In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dong Zhuo’s seizure of power in Luoyang ushered in an era of brutality and tyranny. After deposing Emperor Shao and installing Emperor Xian, Dong Zhuo ruled with unchecked cruelty. He executed officials who dared to oppose him, burned cities, looted the imperial treasury, and instilled terror throughout the…
In Chapter 8 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a dramatic episode unfolds: Lü Bu, the mighty warrior serving under Dong Zhuo, intercepts a secret letter between Yuan Shu and Zhang Wen, the former Minister of Works. The letter allegedly details a plot for Zhang Wen to collaborate with Yuan Shu in a coordinated…
In the late Eastern Han dynasty, the ancient city of Chang’an suffered an unprecedented catastrophe. In 190 AD, under intense pressure from the coalition of eastern warlords led by Yuan Shao, the tyrant Dong Zhuo seized Emperor Xian and forcibly relocated the capital to Chang’an. He ordered the entire population within a 200-li radius…
In Chapter 4 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the episode of Cao Cao’s attempted assassination of Dong Zhuo stands as one of the most pivotal and dramatic moments in the early narrative. This event not only establishes Cao Cao’s image as a courageous “loyalist and righteous hero” but also sets the stage for…
In the third chapter of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dong Zhuo, perceiving Emperor Shao Liu Bian as weak and incompetent, proposed deposing him and replacing him with Liu Xie (the Prince of Chenliu), who was described as intelligent, studious, eloquent, and dignified.