Following the brutal purge of Dong Cheng and his co-conspirators in the “Girdle Edict” plot, Cao Cao’s grip on the Han court tightened with terrifying finality. As depicted in Chapter 24 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms—and corroborated in spirit, if not in full detail, by historical sources like the Book of the Later Han—Cao Cao’s actions marked a turning point: the symbolic death of Han imperial authority.
The murder of consort Dong
After executing Dong Cheng, Zhong Ji, and others involved in the conspiracy, Cao Cao stormed into the palace sword in hand, demanding the life of Consort Dong, Dong Cheng’s daughter and a favored consort of Emperor Xian.
The emperor pleaded desperately, revealing that Consort Dong was pregnant—a potential heir to the throne.
But Cao Cao, unmoved, ordered her strangled on the spot.
“Though the Son of Heaven wept and begged, Cao Cao showed no mercy. The imperial consort was dragged away and executed.”
— Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 24
This act was more than cruelty—it was political theater. By killing a pregnant imperial consort, Cao Cao demonstrated that even the emperor’s body and lineage were no longer sacred. The Han court was now his instrument, not his master.
In the aftermath, Cao Cao stationed his loyalists throughout the palace, turning the imperial residence into a gilded cage. The decline of the Han dynasty was no longer gradual—it was complete in practice, if not yet in name.
Liu Bei’s alliance with Yuan Shao
News of the executions reached Liu Bei, who had recently seized Xuzhou after escaping Cao Cao under the pretense of intercepting Yuan Shu. Fearing Cao Cao would soon turn his full wrath upon him, Liu Bei consulted Chen Deng, a local strategist with deep ties to the region.
Together, they concluded that only an alliance with Yuan Shao could counter Cao Cao’s might.
Yuan Shao, though initially hesitant, was persuaded by his advisors—especially after Cao Cao’s growing arrogance became undeniable.
To rally public support, Yuan Shao commissioned his chief clerk, Chen Lin, to draft a scathing manifesto—a public indictment of Cao Cao’s crimes. The famous “Edict Denouncing Cao Cao” accused him of:
- Usurping imperial authority,
- Murdering loyal ministers,
- Slaughtering the innocent,
- And desecrating the dignity of the Han throne.
With the manifesto circulated far and wide, Yuan Shao mobilized his vast army and marched toward Xuchang.
Cao Cao’s Countermove
Upon learning of Yuan Shao’s advance, Cao Cao appointed Xun Yu to defend the capital and personally led his main force north to confront the threat.
Before fully committing to the northern front, however, he sought to eliminate Liu Bei in the east. He dispatched generals Liu Dai and Wang Zhong to attack Xu Province.
But the mission failed spectacularly: Guan Yu and Zhang Fei routed the attackers, showcasing the resilience of Liu Bei’s forces.
Yet Cao Cao would not be denied. He soon arrived in person with his elite troops. Outnumbered and isolated, Liu Bei had no choice but to launch a desperate night raid on Cao Cao’s camp—a move that played directly into Cao Cao’s trap.
The ambush shattered Liu Bei’s army. Liu Bei and Zhang Fei were separated in the chaos.
Liu Bei, alone on horseback, fled north to Qingzhou, where he sought refuge with Yuan Shao. There, he concealed his ambitions, biding his time like a coiled dragon.
Zhang Fei, cut off from his brother, escaped to the Mangdang Mountains, where he gathered a band of outlaws and waited for reunion.
The tides of fate: Heroes scattered, war imminent
As the dust settled, the stage was set for the decisive confrontation at Guandu.
Liu Bei’s temporary defeat, Cao Cao’s consolidation of power, and Yuan Shao’s grand mobilization all converged in early 200 AD—a year that would reshape the destiny of China.
In this moment, the fragility of loyalty, the cruelty of power, and the resilience of hope were laid bare.
Heroes were scattered, emperors silenced, and dynasties crumbled—not with a roar, but with the quiet strangulation of a pregnant consort in a palace hallway.
“On the grand stage of history, the fates of heroes rise and fall like tides—leaving behind only sighs of admiration and sorrow.”
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