Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In 193 AD, the third year of the Xingping reign of Emperor Liu Bian of the Han Dynasty, this year was destined to be one of turmoil and war. Yuan Shu harbored ambitions to annex Yangzhou, vainly seeking to bring this rich land under his control, dreaming of a long and prosperous future. He secretly mobilized his troops, waiting for the right moment to march south.

However, Yuan Shu's plans were disrupted by Ma Chao's sudden attack. Ma Chao, leading his elite troops, advanced on Runan County like a tiger emerging from the mountains. Ma Chao's army advanced with unstoppable force, their hooves shaking the very earth as they advanced, and they quickly posed a serious threat to Lujiang County. This sudden attack left Yuan Shao stretched thin, preventing Yuan Shu from fully devoting his forces to the attack on Yuzhang.

Yuan Shu's army initially held a commanding advantage on the battlefield, seemingly on the verge of capturing Yuzhang and bringing it under his sphere of influence. However, at this crucial moment, Ma Chao's actions struck like a thunderbolt, giving Liu Yao of Yuzhang a moment of respite. Liu Yao was able to regroup, gather his defeated troops, and strengthen the city's defenses in preparation for the next challenge.

After completing his initial offensive against Runan County, Ma Chao quietly departed and successfully reunited with Sun Ce. The troops he left behind continued fighting in Runan County, first successfully capturing Pingyu County. From Pingyu's base, they launched attacks from all directions, expanding their sphere of influence to the surrounding areas. In a short period of time, nearly half of Runan County's cities were captured by Ma Chao's forces.

The situation on the battlefield didn't change until Zhang Xun arrived with a large army to rescue them. Zhang Xun's troops were well-organized and their morale was high. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle, with swords flashing and cries of killing resounding across the battlefield. From then on, the battle in Runan fell into a stalemate, with victory or defeat difficult to determine.

Meanwhile, in the north, the two great warlords, Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, were at loggerheads, ushering in a protracted standoff. Gongsun Zan, with his powerful army and high morale, was determined to defeat Yuan Shao and completely dismantle his power.

At the time, Emperor Liu Bian, though still at the helm of the court, was deeply concerned about the state of affairs. He understood that this battle hinged on the fate of imperial power. To stabilize his rule and weaken the power of the aristocratic families, he dispatched Liu Bei and Lü Bu to aid Gongsun Zan. Liu Bei, a man of great loyalty and patriotism, was short on troops. Even with such loyal and courageous comrades as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, facing such a large-scale conflict, he felt overwhelmed. Undeterred, Liu Bei remained committed to restoring the Han Dynasty and devoted all his efforts to preparing for battle.

Lü Bu was renowned for his valor, armed with a painted halberd and riding his Red Hare, possessing the courage of a thousand men. However, Lü Bu was cunning and, though sent to aid the enemy, harbored ulterior motives. He remained on the sidelines, hoping to preserve his own strength and reap the benefits.

With the support of Liu Bei and Lü Bu, Gongsun Zan's confidence surged. He immediately commanded his army to besiege Yuan Shao in Jizhou, aiming for a decisive victory. Yuan Shao came from a prominent family, descended from three dukes in four generations. His family had deep connections within the imperial court and throughout the prefectures. Leveraging his family's prestige, Yuan Shao quickly assembled a formidable force, both civil and military officials. Knowing he could not defeat the coalition forces of Gongsun Zan and his allies alone, he enlisted the aid of Cao Cao, a powerful figure with a vast army, numerous strategic advisors, and skilled generals from his clan.

On the battlefield, the two sides fought fiercely. On Gongsun Zan's side, Guan Yu wielded his Green Dragon Crescent Blade with awe-inspiring force, sending enemy generals crashing to the ground in a flash of blade. Zhang Fei roared like thunder, his Zhangba Snake Spear unleashing a powerful and ferocious attack that terrified the enemy. However, Liu Bei's forces were limited, and Lü Bu was passive and inactive, making it difficult for Gongsun Zan to launch a full-scale offensive.

On Yuan Shao's side, the Four Pillars of Hebei—Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, and Gao Lan—were the bravest of the three armies. Yan Liang and Wen Chou led the charge, unstoppable; Zhang He and Gao Lan were skilled in deploying troops, repeatedly repelling Gongsun Zan's attacks. Furthermore, Cao Cao's clan generals, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and Cao Hong, who were seasoned warriors, provided a solid defense for Yuan Shao's camp.

The two sides engaged in brutal battle after battle across Jizhou, the battlefields thick with smoke and blood flowing like rivers. Despite Gongsun Zan's numerous formidable generals, Liu Bei's forces were clearly outnumbered, Lü Bu was unwilling to contribute, and Yuan Shao's forces were equally formidable. The two sides were evenly matched, and the battle reached a stalemate, with neither side finding easy victory. This war not only determined the fate of both sides, but also the trajectory of world power. All parties anxiously awaited a chance to break the deadlock.

Time flew by, and it was already May and June. The two top-tier battles between Yuan Shu and Liu Yao, and between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, remained stalemated, with the outcome undecided. However, periodically, news of a "victory" would reach Chang'an. These reports, whether true or false, filled Emperor Liu Bian with joy and elation.

Looking back, it had only been three years since Liu Bian resolved to rebel against Dong Zhuo. During these three years, he had weathered countless hardships and obstacles, steadily consolidating his power. Now, he sat securely in Chang'an, commanding the heart of the nation, even able to orchestrate wars between the world's leading vassals. How could this achievement, this power of control, not fill him with pride?

Liu Bian knew that if he could completely defeat Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao, two powerful warlords from prominent families, the world would be reunited. As for the remaining forces, he saw no reason to fear them. At this critical juncture, Liu Bian did not rest in peace in Chang'an, but instead actively dispatched envoys to communicate with Liu clan members across the country.

Liu Zhang of Yizhou and Liu Biao of Jingzhou—each one a powerful governor? They commanded vast territories, commanded powerful armies, and were considered the hegemons of their respective territories. But times had changed. The current situation gave Emperor Liu Bian considerable influence over these Han royal family members. Liu Bian reasoned that a victory in this battle would undoubtedly resonate deeply with the people of Yizhou and Jingzhou. Considering the Han Dynasty's legitimacy and weighing the pros and cons, Liu Zhang, Liu Biao, and the others would likely surrender without a fight, thus restoring Han rule.

After the emperor's envoys arrived, Liu Biao and Liu Zhang calmed down and temporarily put aside their dissenting intentions. They assured the emperor's envoys that they would pledge their loyalty to the court once the two major battles between Yuan Shu and Liu Yao, and Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, had been decided. However, Liu Bian knew that these promises were merely empty promises; they would surely wait for a clearer understanding before taking action.

Liu Bian read the envoy's reply, a profound sneer curling his lips. These Liu clan members, during the time of chaos and the crucial battle against Dong Zhuo, hadn't stepped forward to help the court, yet now they were hoping to reap the benefits. In Liu Bian's eyes, their intentions were clear: nothing more than a bunch of selfish opportunists. He mused that once peace reigned, dealing with these people would be a piece of cake.

But now, Liu Bian knew his primary mission was to balance the forces of power. In these chaotic times, he could only rely on his own wisdom and cunning tactics to maneuver among the various warlords, forcing them to check and balance each other and consume each other. He would eliminate these warlords one by one, rendering them no longer a threat to the imperial court, thus completing the hegemony that had eluded his father, Emperor Ling of Han, throughout his life, restoring the glory of the Han Dynasty and allowing the people of the world to once again enjoy its blessings.

In Chang'an, documents piled up on Emperor Liu Bian's desk. Among them were urgent letters from Xiliang, arriving with increasing frequency. Initially, they arrived every half-day, then gradually every ten days, and now reached a rate of one every three days. The language in these letters grew increasingly urgent, their words etched with despair and helplessness, as if glimpsing the suffering that Xiliang was enduring.

Liu Bian looked at the documents and thought to himself, "It seems that Xiliang is now truly struggling." In the past, Xiliang's food and fodder had regularly been shipped through Chang'an to Ma Chao's troops stationed on the front lines, but now that flow has been interrupted for a long time. Liu Bian wondered, if it weren't for the utterly desperate situation, why would Ma Teng allow his son to fight alone in the front, without even enough food and fodder, leaving Ma Chao struggling?

After much deliberation, Liu Bian concluded that while a foreign invasion would be a minor nuisance for the Han Dynasty as a whole, it would undoubtedly be a catastrophic disaster for the bordering state of Western Liang. Even if Western Liang were shattered, so what? Once he had reunited the four regions and assumed full power, dealing with these foreign invaders would be a piece of cake. Moreover, he simply couldn't spare any troops to support Western Liang right now.

Liu Bian had another plan in mind. Xiliang was now practically dominated by the Ma family. Ma Chao's occasional disrespect towards him at court was simply due to the Ma family's dominance of Xiliang and their command of the Western Liang cavalry. Now, with the invasion of foreign tribes, the losses were solely to Xiliang's forces and the Ma family's strength. Why should he feel bad about it? Furthermore, if one of the two major battles between Yuan Shu and Liu Yao, or Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, could be decided, he would be free to deal with Ma Chao.

At present, the land of Xiliang was engulfed in flames and the situation was in utter chaos. Saving Ma Chao was simply impossible. Liu Bian sneered. Even if Ma Chao were captured now, what kind of trouble could Xiliang cause without him? In his view, the fate of Xiliang and Ma Chao was already under his control. He only needed to wait for the right moment to settle everything.

The emperor pondered this, a smug look creeping across his face. Ma Chao, now short of rations and facing the powerful Yuan Shu, was in dire straits. Without supplies, what could he do? He could only plunder the local population. But if he did that, even if Ma Chao captured more cities, the locals would undoubtedly resent him. The good reputation Ma Chao had painstakingly cultivated would crumble in an instant, and he would lose the support of the people.

But if he didn't, where would he get the food and fodder to sustain his army? This was a brilliant move, allowing Ma Chao to contribute to the court's efforts to weaken Yuan Shu while also placing him in a dilemma. Ma Chao's wars, consuming troops and bearing the stigma, would only serve the court in vain, while he could sit back and reap the benefits, waiting for the right moment to take down Ma Chao as well. It was truly the best of both worlds.

In the eyes of Emperor Liu Bian, the outcome of the battle between Ma Chao and Yuan Shu was entirely within his control. Even if Ma Chao couldn't defeat Yuan Shu, as long as he could hold him back and prevent him from successfully capturing Yangzhou, his goal would be achieved. As the saying goes, when two tigers clash, one will inevitably be injured. Even if Ma Chao were unfortunate to lose, the Emperor wouldn't care. He had already planned the follow-up plan. Liu Biao in Jingzhou was waiting for the right moment. Once the time was right, Liu Biao would launch an attack on Yuan Shu, dealing him a heavy blow.

Liu Yao has now found a respite thanks to Ma Chao's containment. While the threat to Yangzhou hasn't been completely resolved, it has been greatly alleviated. Meanwhile, in the north, the battle between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao remains stalemated. A victory for Gongsun Zan would greatly benefit the imperial court. A chance victory for Ma Chao over Yuan Shu would undoubtedly be a pyrrhic one, severely damaging the imperial court's vitality.

By then, Liu Yao would be holding firm in Yangzhou, Liu Biao would hold Jingzhou, and Xiliang would have to contend with foreign invasions and endure the losses of war, embroiled in a bitter struggle. The emperor could easily eliminate Ma Chao by employing a few subtle tactics and sowing discord among the various factions, further consolidating his rule and moving toward his goal of unifying the world.