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Following the Battle of Guandu (200 CE), the collapse of the Yuan clan created a power vacuum in northern China. When Yuan Shao died shortly thereafter, his sons Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang plunged into a bitter succession struggle.
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The assassination of Sun Ce, the “Little Conqueror” of Jiangdong, is often attributed to a simple act of vengeance: his killing of Xu Gong, the former Administrator of Wu Commandery, led to retaliation by Xu’s loyal retainers.