Emperor Guangwu of Han vs Muyeol of Silla

Liu Xiu led a small force of 9,000 to defeat a 430,000-strong Xin army at Kunyang. Using a surprise attack and psychological warfare, he broke the siege and routed the enemy. This victory made him the leading rebel commander and paved the way for the restoration of Han.

Liu Xiu declared himself emperor at Hao, adopting the reign name Jianwu. He claimed the Mandate of Heaven to restore the Han dynasty, which had been interrupted by Wang Mang's Xin dynasty. This act established the Eastern Han dynasty, with Luoyang as its capital.

Emperor Guangwu defeated the Red Eyebrow rebel army at the Battle of Xiao. The Red Eyebrows had captured Chang'an and installed a puppet emperor, but Guangwu's forces crushed them, ending the major rebel threat and consolidating his control over the western regions.

Emperor Guangwu reduced the agricultural tax to one-thirtieth of crop yields and cut corv

Emperor Guangwu completed the reunification of China by conquering the last independent warlord, Gongsun Shu, in Sichuan. After 12 years of campaigning, he restored the Han dynasty's territory and established a stable central government, ending the civil wars that followed Wang Mang's fall.

King Muyeol, as crown prince, negotiated a military alliance with the Tang dynasty of China. This alliance provided Silla with Chinese military support against Baekje and Goguryeo, setting the stage for the unification of the Korean Peninsula.

Muyeol appointed General Kim Yushin as the supreme commander of Silla's military forces. Kim Yushin's leadership was instrumental in the campaigns against Baekje and Goguryeo, and his strategic genius became a cornerstone of Silla's unification efforts.

Muyeol, as king, led Silla forces in a joint campaign with Tang China to conquer Baekje. The allied army captured the Baekje capital, Sabi, and the kingdom fell. This victory eliminated one of Silla's major rivals and was a crucial step toward unification.

Muyeol died while Silla was still at war with Goguryeo. His death occurred before the final unification was achieved, but his alliance with Tang and conquest of Baekje had already set the course for Silla's eventual victory under his successor, King Munmu.