Dong Zhuo, styled Zhongying, hailed from Lintào in Longxi. As Prefect of Hedong, he bore himself with arrogant disdain. When Liu Bei arrived in his jurisdiction, Zhuo’s dismissive treatment enraged Zhang Fei, who drew his blade, intent on slaying the censor. Liu Bei and Guan Yu interposed: “He is an imperial official—how can we kill him by our own hands?” Zhang Fei snarled, “If I do not kill this villain, I must serve under him—how can I bear it? If you two are content to stay, I will depart.” Liu Bei replied, “Our bond is sworn in life and death; how could we ever separate? We shall all leave together.” Zhang Fei nodded: “That soothes my anger.”
Under cover of night, the Three Brothers led their men to join General Zhu Jun. Jun welcomed them warmly and united their forces to march against Zhang Bao. Meanwhile, Cao Cao had joined forces with Huangfu Song to oppose Zhang Liang, clashing in a great battle at Quyang. At the same time, Zhu Jun pressed the assault on Zhang Bao, who had mustered eighty to ninety thousand rebels behind the hills. Jun appointed Liu Bei his vanguard against Bao’s host. Zhang Bao sent his lieutenant Gao Sheng out to fight; Liu Bei dispatched Zhang Fei to intercept. Mounted on his steed, Fei lunged with his spear, unhorsing Sheng. Liu Bei’s troops charged forward—only for Zhang Bao himself to emerge, disheveled, chanting sorcery. Thunder roared, a black mist descended, and phantom cavalry poured from the sky. Liu Bei sounded the retreat, but in the ensuing confusion his army was routed.
They fell back to plan. Zhu Jun said, “He used sorcery. Tomorrow we will slaughter pigs, sheep, and dogs—collect the blood and offal—and hide on the hill. When the rebels charge, we will douse them from above; that will dispel their magic.” Liu Bei set out Zhang Fei and Guan Yu with a thousand men each atop the ridge, preparing vats of blood and entrails. At dawn, Zhang Bao raised his banners and drums, and Liu Bei advanced to meet him. As thunder cracked and stones hurtled through the sky, invisible horses and riders cascaded down in the black mist. Liu Bei wheeled his steed and drew back; Zhang Bao’s host pursued recklessly. Then Guan Yu and Zhang Fei sounded their horns, and the hillside torrents of blood and filth rained down. The phantom warriors dissolved, thunder ceased, and the stones stilled.
Seeing his enchantment broken, Zhang Bao turned to flee. Liu Bei and Zhu Jun’s forces burst from both flanks, smashing into the rebel ranks. Liu Bei aimed an arrow through the globe of Bao’s flag, wounding him in the left arm. Bao staggered away, seeking sanctuary in Yangcheng, where he barricaded himself.
Zhu Jun besieged the city, while scouts hurried to learn the fate of Huangfu Song. Their report astonished them: “Huangfu Song has won decisive victories,” they said. “The court, frustrated by Dong Zhuo’s repeated failures, has appointed him Grand General in Song’s stead. By the time Huangfu arrived, Zhang Jiao was dead. Zhang Liang, assuming command of the rebels, was routed by Song in seven successive engagements and was slain at Quyang. Jiao’s coffin was exhumed, his corpse desecrated and beheaded; his head was sent to the capital. The remaining rebels surrendered. The court honored Huangfu Song with the titles of Grand Commandant and Governor of Jizhou. Lu Zhi was exonerated and restored to his former post. By imperial favor, Cao Cao was made Chancellor of Jinan and will soon return to take up his duties.” With this news, Zhu Jun redoubled his assault on Yangcheng. The rebel cause faltered, and amid dark rumors, the commander Yan Zheng slew Zhang Bao, delivered his head in surrender, and the city gates fell. Having pacified several counties, Jun sent his dispatch to court.
Yet three Yellow Turban holdouts—Zhao Hong, Han Zhong, and Sun Zhong—gathered tens of thousands and vowed vengeance for Zhang Jiao. The court ordered Zhu Jun to carry the triumph of his victories into battle against them. Jun advanced upon Wancheng, where the rebels, entrenched, bristled behind the walls. Jun dispatched Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to attack the southwest corner. Han Zhong led his elite guard to meet them there, while Jun himself charged the northeast gates with two thousand cavalry. The rebels, fearing the fall of the city, abandoned their posts at the southwest and fled. Liu Bei’s men fell upon them from behind, routing them into Wancheng. Jun’s forces closed all four gates, encircling the city like a steel drum.
With food cut off, Han Zhong sent emissaries to sue for peace. Jun refused. Liu Bei counselled, “When Gaozu found the realm, he gained hearts by graciously accepting surrenders. Why do we deny Han Zhong this chance?” Jun answered, “In the Qin dynasty’s chaos, the world had no firm lord, so nobles welcomed surrenders. Now that the empire is unified, and the Yellow Turbans are the only rebels, to accept their submission without punishment would encourage future plunderers: let them be crushed utterly.” Liu Bei pressed on: “If we deny surrender, the rebels will fight to the death; thousands united in despair are unstoppable—what of those within the walls? Better to lift the siege on the southeast and concentrate all our might on the northwest. They will abandon the city to flee, and we can seize them unawares.” Jun agreed, withdrew half his forces, and struck the northwest gates with renewed vigor. True to Liu Bei’s prediction, Han Zhong’s men fled; trapped between Liu Bei’s vanguard and Jun’s main force, they were cut down. Han Zhong fell by the arrow; the rest scattered. As Jun pursued, Zhao Hong and Sun Zhong regrouped for a desperate charge. Jun feinted, then withdrew ten li to camp. Hong seized the opportunity to recapture Wancheng, driving Jun’s men from the walls.
Just then, from the east rode a fresh battalion. At its head was a captain of grand stature, with a broad brow and chest like a wild tiger. This was Sun Jian of Fuchun in Wu—descended from the legendary strategist Sun Wu. At seventeen, he and his father had quelled a band of sea-rovers by seizing their loot on the shore. By his daring, he was made Colonel. Later, he led a thousand volunteers to defeat the rebel Xǔ Chang at Kuaiji, earning high honors. Now, at the call of Wancheng’s governor, he brought fifteen hundred chosen men.
Sun Jian’s sudden arrival turned the tide. Jun commanded him to storm the southern gate, while Liu Bei assailed the north and Jun himself attacked the west, leaving the east open for the rebels to flee. Sun Jian scaled the walls first, slaughtered more than twenty rebels atop the ramparts, and caused their lines to collapse. Zhao Hong, charging with his spear, fell upon Sun Jian, but Jian vaulted from the battlements, wrested the spear away, unhorsed Hong, then rode his steed into the fray. Sun Zhong led his men in a last stand through the north gate—only to meet Liu Bei’s arrow, which unseated him. Jun’s army surged in, cutting down tens of thousands; the rest cried for mercy. In a single day, a dozen counties of Nanyang were pacified.
Returning to the capital, Jun was titled Grand Commandant and Governor of Henan. In his memorial, he credited Sun Jian, Liu Bei, and the others. Sun Jian, beloved by the people, was reassigned to another post. Yet Liu Bei, left waiting in the inferiors’ ranks, received no promotion. In dejection, the Three Brothers wandered the streets. By chance, they encountered Court Scholar Zhang Jun, who, upon hearing their deeds, rushed to the palace to beseech the emperor: “The Yellow Turbans arose because the Ten Attendant Eunuchs bought and sold offices, ignoring merit. Now is the time to execute these eunuchs, hang their heads in the south suburbs, and reward those loyal to the realm—then peace will return.” The eunuchs denounced him as a traitor, and the emperor had him thrown out. The eunuchs resolved: “Those who stood to serve the state must not be elevated. Let them suffer the same fate the rebels suffered.” They stripped Liu Bei of any appointment save the minor magistracy of Anxi County in Zhongshan, ordering him to assume that post.
Liu Bei dispersed his troops and, accompanied by only twenty retainers—including Guan Yu and Zhang Fei—rode to Anxi. Within a month, his just governance and kindness won the hearts of the people. He and his brothers ate at the same table and slept on the same mat; wherever Liu Bei went, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stood unwavering by his side.
Before four months had passed, the court issued a decree: officers who had earned merit should be weeded out and promoted accordingly. Worried that his new position was at risk, Liu Bei rode out of the city walls to greet the traveling Censor. Though Liu Bei offered deep bows, the Censor merely pointed his riding crop at him in disdain. Enraged, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei bristled. At the official lodging, the Censor sat on a raised platform, while Liu Bei remained standing below. After a long interval, the Censor asked, “From whence comes Magistrate Liu?” Liu Bei answered, “I am a scion of the House of Jing, descended from the Prince of Zhongshan. I fought the Yellow Turbans in thirty battles across Zhuojun, and by grace of the court have received this office.” The Censor roared, “You falsely claim imperial kinship and inflate your deeds! The court’s decree is to sift out worthless officials like you.” Liu Bei endured the insult with repeated bows and withdrew.
He returned to his county hall and consulted his clerk: “The Censor’s arrogance aims only to extort bribes.” But Liu Bei replied, “I have wronged no one—how could I offer him gold?” The next day, the Censor summoned the clerk, accusing Liu Bei of oppressing the people. Liu Bei personally sought to clear his name, but the gatekeeper barred him entry.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fei had drowned his fury in wine. Riding past the lodging, he saw fifty or sixty elders weeping at the gate. He inquired what had happened; they answered, “The Censor intimidated our magistrate; we came to plead, but were beaten back by the guards!” Zhang Fei’s eyes blazed; he drew rein, vaulted from his horse, and stormed the lodgings. No door could bar him from the inner hall, where he found the Censor’s guards binding Liu Bei to the floor. With a roar, Zhang Fei seized the Censor by his hair, dragged him outside to a post at the county gate, and whipped him with branches of willow—breaking more than a dozen.
Just then, Liu Bei arrived. He rushed forward to save the Censor. Zhang Fei prepared to deliver a final blow. Guan Yu interceded: “My brother has achieved great deeds—now humbled by this petty villain. Shall we take his life, forsake all office, and wander the world instead?” Liu Bei, ever merciful, caught Zhang Fei’s arm: “Spare him. But hang this badge of office around his neck—and mark my words: had he harmed the people, he would have died today. Now he goes free, but stripped of his rank.” The humiliated Censor fled to report to Governor Shen; Shen dispatched officers to arrest Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Fearing for their lives, the Three Brothers sought refuge with Liu Hui in Dai Prefecture. There, Liu Hui hid them in his own home, recognizing Liu Bei’s imperial lineage.
Back in the capital, the Ten Attendant Eunuchs—exercising unchecked power—resolved to eliminate any who opposed them. Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang had officers extort bribes from the victorious generals; those who refused were stripped of their ranks. The emperor, swayed by eunuch influence, ennobled Zhao Zhong and the others as marquises. Court governance sank deeper into corruption, and the people clamored in despair. Rebels arose in Changsha; Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun in Youyang proclaimed themselves emperor and grand general. Official petitions flew like snowflakes, but the eunuchs buried them in their desks.
One day, the emperor feasted with the eunuchs in the rear garden when Court Advisor Liu Tao rushed forward in tears: “Sire, the realm stands on the brink of ruin—how can Your Majesty feast with these eunuchs?” The emperor replied, “All is at peace—where is the danger?” Liu Tao cried, “Bandits plague every province; the eunuchs sell offices and cheat the empire. Good men have all fled office; disaster awaits us!” The Ten Eunuchs tore off their hats, begging, “We cannot survive without our offices! Spare us—allow us to return to our estates, and we will contribute all our wealth to the war effort!” They sobbed so bitterly that the emperor, enraged, ordered the palace guards to cast them out and executed Liu Tao on the spot. As Liu Tao was led away, he cried, “I die willingly—but pity the Han dynasty, four hundred years of glory undone in a single day!”
Just as the guards prepared to slay him, Grand Tutor Chen Dan rushed in to plead, “Why punish this loyal minister?” The emperor snarled, “He slandered my closest servants!” Chen Dan countered, “Your subjects hunger to gorge on the flesh of the eunuchs—yet you honor them as parents and grant them marquisates. How can this stand?” The emperor, enraged once more, condemned both Chen Dan and Liu Tao to prison. That night, the eunuchs conspired to murder them in their cells, then forged an edict appointing Sun Jian as Prefect of Changsha to suppress the rebel Qu Xing. In fewer than fifty days, Sun Jian returned victorious, pacified Jiangxia, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wucheng.
The court then named Liu Yu Governor of Youzhou, charging him to quell Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun at Youyang. On Liu Yu’s recommendation, Liu Bei was summoned and made a Commandant, given troops to storm the outlaw’s stronghold. Over several days’ fierce fighting, Zhang Chun’s brutality alienated his followers; his own captain slew and beheaded him, offering the severed head in surrender. Zhang Ju, seeing the tide turned, hanged himself. The rebels were wiped out, and order restored. Liu Yu submitted a memorial acclaiming Liu Bei’s merit; the court pardoned Liu Bei’s whipping of the Censor, promoted him to Assistant Magistrate of Xia County, and later appointed him Colonel of Separate Troops, Magistrate of Pingyuan County. In Pingyuan, with funds, grain, and cavalry at his command, Liu Bei rallied his old vigor. Liu Yu, for his service, was made Grand Commandant.
In the summer of the sixth year of Zhongping, the ailing Emperor Ling summoned General-in-Chief He Jin to discuss the succession. He Jin, seizing the chance, murdered the eunuch Tuoba and arranged for his sister to enter the palace as consort, giving birth to Prince Xun Diàn. By her favor, she was elevated to Empress, and He Jin’s power grew immeasurably. The emperor also favored Lady Wang, mother of Prince Xun Xié; jealous of her rival, He Jin had Wang poisoned. Xié was reared by Empress Dowager Dong, mother of Emperor Ling and wife of the late Marquis of Dedu. Childless for years, Empress Dowager Dong had been adopted as consort—making her Lin Di’s birth mother. Now ill herself, she favored Prince Xié as heir. Eunuch Jian Shuo urged that He Jin be assassinated should the new crown prince be made; taking this counsel, the emperor ordered Eunuch He to enter the palace and slay He Jin. Forewarned by his aide Pan Yin, He Jin fled to his residence, summoning ministers to purge the eunuchs. As they deliberated, Cao Cao—then Colonel of the Cavalry—warned, “The eunuchs’ power has its roots in Emperor Chong and Emperor Zhi. To strike them now without careful planning risks the ruin of an entire clan.” He Jin retorted, “How would you, a mere junior, understand statecraft?”
While debate raged, eunuch Pan Yin announced: “The emperor has died. Jian Shuo and the eunuchs hide the death and issue a false edict summoning He Jin to the palace to eliminate future threats, then enthrone Prince Xié.” Before He Jin could react, the forged decree arrived and summoned him in. Cao Cao urged, “We must first secure the throne, then drive out the rebels.” He Jin asked, “Who will help me enthrone the new sovereign?” Stepping forward, Shi Siliang’s nephew Yuan Shao offered five thousand troops to slay the eunuchs and secure the court. He Jin appointed him to command the Palace Guards. Together with ministers like He Yong, Xun You, and Zheng Tai, they entered the palace, announced the late emperor’s death, and installed Prince Xun Diàn as the new emperor.
After the court’s obeisance, Yuan Shao arrested Jian Shuo, who fled to the imperial gardens only to be slain by Eunuch Guo Sheng. Jian Shuo’s loyal troops surrendered to Yuan Shao. Sensing victory, Yuan Shao advised He Jin: “We must purge the eunuchs entirely.” The eunuchs, their power slipping away, begged Empress Dowager Dong for protection, accusing He Jin of usurpation. Taking their side, she refused He Jin’s plea to eliminate them. Barricaded in his palace, He Jin hesitated even as Yuan Shao pressed him: “Now is the moment—have no mercy.” He Jin replied, “I must consider further.” Meanwhile, the eunuchs bribed He Jin’s brother He Miao and his mother, convincing them that the purge was a path to rebellion. He Miao persuaded the Empress Dowager: “He Jin, having helped enthrone the new sovereign, now wishes to slaughter the eunuchs. This will plunge the court into chaos!” The Dowager heeded this counsel, ordering He Jin to stand down. The general strove in vain to resume action; Cao Cao sneered, “To cut down the eunuchs is like lighting a furnace to scorch hair—swift and simple.” His words rang true:
To cleanse the court of treachery at the sovereign’s side, One must heed the counsel of the wise within.
With that, the stage was set for the looming clash between He Jin’s faction and the Ten Attendant Eunuchs—a conflict whose outcome would shake the Han dynasty to its core.
