The Collapse of the Gengshi Regime As the Red Eyebrows advanced on Chang’an in two columns, Liu Xuan, the Gengshi Emperor, suffered defeat after defeat. His generals – Zhang Ang, Wang Kuang, and others – had already been routed by Deng Yu and fled back to the capital. Seeing the end near, they plotted…
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After the failed assassination attempt by Jing Ke, King Zheng of Qin – now consumed by fury – ordered Generals Wang Jian and Wang Ben to crush Yan without mercy.
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In 241 BCE, five of the six eastern states – Zhao, Han, Wei, Yan, and Chu – formed a final vertical alliance (hezong) against Qin, with Qi abstaining.