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The assassination of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD was meant to restore the Han dynasty. Masterminded by Wang Yun and executed with the sword of Lü Bu, it was celebrated as a heroic act that liberated Emperor Xian from tyranny.
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When discussing the military hierarchy of Dong Zhuo’s regime, it is essential to look beyond the romanticized narrative of Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms and consult the more sober accounts of historical records such as Chen Shou’s Records of the Three Kingdoms and Fan Ye’s Book of the Later Han.
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The assassination of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD was hailed as a heroic act that liberated the Han court from tyranny. Wang Yun, the mastermind behind the plot, emerged as the new guardian of the dynasty, standing alongside Lü Bu as the saviors of the realm.
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The death of Dong Zhuo in 192 AD triggered widespread celebration across the capital, as the tyrant who had terrorized the Han court was finally overthrown. Yet amidst the jubilation, one man—Cai Yong, a renowned scholar, historian, and musician—publicly sighed at the news. Worse still, he did so within earshot of Wang Yun, the…
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The Coalition Against Dong Zhuo in 190 AD is one of the most dramatic yet ultimately tragic episodes in the fall of the Eastern Han dynasty.
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Dong Zhuo is often remembered in Romance of the Three Kingdoms and historical records for his tyranny, cruelty, and arrogance—from deposing Emperor Shao to seizing power through brute force. Popular narratives frequently highlight his rivalry with Lü Bu over the maiden Diaochan, or his audacious decision to depose Emperor Xian’s predecessor.
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Following the death of Emperor Ling of Han, military authority within the imperial court was effectively controlled by General-in-Chief He Jin. Originally a butcher by trade, He Jin unexpectedly rose to power after his sister entered the imperial palace. As his entire family rose to prominence, He Jin became the General-in-Chief, establishing himself as…
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In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial court was mired in severe political chaos and decline. The central government saw a power struggle between three key forces: the eunuchs (who controlled the emperor and court affairs for decades, known as the “Ten Attendants” clique), the consorts’ families (relatives of empresses/empresses dowager who vied…