When Emperor Xian returned to Luoyang, the main people who protected him were Zhang Yang, Yang Feng, Han Xian, Dong Cheng, Hu Cai, Li Le, and Qubei.

Among them, Yang Feng, Han Xianam, Hu Cai, and Li Le were all born in the Baibo Army.

The White Bo Army was the remnant of the Yellow Turban Army, mainly led by Guo Tai, a former Yellow Turban Army general. In February of the fifth year of Zhongping (188), Guo Tai and others re-revolted in the Baibo Valley of the Xihe River (now Yonggu Town, Xiangfen County, Shanxi), and were called the Baibo Army. In October of the following year, the Baibo army advanced to Hedong, with a force of more than 100,000 men. Dong Zhuo ordered his son-in-law Zhonglang to lead Niu Fu to suppress the army, but was defeated by the Baibo army.

In the first year of Chuping (190), Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an under the dual threat of the White Wave Army and the Kwantung Coalition Army, but still continued to send Niu Fu's generals Li Dao and Guo Yan to continue to fight against the White Wave Army.

Later, Guo Tai died in battle, and Yang Feng took refuge in the Xiliang Army at this time, and finally became Li Wei's subordinate, but at that time, Han Xian, Hu Cai, and Li Le still insisted on fighting.

In the second year of Xingping (195), the melee between Li and Guo Yan broke out, Guo Yan, Yang Ding, Dong Cheng, Yang Feng, Zhang Ji and others returned east with the car of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, but experienced many twists and turns along the way, first Guo Yan betrayed his trust, and then Yang Ding because of his selfish attack on Duan Xuan instead attracted Li Guo's army, and Zhang Ji in the team of Emperor Xian joined forces with Li Guo because he was dissatisfied with Yang Feng and Dong Cheng, Yang Feng and Dong Cheng were defeated, and the team was also purged, and only barely kept the Son of Heaven.

But later, the imperial court received the support of Li Le, Han Xian, Hu Cai, and the Southern Xiongnu Youxian Wang Qubei, and once thwarted Li Guo's army, but in the end it was still defeated by Li Guo, and once again suffered a painful defeat.

Emperor Xian, who arrived at Anyi in Hedong around December of the same year, sent his servant Han Rong to Hongnong County to sue for peace with Li Dao, Guo Yan and others, and the situation improved after Zhang Yang, the Taishou of Hanoi County, also came to support.

In the face of the Son of Heaven, only Zhang Yang almost did not show any ambition and sincerely supported the Son of Heaven. When Emperor Xian was pursued by Li Dao and fled to Anyi, Zhang Yang immediately led his army to protect the Son of Heaven after learning about it, and Zhang Yang was also worshiped as the general of Anguo and named the Marquis of Jinyang. At the same time, Zhang Yang also wanted to welcome Emperor Han Xian back to Luoyang, but the generals refused to obey, so Zhang Yang returned to Yewang.

Around July of the first year of Jian'an (196), Yang Feng, Dong Cheng, Han Xian and others finally had no choice but to carry Emperor Han Xian back to Luoyang after half a year, but because there was no food to eat, Zhang Yang then carried food to meet Emperor Han Xian on the way back to Luoyang, and returned to Luoyang with Emperor Han Xian. After arranging the dedication to the emperor, Zhang Yang said to the others: "The Son of Heaven should be with the world, fortunately there are ministers, Yang should defend the foreign difficulties, what is the matter with Kyoto?" Then he returned to Yewang again, and the Son of Heaven was very appreciative of Zhang Yang's behavior, so he named him the Great Sima.

But a soldier who does not want to be a marshal is not a good soldier, and a boss without ambition is not a good boss. Zhang Yang wanted to be loyal to the imperial court, but instead made his subordinates centrifuge. Among them, two people are particularly important, it just so happens that both of them are surnamed Dong, one has been slightly mentioned above, called Dong Cheng, and the other is a strategist under Zhang Yang, called Dong Zhao.

Dong Cheng turned out to be Niu Fu's subordinate, and in history, some people thought that he was a relative of the Empress Dowager Dong, some people thought that he was a relative of Dong Zhuo, and some people thought that he was just surnamed Dong.

After Dong Cheng and Yang Feng and others sent the Son of Heaven back to the east, he fell out with Han Xian in February, and Han Xian directly led his troops to attack Dong Cheng in the first year of Jian'an, and Dong Cheng took refuge in Zhang Yang. At that time, those generals had not yet confirmed that they would go to Luoyang, but Zhang Yang directly asked Dong Cheng to repair the palace in Luoyang to wait for the Son of Heaven.

In July, Emperor Xian's chariot finally entered Luoyang, Yang Feng and Zhang Yang went out of the tun to protect Luoyang, Dong Chengze and Han Xian stayed in Beijing to guard the palace, and were promoted to general Wei for their merits. At this time, Han Xian was also worshiped by Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty as a general and a lieutenant of Si Li, and was able to fake the festival. He was arrogant, did whatever he wanted, disrupted the government, and Dong Cheng had always been at odds with him, so Dong Cheng began to look for foreign aid, at that time, because Zhang Yang was not interested in the specific things of the imperial court, Dong Cheng had to give it up, and secretly summoned the king of Cao Caoqin, the pastor of Yanzhou, worried.

As for whether Dong Cheng found Cao Cao alone at that time, it is unknown now, but Cao Cao was the fastest in history, which is undoubted.

Dong Zhao was originally Yuan Shao's subordinate, but later because Dong Zhao's younger brother Dong visited in Zhang Miao's army, he was disliked by Yuan Shao, and in the first year of Xingping (194), Dong Zhao left Yuan Shao under the pretext of seeing Emperor Jin and presenting him, but on the way to Chang'an, Dong Zhao was left in Hanoi by Zhang Yang, and sent the seal and ribbon back to the imperial court through Zhang Yang, and was awarded the rank of cavalry captain, and Dong Zhao became Zhang Yang's adviser.

At that time, Cao Cao was elected as the pastor of Yanzhou, and sent envoys to see Zhang Yang, wanting to borrow a way from him and go west to Chang'an to worship the Son of Heaven, but Zhang Yang did not listen.

Dong Zhao then advised Zhang Yang: "Although Yuan and Cao are still one family now, their trend will not be united for a long time. Although Cao Cao is weaker now, he is really a hero in the world, and you should be interested in befriending him. Besides, now that there is an opportunity, we should help him contact the court and recommend him; If this can be successful, it will always be a deep affection. ”

Only then did Zhang Yang inform the court of Cao Cao's situation, and he recommended it again. Dong Zhao wrote letters on behalf of Cao Cao to various generals in Chang'an, such as Li and Guo Yan, expressing their courtesy and friendship according to their different positions. Zhang Yang also sent envoys to meet Cao Cao. Cao Cao gave Zhang Yang a horse gold silk, and since then he has had contacts with the western region. It can be said that Dong Zhao was very optimistic about Cao Cao from the beginning.

In the second year of Xingping (195), Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty was chased to Anyi by Li Guo, and Dong Zhao followed Zhang Yang to the rescue, where Dong Zhao was worshiped as a speaker.

In the first year of Jian'an (196), Cao Cao pacified the Yellow Turban Army in the area of Xu County and sent envoys to Hedong to worship the Son of Heaven. At this time, Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty had returned to Luoyang, and Han Xian, Yang Feng, Dong Cheng and Zhang Yang were at odds with each other.

Dong Zhao wrote to Yang Feng in the name of Cao Cao because Yang Feng had the strongest soldiers and horses and lacked external assistance, saying: "I have long been famous for the general and admire your righteousness, so I put my heart into my heart and met you sincerely. Now the general has rescued the Son of Heaven from hardship, returned the old capital, and assisted the Son of Heaven's merits, no one in the present generation can compare with you, how beautiful and good! Nowadays, the Central Plains is disturbed by a group of murderers, the four seas are not peaceful, and the court of the Son of Heaven is supreme and heavy, and our responsibility lies in maintaining and assisting; It is necessary to rely on the wise men to re-establish the dynastic order, which is not something that can be established by one person alone. The heart and limbs are interdependent and supportive, and both are indispensable. General, you should be the main force in the capital, and I will be the reinforcement from the outside. Now I have military rations, you have an army, and we are able to help each other, live and die together, and share weal and bene. ”

Yang Feng was very happy after receiving the letter, and said to the generals: "The army of Yanzhou is stationed in Xu County, which is close at hand, they have soldiers and food, and the country should rely on them." So everyone recommended Cao Cao as the general of Zhendong, inherited his father's title as Marquis of Feiting, and Dong Zhao was transferred to Fu Jieling.

Dong Zhao and Dong Cheng invariably abandoned their original proposition Yang and chose Cao Cao in history, is this just a coincidence?