In 194 AD, Liu Bei was named the pastor of Yuzhou by Tao Qian for his meritorious service in rescuing Tao Qian in Xuzhou against Cao Cao, and stationed troops in Xiaopei.
Xiaopei during the Three Kingdoms period refers to today's Pei County, Jiangsu Province, located in the northwest of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Pei County is the hometown of Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, and has a long history, and is one of the oldest counties in China since the establishment of the county in the Qin Dynasty. In different historical periods, Pei County has different names, among which "Xiao Pei" is a common name for Pei County from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms period.
The specific location of Xiaopei is recorded in different historical documents. Some sources mention that Xiaopei was located in Xiangshan District, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, which may be due to confusion caused by historical changes in administrative divisions. However, the more widely accepted view is that Xiaopei during the Three Kingdoms period is present-day Pei County, Jiangsu Province.
Pre-Qin period
The Xiaopei region belonged to the territory of different countries in the pre-Qin period, such as the Song and Wu states in the Spring and Autumn period or the Chu and Qi states in the Warring States period.
Qin Dynasty
After Qin unified the six countries, the county system was implemented, and Pei County had been established during the Qin Dynasty and was under the jurisdiction of Surabaya County at that time.
Western han dynasty
Pei County belonged to Pei County in the Western Han Dynasty, and the scope of Pei County was larger, including many counties including Pei County. Pei County is famous for being the hometown of Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty.
Three Kingdoms period
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao, the founder of Cao Wei, assigned most of the area of Peiguo to the newly established Qian County, and the scope of Peiguo was reduced, and the abolished country was changed to Pei County, and the Pei County Governance Office was also relocated.
Xiaopei became another name for Pei County during this period, and it was one of the stages for the activities of Liu Bei and others.
After the Sui and Tang dynasties
During the Great Cause of the Sui Dynasty, there was a period of time when the area where Pei County was located was called Zhuo County, but this was not a direct evolution of Xiaopei, but a redivision of the administrative region.
After the Tang Dynasty, Pei County continued to exist as a county-level administrative division, under the jurisdiction of different prefectures, prefectures, and provinces.
Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing
In the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, Pei County continued to exist as a county-level administrative division, and its administrative subordination changed with the change of dynasties.
Modern times
During the period of the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China, Pei County continued to exist as a county-level administrative division and belonged to Jiangsu Province.
Today, Pei County still exists as a county under the jurisdiction of Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and retains a wealth of historical and cultural relics, including several sites related to Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty.