 Later, he was nominated as a "maocai" (茂才; outstanding civil service candidate) and promoted to an Imperial Clerk ().When the eunuch faction dominated the imperial court, Tian Feng felt so disillusioned with politics that he resigned and returned home.Around 190, the warlord Yuan Shao joined a coalition of warlords in a campaign against the tyrannical warlord Dong Zhuo, who controlled the Han central government and the figurehead Emperor Xian.