•
The peaceful transfer of Ji Province (Jizhou) from Han Fu to Yuan Shao in 191 AD has long been portrayed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms and popular history as an act of weakness, incompetence, and misplaced humility. Han Fu, the legitimate Governor of one of the wealthiest and most strategically vital regions in…
•
The seizure of Ji Province (Jizhou) by Yuan Shao in 191 AD is one of the most pivotal yet morally ambiguous events in the collapse of the Eastern Han dynasty.
•
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…
•
In 189 AD, He Jin, the most powerful consort clan member of the Eastern Han Dynasty and holding the position of Grand General, was assassinated by eunuchs. Soon after, Dong Zhuo, the Governor of Bingzhou, entered the imperial capital.
•
Chapter 10 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms unfolds against a backdrop of escalating chaos following the collapse of central authority in Chang’an.
•
The “Feeding two tigers to fight”, “Two tigers competing food” or “Two tigers fight for food” was a stratagem devised by Xun Yu for Cao Cao during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, originating from Chapter 14 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It refers to creating conflict between two rival parties, instigating them to…
•
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…
•
In February 195 AD, during a high-level meeting in Chang’an, Li Jue ordered the assassination of his fellow warlord Fan Chou, who had grown increasingly influential and independent. The killing, carried out by Li Jue’s nephew Li Li, shattered the fragile alliance among the warlords controlling the Han court. From this point on, mutual…