Synopsis

As the Eastern Han Dynasty crumbled, corruption and famine sparked the Yellow Turban Rebellion. Liu Bei found his sworn brothers in Zhang Fei and Guan Yu after meeting them in Zhuojun, and the three pledged their loyalty in the Peach Garden. Liu Bei rose through the ranks and became magistrate of Anxi County, where Zhang Fei famously whipped a corrupt inspector who'd come demanding bribes. Dong Zhuo, a powerful warlord from Liangzhou, marched on the capital with the imperial edict in hand. His subordinate Lü Bu killed Ding Yuan and defected to him. Dong Zhuo then deposed the young emperor and installed Emperor Xian in his place. Cao Cao tried to assassinate Dong Zhuo but failed and had to flee. Back in Chenliu, he used a forged imperial order to rally eighteen warlords against Dong Zhuo. Liu Bei and his brothers fought Lü Bu during this campaign, though Lü Bu escaped and relocated the capital to Chang'an. Cao Cao himself was defeated by Lü Bu and retreated to Yangzhou. Once the coalition fell apart, Yuan Shao consolidated power in Bohai and Jizhou while crushing Gongsun Zan at Panhe. Sun Jian tried crossing the river to attack Liu Biao but was ambushed and killed after Kuai Liang advised Liu Biao on the strategy. Sun Jian's son Sun Ce took over his father's interests in Jiangdong. Meanwhile, Dong Zhuo's brutal rule in Chang'an prompted Wang Yun and the beauty Diao Chan to orchestrate his assassination by Lü Bu. Li Jue and Guo Si, seeking revenge, besieged the city and killed Wang Yun. Cao Cao's father was murdered by one of Tao Qian's generals, so Cao Cao launched a personal campaign for vengeance. Liu Bei defended Tao Qian, who eventually ceded Xuzhou to him. Cao Cao crushed Lü Bu and took Dingtao, forcing Lü Bu to surrender to Liu Bei and settle at Xiaopei. The political situation spiraled as various warlords jockeyed for power—Lü Bu famously shot an arrow through Liu Bei's camp gate to prevent Ji Ling from attacking. Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, prompting Cao Cao to act against him. Zhang Xiu initially submitted to Cao Cao but turned on him when Cao Cao took his uncle's wife. The surprise attack wounded Cao Cao, though he rebounded and crushed Zhang Xiu and Liu Biao's allied forces. Yuan Shao's threat forced Zhang Xiu back to defend his territory. Chen Gong intercepted evidence of Liu Bei's secret alliance with Cao Cao, leading Lü Bu to attack Xuzhou. Cao Cao intervened, defeated Lü Bu at Xiaoguan, and had him executed at Baimen Tower. Cao Cao returned victorious and brought Liu Bei to meet Emperor Xian, officially recognizing him as the emperor's uncle. A conspiracy formed when Dong Cheng, Wang Zifu, and the western governor Ma Teng pledged themselves to rebellion, hoping to use Liu Bei as their figurehead. Liu Bei, claiming he needed to intercept Yuan Shu, broke from Cao Cao and reclaimed Xuzhou. The envoy Mi Zhengping was sent to turn Liu Biao but was killed by Huang Zu instead. Dong Cheng and the court physician Ji Ping attempted to poison Cao Cao but were exposed. When an imperial edict was found on them, Ji Ping killed himself, and Dong Cheng along with over seven hundred associates and Consort Dong were executed. Cao Cao then launched a massive five-pronged assault on Xuzhou. Zhang Fei was defeated and fled to Mangdang Mountain while Liu Bei escaped to join Yuan Shao in Qingzhou. Guan Yu and Zhang Liao brokered a truce at Tushan.

Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.

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