Chapter Four: The Han Emperor Is Deposed, and the Prince of Chenliu Ascends the Throne; To Eliminate the Traitor Dong, Mengde Presents a Dagger

　　Dong Zhuo deposed the Young Emperor and established the Prince of Chenliu in his place. His tyranny and monopoly on power incited widespread outrage. Yuan Shao sent a secret letter to Wang Yun; Wu Fu attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo but failed. The crisis facing the Han house was now on the verge of eruption.

　　Now, Dong Zhuo was about to kill Yuan Shao, but Li Ru stopped him, saying, "The matter is not yet settled—we cannot act rashly." Yuan Shao, sword in hand, took his leave of the officials and departed. He hung his official insignia at the East Gate and fled to Ji Province. Dong Zhuo said to Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, "Your nephew has been insolent, but for your sake, I will pardon him for now. What do you think of the matter of deposing and establishing?" Yuan Wei replied, "What the Grand Commandant proposes is right." Dong Zhuo said, "Whoever dares to oppose this great plan shall be dealt with according to military law!" The ministers were all terrified and said in unison, "We will follow your command."

　　After the banquet, Dong Zhuo asked the Palace Attendant Zhou Bi and Commandant Wu Qiong, "What do you think of Yuan Shao's departure?" Zhou Bi said, "Yuan Shao has left in a rage. If we press him too hard, he will surely stir up trouble. Moreover, the Yuan family has been showering favors upon the realm for four generations; their disciples and former subordinates are spread throughout the land. If he gathers brave men and rallies followers, heroes will rise in response—and then the region east of the mountains will no longer be yours. It would be better to pardon him and appoint him as a commandery governor. Then Yuan Shao, pleased to be exempted from punishment, will certainly pose no threat." Wu Qiong said, "Yuan Shao is good at plotting but lacks decisiveness—he is not worth worrying about. It would indeed be best to give him a commandery governorship to win the people's hearts." Dong Zhuo agreed, and that very day sent a messenger to appoint Yuan Shao as Governor of Bohai.

　　On the first day of the ninth month, the Emperor was summoned to ascend Jiade Hall, where all the civil and military officials assembled. Dong Zhuo, sword in hand, addressed the crowd: "The Son of Heaven is weak and foolish—he is not fit to rule the realm. There is now a decree that should be read aloud." He then ordered Li Ru to read the decree.

　　"The late Emperor Xiaoling has passed away, leaving his subjects behind. The present Emperor succeeded to the throne, and the realm looked to him with hope. Yet his natural disposition is frivolous, his bearing lacks dignity, and in mourning he has been slothful and negligent. His lack of virtue being thus manifest, he is unworthy of the great throne. The Empress Dowager has failed to set a motherly example, and her rule of state affairs has been chaotic and misguided. The sudden death of Empress Dowager Yongle has given rise to much speculation. The Three Bonds of human relationships, which are the very foundations of Heaven and Earth, have been violated. The Prince of Chenliu, Xie, is endowed with great virtue and noble character; his conduct is proper and dignified. In mourning, he is deeply sorrowful and his words are never improper. His good name and fine reputation are known throughout the realm. He is fit to inherit the great enterprise and rule for all generations. We hereby depose the present Emperor and make him Prince of Hongnong. The Empress Dowager shall return the reins of power. We beg that the Prince of Chenliu be enthroned as Emperor, in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's hearts, so as to fulfill the hopes of all living beings."

　　After Li Ru had finished reading the decree, Dong Zhuo ordered his attendants to escort the Emperor down from the hall, to remove his seal and tassels, to kneel facing north, and to call himself a subject and await orders. He then ordered the Empress Dowager to remove her robes and await the imperial command. The Emperor and Empress Dowager both wept aloud, and all the ministers were deeply grieved.

　　One minister at the foot of the steps, in great fury, cried out, "Dong Zhuo, you traitorous minister—you dare to plot such a treasonous scheme! I will splash my own blood upon you!" He brandished the ivory tablet in his hand and struck at Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo, enraged, ordered his guards to seize him. It was Ding Guan, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Dong Zhuo ordered him taken out and beheaded. Ding Guan cursed him without pause, and even unto death his expression never changed. Later generations had a poem lamenting him:

　　The traitor Dong hid his plan to depose and enthrone,

　　The Han ancestral temples were left to ruin alone.

　　All the court ministers were cowed and meek,

　　Only Lord Ding stood as a true man, strong and unique.

　　Dong Zhuo then invited the Prince of Chenliu to ascend the throne. After all the officials had paid their respects, Dong Zhuo ordered that Empress Dowager He, the Prince of Hongnong (the deposed Emperor), and the Emperor's Consort Tang be confined to Yong'an Palace, to live in seclusion. The palace gates were sealed, and all officials were forbidden from entering without authorization. How pitiful—the Young Emperor had ascended the throne in the fourth month, and by the ninth month he was already deposed. The Prince of Chenliu, Xie—whose courtesy name was Bohe, and who was the middle son of Emperor Ling—was the one Dong Zhuo enthroned. He was known as Emperor Xian, and was only nine years old at the time. The reign era was changed to Chuping. Dong Zhuo was made Chancellor of State, and enjoyed the highest honors: in court, his name was not to be spoken when acknowledging him; he need not hurry his steps when entering the court; and he was permitted to wear his sword and enter the hall with his shoes on. His authority and influence were unmatched.

　　Li Ru urged Dong Zhuo to promote renowned scholars in order to win the support and respect of the people, and specifically recommended Cai Yong as a man of talent. Dong Zhuo summoned him, but Cai Yong refused to come. Dong Zhuo, enraged, sent a message to Cai Yong, saying, "If you do not come, your entire clan shall be destroyed." Cai Yong, afraid, had no choice but to comply. When Dong Zhuo met him, he was overjoyed and promoted him three times within a single month, appointing him as Palace Attendant and treating him with great favor and closeness.

　　Now, the Young Emperor, Empress Dowager He, and Consort Tang were confined in Yong'an Palace, where their clothing and provisions gradually grew scarce. Tears never dried from the Young Emperor's eyes. One day, he happened to see a pair of swallows flying in the courtyard and composed a poem:

　　Soft green grass veiled in misty haze,

　　A pair of swallows in graceful flight.

　　The Luo River, a ribbon of blue,

　　The fields beyond—how they earn men's praise!

　　Gazing afar into the deep green clouds—

　　That is my old palace, where once I trod.

　　Who is there that upholds true loyalty,

　　To pour out the grief that fills my heart?

　　Dong Zhuo frequently sent men to spy on them. On that day, they obtained this poem and presented it to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo said, "He has written a poem of resentment—now there is a proper excuse to kill him." He then ordered Li Ru to take ten armed warriors and enter the palace to put the Emperor to death. The Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Consort were upstairs when the palace maids announced Li Ru's arrival. The Emperor was greatly alarmed. Li Ru presented a cup of poisoned wine to the Emperor. The Emperor asked why. Li Ru said, "The spring weather is mild, and the Chancellor has specially sent this wine to wish you a long life." The Empress Dowager said, "Since it is a toast to long life, you should drink it first." Li Ru angrily replied, "You will not drink?" He called his attendants to bring a short sword and a length of white silk, and set them before them, saying, "If you will not drink the wine of long life, then accept these two things instead!" Consort Tang knelt and pleaded, "I will drink the wine in the Emperor's place. I beg you to spare their lives." Li Ru scolded, "Who are you to die in the Emperor's stead?" He then raised the wine to Empress Dowager He and said, "You drink first." The Empress Dowager cursed He Jin for his lack of foresight, for having brought the rebels into the capital, which had led to this day's calamity. Li Ru pressed the Emperor urgently. The Emperor said, "Let me first bid farewell to the Empress Dowager." Then, overcome with grief, he composed a song:

　　Heaven and earth are overturned, the sun and moon in flight;

　　I cast aside a realm of chariots, to a vassal's lonely plight.

　　By a minister I am forced—my days are numbered now;

　　The great tide has turned—in vain my tears shall flow!

　　Consort Tang also composed a song:

　　The high heavens crumble, the deep earth sinks low—

　　Though born an imperial consort, I cannot choose my fate.

　　Life and death now part us on separate roads—

　　How swiftly, how sorrowfully, we meet our final state!

　　When they had finished singing, they embraced each other and wept. Li Ru shouted, "The Chancellor is waiting for my report! Why do you delay—who do you expect to save you?" The Empress Dowager cursed him, saying, "You traitor Dong, forcing me and my son to this end—may Heaven not protect you! You who aid his evil will surely see your entire clan destroyed!" Li Ru, enraged, seized the Empress Dowager with both hands and flung her headlong down the stairs. He ordered his warriors to strangle Consort Tang with the white silk, and then forced the poisoned wine down the Young Emperor's throat, killing him.

　　Li Ru returned and reported to Dong Zhuo, who ordered the Emperor buried outside the city. From then on, Dong Zhuo entered the palace every night, debauched the palace maids, and slept in the imperial bed. He once led his troops out of the city and arrived at the area of Yangcheng. It was the second month, and the villagers were holding a spring festival, with men and women gathered together. Dong Zhuo ordered his soldiers to surround them and slaughter them all. They plundered the women and goods, loaded them onto carts, and hung more than a thousand heads beneath the carts. With the carts linked together, they returned to the capital, boasting that they had won a great victory over bandits. Outside the city gates, they burned the heads and distributed the women and goods among the troops.

　　The Commandant of the Agile Cavalry, Wu Fu, whose courtesy name was Deyu, saw Dong Zhuo's brutality and was filled with righteous indignation. He often wore a light suit of armor beneath his court robes and concealed a short dagger, waiting for an opportunity to kill Dong Zhuo. One day, as Dong Zhuo entered the court, Wu Fu met him at the pavilion, drew his dagger, and thrust it straight at him. Dong Zhuo, being powerful, grabbed Wu Fu's hands. Lü Bu then rushed in and seized Wu Fu, throwing him to the ground. Dong Zhuo demanded, "Who put you up to this rebellion?" Wu Fu glared and shouted, "You are not my sovereign, and I am not your subject—what rebellion is there? Your crimes are heinous—everyone wants to kill you! I only regret that I cannot have you drawn and quartered to satisfy the world!" Dong Zhuo, enraged, ordered him dragged out and cut to pieces. Wu Fu cursed without ceasing until his death. Later generations had a poem praising him:

　　Of loyal ministers in Han's last days, they speak of Wu Fu—

　　His soaring spirit had no equal in the world.

　　His name lives on for slaying the traitor in court—

　　A true man for ten thousand ages, he shall be extolled!

　　From then on, Dong Zhuo always went about with armed guards.

　　At that time, Yuan Shao was in Bohai. Hearing of Dong Zhuo's abuse of power, he sent a secret letter to Wang Yun. The gist of it was:

　　"The traitor Dong has defied Heaven and deposed the sovereign—words cannot describe it. Yet you, sir, have allowed him to run rampant as if you have heard nothing. Can you still call yourself a loyal minister serving the state? I have now assembled troops and trained soldiers, intending to purge the royal house, but I dare not act rashly. If you are of like mind, you should seize an opportunity and plan against him. If there is any service you require of me, I shall obey your command."

　　Wang Yun received the letter but could think of no plan. One day, while in the officials' waiting chamber, he saw that all the old ministers were present. Wang Yun said, "Today happens to be my humble birthday. I would venture to invite you all to my home for a modest cup of wine this evening." All the officials replied, "We will certainly come to offer our congratulations." That evening, Wang Yun hosted a banquet in the rear hall, and all the high ministers arrived. After several rounds of wine, Wang Yun suddenly covered his face and wept bitterly. The officials, startled, asked, "On your Excellency's birthday, why do you give way to grief?" Wang Yun said, "Today is not actually my birthday. I wished to have a talk with you all, but feared Dong Zhuo would grow suspicious, so I used that as an excuse. Dong Zhuo has deceived the sovereign and usurped power—the state could fall at any moment. I think of how Emperor Gaozu vanquished Qin and destroyed Chu, and unified the realm—who would have thought that down to this very day, it would all be lost to Dong Zhuo? That is why I weep." Thereupon, all the officials began to weep as well.

　　One man among them clapped his hands and laughed heartily, saying, "All you ministers of the court—weeping from night till dawn, and from dawn till night again—will you ever weep Dong Zhuo to death?" Wang Yun looked and saw that it was Cao Cao, the Colonel of the Swift Cavalry. Wang Yun said angrily, "Your ancestors also drew their salaries from the Han house. Now you think not of repaying the state, but instead laugh at us?" Cao Cao replied, "I am not laughing at anything else—I am laughing that none of you has a plan to kill Dong Zhuo. Though I am of little ability, I am willing to cut off Dong Zhuo's head and hang it at the city gates, to satisfy the world." Wang Yun rose from his seat and asked, "Mengde, what is your plan?" Cao Cao said, "Recently I have stooped to serve Dong Zhuo only so that I might seize an opportunity against him. Now he trusts me considerably, and I have therefore been able to get close to him. I have heard that you, sir, possess a seven‑jeweled dagger. I would like to borrow it to enter the Chancellor's residence and assassinate him—I would have no regrets even if I die!" Wang Yun said, "If Mengde truly has such a resolve, then the realm is indeed fortunate!" He then personally poured a cup of wine and offered it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao spilled some wine as a solemn oath, and Wang Yun immediately took out the dagger and gave it to him. Cao Cao concealed the dagger, finished his wine, and then rose to take his leave of the officials. The officials sat for a while longer and then all dispersed.

　　The next day, Cao Cao, wearing the jeweled dagger at his waist, arrived at the Chancellor's residence and asked, "Where is the Chancellor?" An attendant replied, "He is in the small pavilion." Cao Cao went straight in. He saw Dong Zhuo sitting on a couch, with Lü Bu standing in attendance at his side. Dong Zhuo said, "Mengde, why are you so late?" Cao Cao replied, "My horse is weak and slow, which delayed me." Dong Zhuo turned to Lü Bu and said, "I have some fine horses brought from Liangzhou. Fengxian, go and choose one personally to give to Mengde." Lü Bu accepted the order and went out.

　　Cao Cao thought to himself, "This villain deserves to die!" He was about to draw his dagger and stab him, but feared Dong Zhuo's great strength and did not dare to act rashly. Dong Zhuo, being fat and large, could not sit for long, so he lay down on his side, turning his face inward. Cao Cao thought again, "This villain's time has come!" He quickly grasped the jeweled dagger in his hand and was just about to strike, when—unexpectedly—Dong Zhuo looked up at the bronze mirror on his clothes rack and saw Cao Cao behind him drawing a dagger. He quickly turned and asked, "Mengde, what are you doing?" At that moment, Lü Bu had already led the horse to outside the pavilion.

　　Cao Cao, flustered, immediately knelt down with the dagger in his hand and said, "I have a jeweled dagger, which I present to you, my lord Chancellor." Dong Zhuo took it and examined it. It was over a foot long, inlaid with seven precious gems, and extremely sharp—truly a treasure of a dagger. He then handed it to Lü Bu to put away. Cao Cao untied the scabbard and gave it to Lü Bu as well. Dong Zhuo then led Cao Cao out of the pavilion to look at the horse. Cao Cao thanked him and said, "I would like to borrow it for a trial ride." Dong Zhuo ordered the saddle and bridle fitted for him. Cao Cao led the horse out of the Chancellor's residence, then spurred it and galloped off toward the southeast.

　　Lü Bu said to Dong Zhuo, "Just now Cao Cao seemed to be making an attempt on your life—and when he was exposed, he pretended to be offering a dagger instead." Dong Zhuo said, "I suspected that as well." While they were speaking, Li Ru happened to arrive, and Dong Zhuo told him of the matter. Li Ru said, "Cao Cao has no wife or children in the capital—he lives alone in a rented residence. Send someone to summon him now. If he comes without hesitation, then he truly meant to offer the dagger; if he makes excuses and does not come, then he was certainly attempting to assassinate you, and we can arrest him and interrogate him." Dong Zhuo agreed and immediately sent four prison guards to summon Cao Cao. After a long while, they returned and reported, "Cao Cao did not return to his lodging. He rode out through the East Gate at full speed. When the gatekeeper questioned him, he said, 'The Chancellor has entrusted me with urgent official business,' and galloped away." Li Ru said, "The traitor Cao Cao has fled out of guilt—he was undoubtedly attempting to assassinate you, my lord." Dong Zhuo flew into a rage and said, "I treated him with such importance, yet he tried to take my life!" Li Ru said, "There must be accomplices in this plot. Once we capture Cao Cao, we will know." Dong Zhuo then ordered official notices to be sent everywhere, with portraits and descriptions, for the arrest of Cao Cao. Whoever captured and delivered him would be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold and enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households; anyone who harbored him would be punished as an accomplice.

　　Now, Cao Cao fled out of the city and galloped toward Qiao Commandery. On the way, he passed through Zhongmu County, where he was captured by the guards at the pass and brought before the county magistrate. Cao Cao said, "I am a traveling merchant, and my surname is Huangfu." The magistrate looked at Cao Cao intently for a long while, then said, "When I was seeking office in Luoyang before, I recognized you—you are Cao Cao! Why do you try to hide it? Take him into custody for now, and tomorrow we will send him to the capital to claim the reward." The guards were given wine and food and then departed.

　　In the middle of the night, the magistrate summoned his trusted attendant and secretly brought Cao Cao to the rear courtyard for questioning. He asked, "I hear that the Chancellor has treated you well—why do you try to assassinate him and bring this calamity upon yourself?" Cao Cao replied, "How can a swallow understand the ambitions of a swan? Since you have captured me, you should send me in to claim your reward. Why ask so many questions?" The magistrate then dismissed his attendants, and said to Cao Cao, "Do not underestimate me. I am no ordinary official—it is only that I have not yet found a worthy master to serve." Cao Cao said, "My ancestors have drawn their salaries from the Han house for generations. If I do not think of repaying the state, what difference is there between me and a beast? I have stooped to serve Dong Zhuo only to seize an opportunity to eliminate him, to rid the state of a scourge. Now that the plan has failed, it is Heaven's will." The magistrate asked, "Mengde, where do you intend to go now?" Cao Cao said, "I will return to my hometown, issue a forged imperial edict, and summon the lords of the realm to raise troops together against Dong Zhuo—that is my wish." Upon hearing this, the magistrate personally untied his bonds, helped him to the seat of honor, and bowed twice, saying, "You are truly a loyal and righteous man of the realm!" Cao Cao also bowed and asked the magistrate his name. The magistrate said, "My surname is Chen, my given name Gong, and my courtesy name Gongtai. My old mother, wife, and children are all in Dong Commandery. Now, moved by your loyalty and righteousness, I am willing to abandon my post and flee with you." Cao Cao was overjoyed. That night, Chen Gong gathered traveling funds, changed his clothes with Cao Cao, and each of them took a sword. They mounted their horses and rode toward their hometown.

　　After traveling for three days, they arrived at the area of Chenggao as dusk was falling. Cao Cao pointed with his whip toward the depths of the woods and said to Chen Gong, "There is a man here named Lü Boshe, who is a sworn brother of my father. Let us go to his home to inquire about news of my family, and ask for a night's lodging—what do you think?" Chen Gong said, "That would be best." They dismounted before the farmstead and went in to see Lü Boshe. Lü Boshe said, "I have heard that the court has issued wanted notices everywhere, and they are searching for you urgently. Your father has already fled to Chenliu. How did you manage to come here?" Cao Cao told him of the earlier events and said, "If it had not been for Magistrate Chen, I would have been crushed to bones and dust." Lü Boshe bowed to Chen Gong and said, "If it had not been for you, my lord, the Cao family would have been wiped out. Please, my lord, rest at ease—you may stay the night in my humble home." With that, he rose and went inside. After a long while, he came out and said to Chen Gong, "My humble home has no good wine. Permit me to go to the western village to buy a jug to entertain you." Having said this, he hurriedly mounted a donkey and left.

　　Cao Cao and Chen Gong sat for a long time, when suddenly they heard the sound of sharpening knives from behind the farmstead. Cao Cao said, "Lü Boshe is not my close relative—his departure is suspicious. We should go and eavesdrop." The two crept into the rear of the hall, where they heard voices saying, "Shall we bind them and then kill them?" Cao Cao said, "That's it! If we do not strike first now, we will surely be captured." So they drew their swords and charged straight in, killing everyone they found, men and women alike—eight people in all. When they searched the kitchen, they found a pig bound and ready to be slaughtered. Chen Gong said, "Mengde, you are too suspicious—you have killed innocent people!" They hurried out of the farmstead, mounted their horses, and rode away.

　　They had not gone more than two li when they saw Lü Boshe, with two jugs of wine hanging from the front of his donkey saddle and carrying fruits and vegetables in his hands, calling out, "Worthy nephew and my lord, why are you leaving so soon?" Cao Cao said, "I am a wanted man—I dare not stay long." Lü Boshe said, "I have already instructed my household to slaughter a pig in your honor. Worthy nephew and my lord, why begrudge a single night? Please turn back at once." Cao Cao paid him no heed and spurred his horse onward. After a few steps, he suddenly drew his sword again, turned back, and called out, "Who is that coming?" As Lü Boshe turned his head to look, Cao Cao swung his sword and cut him down from his donkey. Chen Gong was shocked and said, "Just now was a mistake—but why do this now?" Cao Cao said, "If Lü Boshe returns home and sees that many people killed, will he let the matter rest? If he leads a crowd in pursuit, we will surely be in danger." Chen Gong said, "To kill deliberately when you know the truth—that is utterly unjust!" Cao Cao said, "I would rather betray the world than have the world betray me." Chen Gong fell silent.

　　That night, they traveled several li and in the moonlight knocked open the door of an inn to seek lodging. After feeding the horses, Cao Cao lay down to sleep first. Chen Gong thought to himself, "I had thought Cao Cao was a good man, and I gave up my post to follow him—but he turns out to be a wolf-hearted wretch! If I let him live, he will surely bring trouble in the future." He then drew his sword to kill Cao Cao. And so it is said:

　　A cruel and ruthless heart does not a good man make—

　　Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo were, after all, birds of a feather.

　　If you wish to know what became of Cao Cao, you must read on in the next chapter.