The collapse of the Coalition against Dong Zhuo marked not the end of chaos, but its intensification. With the tyrant retreated to Chang’an, the regional warlords turned on each other, driven by ambition, vengeance, and the pursuit of territory.
In the final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial capital Chang’an fell under the control of warlords Li Jue and Guo Si, former generals of Dong Zhuo who had seized power after his assassination. By 195 AD, however, their alliance had crumbled into bitter rivalry.
As tensions between Li Jue and Guo Si escalated, their covert rivalry erupted into open warfare. In March 195 AD, the conflict reached a critical point: Li Jue seized Emperor Xian of Han as a hostage, while Guo Si retaliated by detaining the imperial ministers.
The conflict between Sun Jian and Dong Zhuo stands as one of the most compelling rivalries in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It began not over land or wealth, but over discipline, honor, and the soul of the empire.