In April of the sixth year of Zhongping (189 AD), the Han ling emperor Liu Hong died at the Jiade Palace, and the young emperor Liu Jie succeeded to the throne. The little emperor was very young, and he was still an ignorant age, so he was ruled by Empress He. Suddenly, the situation was very chaotic, and the struggle between eunuchs and foreign relatives to control the imperial power became increasingly fierce. The two sides will not hesitate to use all means to exclude each other and fight to the death. At that time, after Dong Zhuo learned the news, he closely watched the movements of the various factions and waited for the opportunity to seize power.
Not long after, the great general He Jin summoned him to Beijing to fight Zhang Rang in the name of the Holy Will, and Dong Zhuo immediately prepared after receiving the news. However, he was only halfway there, and He Jin was killed by the eunuchs, and the fight between the two sides was even more fierce. Dong Zhuo saw a sea of fire in the capital and knew that it was not good, and led people to turn their heads to find the Young Emperor in Northern Mang, and inquired about the process, because the 9-year-old Liu Xie was calmer than the Young Emperor. At the same time, Liu Xie was also raised by Empress Dong herself, so he had the idea of supporting Liu Xie, and from then on he began to intervene in the entire Eastern Han dynasty.
But Dong Zhuo's rule was really terrible, such as conniving at soldiers to rob rich families, loot property, rape women, and so on. His personality was cruel and cruel, and the crowds everywhere were also somewhat dissatisfied, so they raised an army in the name of revenge against Dong Zhuo. Among them, Yuan Shao was the ally lord, and the Eighteenth Road Princes appeared because of this, so which Eighteen Roads were the Eighteen Roads princes at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty? Who has the highest official position?
First of all, let's talk about who are these eighteen roads, they are: the later generals Nanyang Taishou Yuan Shu, Jizhou Mu Hanfu, Yuzhou Thorn Shi Kong Ling, Yanzhou Thorn Shi Liu Dai, Hanoi County Taishou Wang Kuang, Chen Liu TaiShou Zhang Miao, DongJun Tai Shou Qiao Mao, Shanyang Tai Shou Yuan Yi, Jibei Xiang Bao Xin, Beihai Tai Shou Kong Rong, Guangling Tai Shou Zhang Chao, Beiping Tai Shou Gongsun Zhan, Shangdang Tai Shou Zhang Yang, Wucheng Hou Changsha Tai Shou Sun Jian, Qi Xiang Hou Bohai Tai Shou Yuan Shao, Xiao Riding Colonel Cao Cao, Xi Liang Tai Shou Ma Teng, Xuzhou Thorn Shi Tao Qian.
This is the eighteen people described in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, they have Taishou, Zhou Mu, Assassin Shi, Xiang, Xiao Riding Lieutenant, etc., Yuan Shu's post-general position is relatively high. Ironically, this post-general was still given by Dong Zhuo in order to curry favor with the Yuan family behind Yuan Shu, but he used this to fight dong Zhuo. Then there is the state pastor, who is in charge of the military and political affairs of the whole state, and he is like the state lord. Therefore, although the rank was inferior to that of Yuan Shu's rear general, the actual power was much greater.
The history of thorns is somewhat similar to that of the state pastor, and the Jibei phase is also the phase of the princely states, and the rights are similar to that of a Taishou. Cao Cao's Xiao Riding Lieutenant was more special, because this was specially set up by Dong Zhuo for Cao Cao, and the rank was equal to that of Taishou, but it was a direct subordinate unit of the imperial court, and its real power was higher than that of local officials. However, there is a discrepancy between history and interpretation, and there are not as many princes who crusaded against Dong Zhuo in history. Synthesizing the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and so on, there should be 13 companies that fought against Dong Zhuo in history.
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms added: Beihai Taishou Kongrong, Xuzhou Thorn Shi Taoqian, Xiliang Taishou Ma Teng, Beiping Taishou Gongsun Zhan, and Shangdang Taishou Zhang Yang. The last point is that history has called for a crusade against Dong Zhuo. Not Cao Cao, but Qiao Mao ("Qiao Mao" in the "Renyi"). Historical records record: DongJun Taishou Qiao qiao deceived the three dukes of the Beijing Division to transfer books and prefectures, Chen (Dong) Zhuo committed crimes, Yun saw persecution, could not save himself, hoping for volunteer soldiers, to solve the country's suffering.
The person who presided over the alliance was not Yuan Shao, but Zang Hong, but the oath of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was basically the same as his. Yuan Shao did not do anything in it, and what Yuan Shao did in the rendition was actually done by Zang Hong. As for official positions, whether in history or in the evolution, the biggest official position is Yuan Shu, who became a rear general. However, Cao Cao became a household name in the later family because of his ability and follow-up.
References: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Book of the Later Han Dynasty