In the northwest of Great Han lay Liangzhou.
Here, the landscape was forever vast and untamed. Grasslands, the Gobi Desert, and dunes stretched as far as the eye could see, seemingly endless, arrayed like scales and comb teeth across this long, narrow strip of land.
Howling winds swept dust from the ground, shrouding heaven and earth in a gray haze.
Clop, clop, clop.
Countless hurried hoofbeats thundered through the windblown dust. For a moment, there was no telling whether the dust had been raised by the galloping horses or swept up by the wind.
A careful count would have revealed several thousand riders, yet they raced along with more than twenty thousand horses. Liangzhou truly deserved its place among Great Han's horse-breeding grounds: even with Great Han's current finances, it could still provide four or five horses per man.
At the center of the riders stood a Grand Banner bearing the enormous character "Dong." This was none other than Dong Zhuo, courtesy name Dong Zhongying, Han's General Who Protects the Qiang, the emperor's confidant and a senior minister of Great Han who commanded the troops of the Four Hexi Commanderies and concurrently served as Liangzhou Inspector.
Dong Zhuo's authority was pivotal in the northwest. As Liangzhou Inspector, he unquestionably ranked among the three most powerful officials in the entire province, but his military command over four commanderies had vaulted him into the foremost position in Liangzhou.
That the emperor had entrusted this position to him showed his trust in Dong Zhuo.
The main reason for this was Dong Zhuo's humble background in a frontier commandery. His father had been no more than a lowly county commandant; his origins could hardly have been lower.
He had entered official service through nomination as Filial and Incorrupt. He could draw a powerful bow