Dong Zhuo wreaked havoc in the court, acting arbitrarily while officials dared not speak out against him. Minister of Education Wang Yun, under the pretext of celebrating his birthday, invited officials to secretly discuss plans to deal with Dong Zhuo.
Cao Cao said, “Though I lack talent, I am willing to cut off Dong Zhuo’s head and hang it on the city gate.” Wang Yun was highly vigilant, so he took Cao Cao aside to discuss the strategy in secret. Such matters are best known to as few people as possible, as more participants increase the risk of leaks. With only two people present, both felt secure. Wang Yun then asked Cao Cao about his plan. Cao Cao replied, “I can eliminate Dong Zhuo without a single soldier.” His meaning was simple: “I will assassinate him.”
Wang Yun’s doubts and Cao Cao’s reassurance
Wang Yun shook his head, saying, “Impossible. This man is not easy to approach, and he has Lü Bu by his side. Can you defeat him?” His concerns were reasonable.
Cao Cao responded, “If I keep my distance from him like everyone else, he won’t trust me, and I certainly won’t be able to kill him. Why do I stay close to him? Precisely to gain his trust. On the surface, I cooperate with him, but I am not betraying anyone. I, too, grew up on the Han Dynasty’s patronage—how could I do such a thing? But none of you understood me. Now that I’ve finally gained his trust and can get close to him, I have the opportunity to strike.”
Cao Cao continued, “I’ve heard that you, Minister Wang, possess a Seven Treasures Knife. I hope you can lend it to me for the assassination.” Would Wang Yun suspect that Cao Cao might deceive him, taking the precious knife without following through? He might not dare to ask for it back, leaving him at a loss. Such thoughts crossed his mind. However, if one distrusts everyone and nitpicks every detail, it is difficult to achieve great things. At such times, one should think: even if I am deceived, I am willing. For the sake of the greater good, many minor details should be disregarded.
Of course, Cao Cao was clever enough, with high vigilance, and could empathize with Wang Yun’s position. To eliminate Wang Yun’s doubts, he swore an oath to heaven, demonstrating his sincere determination to kill Dong Zhuo. His intention was to reassure Wang Yun that he would neither deceive him about the knife nor betray him.
The deeper implications of the oath
Cao Cao also knew in his heart that while he had the intention and the opportunity, success was not guaranteed. If he failed, he would suffer unjust accusations. Could he go around explaining, “I intended to kill him but failed, so I had to give the knife to Dong Zhuo”? Such words would be impossible to prove. Thus, Cao Cao meticulously planned every step, ultimately resorting to an oath to heaven: “I will do my best, but the outcome is in heaven’s hands. So trust me!”
A person who can precalculate future events is extraordinary. Indeed, Cao Cao’s courage and strategic acumen were evident. Such a figure was absolutely not nonentity. Even if the assassination of Dong Zhuo failed, as long as he was not killed in the process, he was destined to achieve great things in the future.
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