Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Ding Yuan, the Inspector of Bing Province, heard of Zhang Liao's combat skills and hired him as an assistant officer. Ding Yuan ordered Zhang Liao to lead troops from Bing Province to the imperial capital, Luoyang, to assist the General-in-Chief, He Jin. He Jin then sent him on a mission to Hebei, where Zhang Liao managed to recruit over 1,000 men to serve in He Jin's army.(漢末，并州刺史丁原以遼武力過人，召為從事，使將兵詣京都。何進遣詣河北募兵，得千餘人。) Sanguozhi vol. 17.
