A locust plague causes a major famine across China in 194.

According to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, the people ate each other out of desperation.

Without food, many armies are defeated without fighting.

From this experience, Cao Cao sees the importance of an ample food supply in building a strong military.

He begins a series of agricultural programs in cities such as Xuchang and Chenliu.

Refugees are recruited and given wasteland to cultivate.

Later, encampments not faced with imminent danger of war are also made to farm.

This system will be continued and spreads to all regions under Cao as his realm expands.

Although Cao's primary intention is to build a powerful army, the agricultural program also improves the living standards of the people, especially war refugees.

Yuan Shao's ally, Cao Cao, launches a campaign against Tao Qian in Xu Province in 194.

At this time, there are two opposing alliances—Yuan Shu, Tao Qian, and Gongsun Zan on one side, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and Liu Biao the other.

In face of strong pressure from Cao Cao's invading force, Tao Qian appeals to Tian Kai for help.

Tian Kai and Liu Bei led their armies to support Tao Qian.

Despite the initial success of the invasion, Cao Cao's subordinate Zhang Miao rebels and allows Lü Bu to take over Cao's base in Yan Province (present day western Shandong), forcing Cao to retreat from Xu Province.

Tao Qian asks Liu Bei to station his army in nearby Xiaopei (present day Pei County, Jiangsu) and give him four thousand more troops, in addition to one thousand or so troops and some Wuhuan cavalry already under his command.

Thus, Liu Bei deserts his supervisor Tian Kai for Tao Qian.

Meantime, Liu Bei raises troops around the area, and actively builds up connections with influential clans and people of the region.

In a rather short period of time, he has gained the support of the two most powerful families in Xu Province: the Mi clan led by Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, and the Chen clan led by Chen Gui and Chen Deng.

Liu Bei also marries Mi Zhu's younger sister to draw support from the Mi clan.

Upon Tao Qian's death shortly afterwards, Liu Bei secures his position around the area by building up connections and an army.

The Mi clan strongly advocates the governorship be passed on to Liu Bei instead of Tao Qian's sons.

Liu Bei is hesitant and apprehensive about taking the post when Chen Qun tells him that Yuan Shu would contest the control of the province with him.

Liu Bei then consults Kong Rong and Chen Deng, who advise him to switch allegiances and seek confirmation from the leading warlord, Yuan Shao.

Liu Bei finally takes over Xu Province after Yuan Shao recognizes his "succession".

Lü Bu, defeated by Cao Cao in 185, seeks shelter under Liu Bei.

Sun Ce, born in 175, is the eldest among five sons and one daughter of Sun Jian, a military general loyal to the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

When, in 190, a year after Emperor Ling died, the warlord Dong Zhuo usurped power, placing in the throne the puppet Emperor Xian, regional warlords in eastern China launches a campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Sun Jian renders his service to Yuan Shu, one of the leaders of the coalition.

The attempt to oust Dong Zhuo soon failed and China had slid into a series of massive civil wars.

In the next year, Sun Jian had been sent by Yuan Shu to attack Liu Biao, governor of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan), but had been killed in an ambush.

Sun Ce brought his father's body to Qu'e (present-day Situ Town, Jiangsu) for burial and settled his mother down before heading for Danyang (present-day Xuancheng, Anhui), where his uncle Wu Jing is the governor.

Here he has raised a small militia a few hundred in strength.

This small force is far from sufficient for him to establish his own power, so in 194 Sun Ce goes to Yuan Shu, who is very impressed with Sun Ce and often laments that he has no son like him.

He also returns Sun Jian's former Initially, Yuan Shu promises to appoint Sun Ce the governor of Jiujiang but eventually gives the governorship to Chen Ji.

Later, when Yuan Shu is denied a large loan of grains from the governor of Lujiang, he sends Sun Ce to attack the latter, promising to make Sun Ce the governor of Lujiang should he succeed.

When Sun Ce does, however, Yuan Shu again goes back on his words and appoints another else instead.

The disappointed Sun Ce now begins to contemplate leaving.

Liu Yao, who is by imperial decree the governor of Yang Province (covering present-day southern Jiangsu, southern Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian), meanwhile occupies Qu'e, as the regional seat Shouchun (present-day Shou County, Anhui) is already occupied by Yuan Shu.

He then forces Wu Jing back west across the Yangtze River to …

…Liyang (present-day He County, Anhui).

However, Yuan Shu claims to be the rightful governor and sends Wu Jing and Sun Ce's elder cousin Sun Ben to attack Liu Yao.

Wu Jing and Sun Ben have been unable to break down the defense of Liyang for more than a year, and Sun Ce requests to lead a force to assist the effort.

Though Yuan Shu knows Sun Ce intends to leave, he believes the latter will not be able to defeat Liu Yao.

Thus he deploys the young general with merely a thousand-odd troops and a tiny cavalry force.

Along with a few hundred more willing followers, Sun Ce proceeds to Liyang, where he boosts his strength to more than five thousand.

He then launches an offensive across the Yangtze River and successfully occupies the strategic position of Niuzhu (present-day Caishiji, southwest of Ma'anshan, Anhui) in 195.

Two of Liu Yao's allies then come south from Pengcheng and Xiapi respectively to aid him.

Sun Ce chooses to first attack one of them, Ze Rong, who makes camp south of Moling.

After suffering initial defeat in the hands of the aggressor, Ze Rong falls back to a defensive position and refuses to engage in battle.

Sun Ce then marches further north and attacks Xue Li in Moling.

Although Xue Li soon gives up the city and escapes, Liu Yao's subject Fan Neng and other regroup their forces and launch a renewed attack on Niuzhu.

Turning back, Sun Ce defeats Fan Neng and secures Niuzhu.

He then begins a second offensive against Ze Rong.

However, he is struck by a stray arrow in the thigh.

Returning to Niuzhu, he sends out false words that he had been killed in battle.

Ze Rong, elated at the news, then sends a force to attack.

Sun Ce leads his enemies into an ambush and annihilates them.

When Ze Rong hears that Sun Ce is still alive, he further reinforces his defense works.

Sun Ce temporarily gives up attacking Ze Rong and focuses his forces on Qu'e.

After all the surrounding areas are taken over by Sun Ce, Liu Yao gives up the city and escapes south to Yuzhang (present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi), where he will later die.

As Sun Ce implements strict discipline among his troops, he wins the instant support of the local people and gathers many talented men, such as Chen Wu, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, Qin Song, and Lü Fan.

He then pushes his force deeper into Yangzhou and conquers Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang), whose governor Wang Lang surrenders.

Sun Ce makes Kuaiji his base city and strikes out at the wandering bandit army led by Yan Baihu.

Yan Baihu sends his younger brother Yan Yu to offer Sun Ce a position alongside Yan Baihu, but Sun Ce shows no mercy and personally slays the emissary.

As Yan Yu is known among Yan Baihu's men as a fierce warrior, his death strikes fear into their hearts and they are soon defeated.

Sun Ce now appoints his relatives and a trusted subject to govern Danyang and Yuzhang, from which he divides a new prefecture named Luling.

His campaign, from the occupation of Niuzhu to the conquest of the entire region southeast of the Long River, has taken less than a year.

He then defeats and receives the services of Zu Lang, the Chief of Danyang, and Taishi Ci, the leader of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces; he then urges the surrender of Hua Xin, another one of the remnants of Liu Yao's forces.

Thus, with the exception of the scattered but still numerous army of Yan Baihu, the lands south of the Yangtze are mostly pacified.

The barbarians of the Shanyue tribe, however, are not easily dealt with.

To counter the frequent rebellions of the Shanyue (who will continue to rebel for many years), Sun Ce appoints a certain He Qi to a military rank with orders to subdue the Shanyue.

He Qi will go on to become a highly successful general; his appointment by Sun Ce is the first important step to Wu's eventual subjugation of the Shanyue.

Yuan Shu sends his general Ji Ling with a large army to invade Xu Province in 196.

Liu Bei leads his army to Xuyi and Huaiyin (in Guangling, south of Xu Province) to counter.

They face each other for a month without any decisive result.

Zhang Fei, who has been left behind by Liu to guard Xiapi (capital of Xu Province), kills Cao Bao (chancellor of Xiapi when Tao Qian was still in charge of Xu Province) after an intense quarrel.

Cao Bao's death causes unrest in the city, providing Lü Bu with an opportunity to seize control of the city, capturing the families of Liu Bei and his men during the surprise attack.

Liu Bei returns to Xiapi on receiving the news but his army disintegrates by the time he reaches there.

Liu Bei rallies his remaining men and moves to Guangling, where he is defeated by Yuan Shu.

Liu Bei then retreats to Haixi, Donghai prefecture.

Faced with enemies on both sides and a lack of supplies (Mi Zhu uses his personal wealth to support the army), Liu Bei's army resorts to cannibalism, and finally surrenders to Lü Bu, who recognizes Liu's pledge of allegiance, returns his family as an act of good faith, and orders Liu to help him resist Yuan Shu.

Lü Bu, fearing isolation, obstructs further attempts by Yuan Shu to eliminate Liu Bei.

Liu Bei moves his camp to Xiaopei where he rebuilds his army, gathering over ten thousand men.

Lü Bu becomes concerned and attacks Xiaopei.

Liu Bei flees to Xuchang, where Cao Cao receives him well, gives him some troops, provisions, and an official appointment as Governor of Yu Province.

Liu Bei then reassumes his post in Xiaopei to keep an eye on Lü Bu.