At the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, the emperor was inept, eunuchs held power, and the people were suffering. A massive peasant uprising erupted: the Yellow Turban Rebellion. In this chaotic age, one great hero after another emerged.
General-in-Chief He Jin was killed in his struggle against the Ten Attendants. Claiming to be putting down the rebellion of the Ten Attendants, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and other officials stormed the imperial palace and slaughtered the eunuchs. As he protected the young Emperor Shao of Han, Dong Zhuo, the Inspector of Liangzhou, led his troops through the pass and seized control. He deposed Emperor Shao and installed Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu, as Emperor Xian of Han. Dong Zhuo's brutal and tyrannical rule enraged many. Cao Cao invoked an imperial edict to summon eighteen warlords and unite them against Dong Zhuo. At Hulao Pass, the three brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who were determined to restore the Han dynasty, fought Lü Bu. The coalition against Dong Zhuo grew so powerful that it forced him to flee to Chang'an with Emperor Xian in tow. He was eventually eliminated by Situ Wang Yun's elaborate scheme.
Yet the eighteen warlords each had their own agenda, and the alliance began to fall apart. Yuan Shao coveted the Imperial Jade Seal in the possession of Sun Jian, the Administrator of Changsha, and joined forces with Liu Biao to kill him. Meanwhile, Yuan Shao defeated Gongsun Zan at the Battle of Jieqiao, becoming the most powerful force in the north. Cao Cao, too, was recruiting talent and building up his strength. The stage was set for the warlords to contend for supremacy.
