Editing Three Kingdoms (section)

====Xu and Yan provinces====
In 194, Cao Cao went to war with [[Tao Qian (Han dynasty)|Tao Qian]] of Xu Province, because Tao's subordinate Zhang Kai had murdered Cao Cao's father [[Cao Song]]. Tao Qian received the support of [[Liu Bei]] and Gongsun Zan, but even then it seemed as if Cao Cao's superior forces would overrun Xu Province entirely. Cao Cao received word that [[Lü Bu]] had seized Yan Province in his absence, and accordingly he retreated, putting a halt to hostilities with Tao Qian for the time being. Tao Qian died in the same year, leaving his province to Liu Bei. A year later, in 195, Cao Cao managed to drive Lü Bu out of Yan Province. Lü Bu fled to Xu Province and was received by Liu Bei, and an uneasy alliance began between the two.

Afterwards, Lü Bu betrayed Liu Bei and seized Xu Province, forming an alliance with Yuan Shu's remnant forces. Liu Bei, together with his followers [[Guan Yu]] and [[Zhang Fei]], fled to Cao Cao, who accepted him. Soon, preparations were made for an attack on Lü Bu, and the combined forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei invaded Xu Province. Lü Bu's men deserted him, Yuan Shu's forces never arrived as reinforcements, and he was bound by his own subordinates and executed on Cao Cao's order.