Hangu Pass
Around 189, Dong Zhuo, the warlord who controlled the Han central government, appointed Kong Zhou as the Inspector () of Yu Province. In 190, Kong Zhou turned against Dong Zhuo and joined a coalition of warlords from the east of Hangu Pass in a military campaign to eliminate Dong Zhuo and free the central government from his control. However, he died not long later within the same year. After his death, another warlord Yuan Shu nominated Sun Jian to be the new Inspector of Yu Province.