Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Now Dong Zhuo wanted to kill Yuan Shao, but Li Ru restrained him, saying, "The matter is not yet settled; we cannot kill rashly." Yuan Shao drew his precious sword, took leave of the assembled officials, hung his official seal at the Eastern Gate, and fled to Jizhou. Dong Zhuo said to the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, "Your nephew has shown disrespect. For your sake, I will spare him for now. But what do you think of the matter of deposing and installing an emperor?" Yuan Wei replied, "Your Excellency's view is correct." Dong Zhuo declared, "Whoever dares to oppose this great decision shall be dealt with by military law." The officials were all terrified and said, "We obey Your Excellency's command." After the banquet, Dong Zhuo asked the Palace Attendant Zhou Bi and the Commandant Wu Qiong, "What will become of Yuan Shao now that he has left?" Zhou Bi said, "Yuan Shao left in anger. If we press him too hard, he will surely rebel. Moreover, the Yuan family has shown kindness for four generations, and their former students and retainers are spread throughout the land. Should he gather heroes and assemble followers, other champions would rise in response, and the region east of the mountains would no longer be yours. Better to pardon him and appoint him governor of a commandery. Then Yuan Shao, pleased to have escaped punishment, will pose no threat." Wu Qiong said, "Yuan Shao is fond of scheming but indecisive—he is not worth worrying about. It would indeed be better to appoint him governor of a commandery to win the people's hearts."

Dong Zhuo followed their advice and that very day sent someone to appoint Yuan Shao Grand Administrator of Bohai. On the first day of the ninth month, he invited the Emperor to ascend the Hall of Virtue and summoned all civil and military officials. Dong Zhuo drew his sword and said to the assembly, "The Son of Heaven is weak and unfit to rule the realm. I have a document here that should be read aloud." He ordered Li Ru to read it:

"The Emperor Ling has long departed from his people. The present Emperor succeeded to the throne, and all within the seas looked to him with hope. Yet His Majesty is by nature frivolous and lacks the dignity proper to his station. During the mourning period, he has been indolent and remiss. His lack of virtue is manifest, and he is unworthy of the great position. The Empress Dowager has shown no motherly virtue, and her governance has been chaotic and disordered. The sudden death of Empress Dowager Yongle has aroused much suspicion. The bonds of the Three Fundamental Relationships are the very order of Heaven and earth—have they not been violated? The Prince of Chenliu, Xie, is of great and illustrious virtue, with a solemn and dignified bearing. During mourning, he has shown deep grief; his words have never been improper. His fine reputation is known throughout the land. He is fit to inherit the great enterprise and to rule for ten thousand generations. We hereby depose the Emperor and make him Prince of Hongnong. The Empress Dowager shall relinquish governance. We request that the Prince of Chenliu be installed as Emperor, in accordance with the will of Heaven and the wishes of the people, to satisfy the hopes of all living beings."

When Li Ru finished reading the document, Dong Zhuo ordered his attendants to help the Emperor down from the throne. They removed his seal and ribbons of office, and he knelt facing north, a subject receiving commands. Dong Zhuo then ordered the Empress Dowager to remove her robes and await further instructions. Both the Emperor and Empress wept bitterly. The officials were all filled with grief. But one great official at the foot of the steps cried out in fury, "The traitor Dong Zhuo dares to carry out this heaven-deceiving scheme! I will drench him with the blood from my neck!" He swung the ivory tablet in his hand and struck directly at Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo, enraged, ordered the guards to seize him. It was Ding Guan, the Minister of Works. Dong Zhuo commanded that he be dragged out and executed. Ding Guan cursed without ceasing, and even in death his countenance did not change. A later poet lamented:

The traitor Dong harbored plans of deposition from the start;

The ancestral temples of Han were cast to ruin.

All the ministers of court were gathered in his grasp,

But Ding alone proved a true man.

Dong Zhuo then invited the Prince of Chenliu to ascend the throne. After the officials had completed their congratulations, Dong Zhuo ordered that Empress Dowager He, the Prince of Hongnong, and the Emperor's consort, Lady Tang, be confined to the Palace of Eternal Peace. The palace gates were sealed, and no official was permitted to enter without authorization. Pitiful indeed—the young Emperor had ascended the throne in the fourth month and was deposed by the ninth. The Prince of Chenliu, Xie, courtesy name Bohe, was a middle son of Emperor Ling—he became Emperor Xian, being then nine years of age. The reign era was changed to Chu Ping. Dong Zhuo was appointed Chancellor of State, with the privilege of being announced without name, of entering the court without hastening his step, and of wearing his sword and shoes in the imperial presence—his power and glory were without equal. Li Ru urged Dong Zhuo to promote renowned scholars to win popular esteem, and on this account recommended the talents of Cai Yong. Dong Zhuo summoned him, but Cai Yong did not come. Dong Zhuo was furious and sent someone to tell him, "If you do not come, I will exterminate your entire clan." Cai Yong, terrified, had no choice but to answer the summons. Dong Zhuo was overjoyed to see him and promoted him three times in a single month, appointing him Palace Attendant, treating him with great favor and intimacy.

Now the young Emperor, Empress Dowager He, and Lady Tang were confined in the Palace of Eternal Peace. Their clothing 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 green grass, misty and still,

Two swallows flutter and soar.

The Luo River runs clear and green,

Admired by all on the road.

Far off, deep in the azure clouds,

Lies my old palace.

Who, with loyalty and righteousness,

Will vent the grievance in my heart!

Dong Zhuo constantly sent people to spy on them. That day they obtained the poem and brought it to Dong Zhuo. He said, "To compose a poem of resentment—now I have a reason to kill him." He ordered Li Ru to lead ten warriors into the palace to slay the Emperor. The Emperor, Empress, and consort were in the upper chamber when a palace woman reported Li Ru's arrival. The Emperor was greatly alarmed. Li Ru presented poisoned wine to the Emperor, who asked why. Li Ru said, "The spring weather is warm and pleasant. The Chancellor of State sends this wine to wish you long life." The Empress Dowager said, "If it is a longevity wine, you may drink first." Li Ru said angrily, "You refuse to drink?" He ordered his attendants to bring forward a short knife and a white silk cord. "If you will not drink the longevity wine, you may have these two things instead!" Lady Tang knelt and pleaded, "Let me drink in the Emperor's place. I beg you to spare the lives of the mother and child." Li Ru shouted, "Who are you, that you may die in place of the Prince?" He then offered the wine to Empress Dowager He. "You may drink first!" The Empress cursed He Jin for his lack of foresight, for bringing the traitor into the capital, which had led to this day's calamity. Li Ru pressed the Emperor to drink. The Emperor said, "Allow me to take leave of the Empress Dowager." He sang a song in great anguish:

Heaven and earth are changed, the sun and moon overthrown!

I abandon the chariot of ten thousand and retreat to my fief.

Pressed by my ministers, my life is near its end;

The great tide has passed, and I weep in vain!

Lady Tang also sang:

Heaven is about to collapse, the earth to crumble!

I am the Emperor's consort, and I grieve that I cannot follow him.

Life and death are different paths—from this we part.

Why must I be so swiftly alone, with sorrow in my heart!

When the song was finished, they embraced and wept. Li Ru scolded them, saying, "The Prime Minister awaits your reply at once. Why do this delay? Do you expect anyone to rescue you?" The Empress Dowager railed at him, saying, "The rebel Dong Zhuo has forced this upon me and our son. Heaven will not protect him! You who aid evil will surely be exterminated!" Li Ru flew into a rage, seized the Empress Dowager with both hands, and hurled her straight down the tower. He ordered the palace guards to strangle Consort Tang to death and forced the Young Emperor to drink poisoned wine, then returned to report to Dong Zhuo. Zhuo ordered them buried outside the city walls.

From then on, he entered the palace every night, debauching the palace women and sleeping upon the imperial dragon bed. Once he led his army out of the city and advanced to Yangcheng. It was the second month, and the villagers were holding their communal festival. Men and women had gathered together. Zhuo ordered his soldiers to surround them and slay them all. They seized the women and their possessions, loaded them onto carts, and strung over a thousand heads beneath the carriages. They drove the carts back to the capital in a long procession, proclaiming a great victory over rebels. At the city gates they burned the human heads and distributed the women and goods among the soldiers.

Wu Fu, Commandant of the Capital Cavalry, styled Dayu, witnessing Zhuo's cruelty and tyranny, burned with indignation. He often wore light armor beneath his court robes and concealed a short sword, waiting for an opportunity to slay Zhuo. One day, as Zhuo entered the court, Fu met him at the gate of the pavilion and drew his sword to stab Zhuo. But Zhuo was powerful and seized him with both hands. Lü Bu then came in, seized Wu Fu, and threw him to the ground. Zhuo asked, "Who taught you to rebel?" Fu glared and shouted, "You are not my sovereign, and I am not your subject—what rebellion is there? Your crimes fill the heavens! Everyone wishes they could kill you! I only regret that I cannot have you torn apart by chariots to make amends to the world!" Zhuo, greatly enraged, ordered him dragged out and cut to pieces. Fu reviled Zhuo without ceasing even unto his death. A later poet praised him thus:

Of loyal ministers at the end of Han,

Wu Fu's soaring spirit stands beyond compare.

His name endures who slew the traitor at court—

A great man worthy of eternal honor!

From this time on, Dong Zhuo always went in and out accompanied by armored guards.

At this time Yuan Shao was in Bohai. When he learned that Dong Zhuo was usurping power, he dispatched a messenger bearing a secret letter to Wang Yun. The letter read roughly as follows:

"The traitor Dong Zhuo has defied Heaven and deposed the Emperor—men cannot bear to speak of it. Yet you allow him to run rampant as if you had heard nothing. Is this the conduct of a minister who serves and is loyal to his country? I am now gathering troops and training soldiers, desiring to purge the royal house, but I dare not act rashly. If you have the will, you should seize the opportunity and plot against him. Should you have need of me, I will obey your commands."

When Wang Yun received the letter, he pondered but could devise no plan. One day, in the pavilion where officials waited upon the throne, he saw that many of his former colleagues were present. Yun said, "Today is my humble birthday. I would presume to invite you all to my humble abode for a small gathering this evening." The officials all replied, "We shall certainly come to wish you long life." That evening Wang Yun hosted a banquet in the rear hall, and the assembled dignitaries all attended. After several rounds of wine, Wang Yun suddenly covered his face and burst into loud weeping. The officials asked in alarm, "It is the Minister over the Masses' honored birthday—why do you give way to grief?" Yun replied, "Today is not my birthday. I wished to meet with you all, but I feared Dong Zhuo would grow suspicious, so I used that as a pretext. Dong Zhuo insults the Emperor and usurps authority—the altars of the state may not survive the day. I think how the Great Ancestor destroyed Qin and vanquished Chu to possess all under Heaven—who would have thought that by this day it would be lost into the hands of Dong Zhuo? That is why I weep." At this, all the officials wept.

But among them one man clapped his hands and laughed loudly, saying, "All the ministers of the court, weeping from night till dawn and from dawn till night—can they weep Dong Zhuo to death?" Yun looked and saw it was Cao Cao, Commandant of the Courageous Cavalry. Yun said angrily, "Did not your ancestors also receive the emoluments of the Han? How can you not think of repaying the state and instead laugh?" Cao Cao said, "I laugh at nothing else—I laugh that none of you has a plan to kill Dong Zhuo. Though I am unworthy, I am willing to cut off Dong Zhuo's head and hang it at the capital gate to make amends to the world." Yun rose from his seat and asked, "What noble plan do you have, Mengde?" Cao Cao said, "Recently I have humbled myself to serve Dong Zhuo, but in truth I sought an opportunity to plot against him. Now Zhuo trusts me considerably, and I am therefore able to draw close to him. I have heard that you, Minister over the Masses, possess a Seven-Star Precious Sword. I beg you to lend it to me so that I may enter the Prime Minister's residence and assassinate him—though I die, I will have no regrets!" Yun said, "If you truly have such resolve, the world is most fortunate!" Thereupon he personally poured wine and offered it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao let the wine fall as a libation and made his oath. Yun then took the precious sword and gave it to him. Cao Cao concealed the sword, finished drinking, and rose to take his leave of the other officials. The officials sat a while longer and then all dispersed.

The next day, Cao Cao wore the precious sword at his side and came to the Prime Minister's residence. He asked where the Prime Minister was. The attendants said, "In the small pavilion." Cao Cao went straight in to see him. Dong Zhuo sat upon a couch, with Lü Bu standing at his side. Zhuo said, "Mengde, why have you come so late?" Cao Cao said, "My horse is weak and slow." Zhuo turned to Lü Bu and said, "I have fine horses from Xiliang. Xianqing, go yourself and choose one to give to Mengde." Lü Bu obeyed the order and left. Cao Cao thought to himself, "This villain deserves to die!" and was about to draw his sword and stab him. But he feared Zhuo's great strength and did not dare act rashly. Zhuo, being corpulent, could not sit for long; he lay down and turned his face inward. Cao Cao thought again, "This villain's time has come!" and hastily drew the precious sword. Just as he was about to strike, Dong Zhuo happened to look up into the bronze mirror on his garment and saw Cao Cao behind him drawing his sword. He turned quickly and asked, "Mengde, what are you doing?"

At this moment Lü Bu had already led the horse to the pavilion. Cao Cao, in a panic, knelt with the sword and said, "I have a precious sword here, which I present to Your Excellency." Zhuo took it and examined it—it was over a foot long, inlaid with seven precious gems, and exceedingly sharp. It was indeed a precious sword. He handed it to Lü Bu to keep. Cao Cao unwound the scabbard and gave it to Bu. Zhuo led Cao Cao out of the pavilion to view the horse. Cao Cao said, "I would like to try riding it." Zhuo had the saddle and bridle put on for him. Cao Cao led the horse out of the residence, whipped it, and fled toward the southeast. Lü Bu said to Zhuo, "Just now Cao Cao seemed to have the manner of an assassin, but when he was exposed, he pretended to be presenting the sword." Zhuo said, "I also suspected as much."

As they were speaking, Li Ru arrived, and Dong Zhuo told him the matter. Li Ru said, "Cao Cao has no wife or children in the capital—he lives alone in his lodgings. Send men to summon him now. If he comes without suspicion, then it was truly a gift of the dagger. But if he makes excuses and does not come, then it must be an assassination attempt. Seize him and interrogate him." Dong Zhuo approved this plan and immediately dispatched four prison guards to summon Cao Cao. After a long while, they returned and reported, "Cao Cao has not returned to his lodgings. He rode a horse and flew out through the East Gate. The gate warden questioned him, and Cao Cao said, 'The Chancellor has urgent official business for me,' and galloped away." Li Ru said, "The villain Cao Cao has fled in his heart—the assassination attempt is beyond doubt." Dong Zhuo flew into a rage and said, "I treated him with such favor, yet he wants to harm me!" Li Ru said, "There must be co-conspirators. Once we capture Cao Cao, we will know." Dong Zhuo then issued orders throughout the realm, with drawn likenesses and detailed descriptions, to apprehend Cao Cao. Whoever captured and delivered him would be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households. Those who harbored him would share the same punishment.

Now, Cao Cao had fled outside the city and was racing toward Qiao Commandery. Along the way he passed through Zhongmou County, where the garrison soldiers arrested him and brought him before the county magistrate. Cao Cao said, "I am a merchant, surnamed Huangfu." The magistrate studied Cao Cao carefully, pondered for a long while, and then said, "When I was in Luoyang seeking an official post, I recognized you as Cao Cao. How can you hide your identity? Take him into custody. Tomorrow we will escort him to the capital for the reward." The garrison soldiers were given wine and food and dismissed.

When night fell, the magistrate summoned his trusted attendants and secretly brought Cao Cao out, taking him to the rear courtyard for questioning. He said, "I have heard that the Chancellor treated you generously. Why have you brought this disaster upon yourself?" Cao Cao said, "How can a sparrow know the ambitions of a wild swan! Since you have captured me, you should escort me to claim the reward." The magistrate dismissed those around them and said to Cao Cao, "Do not underestimate me. I am no ordinary clerk—I have simply yet to meet my true lord." Cao Cao said, "My ancestors for generations have received the salary of the Han. If I did not seek to repay my country, how would I differ from a beast? I humbled myself to serve Dong Zhuo because I intended to find an opportunity to act against him and rid the nation of this scourge. That the deed has failed—such is the will of Heaven!" The magistrate said, "Where do you intend to go, Mengde?" Cao Cao said, "I will return to my hometown, issue a forged edict, and summon the lords of the realm to raise armies and together destroy Dong Zhuo. That is my wish."

Upon hearing this, the magistrate personally loosened Cao Cao's bonds, helped him to the honored seat, and bowed twice, saying, "You are truly a man of loyalty and righteousness under Heaven!" Cao Cao also bowed and asked the magistrate's name. The magistrate said, "My name is Chen Gong, style Gongtai. My aged mother and wife and children are all in Dong Commandery. Moved by your loyalty and righteousness, I am willing to abandon my office and flee with you." Cao Cao was overjoyed. That night Chen Gong gathered travel funds, and he and Cao Cao changed their clothes. Each took a sword, mounted horses, and rode toward Cao Cao's homeland.

After traveling three days, they reached Chenggao as the evening grew dark. Cao Cao pointed with his whip toward a deep grove and said to Chen Gong, "In this place there is a man named Lü Boshe, my father's sworn brother. Let us go there to inquire about family news and find lodging for the night. What do you think?" Chen Gong said, "Excellent." The two arrived at the manor, dismounted, and went in to see Lü Boshe. Boshe said, "I have heard that the court has issued orders throughout the realm to pursue you urgently. Your father has already fled to Chenliu. How did you manage to get here?" Cao Cao told him what had happened, adding, "Had it not been for Magistrate Chen, I would have been crushed to powder and my bones shattered." Lü Boshe bowed to Chen Gong and said, "Had it not been for you, my nephew, the Cao family would have been wiped out. Set your mind at ease and sit in comfort—you may lodge in my humble cottage tonight." With that, he rose and went inside. After a long while he came out and said to Chen Gong, "There is no good wine in this old man's house. Let me go to the western village and buy a jug to offer you." With that, he hurriedly mounted his donkey and departed.

Cao Cao and Chen Gong sat for a long time when suddenly they heard the sound of knife-sharpening from behind the manor. Cao Cao said, "Lü Boshe is not my closest kin. His going off is suspicious—we should listen in secretly." The two crept into the rear of the cottage and heard men's voices saying, "Bind them and kill them—how about that?" Cao Cao said, "So it is! If we do not strike first, we will surely be captured." Thereupon he and Chen Cao drew their swords and rushed in, killing everyone they found, both men and women—eight persons in all. Searching the kitchen, they found a pig tied up, about to be slaughtered. Chen Gong said, "Mengde, you are too suspicious—you have killed good men by mistake!" They hastened out of the manor, mounted their horses, and rode away. Before they had gone two *li*, they saw Lü Boshe approaching with two bottles of wine hanging from the front saddle of his donkey, and fruit and vegetables in his hands. He called out, "Nephew and Sir, why do you leave so hastily?" Cao Cao said, "A man with a crime upon him cannot stay long." Boshe said, "I have already ordered my household to slaughter a pig for you. Nephew and Sir, why do you refuse to stay even one night? Please turn your horses around at once."

Cao Cao paid no heed and urged his horse forward. After riding but a few paces, he suddenly turned back, sword in hand, and called out to Lü Boshe, "Who is this coming?" As Boshe turned to look, Cao Cao swung his sword and struck Lü Boshe from under his donkey. Chen Gong was greatly alarmed and said, "The mistake just now was an error—but what is this?" Cao Cao said, "When Boshe reaches home and sees so many people killed, how could he let it rest? If he leads men in pursuit, we will surely fall victim to his wrath." Chen Gong said, "To kill knowingly is a great act of injustice!" Cao Cao said, "Better that I wrong the world than that the world wrong me." Chen Gong said nothing.

That night they traveled several *li* and, in the bright moonlight, knocked on the door of an inn to lodge. After feeding the horses, Cao Cao fell asleep first. Chen Gong thought to himself, "I believed Cao Cao to be a good man and abandoned my office to follow him. But he turns out to be a heartless villain! If I spare him today, he will surely become a danger in the future." He drew his sword, intending to kill Cao Cao. Indeed:

A heart set on cruelty and venom is no mark of a worthy man—

Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo were men of the same stripe after all.

What became of Cao Cao's life? Turn to the next chapter to find out.