In the late years of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25:220),because of the corruption of the state administrationexacerbatedby years of famine, the ordinary people lived a veryhard life. InJulu county, local man Zhang Jue, together with hisbrothersZhang Liang, and Zhang Bao, managed to enlist some500,000people from today's Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Hubei andJiangsuprovinces, into a rebel force and they launched a jointattack upongovernment troops. Several days later, from every sidepeoplejoined the army of the rebel Zhang Jue. The rebel army begantowrap yellow scarves around their heads and this quicklybecametheir signature. As the strength of the rebel army increased,theimperial troops became less and less able to control them.