Chapter 4: The Deposed Emperor Takes the Throne; Cao Cao Offers a Dagger to Assassinate Dong Zhuo
CHAPTER FOUR: The Deposition of the Han Emperor and the Accession of Chenliu; Cao Cao Presents a Dagger to Plot Against the Traitor Dong Zhuo
Now Dong Zhuo wanted to kill Yuan Shao, but Li Ru advised against it, saying, “The matter is not yet settled; we cannot casually kill people.” Yuan Shao, holding his sword in hand, took leave of the assembled officials and left the court. He hung his official seal on the eastern gate and fled to Jizhou. Dong Zhuo said to Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, “Your nephew is disrespectful. For your sake, I will spare him for now. What about the matter of deposing and establishing an emperor?” Yuan Wei replied, “The Grand Commandant’s view is correct.” Dong Zhuo said, “Anyone who dares to oppose this great decision will be dealt with according to military law.” All the officials were shocked and terrified, and they all said, “We will obey your every command.”
After the banquet ended, Dong Zhuo asked Palace Attendant Zhou Bi and Colonel Wu Qiong, “What will come of Yuan Shao’s departure?” Zhou Bi said, “Yuan Shao left in a fury. If we pursue him too urgently, it will inevitably lead to trouble. Moreover, the Yuan family has spread kindness for four generations, and their disciples and former subordinates are scattered throughout the land. If he gathers heroes and assembles followers, the bold and capable will rise in response, and the region east of Mount Tai will no longer be yours to hold. It would be better to pardon him and appoint him as a commandery governor. Then Yuan Shao, delighted at his own exoneration, will surely cause no trouble.” Wu Qiong said, “Yuan Shao is fond of scheming but lacks decisiveness; he is not worth worrying about. Truly it would be better to give him a commandery governorship to win the people’s hearts.”
Dong Zhuo followed their advice and that very day sent someone to appoint Yuan Shao as Governor of Bohai. On the first day of the ninth month, he requested the emperor to ascend the Jiade Hall and convened a grand assembly of all civil and military officials. Dong Zhuo drew his sword and said to the assembly, “The Son of Heaven is weak and dim-witted, unfit to rule the realm. There is now an edict to be proclaimed.” He then had Li Ru read the edict: “The Filial and Numinous Emperor [Lingdi] early abandoned his subjects. The emperor succeeded to the throne, and the whole realm placed great hopes in him. Yet the emperor’s natural disposition is frivolous, his demeanor lacks reverence, and during the mourning period he was negligent and lazy. His lack of virtue has become apparent, and he has disgraced the great position of the Son of Heaven. The Empress Dowager’s instruction lacked maternal propriety, and her governance of state affairs was disorderly and chaotic. The sudden death of the Empress Dowager Yongle has given rise to widespread discussion. The Three Bonds, which are the guiding principles of heaven and earth—how could they remain unimpaired? Chenliu King Liu Xie possesses great and brilliant virtue, and his conduct is orderly and strict. During the mourning period he was mournful and sorrowful, and his speech was free from depravity. His fine reputation and fame are known throughout the realm. He should inherit the great enterprise and become the eternal imperial lineage. Now we depose the emperor as Prince of Hongnong, and the Empress Dowager shall return her governing authority. We request that Chenliu King be honored as emperor, so as to accord with heaven’s will and satisfy the people’s hearts, and to pacify the hopes of all living beings.”
When Li Ru finished reading the edict, Dong Zhuo ordered the attendants to help the emperor down from the hall, remove his seal and sash, make him kneel facing north, and submit as a subject. He also summoned the Empress Dowager to remove her garments and await orders. Both the emperor and the Empress Dowager wept bitterly. Not a single official present was without grief. From below the steps, one minister shouted in fury, “Treacherous minister Dong Zhuo! How dare you perpetrate a plot that deceives heaven! I will splash you with the blood from my neck!” Brandishing his ivory court tablet, he struck straight at Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo flew into a rage and ordered the guards to seize him. It turned out to be Minister of the Interior Ding Guan. Dong Zhuo ordered him taken out and beheaded. Ding Guan cursed without ceasing, and his expression did not change even unto death. Later, someone wrote a poem in lament:
> The Dong bandit secretly harbored a plan to depose and replace,
> The Han ancestral temples were abandoned to ruin and waste.
> All the court ministers and officials were wrapped in his grasp,
> Only Lord Ding was a true man.
Dong Zhuo invited Chenliu King to ascend the hall. After the officials had paid their respects, Dong Zhuo ordered that Empress Dowager He, Prince of Hongnong, and the emperor’s consort Lady Tang be taken to the Yong’an Palace to live in seclusion. The palace gates were sealed, and officials were forbidden to enter without permission. Pity the young emperor, who ascended the throne in the fourth month and was deposed by the ninth month. The Chenliu King whom Dong Zhuo installed, Liu Xie, styled Bohe, was the second son of Emperor Ling—that is, Emperor Xian. He was nine years old at the time. The reign title was changed to Chuping. Dong Zhuo became Chancellor of State; at court audiences, the ceremonial usher did not call him by name, he was not required to walk with quick steps when entering, and he could wear his sword and shoes in the imperial presence. His authority and good fortune were unmatched by anyone. Li Ru advised Dong Zhuo to promote and employ eminent figures to win the people’s hearts, and accordingly he recommended the talents of Cai Yong. Dong Zhuo issued a summons, but Cai Yong refused to go. Dong Zhuo grew angry and sent someone to tell Cai Yong, “If you do not come, your clan will be exterminated.” Frightened, Cai Yong had no choice but to comply and come. Dong Zhuo was greatly pleased to see Cai Yong and promoted him three times within a month, appointing him as a Palace Attendant, treating him with great intimacy and favor.
Now the young emperor, together with Empress Dowager He and Consort Tang, were confined in the Yong’an Palace. Their clothes and food gradually grew scarce; the young emperor’s tears never dried. One day, he happened to see a pair of swallows flying in the courtyard and composed a poem:
> Tender grass green like mist condensed,
> A pair of swallows softly wing.
> The Luo River stretches blue and clear,
> People on the paths admire the scene.
> Gazing far, the azure clouds are deep—
> That was once my old palace hall.
> What man, upholding loyalty and right,
> Will vent the grievance in my heart?
Dong Zhuo regularly sent people to keep watch. That day, he obtained this poem and presented it to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo said, “He nurses resentment and composes poems—there is now a name for killing him.” He then ordered Li Ru to take ten armed warriors into the palace to assassinate the emperor. The emperor, the empress dowager, and the consort were upstairs when a palace maid reported that Li Ru had arrived. The emperor was greatly alarmed. Li Ru presented a cup of poisoned wine to the emperor, who asked the reason. Li Ru said, “The spring warmth is gentle and harmonious; Chancellor Dong has specially presented this cup of congratulatory wine.” The Empress Dowager said, “If it is indeed congratulatory wine, you may drink it first.” Li Ru grew angry and said, “You will not drink?” He shouted for attendants to bring a short sword and a length of white silk before them and said, “If you do not drink the congratulatory wine, you may receive these two items instead!” Consort Tang knelt and begged, “Let me drink the wine in the emperor’s place, and may you spare their lives, mother and son.” Li Ru scolded, “Who are you, to die in the king’s stead?” He then raised the wine cup to Empress Dowager He and said, “You drink first!” The Empress Dowager cursed He Jin for his lack of foresight in bringing bandits into the capital, leading to today’s calamity. Li Ru pressed the emperor, who said, “Allow me to bid farewell to the Empress Dowager.” Then, with great grief, he sang a song:
> Heaven and earth are changed, sun and moon overturned,
> I abandon ten thousand chariots and retreat to a vassal’s domain.
> Pressed by a minister, my life will not last long,
> The great tide has gone, and my tears flow in vain!
Consort Tang also sang:
> The August Heaven is about to collapse, and the Earth to crumble,
> As an imperial consort, I grieve that I cannot follow.
> Life and death take different paths; from this moment we part,
> Alas, how swiftly I am left alone, with sorrow in my heart!
When they finished singing, they embraced and wept bitterly. Li Ru shouted, “The Chancellor awaits my report! You delay, hoping who will come to save you?” The Empress Dowager cursed, “The Dong bandit oppresses us, mother and son. May Heaven not protect him! You aid the tyrant in his evil—you will surely be exterminated to the last clan!” Li Ru flew into a rage, seized the Empress Dowager with both hands, and threw her directly down the stairs. He ordered the warriors to strangle Consort Tang and forced the poisoned wine down the young emperor’s throat, then returned to report to Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo ordered them buried outside the city. From then on, he entered the palace every night, debauched the palace women, and slept in the imperial bed. Once, he led his troops out of the city and reached the region of Yangcheng. It was the second month, and the villagers were holding a sacrificial festival to the gods. Men and women were all gathered together. Dong Zhuo ordered his soldiers to surround them, kill them all, and seize the women and goods, loading them onto carts. He hung over a thousand heads beneath the carts, and the convoy of vehicles returned to the capital in a continuous line, proclaiming that they had won a great victory by killing bandits. At the city gate, they burned the heads, and distributed the women and goods among the troops.
Colonel of the Rapid Cavalry Wu Fu, styled Deyu, seeing Dong Zhuo’s cruelty and tyranny, burned with indignation. He once wore a small suit of armor under his court robes, concealed a dagger, and sought an opportunity to kill Dong Zhuo. One day, when Dong Zhuo entered the court, Wu Fu met him at the foot of the tower, drew his dagger, and stabbed straight at Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo, being strong, seized him with both hands; then Lü Bu rushed in and threw Wu Fu to the ground. Dong Zhuo asked, “Who taught you to rebel?” Wu Fu glared and shouted, “You are not my sovereign, and I am not your subject—what rebellion is there? Your crimes fill the heavens; every man wishes to kill you! I only regret that I cannot have you torn apart by chariots to atone to the world!” Dong Zhuo, enraged, ordered him taken out, disemboweled, and his heart cut out. Wu Fu cursed without cease until his death. Later, someone wrote a poem praising him:
“Of loyal subjects at the Han’s end, they speak of Wu Fu,
His soaring spirit unmatched in the world.
In the court he slew the traitor, his name still stands,
Through ten thousand ages, he is called a true man!”
Of loyal subjects at the Han’s end, they speak of Wu Fu,
His soaring spirit unmatched in the world.
In the court he slew the traitor, his name still stands,
Through ten thousand ages, he is called a true man!
From then on, Dong Zhuo always had armored guards accompany him when he went out or came in. At that time, Yuan Shao was in Bohai. Hearing that Dong Zhuo was abusing his power, he sent a man with a secret letter to see Wang Yun. The letter roughly read:
“That traitor Dong Zhuo, defying Heaven and deposing the sovereign—men cannot bear to speak of it; yet you allow him to act arrogantly, as if you heard nothing—is this the conduct of a subject who serves his country and is loyal? I am now assembling troops and training soldiers, wishing to cleanse the royal house, but I dare not act rashly. If you have the will, you should seize the opportunity to plot against him. If there is any place where I may be of use, I will immediately follow your command.”
That traitor Dong Zhuo, defying Heaven and deposing the sovereign—men cannot bear to speak of it; yet you allow him to act arrogantly, as if you heard nothing—is this the conduct of a subject who serves his country and is loyal? I am now assembling troops and training soldiers, wishing to cleanse the royal house, but I dare not act rashly. If you have the will, you should seize the opportunity to plot against him. If there is any place where I may be of use, I will immediately follow your command.
Wang Yun received the letter but could think of no plan. One day, in his duty office, he saw that all the senior officials were present, and said, “Today is my birthday. This evening, I presume to invite you all to my humble home for a few cups of wine.” The officials all said, “We will surely come to offer our congratulations.” That evening, Wang Yun set a feast in the rear hall, and all the high ministers arrived. After several rounds of wine, Wang Yun suddenly covered his face and wept. The officials, alarmed, asked, “On the Grand Commandant’s birthday, why are you grieved?” Wang Yun said, “Today is not my birthday; I used that as an excuse to speak with you all, fearing Dong Zhuo’s suspicion. Dong Zhuo deceives his sovereign and plays with power; the state may fall any day. I think of how Emperor Gaozu destroyed the Qin, vanquished Chu, and possessed the realm; who would have thought that it would come to this, to be lost at Dong Zhuo’s hands? That is why I weep.” Thereupon all the officials wept too. One man in the seat clapped his hands and laughed loudly, saying, “All you ministers of the court, weep from night till dawn, and from dawn till night—can weeping kill Dong Zhuo?” Wang Yun looked and saw it was Colonel of the Rapid Cavalry Cao Cao. Wang Yun said angrily, “Your ancestors enjoyed the Han’s emoluments; now you think not of serving your country, but instead laugh?” Cao Cao said, “I laugh at nothing else but that you all have no plan to kill Dong Zhuo. Though I lack talent, I am willing at once to cut off Dong Zhuo’s head and hang it at the capital’s gate, to atone to the world.” Wang Yun rose from his seat and asked, “Mengde, what is your excellent plan?” Cao Cao said, “Lately I have humbled myself to serve Dong Zhuo, in truth seeking an opportunity to plot against him. Now Dong Zhuo trusts me greatly, and so I can often approach him. I hear that you, sir, possess a seven-star precious dagger. I wish you would lend it to me to enter the Chancellor’s mansion and kill him. Even if I die, I will have no regrets!” Wang Yun said, “If Mengde truly has this resolve, the realm is fortunate!” He then personally poured wine to toast Cao Cao. Cao Cao sprinkled the wine as an oath, and Wang Yun immediately brought out the precious dagger and gave it to him. Cao Cao concealed the dagger, finished his wine, rose, and bade farewell to the officials, then left. The officials sat a while longer and then dispersed.
The next day, Cao Cao, wearing the precious dagger, went to the Chancellor’s mansion and asked where the Chancellor was. A servant said, “He is in the small pavilion.” Cao Cao went straight in to see him. Dong Zhuo was sitting on the bed, with Lü Bu standing in attendance. Dong Zhuo said, “Mengde, why have you come so late?” Cao Cao said, “My horse is weak and slow.” Dong Zhuo turned to Lü Bu and said, “I have fine horses presented as tribute from Xiliang. Fengxian, go yourself and pick one to give to Mengde.” Lü Bu received the order and left. Cao Cao thought to himself, “This traitor deserves death!” He was about to draw his dagger and stab him, but fearing Dong Zhuo’s strength, he dared not act rashly. Dong Zhuo, being corpulent and unable to sit long, then lay on his side, turning his face inward. Cao Cao thought again, “This traitor is done for!” He hastily drew the precious dagger in his hand. Just as he was about to strike, unexpectedly Dong Zhuo looked up at the dressing mirror, which reflected Cao Cao drawing the dagger behind him. 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, panicked, knelt with the dagger in hand and said, “I have a precious dagger here, which I present to you, my gracious Chancellor.” Dong Zhuo took it and looked at it. The blade was over a foot long, inlaid with seven precious gems, very sharp—truly a precious dagger. He then handed it to Lü Bu to put away. Cao Cao untied the scabbard and gave it to Lü Bu. Dong Zhuo led Cao Cao out of the pavilion to see the horse. Cao Cao thanked him and said, “I wish to try riding it.” Dong Zhuo then ordered the saddle and bridle to be prepared. Cao Cao led the horse out of the Chancellor’s mansion, whipped it, and galloped off toward the southeast. Lü Bu said to Dong Zhuo, “Just now, Cao Cao seemed to have the appearance of an assassin. When he was exposed, he pretended to offer the dagger.” Dong Zhuo said, “I suspected him too.”
Just as they were speaking, Li Ru happened to arrive. Dong Zhuo told him about the matter. Li Ru said, “Cao Cao has no wife or children in the capital; he lives alone in his lodging. Send someone now to summon him. If he comes without suspicion, then it was indeed a gift of the dagger; if he makes excuses and does not come, then it was certainly an assassination attempt, and we can arrest and interrogate him.” Dong Zhuo thought this reasonable and sent four jailers to summon Cao Cao. After a long time, they returned and reported, “Cao Cao did not return to his lodging; he rode swiftly out of the eastern gate. When the gatekeeper asked him, he said, ‘The Chancellor has sent me on urgent business,’ and then spurred his horse away.” Li Ru said, “Cao Cao, that traitor, has fled with a guilty conscience; there is no doubt it was an assassination.” Dong Zhuo, enraged, said, “I treated him so well, and he instead tries to harm me!” Li Ru said, “This surely has accomplices. Once we capture Cao Cao, we will know.” Dong Zhuo then ordered proclamations sent everywhere, with his portrait offered as a reward, to capture Cao Cao. Anyone who captured and presented him would be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households; anyone who harbored him would suffer the same punishment.
As for Cao Cao, he fled out of the city and galloped toward Qiao Commandery. Passing through Zhongmu County, he was captured by garrison soldiers and taken before the county magistrate. Cao Cao said, “I am a traveling merchant, and my compound surname is Huangfu.” The magistrate scrutinized Cao Cao carefully, pondered for a while, and said, “When I was formerly seeking office in Luoyang, I recognized you as Cao Cao. Why do you conceal it? First put him in prison; tomorrow I will escort him to the capital to claim the reward.” He rewarded the garrison soldiers with wine and food and sent them away.
In the middle of the night, the magistrate called a trusted servant to secretly bring Cao Cao out and took him to the rear courtyard for interrogation. He asked, “I have heard that the Chancellor treated you well. Why do you bring trouble upon yourself?” Cao Cao said, “The swallow and sparrow know nothing of the swan’s ambition! Since you have captured me, you should deliver me for the reward.” The magistrate dismissed his attendants and said to Cao Cao, “Do not think little of me. I am no ordinary official; I have simply not met an enlightened lord.” Cao Cao said, “My ancestors for generations have enjoyed the Han’s emoluments. If I do not think of serving my country, how am I different from a beast? I humbled myself to serve Dong Zhuo in order to find an opportunity to plot against him and rid the state of this scourge. Now that the matter has failed, it is Heaven’s will!” The magistrate said, “Mengde, where do you intend to go now?” Cao Cao said, “I will return to my hometown, issue a false imperial edict, summon all the lords of the realm to raise troops and together slay Dong Zhuo—that is my wish.”
Upon hearing this, the magistrate personally untied his bonds, helped him to a seat of honor, and bowed twice, saying, “You are truly a loyal and righteous man of the realm!” Cao Cao returned the bow and asked the magistrate’s name. The magistrate said, “My surname is Chen, my given name Gong, my style Gongtai. My aged mother and wife are both in Dong Commandery. Now, moved by your loyalty and righteousness, I am willing to abandon my office and flee with you.” Cao Cao was very pleased. That night, Chen Gong packed travel funds, changed clothes with Cao Cao, each carrying a sword, and they mounted their horses and set off for their hometown.
After traveling for three days, they reached Chenggao as dusk fell. Cao Cao pointed his whip toward the depths of the woods and said to Chen Gong, "There is a man here named Lü Boshe, a sworn brother of my father. Let us stop by to ask for news of my family and stay the night—what do you think?" Chen Gong replied, "Excellent." The two dismounted before the estate, entered the gate, and met Lü Boshe. Lü Boshe said, "I have heard that the court has issued warrants everywhere, hunting for you most urgently. Your father has already fled to Chenliu. How can you be here?" Cao Cao told him of what had happened earlier, saying, "If not for County Magistrate Chen, I would have been ground to dust." Lü Boshe bowed to thank Chen Gong, saying, "If not for you, my young nephew, the Cao family would have been wiped out. Please make yourself at ease and sit; tonight you shall lodge in my humble cottage." With that, he rose and went into the inner rooms. After a long while, he came out and said to Chen Gong, "Your old host has no fine wine in the house. Allow me to go to the western village to buy a jug to entertain you." Then he hurriedly mounted his donkey and left.
Cao Cao and Chen Gong sat for a long time, when suddenly they heard the sound of whetting a knife behind the estate. Cao Cao said, "Lü Boshe is not my close kin; this going off is suspicious. We should eavesdrop." The two crept stealthily behind the thatched hall and heard someone say, "Tie him up and kill him—what do you think?" Cao Cao said, "Exactly! If we do not strike now, we will surely be captured." So they drew their swords and charged in, slaying everyone they met, both men and women, killing eight people in a row. Searching the kitchen, they found a pig tied up, about to be slaughtered. Chen Gong said, "Mengde, your suspicions were too rash—you have wrongly killed good people!" Hastily they left the estate, mounted their horses, and rode off. After less than two li, they saw Lü Boshe, two bottles of wine hanging from the saddle pommel of his donkey and fruits and vegetables in his hand, calling out, "Nephew and Excellency, why are you leaving so soon?" Cao Cao said, "A man guilty of crimes cannot stay long." Lü Boshe said, "I have already ordered my family to slaughter a pig to feast you. Why will you not stay the night, nephew and Excellency? Please turn back quickly."
Cao Cao paid no heed and spurred his horse onward. Within a few steps, he suddenly drew his sword and turned back, calling to Lü Boshe, "Who is that coming?" When Lü Boshe turned his head to look, Cao Cao swung his sword and cut him down beside the donkey. Chen Gong was greatly startled and said, "Just now was already a mistaken killing—why do this again?" Cao Cao said, "When Lü Boshe returns home and sees so many dead, how could he let the matter rest? If he leads men in pursuit, disaster will surely follow." Chen Gong said, "Knowing it was wrong yet doing it deliberately—this is the height of unrighteousness!" Cao Cao said, "Better that I betray the world than the world betray me." Chen Gong fell silent.
That night they traveled several li and, under the moonlight, knocked on the door of an inn to lodge. After feeding the horses, Cao Cao slept first. Chen Gong pondered, "I thought Cao Cao was a good man and gave up my post to follow him. But he turns out to be a cruel-hearted fellow! If I let him live today, he will become a future calamity." So he was about to draw his sword to kill Cao Cao. Truly:
His cruel heart and venomous ways were no good man’s part—
Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo were of the same dark art.
His cruel heart and venomous ways were no good man’s part—
Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo were of the same dark art.
What would become of Cao Cao’s life? Hear the next chapter for the answer.