Chapter 20 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms presents a masterful study in political theater, veiled rebellion, and the fragile legitimacy of imperial authority during the twilight of the Eastern Han dynasty.
As Cao Cao consolidates his control over the Han court, his actions grow increasingly bold—culminating in the infamous hunting incident at Xutian, a symbolic act of usurpation that shocks the court and ignites a secret resistance. Meanwhile, Emperor Xian, a puppet monarch stripped of real power, resorts to a desperate act: issuing a blood-stained edict calling for Cao Cao’s removal. It marks the beginning of a covert struggle between autocratic ambition and loyalist resistance, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic conspiracies in Chinese literary history.
The Hunt at Xutian
To demonstrate his dominance and test the loyalty of the court, Cao Cao organized a grand imperial hunt at Xutian, bringing Emperor Xian along as a ceremonial figurehead.
During the hunt, the emperor shot at a deer but missed. Cao Cao stepped forward, took the imperial bow, and fired a perfect shot, striking the deer in the back. The court officials, seeing the arrow come from the emperor’s direction, began shouting “Long live the Emperor!” in celebration.
But in a breathtaking act of arrogance, Cao Cao stepped forward, positioning himself directly in front of the emperor, and accepted the acclamations as if they were meant for him.
This moment—a calculated breach of ritual and hierarchy—was more than mere disrespect; it was a public assertion of supremacy. By intercepting the people’s loyalty, Cao Cao symbolically placed himself above the Son of Heaven.
Guanyu, witnessing this from afar, was so enraged that he drew his sword and prepared to charge and kill Cao Cao on the spot. Only Liu Bei’s firm restraint prevented immediate bloodshed. And this was witnessed by Ma Teng, who then proposed to Dong Cheng to invite Liu Bei to join the alliance.
The Blood Edict: A Desperate Cry for Resistance
Shaken and humiliated, Emperor Xian returned to the palace and wept before Empress Fu. She, in turn, confided in her father, Fu Wan (Marquis of Longxi), a loyal minister who despised Cao Cao’s tyranny.
Fu Wan advised the emperor to issue a secret edict calling for the elimination of Cao Cao. With no safe means of communication, Emperor Xian took a drastic step: he bit his finger and wrote a blood-stained decree, pouring out his anguish and calling for loyal subjects to rise against the tyrant.
This “Blood Edict” was then sewn into the lining of the royal jade belt, a girdle of the emperor, which the emperor bestowed upon Dong Cheng, a trusted kinsman, who also once helped Emperor Xian escape from Li Jue and Guo Si’s rule in Chang’an during the power struggle after Dong Zhuo’s death.
The act of writing in blood was not merely theatrical—it was a sacred, binding oath in Chinese tradition, symbolizing the emperor’s deepest desperation and moral authority.
Though the blood edict itself is likely fictional, Dong Cheng may feign it as a tool to forge an alliance against Cao Cao. However, historical records confirm that Emperor Xian harbored deep resentment toward Cao Cao and that Dong Cheng did plot against him, making this episode a powerful allegory of resistance.
The Secret Alliance
Upon discovering the blood-stained message in the imperial girdle, Dong Cheng was overwhelmed with a sense of duty. Recognizing the extreme danger, he resolved to gather men of integrity and courage to carry out the emperor’s will.
He secretly approached several key figures:
- Wang Zifu, a Han official,
- Ma Teng, the powerful warlord of Xiliang,
- And Liu Bei, who was then residing in the capital Xuchang under Cao Cao’s watchful eye.
Each man, upon reading the edict, was moved to tears. They gathered in Dong Cheng’s garden, and swore a solemn oath to destroy Cao Cao and restore the Han dynasty.
Liu Bei’s participation was particularly significant. Though outwardly compliant, he had long harbored ambitions to revive the Han. Joining the alliance allowed him to position himself as a champion of legitimacy, even as he bided his time.
Historically, Dong Cheng’s conspiracy is recorded in the Sanguozhi, though the blood oath and jade belt are likely literary embellishments. Ma Teng did oppose Cao Cao in later years, and Liu Bei’s eventual break from Cao Cao aligns with this narrative of hidden resistance.
Cao Cao’s Suspicion and the Loyalists’ Peril
Despite their secrecy, Cao Cao—ever vigilant—began to suspect unrest. His network of spies and his keen political instincts made the capital a dangerous place for conspirators.
Yet the plotters pressed on, driven by loyalty, desperation, and a belief in the Mandate of Heaven. Their alliance represented a fragile coalition of imperial kin, military leaders, and virtuous scholars—all united against a common tyrant.
This chapter sets the stage for one of the most tragic failures in the novel: the eventual exposure of the plot, the execution of Dong Cheng and his allies, and Liu Bei’s flight to build his own power base.
The Fragility of Power and the Cost of Loyalty
Chapter 20 is a turning point in the moral and political arc of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It starkly contrasts:
- Cao Cao’s open defiance of imperial ritual, signaling his path toward de facto kingship,
- Emperor Xian’s helplessness, a poignant portrayal of a ruler stripped of all but symbolic power,
- Dong Cheng’s tragic idealism, representing the last gasp of Han loyalism,
- And Liu Bei’s calculated loyalty, positioning him as the future standard-bearer of Han restoration.
The Blood Girdle Edict conspiracy, though doomed, becomes a moral beacon in the narrative—a reminder that even in the darkest times, some will risk everything for justice and legitimacy.
It also foreshadows the inevitable fragmentation of authority and the rise of Liu Bei as a counterforce to Cao Cao’s autocracy, paving the way for the tripartite division of China.
Leave a Reply