The mountain tribes could not be found.
Fortunately, the Liupan Mountains were not vast. Zhang Xin chose a direction at random and pressed on for two more days before finally emerging from the rugged terrain.
Once out of the mountains, the land opened up before him.
He located a nearby village, confirmed his position, and hurried onward. By April 19th, he successfully arrived at Sanshui—just in time.
Gaoping, where Dong Zhuo had been stationed, guarded a crucial passage north of the Longshan Mountains. From there, one could move west into the fertile Longyou region via Wating Road, south toward Longxian along the mountains, or southeast along the Jing River straight to Chang'an. Its strategic value was immense.
In contrast, Sanshui—three hundred li to the north—held little importance. Nestled in the mountains, it had a population of only three to four thousand, and even its county garrison numbered no more than a dozen soldiers.
When the defenders saw Zhang Xin's army arrive, they quickly opened the gates.
Zhang Xin stationed his troops there and sent word to Gaoping to inform Dong Zhuo.
A few days later, the scouts returned with shocking news.
Gaoping had fallen.
Dong Zhuo's army was nowhere to be seen.
"What?!"
Zhang Xin shot to his feet, eyes wide. "Where is Dong Zhuo?! Where is he?!"
According to prior reports, Dong Zhuo was supposed to reach Gaoping on April 18th, while Zhang Xin had arrived in Sanshui on the 19th. Even accounting for delays, the timeline made no sense.
"Fifty thousand men… gone in three days?" Zhang Xin cursed. "Even fifty thousand pigs couldn't be captured that fast!"
After venting his anger, he forced himself to calm down.
"Explain everything," he ordered.
The scout looked helpless. "When I reached Gaoping, rebels were everywhere. After circling around them, I saw their banners flying atop the city walls. I tried asking locals, but no one knew anything…"
Zhang Xin fell silent for a moment before saying, "Stay with me for now. Do not leave."
This information could not spread. The former Yellow Turbans and Wuhuan troops might remain steady, but the Xianbei cavalry could easily fall into chaos if they learned the truth.
The scout nodded.
Zhang Xin spread out his map and began thinking.
With Gaoping lost, his army—deep behind enemy lines—was now completely isolated.
Advancing blindly was impossible.
But staying put wasn't an option either—supplies were already running low. Sanshui's small population couldn't sustain his forces for long.
After a long pause, Zhang Xin finally spoke through gritted teeth:
"Order a retreat to Fuping."
The campaign… had to be abandoned.
When the generals came to question the sudden withdrawal, Zhang Xin simply claimed it was an order from Zhang Wen. Faced with imperial command, no one dared object.
As the army withdrew, scouts were sent out in all directions.
More than ten days later, the full picture finally emerged.
The Han forces had advanced in two columns—Dong Zhuo via Gaoping, and Geng Bi, Governor of Liangzhou, via Jincheng.
The disaster began with Geng Bi.
He had favored a corrupt subordinate, Cheng Qiu, whose misrule had deeply angered the local elite. By the time the army reached Didao, rebellion erupted from within.
Li Xiangru of Longxi revolted.
Ma Teng, one of Geng Bi's own commanders, also turned against him.
Even the deputy governor rebelled.
The army collapsed from within.
Geng Bi and Cheng Qiu were both killed.
Seizing the opportunity, Han Sui mobilized forces from Jincheng, joining with Li Xiangru, Ma Teng, Wang Guo, and others. They declared Wang Guo their leader and launched a massive offensive.
Hanyang fell. Its prefect died in battle.
When Dong Zhuo reached Gaoping and learned of the catastrophe, he had no choice but to retreat immediately, lest his escape routes be cut off.
With his withdrawal, Gaoping fell into enemy hands.
The rebel forces—Qiang, Han Sui, Ma Teng, Wang Guo, and others—merged into a massive army of roughly three hundred thousand and surged toward Guanzhong.
Chang'an and Luoyang trembled.
Zhang Xin was furious.
"You incompetent fool!" he spat. "Even your own deputy rebelled—what kind of governor were you?!"
What he didn't know was that in the original course of history, Dong Zhuo had not been involved at all. It was Zhang Xin's own stabilizing of the northern frontier that had allowed the court to attempt this campaign.
Yet the outcome… remained the same.
After venting, Zhang Xin finally exhaled heavily.
"Withdraw. We return to Yuyang."
With only 5,500 men against an enemy of 300,000, there was no battle to fight.
He summoned Zhao Yun and ordered him to request grain from the Governor of Beidi.
Zhao Yun departed—but soon returned with grim news.
"My lord… the Governor of Beidi has rebelled."
Zhang Xin froze.
Zhao Yun explained that when he approached the city, the gates remained shut. When he called out, arrows rained down from the walls, killing several men.
"Damn it!"
Zhang Xin cursed loudly.
He had deliberately kept his troops outside the city to avoid conflict between his mixed forces and the locals.
Now, that caution had backfired.
With Beidi in rebellion, their situation became critical.
Food was nearly gone.
Zhang Xin forced himself to stay calm.
If he lost control now, panic would spread—and if the Xianbei forces mutinied, everything would collapse.
"How many days of rations remain?" he asked.
"Three days," Zhao Yun replied.
"Three…"
Zhang Xin calculated rapidly.
Fuping was heavily fortified—impossible to take without siege equipment. His army consisted entirely of cavalry.
That path was closed.
"Order a retreat north," he said decisively.
Zhao Yun saluted and turned to carry out the command—
—but before he could leave, Niu Feng burst into the tent.
"My lord! Lingzhou and Lianxian have also rebelled! Their forces have seized the river routes—our path north is completely blocked!"