Misplaced Pages

#972027

76-406: Dong Zhuo subsequently deposed Liu Bian (Emperor Shao) and replaced him with his half-brother, the puppet Emperor Xian to make him become the de facto ruler of China in the boy-emperor's name. The Eastern Han dynasty regime survived in name only. Dong Zhuo's rule was brief and characterized by cruelty and tyranny. In the following year, a coalition of regional officials (cishi) and warlords launched

152-505: A campaign against him . Failing to stop the coalition forces, Dong Zhuo sacked Luoyang and relocated further west to the former Western Han capital at Chang'an (modern Xi'an , Shaanxi province ). He was assassinated soon after in May 192 by his subordinate Lü Bu in a plot orchestrated by Interior Minister Wang Yun . Dong Zhuo was born in Lintao , Longxi Commandery in the early 140s and

228-877: A county magistrate in the Yanmen Commandery , a divisional commandant in the Shu Commandery, the Wu and Ji colonel in the Western Regions , inspector of Bing Province , and administrator of the Hedong Commandery . At some point in the 170s, he was employed as a minor official in an unnamed commandery, supervising captured thieves and robbers. Due to the many raids by non-Han minorities, the then-Inspector of Liangzhou, Cheng Jiu (成就), promoted Dong to serve under him. Under Cheng, Dong led troops to repel these raids and achieved much success. As such,

304-672: A "trump card" to bolster his legitimacy when he attacked and eliminated rival warlords in his quest to reunify the Han Empire under the central government's rule. Cao Cao's success seemed inevitable until the winter of 208–209, when he lost the decisive Battle of Red Cliffs against the southern warlords Sun Quan and Liu Bei . The battle paved the way for the subsequent emergence of the Three Kingdoms of Wei , Shu , and Wu . In late 220, some months after Cao Cao's death, Cao Cao's successor, Cao Pi , forced Emperor Xian to abdicate

380-409: A Taoist, to raise his newborn son; Liu Bian was given the title "Marquis Shi" ( 史侯 ). Liu Bian's mother, Lady He, became empress in 180. In 181, another of Emperor Ling's consorts, Beautiful Lady Wang ( 王美人 ), gave birth to a son, Liu Xie . Empress He, in her jealousy, had Beautiful Lady Wang poisoned to death. The motherless Liu Xie was raised by his grandmother, Empress Dowager Dong , and given

456-425: A cavalry force back to the city to halt Sun's progress before he took flight for Mianchi . Sun Jian broke through one of the eastern gates and defeated Lu Bu, taking the city. Despite taking Luoyang, the city was so heavily damaged that Sun Jian chose to retreat rather than to try to hold it. Dong Zhuo then sent his generals Li Jue, Guo Si , and Zhang Ji to the frontline against the eastern warlords. By this time

532-620: A coalition of regional warlords launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo in the name of freeing Emperor Xian, Dong Zhuo ordered the destruction of the imperial capital, Luoyang , and forcefully relocated the imperial capital along with its residents to Chang'an . After Dong Zhuo's assassination in 192, Emperor Xian fell under the control of Li Jue and Guo Si , two former subordinates of Dong Zhuo. The various regional warlords formally acknowledged Emperor Xian's legitimacy but never took action to save him from being held hostage. In 195, Emperor Xian managed to escape from Chang'an and return to

608-409: A conspiracy to exterminate the eunuchs. They were, however, rebuffed by Empress Dowager He, and they hatched the plan to secretly order a number of warlords to advance on the capital Luoyang to force Empress Dowager He to agree to their demands. One of these warlords was Dong Zhuo , who saw this as an opportunity to control the central government. He Jin's plan was discovered by the eunuchs, who laid

684-503: A few regional warlords to lead their troops into the vicinity of Luoyang , the imperial capital, and openly demand that the eunuchs be executed – in the hope of pressuring Empress Dowager He into agreeing. The empress dowager, however, sided with and protected the eunuchs. In retaliation, the eunuchs hatched a plot to assassinate He Jin: they issued a fake imperial order in Empress Dowager He's name, instructing He Jin to enter

760-455: A harshly-worded edict condemning Yuan Shao for taking over nearby provinces – even though it still bestowed Yuan with the highly honorific post of Grand Commandant. Cao Cao and Emperor Xian maintained a superficially cordial relationship, but this did not prevent two major confrontations involving Cao and other court officials. In early 199, as Cao Cao was facing a major military confrontation against Yuan Shao, Dong Cheng claimed to have received

836-465: A noble title – Duke of Shanyang ( 山陽公 ), and gave him a fiefdom of 10000 households, with Zhuolucheng (浊鹿城) as the capital. Liu Xie was also ranked above vassal princes, didn't have to refer to himself as a subject while speaking to the emperor and didn't have to kneel when receiving edicts. The former Emperor Xian died in April 234 and was buried with honours befitting an emperor, using Han ceremonies, and

SECTION 10

#1732776371973

912-620: A number of local officials, loosely forming a coalition led by Yuan Shao, quickly rose up against Dong Zhuo. Even though they still feared Dong Zhuo's military power and did not directly advance on Luoyang, Dong Zhuo was also fearful of their collective strength, and therefore determined to move the capital west to the old Han capital Chang'an , closer to his power base in Liang Province (涼州; covering present-day Gansu ). On 9 April 190, he forced Emperor Xian to relocate to Chang'an and set fire to Luoyang, leaving it largely in ruins. After

988-461: A personal bodyguard and swore an oath as father and son. However, after an argument, Dong threw a hand-axe at Lü Bu, who dodged the weapon. Lü Bu's relationship with Dong Zhuo further deteriorated when Lü had an affair with a woman in Dong's harem . In 192, with encouragement from Interior Minister Wang Yun , Lü Bu made his decision to kill Dong Zhuo. On the morning of May 22, 192, Lü greeted Dong at

1064-427: A plot to assassinate the tyrant by using the petite Diaochan, a young singer who was brought up in his household but whom he had been treating like his own daughter, to plant the seed of dissension between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu. Inviting Lü Bu over one night, Wang Yun asked Diaochan to serve wine to the guest. Lü Bu was immediately seized by the girl's beauty. Well aware of this, Wang Yun then promised to marry Diaochan to

1140-484: A secret edict issued by Emperor Xian (hidden in a belt), and he entered into a conspiracy with Liu Bei , Zhong Ji ( 种輯 ) and Wang Fu ( 王服 ) to assassinate Cao Cao. Late in 199, Liu Bei started a rebellion and waited for Dong Cheng to act in the capital, but in 200, Dong's conspiracy was discovered, and he, along with Zhong Ji and Wang Fu, were killed. Liu Bei was later defeated by Cao Cao and forced to flee to Yuan Shao's territory. Dong Cheng's daughter, an imperial consort,

1216-407: A trap for him and killed him. Yuan Shao then led his forces into the palace and killed the majority of the eunuchs. The remaining eunuchs initially took the young emperor and Liu Xie hostage, but were eventually forced to commit suicide when the battle turned against them. When Dong Zhuo then arrived on scene, he, impressed with his own power and unimpressed with the nervous Emperor Shao, by threatening

1292-546: The Eastern Han . He appointed his younger brother Dong Min as General of the Left and gave official posts to several of his kin. Dong Zhuo threw lavish banquets during which he would torture captured enemies by severing limbs, removing tongues and eyeballs, or burning them alive. His audience was said to have experienced a high degree of discomfort. For Yuan Shao 's role as leader of the coalition against him, Dong Zhuo had

1368-407: The Empress Dowager He, he forced the young emperor to yield the throne to Liu Xie (partly because he was raised by Empress Dowager Dong who, while not related to Dong Zhuo, was therefore respected by Dong Zhuo), who then ascended the throne as Emperor Xian. Dong Zhuo then murdered Empress Dowager He and the former Emperor Shao, and became firmly in control of the political scene. In the spring of 190,

1444-479: The Fengyi Pavilion ( 鳳儀亭 ). Weeping, Diaochan pleaded with Lü Bu to rescue her from Dong Zhuo. Placing his halberd aside, Lü Bu held Diaochan in his arms and comforted her with words. Right then, Dong Zhuo returned to find the duo in the pavilion. The startled Lü Bu turned to flee. Dong Zhuo grabbed the halberd and gave chase. Being too slow, Dong Zhuo could not catch up with the agile Lü Bu. He then hurled

1520-461: The Liang faction was practically unscathed. The four then roused several-thousand core followers to attack Chang'an. Wang sent Xu Rong and Hu Zhen (former members of the Liang faction) to fight the Liang force en route, but Xu was killed in the first encounter and Hu joined the rebels, inflating the size of their army to 100,000 when they surrounded the capital. Lü Bu attempted to break the siege, but

1596-460: The allied soldiers were low due to news of the ways in which Dong Zhuo would torture captives. Apparently he would have them tied up with fat-soaked clothes and start a fire from their foot. He left their heads unbound so he could enjoy their screams and watch their expressions while being tortured. Two months after he moved the capital, Dong Zhuo revived the title of Grand Master , an antiquated title once reinvigorated by Wang Mang , but scrapped in

SECTION 20

#1732776371973

1672-566: The arrival of Huangfu Song , victory was achieved in the winter against the peasants. During the Liang Province Rebellion , the barbarians rebelled with local gentries Han Sui and Bian Zhang . Dong was reinstated and sent to suppress the rebels. While suppressing this rebellion, Dong Zhuo had several tactical and strategic disagreements with Huangfu Song; after Huangfu managed to achieve victory despite Dong's disagreements, Dong became resentful and fearful of him. Dong Zhuo

1748-523: The attack. Emperor Shao and Liu Xie, who were taken out of the palace by the eunuchs during the chaos, were eventually found near the riverbank and saved by Lu Zhi and Min Gong ( 閔貢 ). As Lu Zhi and Min Gong were escorting the emperor and prince back to the imperial palace, they were intercepted by forces under the command of Dong Zhuo , one of the warlords initially summoned by He Jin to put pressure on Empress Dowager He. When Dong Zhuo met them, Emperor Shao

1824-413: The belief that their allegiance to him would be considered treason . Wang Yun, who had taken control of the government, heard their appeal for pardon and said, "Of all those who should be forgiven, they are the exceptions." The four then planned to relinquish their positions and go into hiding. However, an advisor named Jia Xu suggested they should take this opportunity to launch a strike at Chang'an since

1900-464: The coalition had already fallen into disarray and internal bickering. The only ones who actively opposed Dong were the senior imperial officer, Zhu Jun and his old friend, Tao Qian . Tao, despite having a general alliance with Dong, sent 3,000 elite troops from Danyang to aid Zhu in the battle with Dong's forces at Zhongmu . Zhu was defeated. Li Jue and his comrades then raided the surrounding area around Chenliu and Yingchuan for slaves. Morale among

1976-489: The conflict between He Jin and the eunuch faction to seize control of the central government and imperial court. Many officials and the imperial troops stationed in Luoyang felt intimidated by the elite, battle-tested soldiers whom Dong Zhuo brought along with him from Liang Province . Dong Zhuo eventually had Emperor Shao deposed and replaced with Liu Xie, who became historically known as Emperor Xian . The former Emperor Shao

2052-600: The entire Yuan clan in Luoyang wiped out. Within two years, thousands of public servants were wrongly accused and executed, and numerous commoners were kidnapped or killed. In order to purchase materials for further development of the Mei citadel, he had bells and bronze statues, among which were nine of the Twelve Metal Colossi , melted and recast into coins. However, the coins did not weigh the same, resulting in all copper cash being devalued. Dong Zhuo kept Lü Bu as

2128-409: The eunuchs pleaded on her behalf, and she was not deposed. Liu Xie was raised personally by Emperor Ling's mother Empress Dowager Dong and known by the circumspect title "Marquis Dong". (This is due to superstition; Emperor Ling had lost a number of sons previously, and therefore both Liu Xie and his elder brother Liu Bian were known by such titles; Liu Bian, having been raised by Shi Zimiao ( 史子眇 ),

2204-476: The fall of the Han dynasty. Liu Xie was born in 181 to Emperor Ling and his Consort Wang. During her pregnancy, Consort Wang, fearful of Emperor Ling's Empress He , had taken drugs that were intended to induce an abortion, but was not successful in her attempt. Soon after she gave birth to Liu Xie, the jealous Empress He poisoned her by putting poison in her food. Emperor Ling was enraged and wanted to depose her, but

2280-451: The faulty logic that if he did, he would have to yield to Emperor Xian on key decisions. Yuan Shao listened to Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong and never again considered welcoming Emperor Xian. What Yuan Shao would not do, Cao Cao did. Cao Cao was at this time a relatively minor warlord, as the governor of Yan Province (covering present-day western Shandong and eastern Henan ), with his headquarters at Xu (present-day Xuchang , Henan ). He saw

2356-399: The fortress of Mei with 30 years' worth of rations. After his subordinates Hua Xiong , Hu Zhen , and Lu Bu were defeated by Sun Jian at Yangren, Dong Zhuo sent Li Jue to propose a marriage between Sun's son and Dong's daughter, and split the empire between the two families. Sun Jian refused and prepared to attack Luoyang. Dong evacuated everyone in Luoyang and moved them to Chang'an in

Dong Zhuo - Misplaced Pages Continue

2432-459: The halberd at Lü Bu but the latter fended it off and got away. After the incident, Lü Bu became increasingly displeased with Dong Zhuo. The displeasure was further inflamed by Wang Yun, who suggested subtly that Lü Bu kill Dong Zhuo. Lü Bu was eventually persuaded. The conspirators sent Li Su to fetch Dong Zhuo from his castle in Meiwu ( 郿塢 ) under the pretense that the emperor intended to abdicate

2508-632: The imperial court under their control. However, Li Jue and Guo Si did not have serious ambitions, and their incompetence in governance furthered the breakdown of the Han Empire into warlord regimes. In 195, Li Jue and Guo Si had a major fallout, and Li took Emperor Xian hostage while Guo took the officials hostage as they battled. Later in the year, after peace talks between Li Jue and Guo Si, they agreed to allow Emperor Xian to return to Luoyang , but as soon as Emperor Xian departed Chang'an , they regretted their decision and chased him with their troops. While they were never able to capture him, Emperor Xian's court

2584-435: The imperial palace, where he fell into an ambush and was killed by the eunuchs. After He Jin's death, his subordinates Wu Kuang ( 吳匡 ) and Zhang Zhang ( 張璋 ), along with Yuan Shao , Yuan Shu and others, led their troops to storm the palace and kill the eunuchs in revenge. They indiscriminately slaughtered anyone who looked like a eunuch; some young men who had no facial hair, in desperation, dropped their pants in front of

2660-405: The leaderless forces of He Jin and He Miao, convinced Lü Bu to join his ranks, and made himself Excellency of Works. In 189, Dong deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with Liu Xie ( Emperor Xian ). Dong declared himself chancellor , and became the head of the imperial court in Luoyang. However, in the words of Rafe de Crespigny , Dong Zhuo's "conduct towards the court and the imperial officials

2736-513: The legitimacy of the government he controlled in Luoyang. Within a month after the campaign started, Dong Zhuo sent his adviser Li Ru to force the prince to commit suicide by drinking poisoned wine. The prince was allowed to bid his wife, Consort Tang, and other concubines farewell before succumbing to his fate. However, in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms , the former emperor writes a poem that upsets Dong Zhuo who then sends Li Ru to kill him. He

2812-471: The mighty warrior. A few days later, however, Wang Yun laid a feast for Dong Zhuo and repeated the feat. Like Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo could not lift his eyes off Diaochan, who also displayed her prowess in song and dance. Dong Zhuo then brought Diaochan home and made her his concubine. When Lü Bu heard about this early the next morning, he headed for Dong Zhuo's bedroom and peeped in through the window. There he saw Diaochan sitting up grooming her hair while Dong Zhuo

2888-508: The other generals and nobles, and while he gave them little power, he made sure that they remained honoured, so minimal opposition against him developed at the imperial court. He then moved the capital to Xu to affirm his control over the central government, and when Yang Feng opposed him, he defeated Yang in c. November 196, and was able to move the capital. Cao Cao then began to issue imperial edicts in Emperor Xian's name – including

2964-455: The palace gate with a dozen trusted men led by Cavalry Captain Li Su , who had pretended to stand guard at the gate alongside Wang Yun. Li stepped forward and tried to stab Dong with a ji , but Dong's body armour saved him. Dong cried out for Lü Bu to save him, but Lü merely answered, "This is an imperial order," after which he delivered a fatal blow to Dong. It was recorded that Dong's corpse

3040-440: The position of General-in-Chief ( 大將軍 ) and was a highly influential figure in the imperial court. He ultimately did not name either of his sons as crown prince. When Emperor Ling became critically ill in 189, he secretly entrusted an eight-year-old Liu Xie to a close aide and eunuch, Jian Shuo . Upon the emperor's death, Jian Shuo attempted to lure He Jin into a trap in the palace, assassinate him, and then install Liu Xie on

3116-574: The powerful eunuch faction known as the Ten Attendants . Before Dong could arrive, He Jin was assassinated by the eunuchs in September that year and the capital city fell into a state of turmoil. The eunuchs took Liu Bian (Emperor Shao) hostage and fled from Luoyang. Dong Zhuo's army intercepted the eunuchs and brought the emperor back to the palace. After He Jin's death, He Jin's step-brother, General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao ( 何苗 ),

Dong Zhuo - Misplaced Pages Continue

3192-576: The rebel!" Liu Bian Liu Bian (176 – 6 March 190), also known as Emperor Shao of Han and the Prince of Hongnong , was the 13th emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He became emperor around the age of 13 upon the death of his father, Emperor Ling , and ruled briefly from 15 May to 28 September 189 before he was deposed, after which he became known as the "Prince of Hongnong". His emperor title, "Emperor Shao" (literally "young emperor"),

3268-416: The rebels were swept off their feet and had to retreat. After returning to camp, Dong Zhuo asked the three brothers what offices they currently held. And they replied that they held none. Dong Zhuo harrumphed and then ignored them. This angered Zhang Fei so much that he grabbed his sword and wanted to kill Dong Zhuo. He was however stopped by his two brothers, who suggested taking their service elsewhere. Thus

3344-542: The revolting coalition collapsed, a number of officials, led by Wang Yun and Lü Bu , assassinated Dong on 22 May 192. For a while, it appeared that the Han regime might return to normal, as Wang Yun quickly established relatively friendly relations with the local officials resisting Dong but by this time acting more as local warlords. However, due to Wang Yun's failure to pacify Dong Zhuo's former subordinates, they rose in revolt and killed Wang. Dong Zhuo's former subordinates, led by Li Jue and Guo Si , took Emperor Xian and

3420-445: The ruins of Luoyang during a feud between Li Jue and Guo Si , where he soon became stranded. A year later, the warlord Cao Cao led his forces into Luoyang, received Emperor Xian, took him under his protection, and escorted him to Xu , where the new imperial capital was established. Although Cao Cao paid nominal allegiance to Emperor Xian, he was actually the de facto head of the central government. He skillfully used Emperor Xian as

3496-436: The soldiers to prove that they were not eunuchs. During the attack, the eunuchs took Emperor Shao, the Prince of Chenliu (Liu Xie) and Empress Dowager He hostage and tried to flee from the palace. Lu Zhi intercepted the eunuch Duan Gui ( 段珪 ) and saved the empress dowager from him. He Jin's younger brother, He Miao, who was sympathetic towards the eunuchs, was killed by Wu Kuang and Dong Min ( 董旻 ). Over 2,000 people died in

3572-412: The strategic advantage in having the emperor under his control and protection, and in 196 he marched west to Luoyang and, after securing an agreement with Emperor Xian's generals Dong Cheng and Yang Feng , convincing them of his loyalty, he entered Luoyang and technically shared power with Dong and Yang, but was in fact in command. Unlike the situation with Dong Zhuo, though, Cao Cao knew how to assuage

3648-511: The summer of 189, after learning that Jian Shuo wanted to assassinate him, He Jin and his supporters launched a preemptive move against the eunuch and had him arrested and executed. Months later, Yuan Shao suggested to He Jin to eliminate the eunuch faction and consolidate power. Although Empress Dowager He strongly objected to He Jin's plan, the General-in-Chief, acting on Yuan Shao's advice, attempted to push his idea. He instigated

3724-595: The then emperor of Wei, Cao Rui , was one of the mourners. As Emperor Xian's crown prince was already dead, his grandson Liu Kang ( 劉康 ) inherited his dukedom, which lasted for 73 more years and two more dukes, Liu Jin ( 劉瑾 ) and Liu Qiu ( 劉秋 ). The line was exterminated during the Jin dynasty in June or July 307, when rebel forces led by Ji Sang and Shi Le sacked the city of Ye . This practice of an emperor conferring hereditary nobility on his predecessor, from whom he usurped

3800-615: The then-Inspector of Bingzhou, Duan Jiong (段颎), recommended Dong to the Three Excellencies of the time; then- Situ Yuan Wei (袁隗) hired Dong to serve under him. At the outbreak of the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the summer of 184, Dong Zhuo was sent to take over command from Lu Zhi in preparation of the offense on Zhang Jue in Julu. Although his efforts during the rebellion were initially unsuccessful, with

3876-435: The throne to him. He then established the state of Cao Wei with himself as the new emperor – an event marking the formal end of the Han dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in China. The dethroned Emperor Xian received the noble title Duke of Shanyang ( Chinese : 山陽公 ) from Cao Pi and spent the rest of his life in comfort and enjoyed preferential treatment. He died on 21 April 234, about 14 years after

SECTION 50

#1732776371973

3952-478: The throne to the warlord. The overjoyed Dong Zhuo then came to the palace gate, where his troops were barred from entering. As Dong Zhuo's carriage neared the palace building, soldiers loyal to Wang Yun escorted Dong Zhuo to the trap they set. Then suddenly a general stabbed Dong Zhuo. Injured only in the arms, Dong Zhuo then cried out for Lü Bu to save him. Lü Bu walked over and impaled Dong Zhuo's throat with his halberd, proclaiming, "I have an imperial decree to slay

4028-447: The throne, and therefore set up a trap at a meeting he was to have with He Jin. He Jin found out, and preemptively declared Liu Bian the new emperor. Later that year, Emperor Shao granted Liu Xie the title "Prince of Bohai" ( 渤海王 ) and later changed his title to "Prince of Chenliu" ( 陳留王 ). After Liu Bian became emperor, He Jin became the most powerful official in the imperial court, and he and his advisor Yuan Shao quickly entered into

4104-402: The throne, was known as " two crownings and three respects ". Consorts and Issue: In the tenth month of 220 (November), various ministers proposed that Cao Pi replace Liu Xie as the emperor, citing various astrological signs. On 25 November, Liu Xie performed various ceremonies in preparation for abdicating the throne. On 11 December, Liu Xie formally abdicated the throne and Cao Pi ascended as

4180-402: The throne. Jian Shuo's plan to make Liu Xie emperor ultimately failed, so a 13-year-old Liu Bian was enthroned and became historically known as Emperor Shao. Empress He, as the emperor's mother, became empress dowager and attended imperial court sessions alongside her son. As Emperor Shao was still young, General-in-Chief He Jin and Grand Tutor Yuan Wei ( 袁隗 ) served as his regents . In

4256-450: The title "Marquis Dong" ( 董侯 ). When his subjects asked him to name one of his sons as crown prince , Emperor Ling had a dilemma between Liu Bian and Liu Xie, his only two surviving sons. He felt that Liu Bian was unfit to be emperor because he was frivolous and unable to command respect, so he preferred Liu Xie. However, he was also worried that if he chose Liu Xie, Empress He would turn to her half-brother, He Jin , for help. He Jin held

4332-443: The west. Before the relocation, Dong ordered his troops to ransack the tombs of the late Han emperors for treasures, seize valuables from the wealthy residents in Luoyang, and burn down the palaces and anything that might be useful to the coalition. Then the chancellor assembled his forces in the city and personally led them to ambush the approaching army. Dong's ambush failed and he was driven back by Sun Jian. He ordered Lu Bu to lead

4408-414: Was Dong Zhuo's life spared and the three brothers went their own way. Perhaps the most popular story about Dong Zhuo was the fictional love triangle involving Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu and Diaochan , which eventually led to the death of Dong Zhuo at the hands of his own adoptive son, Lü Bu. After Dong Zhuo moved the capital to the more strategically sound Chang'an, Interior Minister Wang Yun started to contemplate

4484-432: Was a son of Liu Hong (Emperor Ling) and was a younger half-brother of his predecessor, Liu Bian (Emperor Shao). In 189, at the age of eight, he became emperor after the warlord Dong Zhuo , who had seized control of the Han central government, deposed Emperor Shao and replaced him with Liu Xie. The newly enthroned Liu Xie, historically known as Emperor Xian, was in fact a puppet ruler under Dong Zhuo's control. In 190, when

4560-718: Was already much of a cruel and treacherous character, the novel probably could do little more to accentuate that treachery and cruelty. It did, however, on two occasions deviate from the history. Dong Zhuo first appeared as early as late in Chapter 1. Being sent to quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo was defeated by the rebel leader Zhang Jiao and the battle was turning into a rout. The three newly sworn brothers, Liu Bei , Guan Yu and Zhang Fei , happened to be nearby. They then led their forces out to Dong Zhuo's rescue. Suddenly met with this new opposition,

4636-564: Was also used by other emperors who were in power for very short periods of time. In March 190, he was poisoned by Dong Zhuo , the warlord who deposed him and replaced him with his younger half-brother, Liu Xie (Emperor Xian) . Liu Bian was born in 176 to Liu Hong (Emperor Ling) and one of his consorts, Lady He . At the time of his birth, he was Emperor Ling's only son because the emperor's other sons who were born before Liu Bian died prematurely. As Emperor Ling believed that he lost his previous sons due to bad luck, he ordered Shi Zimiao ( 史子眇 ),

SECTION 60

#1732776371973

4712-465: Was bullying, oppressive and frequently bloody." This prompted Yuan Shao to form a coalition army with other regional officials in opposition to Dong Zhuo's military authority. In the same year, regional officials and warlords around the country formed a coalition force and launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo. In response, he sent a detachment to intercept the coalition vanguard led by Sun Jian, and ordered his son-in-law, Niu Fu , to supply

4788-444: Was buried in a tomb originally constructed for the eunuch Zhao Zhong and later posthumously honoured as "Prince Huai of Hongnong" ( 弘農懷王 ). Consorts and Issue: Emperor Xian of Han Emperor Xian of Han (2 April 181 – 21 April 234), personal name Liu Xie (劉協), courtesy name Bohe , was the 14th and last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China. He reigned from 28 September 189 until 11 December 220. Liu Xie

4864-419: Was defeated outside the city gate, and thus Chang'an fell into the hands of Dong Zhuo's followers. Emperor Xian was taken hostage and power in the court fell into the hands of the Liang faction once again. Romance of the Three Kingdoms , a 14th-century historical novel by Luo Guanzhong , was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms era. Because the real-life Dong Zhuo

4940-435: Was discovered in 214. Cao Cao was angry and forced Emperor Xian to have Empress Fu deposed. Emperor Xian was hesitant, and Cao Cao sent his soldiers into the palace to put pressure on the emperor. Empress Fu hid inside the walls, but was finally discovered and dragged out. As she was led away, she cried out to Emperor Xian for him to save her life, but his only response was that he could not even know what would happen to him. She

5016-532: Was given the honorary title "Prince of Hongnong". Later that year, Dong Zhuo had Empress Dowager He poisoned to death in Yong'an Palace ( 永安宮 ). In early 190, after a coalition of warlords launched a campaign against Dong Zhuo in the name of freeing Emperor Xian and the central government from his control, Dong Zhuo became worried that the warlords might restore the Prince of Hongnong to the throne and hence threaten

5092-715: Was given the title "General Who Smashes the Caitiffs" in 185, and "General of the Vanguard" in 188. He was promoted to be the governor of Bing Province, but he refused to take up his new post as he was unwilling to leave his men. During the turbulent situation, the power of the Eastern Han dynasty was waning. Dong Zhuo then settled in Liang Province and built up his power. Following the death of Emperor Ling of Han in May 189, General-in-Chief He Jin ordered Dong Zhuo to lead troops into Luoyang to aid him in eliminating

5168-441: Was killed by He Jin's subordinate Wu Kuang (吳匡) and Dong Zhuo's brother Dong Min, for sympathizing with the eunuch faction who assassinated He Jin. After arriving in Luoyang, Dong Zhuo realized that his 3000 men were unequal to the numerous troops guarding the capital. Dong ordered some of his army to march out at night and re-enter the city at dawn, thus making it appear that he was receiving reinforcements. Dong then took command of

5244-431: Was killed, along with her two sons and family on 8 January 215. On 6 March 215,. Cao Cao forced Emperor Xian to instate his daughter Cao Jie , then an imperial consort, as the new empress. Cao Cao died on 15 March 220. His son and successor, Cao Pi , soon forced Emperor Xian to abdicate the throne in favour of himself, ending the Han dynasty. Cao Pi established a new state known as Cao Wei , and he granted Emperor Xian

5320-440: Was known as "Marquis Shi"). Liu Bian was born of the empress and was older, but Emperor Ling viewed his behaviour as being insufficiently solemn and therefore considered appointing Liu Xie as his crown prince , but hesitated and could not decide. When Emperor Ling died in 189, an influential eunuch official whom he trusted, Jian Shuo , wanted to first kill Empress He's brother, General-in-Chief He Jin , and then install Liu Xie on

5396-584: Was left on the streets with a lit wick placed on his navel . The wick burned for several days on the fat of the corpse. It was said that the light from the flame could last for days. A special order stated that anyone who went forth to collect the body would be killed. However, three officials, including Cai Yong , still challenged the order and were executed. Meanwhile, all affiliates of the Dong clan, including Dong's 90-year-old mother, were put to death. After Dong Zhuo's death, several of his loyalists, such as Li Jue , Guo Si , Zhang Ji and Fan Chou , escaped on

5472-410: Was pregnant, and Emperor Xian personally tried to intercede for her, but Cao Cao had her executed anyway. Emperor Xian's empress, Empress Fu Shou , angry and fearful about how Consort Dong died, wrote her father, Fu Wan ( 伏完 ), a letter accusing Cao Cao of cruelty, and implicitly asking her father to start a new conspiracy against Cao. Fu Wan was fearful of Cao Cao and never acted on the letter, which

5548-475: Was rendered poor and unable to fend for itself, and once it returned to Luoyang, it lacked even the basic essentials of life. Many officials starved to death. At this time, Yuan Shao 's strategist Ju Shou suggested that he welcome Emperor Xian to his base in Ji Province so that he could effectively be in control of the central government, but the other strategists Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong opposed – under

5624-566: Was said to be a chivalrous youth who was physically strong and excelled in horseback archery. He travelled around the Qiang and Xiongnu regions and befriended many people. Around 165, Dong Zhuo became a member of the Yulin corps (羽林郎, branch of the Imperial Guard) in the capital. Dong served under Zhang Huan's northern campaign to suppress an uprising of the Qiang . He eventually became

5700-471: Was so shocked that he could not express his thoughts clearly. In contrast, Liu Xie had no difficulty in describing what happened and, in Dong Zhuo's impression, behaved more like an emperor than Emperor Shao. Dong Zhuo thus conceived the idea of deposing Emperor Shao and replacing him with Liu Xie. After escorting the emperor and prince back to Luoyang, Dong Zhuo took advantage of the power vacuum created by

5776-493: Was still asleep. Aware of Lü Bu's presence, Diaochan put up a sorrowful expression and pretended to wipe tears off her eyes with a handkerchief. A similar incident recurred about a month later, but this time Dong Zhuo woke up in time to see Lü Bu staring fixedly at Diaochan. Lü Bu was then thrown out and forbidden from entering the house. Then one day, while Dong Zhuo was holding a conversation with Emperor Xian, Lü Bu sneaked to his foster father's residence and met with Diaochan in

#972027