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— Zhang Chao When the arrowhead leaves rot, we departed at West Bay, But you do not return now the lotus blooms sway. My dreams drift upon the river night after night, They say my beloved’s lingering on Phoenix Mountain’s height.
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Influenced by the famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, many people believe that it was Cao Cao who facilitated the military alliance against Dong Zhuo. According to the novel, Cao Cao forged an imperial edict, falsely conveyed the emperor’s order to summon heroes from across the realm to campaign against Dong Zhuo, and…
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In the two preceding articles, we discussed Cao Cao’s recovery of Yan Province and Zhang Miao’s betrayal of Cao Cao. Both accounts involved a key figure: Zhang Chao, Zhang Miao’s younger brother. In December 195, Cao Cao besieged Yongqiu, where Zhang Chao was stationed, eventually conquering the city and executing Zhang Chao and all…
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In the summer of 194 AD, Cao Cao assembled a massive army to launch his second invasion of Xu Province, this time under the banner of filial vengeance. His father, Cao Song, had been murdered by soldiers of Tao Qian.
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In a previous article, we discussed why Chen Gong betrayed Cao Cao. Today, let’s explore why Zhang Miao was also persuaded to join the rebellion and betray Cao Cao.
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Chen Gong played a crucial role in Cao Cao’s early rise to power. When Liu Dai, the Inspector of Yan Province(Yanzhou), was killed in battle against the Yellow Turban rebels in 192 AD, a power vacuum emerged. Chen Gong, a native scholar-official of Yan Province and a man of high moral standing, took decisive…