Emperor Guangwu of Han vs Xiao Daocheng

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.

Xiao Daocheng led forces to suppress the rebellion of Liu Xiufan, a prince of the Liu Song Dynasty. His victory earned him military command and political influence, allowing him to consolidate power in the court.

Xiao Daocheng forced Emperor Shun of Liu Song to abdicate and proclaimed himself emperor, founding the Southern Qi Dynasty. This ended the Liu Song Dynasty and established the Southern Qi as the new ruling house in southern China.