Liang Province rebellion 涼州之亂

The biography of Gongsun Zan records that when bandits rose in Liang Province during the Guanghe era, three thousand assault cavalry of You Province were levied and put under Gongsun Zan's command, but when the troops reached Ji County, Zhang Chun of Yuyang enticed the Wuhuan into revolt. The biography of Ma Chao says that his father Ma Teng rose in the western lands at the end of Emperor Ling's reign together with Bian Zhang, Han Sui and others. According to the biography of Zhang Xiu, when Bian Zhang and Han Sui raised their revolt, Qu Sheng of Jincheng attacked and killed Liu Jun, Chief of Zuli County, and Zhang Xiu, then a county clerk, watched for his chance and killed Qu Sheng. Records, Wei 8 §4 · 56Records, Shu 6 §25

When Han Sui and others rose in Liang Province, Dong Zhuo was again made General of the Household and resisted Han Sui in the west. Surrounded north of Wangyuan Gorge by tens of thousands of Qiang and Hu and with his provisions exhausted, Dong Zhuo pretended to be catching fish, dammed the water he would have to cross on his way back to make a pond, secretly sent his troops across below the dam and then broke the dam. When the Qiang and Hu came in pursuit, the water was too deep to cross. Of the six armies that had gone up into Longxi at this time, five were defeated, and Dong Zhuo alone brought his troops back intact and garrisoned Fufeng. The Biography of Sun Jian, speaking of this, records that the General of the Household Dong Zhuo resisted and campaigned against them but achieved nothing. Records, Wei 6 §4Records, Wu 1 §8

In the 3rd year of Zhongping (186), the Minister of Works Zhang Wen, acting as General of Chariots and Cavalry, set out west to attack Bian Zhang and the others, and memorialized to have Sun Jian take part in military affairs, stationing himself at Chang'an. Tao Qian also took part in Zhang Wen's army and attacked Han Sui in the west. Dong Zhuo, whom Zhang Wen summoned by edict, came only after a long delay, and his replies were not respectful. Sun Jian whispered to Zhang Wen, urging him to behead Dong Zhuo under military law, listing three crimes: that Dong Zhuo slighted his superior and was discourteous, that he obstructed the army and sowed doubt among the troops by proposing to delay the campaign, and that he exalted himself despite having achieved nothing and arriving late when summoned. Zhang Wen could not bring himself to do it, saying that Dong Zhuo had high prestige and renown between Longxi and Shu, and that if he were killed there would be no one to rely on in advancing west. Records, Wu 1 §8–10Records, Wei 8 §24

When Bian Zhang and Han Sui heard that a great army was about to arrive, their followers scattered and they all begged to surrender. When the army returned, those who deliberated did not fix merits and rewards, on the grounds that the army had not faced the enemy, but on hearing that Sun Jian had listed Dong Zhuo's three crimes and urged his beheading, there was no one who did not sigh in admiration. Sun Jian became a Consultant. Records, Wu 1 §10–11

Even after that the west did not settle down. The Annals of Emperor Wu record, as an event following the failure of the plot by Wang Fen and others to depose the emperor, that Bian Zhang and Han Sui of Jincheng killed the inspector and the administrators and revolted, with a following of more than a hundred thousand. The Biographies of Liu Yan and Liu Zhang say that the killing of the inspector Zhang Yi in Bing Province and of the inspector Geng Bi in Liang Province allowed Liu Yan's proposal for provincial governors to be put into effect. Dong Zhuo became General of the Front, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Taixiang and was summoned to be Governor of Bing Province. Records, Wei 1 §4–5Records, Shu 1 §5Records, Wei 6 §4

In the 3rd year of Chuping (192), the year Dong Zhuo died, Han Sui and Ma Teng led their followings to Chang'an and surrendered. The Han court made Han Sui General Who Guards the West and sent him back to Liang Province, and made Ma Teng General Who Conquers the West and had him station himself at Mei County. The biography of Xiahou Yuan records that Song Jian of Fuhan, taking advantage of the turmoil in Liang Province, styled himself King of Heshou Who Pacifies the Han and was destroyed by Xiahou Yuan more than thirty years later. Records, Wei 6 §22Records, Shu 6 §25Records, Wei 9 §22