Campaign against Dong Zhuo
Encyclopedia
The Campaign against Dong Zhuo was a punitive expedition
initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo
, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty
of Chinese history
. The members of the coalition claimed that Dong had the intention of usurping the throne by holding the Emperor Xian
hostage and by establishing a strong influence in the imperial court. They justified their campaign as to remove Dong from power. The campaign led to the evacuation of the capital Luoyang
and the shifting of the imperial court to the new capital of Chang'an
. It was a prelude to the end of the Han Dynasty and, subsequently, the Three Kingdoms
period.
In Luo Guanzhong
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
, the campaign is memorable for at least two famous incidents: one is Guan Yu
's slaying of Hua Xiong
; the other is the three-on-one duel between the three sworn brothers (Liu Bei
, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei) and Lü Bu
. The two scenes are often reenacted in Chinese opera
along with other famous scenes from the novel. Both incidents however, are fictional; Hua was killed in a battle against Sun Jian
. Liu, Guan and Zhang were not active in the campaign. Instead, they were fighting remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels
in the north and thus did not duel with Lü Bu, who, historically, was defeated by Sun Jian in battle.
in 189, General-in-Chief He Jin
summoned the frontier general Dong Zhuo
from the northwest into the capital city of Luoyang
. Dong was ordered to lead his troops into the capital city to aid He in eliminating the eunuch faction, the Ten Attendants
, from the imperial court. However, before Dong Zhuo's arrival, He Jin's plan was revealed and he was assassinated by the eunuchs. He Jin's associates led by Yuan Shao
stormed the palace after the assassination and started massacring eunuchs. The young Emperor Shao
and his younger brother, the Prince of Chenliu
, were brought out of the palace by the surviving eunuchs during the chaos. The emperor lost the Imperial Seal
during his escape. They were eventually discovered by a search party and escorted back to the palace safely by Dong Zhuo and his men.
Subsequently, the warlord Ding Yuan
was killed by his subordinate Lü Bu
for opposing Dong Zhuo's decision to depose Emperor Shao. Lü then defected to Dong's side.
In 190, Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao and installed the Prince of Chenliu on the throne. The prince became historically known as Emperor Xian. Dong appointed himself as Chancellor of State
, an official post abolished almost 200 years ago. On March 26 in the same year, Dong had the Prince of Hongnong (the former Emperor Shao) and Empress Dowager He
killed.
Since then, Dong Zhuo had established a strong influence in the imperial court. He was authoritarian and showed no regard for the absolute monarchy as he made the final decisions on policies without consulting or seeking approval from the emperor. He eliminated several of his opponents in the imperial court to further strengthen his grip over the feudal system. Yuan Shao fled from Luoyang after openly disagreeing with Dong Zhuo's decision to depose Emperor Shao. Dong Zhuo feared that Yuan Shao might rise in revolt against him as Yuan was also an influential figure in politics as well. Dong heeded his advisor's suggestions and proposed to the emperor to appoint Yuan as Grand Administrator of Bohai as an act of appeasement.
to remove Dong from power by rising in revolt but he was kept in check by Han Fu, the Governor of Ji Province (冀州).
At the same time, the Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery (東郡), Qiao Mao
, forged letters of accusation against Dong Zhuo, denouncing him as a traitor with the intention of usurping the throne, calling for a punitive expedition
against Dong. These letters were distributed all around the nation in the name of officials from the capital. Regional officials and warlords all around China received the letters and responded to the call to remove Dong Zhuo from power.
In February 190, the Guandong Coalition (關東聯軍, literally: Coalition East of the Pass) was formed after several regional officials and warlords gathered east of Hangu Pass
with their armies in response to the call for a punitive war against Dong Zhuo. Yuan Shao was elected to be the leader of the coalition. The forces of Sun Jian
and Cao Cao
also participated in the campaign under the banners of Yuan Shu
and Zhang Miao
respectively.
The participants of the campaign included:
The coalition forces encamped in several locations east of the capital city of Luoyang, effectively surrounding it. The locations of the coalition members in relation to Luoyang are as follows:
The blockade had the effect of cutting supplies from the eastern part of the Han empire from the capital, which drastically reduced the government's tax revenue. In response, Dong Zhuo melted statues and treasures for all the bronze he could find to mint more coinage, flooding the market, with the ultimate effect of rampant inflation
throughout the empire.
Despite the impressive showing of force, most of the coalition's armies were hurriedly rallied family retainers and opportunists for loot with little battle experience. The leader of the coalition Yuan Shao himself had not seen action in much of the 180s since he had been in six years mourning for first his mother and then his adoptive father, during which he could not participate in military matters. This is contrasted with Dong Zhuo's battle-hardened frontiersmen, who had previously fought in the Liang Province Rebellion.
be evacuated immediately and the imperial court be shifted to Chang'an
in the west. All civilians were to evacuate Luoyang as well and move to Chang'an, with only Dong and his military staying behind to defend Luoyang from the coalition forces.
Dong Zhuo's proposal was met with strong criticisms from other court officials but Dong silenced them by deposing anyone who opposed him. On April 9 of 190, Dong's proposal was implemented. He ordered his soldiers to loot and rob the rich households of Luoyang and drive Luoyang's civilian population towards Chang'an. Emperor Xian, nobles, aristocrats and officials followed the civilians and Dong's troops as they made their long journey towards Chang'an. Anyone who refused to obey orders to evacuate Chang'an was killed immediately on the spot. Dong Zhuo also ordered Lü Bu
to lead men to raid ancient tombs and burial mounts for their valuables and treasure. After the evacuation, Luoyang was set on fire and razed to the ground. Chen Shou
's Records of Three Kingdoms
described the event as "the numbers of the innocent dead were beyond measurement".
In Suanzao (酸棗), Cao Cao
led his men westward to attack Dong Zhuo's forces. He was followed by a contingent from Zhang Miao
's army led by Wei Zi. Cao Cao's army was defeated by Dong's forces, led by Xu Rong, in the Battle of Xingyang
, and Cao Cao himself was injured in battle. Cao Hong
offered his steed to him and he followed Cao Cao on foot, and they managed to escape from the battlefield. Xu withdrew his troops after the battle.
When Cao Cao returned to Suanzao, he suggested that the coalition pursue Dong Zhuo's retreating forces to threaten Dong by showing him that the coalition was still on the move. However, Zhang Miao and the others present dismissed his suggestion. Cao Cao then led his men to join Yuan Shao in Henei together with Xiahou Dun
. After Cao's departure, the coalition forces stationed in Suanzao ran out of supplies and dispersed. Liu Dai
seized the opportunity to kill Qiao Mao
, whom he held a grudge against.
At the same time, Dong Zhuo sent reputable men such as Han Rong (韓融), Yin Xiu (陰修), Humu Ban (胡毋班), Wu Xiu (吳修), and Wang Gui (王瑰) to see Yuan Shao and negotiate for an armistice
. However, Yuan had all the negotiators detained and killed except for Han Rong. Seeing peace was impossible, Dong Zhuo rapidly surrounded Wang Kuang's encampment in Heyang Ford (河陽津) north of Luoyang and dealt a defeat so severe that Wang Kuang abandoned the coalition and fled back to his home in Taishan commandery (泰山郡).
In the winter of 190, Dong Zhuo sent a force of some ten thousands to attack Luyang. At the time, Sun Jian's men were having a drinking party, but Sun did not stir upon hearing the news; instead, he calmly continued to pass his wine around while his troops gathered into formation. Seeing such discipline, Dong Zhuo's men turned around and retreated.
In March 191, Sun Jian moved his camp north to Liangdong (梁東), but he was outnumbered by Xu Rong there. With several dozen men, he broke through the encirclement. Seeing that his red scarf could easily identify him, Sun gave it to his trusted general Zu Mao
, whom Xu Rong's soldiers chased while Sun escaped. Zu Mao later hung the scarf onto a half-burnt pillar, and hid himself in the tall grasses nearby. The enemies surrounded the pillar and approached cautiously till they realized they had been fooled, whereupon they retreated.
Gathering his scattered armies, Sun Jian went forward to camp in Yangren (陽人). This time, Dong Zhuo sent Hua Xiong
, Hu Zhen
, and Lü Bu with 5000 men to attack Sun. However, Lü Bu, who was in charge of cavalry, was not in good terms with Hu Zhen and quarrelled with him. Sun Jian seized the opportunity to attack them, and Dong Zhuo's forces were defeated in a rout. Hua Xiong was captured by Sun and promptly executed.
At this time, someone told Yuan Shu that if Sun Jian defeated Dong Zhuo and took over the capital, he would not be controllable anymore. The doubtful Yuan then ceased providing supplies to Sun. Sun rode the hundred odd li
from Yangren to Luyang in the night to see Yuan, whereupon he said to the latter, "I put myself in danger during battle, with a primary purpose to eliminate a traitor (Dong Zhuo) for the country and second to avenge the deaths of your kinsmen (Yuan Shu's uncle was killed by Dong Zhuo). I have no personal grudge against Dong Zhuo. Yet you believed slanderous talks and suspect me!" The words put Yuan to shame and he immediately ordered the food supply to be delivered.
Fearing Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo sent his subordinate Li Jue as an emissary to seek peace and cement an alliance. Li Jue also promised Sun Jian appointments in the government service for his sons. To this, Sun replied, "Dong Zhuo opposes Heaven and defies the law. Until I have killed you and all your clan, and shown your heads to the four seas, I shall not be able to die in peace. How can I ally with you?"
Sun Jian then led his forces to Dagu Pass (大谷關), a fortified pass guarding Luoyang to the south, 90 li away from Luoyang. Dong Zhuo personally fought in the battle at the Later Han tombs, but was defeated and fled to Mianchi
and Shan (陝), west of Luoyang. Sun Jian then continued to march into Luoyang, where he met and routed the forces of Lü Bu. Settling in, Sun ordered his men to reseal the tombs of former emperors that were excavated by Dong Zhuo. It was said in Wei Zhao's Book of Wu (吳書) that Sun Jian found the lost Imperial Seal
in a well south of Luoyang and kept it for himself.
Sun Jian then sent part of his force forward to Xin'an
and Mianchi to threaten Dong Zhuo's defense positions. Dong now sent Dong Yue (董越) to camp at Mianchi, Duan Wei (段煨) to camp at Huayin
, and Niu Fu
to camp at Anyi (安邑). His other commanders were spread out among the counties to block any attack from the east of the mountains. After these arrangements, Dong Zhuo led his own troops away to Chang'an.
Having repaired the imperial tombs, Sun Jian led his army back to Luyang as the ruined Luoyang was vulnerable to possible counterattacks by Dong Zhuo. The former capital of Luoyang was now abandoned by both contending forces.
territory if Yuan Shao insisted that he become the new emperor. After repeated failed attempts, Yuan Shao decided to give up. In addition, the warlords turned their attention from Dong Zhuo back to themselves and started to pursue their individual interests again instead of uniting against Dong Zhuo.
Han Fu, who was in charge of provisions, gradually stopped supplying the coalition army. His subordinate Qu Yi
rebelled against him and defeated him before defecting over to Yuan Shao. The incident alerted Yuan of his need to secure his sources of supply and he plotted to seize Han's lands. Yuan collaborated with Gongsun Zan
secretly to attack Han Fu's Ji Province (冀州) and eventually Han surrendered Ji Province to Yuan.
Yuan Shao sent Zhou Yu (Renming)
to attack Sun Jian, who was returning from Luoyang to join Yuan Shu. In the Battle of Yangcheng
, Zhou made a surprise attack on Sun's camp at Yangcheng
and captured it. Yuan Shu sent Gongsun Yue
to assist Sun Jian in fighting Zhou Yu. Gongsun Yue was killed in the battle even though it was a victory for Sun Jian. Gongsun Zan held Yuan Shao responsible for Gongsun Yue's death and declared war on Yuan Shao, which led to the Battle of Jieqiao
subsequently.
By then, the coalition had failed and collapsed, existing only in name.
Dong Zhuo returned to his tyrant status in the imperial court, but he had become less tolerant towards dissent, as any official who uttered a slight offensive remark would be killed immediately. He installed all members of his clan and relatives by marriage in high-ranking official posts. Even his infant sons were conferred titles of marquises and played with gold seals and purple tassels.
Court officials Wang Yun
, Huang Wan (黃琬), Shisun Rui (士孫瑞) and Yang Zan (楊瓚) plotted to assassinate Dong Zhuo. They persuaded Lü Bu to join their cause because Lü's relationship with Dong was becoming increasingly strained after Dong threw a hand-axe at him and due to his affair with one of Dong's chambermaids.
On 22 May 192, Dong Zhuo was on the way to an assembly in his chariot when Li Su advanced towards him and stabbed him. Dong shouted for Lü Bu to protect him, but Lü killed him instead. Dong's relatives were executed after his death while his corpse was left exposed on the streets of Chang'an. The officer guarding the corpse lit a wick on the navel and it burned for days on the fats of the corpse.
After Dong Zhuo's death, several of his loyalists, such as Fan Chou
, Guo Si
and Li Jue, escaped as they believed that their loyalty towards Dong Zhuo would be considered as treason. Wang Yun, who had taken control of the government after Dong Zhuo's death, heard their appeal for amnesty
and said, "Of all those who should be pardoned, they are the exceptions." Dong's loyalists were outraged by Wang's remarks and waged war. However, they were defeated by Lü Bu and the imperial forces. Eventually, Dong Zhuo's remnant forces managed to outwit Lü Bu by distracting him and they seized control of Chang'an. Wang Yun was killed.
The power of the Eastern Han Dynasty fell into the hands of Dong Zhuo's remnants after that and gradually evolved into a struggle for power, which spread throughout the nation progressively.
, the author Luo Guanzhong
employed artistic license
rather freely as he changed some details of this campaign to better portray the main characters. For example, there is no historical evidence that Liu Bei
, Guan Yu
, and Zhang Fei participated in the campaign, yet their achievements eclipse that of Sun Jian's in the novel. Luo Guanzhong also simplified some of the historical events, invented fictional battles, and changed the sequence of events. However, due to the popularity of the novel, many people hold the events detailed in the novel to be true, not knowing the true history as presented in definitive sources such as the Book of the Later Han, Records of Three Kingdoms
, or Zizhi Tongjian
. This fictional account of history is also adopted by many Chinese operas and video games.
attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo by failed and escaped to his hometown in Chenliu. Subsequently, Cao sent secret imperial decrees, in the name of the emperor, to various regional warlords and officials, ordering them to rise up against Dong Zhuo and remove him from power. Many responded to the call and they formed the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition (反董卓聯合軍).
The novel has a slightly different list of participants in the coalition:
With eighteen warlords participating in the novel, the campaign is thus popularly known as "The eighteen warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo" (十八路諸侯討董卓). In this campaign, Liu Bei, with his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, offered their service to Gongsun Zan, Liu's friend and former classmate. After the warlords pledged allegiance to the coalition, they insisted to have Yuan Shao as the commander-in-chief, a role which Yuan Shao reluctantly accepted. Yuan Shao then put Yuan Shu in charge of provisions, and appointed Sun Jian as the vanguard to attack Sishui Pass.
with 50,000 men at the fortified Sishui Pass to ward off the attack. Having repelled Sun Jian and singlehandedly slain four generals of the coalition – Bao Zhong
, Zu Mao
, Yu She
and Pan Feng
– Hua seemed indomitable. Despite mistrust from many warlords of the coalition, Guan Yu, a mere mounted archer then, volunteered to duel Hua Xiong. To convince them to grant him an opportunity, Guan announced that he would give up his head to the coalition if he failed to defeat Hua. Cao Cao, one of the coalition leaders, was impressed with Guan's bravery and poured him a cup of warm wine, but Guan declined, claiming that he would be back soon. Moments later, Guan returned with Hua Xiong's head as promised, and gulped down the wine, which was still warm.
Alarmed by Hua Xiong's death, Dong Zhuo had Li Jue and Guo Si
guard Sishui Pass with 50,000 men while he himself went to Hulao Pass
with Lü Bu
with a force of 150,000. Seeing this, the coalition then turned around to attack Hulao Pass, hoping to strike Dong Zhuo directly.
Eight coalition leaders were sent to confront Lü Bu at his camp in front of Hulao Pass. Wang Kuang was the first to strike, and Lü Bu led 3,000 men to meet Wang. Fang Yue
, one of Wang's generals, rode out to duel Lü Bu but was soon killed by him. Lü Bu continued on, dashing Wang's army apart. Zhang Yang's general Mu Shun, Kong Rong's general Wu Anguo (武安國), and Gongsun Zan, consecutively took turns to fight Lü, but none of them was able to win - Mu Shun was slain; Wu Anguo lost a hand; Gongsun Zan retreated.
Riding forth on his steed, the Red Hare
, with halberd in hand, Lü Bu taunted for more challengers to duel him. Wielding his Serpent Spear, Zhang Fei galloped out to fight Lü Bu. Neither could gain an advantage over the other for more than 50 bouts. Then Guan Yu, brandishing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, dashed out to assist his oath brother. The three fighters were engaged in another 30 bouts or so when Liu Bei, holding up his Twin Swords, also joined in the fray.
Like a merry-go-round, the three brothers galloped in a circle caging Lü Bu inside. Unable to face the combined efforts of his three opponents, Lü then made a feign at Liu Bei and retreated through the resulting gap back to the pass gate. The trio pursued Lü but were unable to catch up as the Red Hare was faster than their horses. They turned their attention to Dong Zhuo after spotting him, but were unsuccessful in the chase.
for advice. Li responded that the whole army should retreat to Chang'an, bringing Luoyang's citizens and the imperial court with them. Dong Zhuo applauded the idea, and, despite heavy objection, carried on with the move, and razed Luoyang to the ground. Zhao Cen
, the guard for Sishui Pass at the time, abandoned the pass once he knew of Dong Zhuo's retreat.
The coalition pressed on to Luoyang, where Sun Jian ordered his men to put out the fire while the warlords settled in the former capital, which was now in ruins. Cao Cao proposed to pursue Dong Zhuo's retreating army, but was rejected by Yuan Shao, who said that their troops needed rest. Cao ignored Yuan and proceeded to lead his own men in pursuit of Dong Zhuo.
At Xingyang, Cao Cao encountered Lü Bu and they engaged in fighting, but Dong Zhuo's other generals Li Jue and Guo Si appeared from behind Cao and surrounded him. Cao's forces were eventually overwhelmed and retreated. As Cao Cao's troops were preparing to settle for the night, Dong's general Xu Rong launched a surprise attack and routed Cao's camp. During his escape, Cao Cao was hit in the shoulder by an arrow and lost his horse; however, due to the heroics of Cao Hong
, Cao Cao was able to return safely to the coalition headquarters. Xu Rong gave chase to Cao Cao but was intercepted by Xiahou Dun
and killed. Dong Zhuo's remaining forces then left Xingyang to follow their lord to Chang'an.
in a silk bag around her neck. As advised by Cheng Pu
, Sun kept the Seal for himself and warned his men not to reveal anything about the discovery.
Unfortunately for Sun Jian, one of his soldiers went and told Yuan Shao about it, and was heavily rewarded. During a meeting on the following day, Sun cited health problems as a excuse to return to Changsha, to which Yuan remarked sarcastically, "I know you're ill because of the Imperial Seal", causing Sun to be stunned. After rounds of accusations and denials, Yuan Shao and Sun Jian's men drew swords in preparation for a fight, but the conflict was defused by the rest of the coalition members. Sun then quickly fled from Luoyang with his men. In anger, Yuan Shao sent a letter to Liu Biao
of Jing Province, asking Liu to intercept Sun on the way and take him into custody. This gave rise to the conflict between Sun Jian and Liu Biao, which eventually culminated in the death of Sun at the Battle of Xiangyang
.
The next day, Cao Cao returned to the main camp from his defeat in Xingyang. He lamented at the lack of motivation within the coalition and left as well. Gongsun Zan told Liu Bei, "Yuan Shao is an incapable leader, and together there will be strife, we should leave", and so they also pulled their forces from the alliance and retreated north. Seeing everyone had dispersed, Yuan Shao dismantled the camps and led his army back to his base.
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
initiated by a coalition of regional officials and warlords against Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...
, Chancellor of State, in 190 during the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. The members of the coalition claimed that Dong had the intention of usurping the throne by holding the Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
hostage and by establishing a strong influence in the imperial court. They justified their campaign as to remove Dong from power. The campaign led to the evacuation of the capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
and the shifting of the imperial court to the new capital of Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. It was a prelude to the end of the Han Dynasty and, subsequently, the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period.
In Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, the campaign is memorable for at least two famous incidents: one is Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
's slaying of Hua Xiong
Hua Xiong
Hua Xiong was a military general under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. In 190, various warlords from around the country formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo, who was holding Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial court...
; the other is the three-on-one duel between the three sworn brothers (Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei) and Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
. The two scenes are often reenacted in Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
along with other famous scenes from the novel. Both incidents however, are fictional; Hua was killed in a battle against Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
. Liu, Guan and Zhang were not active in the campaign. Instead, they were fighting remnants of the Yellow Turban rebels
Yellow Turban Rebellion
The Yellow Turban Rebellion, also translated as Yellow Scarves Rebellion, was a peasant revolt that broke out in 184 AD in China during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty...
in the north and thus did not duel with Lü Bu, who, historically, was defeated by Sun Jian in battle.
Background
Following the death of Emperor LingEmperor Ling of Han
Emperor Ling of Han, trad. ch. 漢靈帝;, sim. ch. 汉灵帝, py. hàn líng dì, wg. Han Ling-ti, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang. The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out during Emperor Ling's reign.Emperor Ling's reign saw yet another repetition of...
in 189, General-in-Chief He Jin
He Jin
He Jin was the elder half-brother of Empress He, consort to Emperor Ling of the late Eastern Han Dynasty in China. He shared power with his sister as regents in 189, following the death of Emperor Ling. In the ensuing struggle with the influential eunuch faction for power, He Jin was assassinated...
summoned the frontier general Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo
Dong Zhuo was a politician and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He seized control of the capital city Luoyang in 189 when it was in a state of turmoil following the death of Emperor Ling and a clash between the eunuch faction and some court officials led by...
from the northwest into the capital city of Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. Dong was ordered to lead his troops into the capital city to aid He in eliminating the eunuch faction, the Ten Attendants
Ten Attendants
The Ten Attendants were a group of eunuchs from the Eunuch Faction of the Han Imperial Court in China...
, from the imperial court. However, before Dong Zhuo's arrival, He Jin's plan was revealed and he was assassinated by the eunuchs. He Jin's associates led by Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
stormed the palace after the assassination and started massacring eunuchs. The young Emperor Shao
Prince of Hongnong
The Prince of Hongnong , was briefly an emperor of China during the Han dynasty. He is also known as "Emperor Han Shao" , a name which he shares with several other emperors with brief reigns...
and his younger brother, the Prince of Chenliu
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, were brought out of the palace by the surviving eunuchs during the chaos. The emperor lost the Imperial Seal
Imperial Seal of China
The Imperial Seal of China, or the Heirloom Seal of the Realm is a Chinese jade seal carved out of the He Shi Bi, a historically famous piece of jade.-Creation:...
during his escape. They were eventually discovered by a search party and escorted back to the palace safely by Dong Zhuo and his men.
Subsequently, the warlord Ding Yuan
Ding Yuan
Ding Yuan was a regional governor and minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In 189, both he and Dong Zhuo were summoned into the capital Luoyang with their individual troops to assist in the struggle against the powerful eunuch faction...
was killed by his subordinate Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
for opposing Dong Zhuo's decision to depose Emperor Shao. Lü then defected to Dong's side.
In 190, Dong Zhuo deposed Emperor Shao and installed the Prince of Chenliu on the throne. The prince became historically known as Emperor Xian. Dong appointed himself as Chancellor of State
Chancellor of China
The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...
, an official post abolished almost 200 years ago. On March 26 in the same year, Dong had the Prince of Hongnong (the former Emperor Shao) and Empress Dowager He
Empress Dowager He
Empress Dowager He may refer to:*Empress He , empress and empress dowager of Han Dynasty*Empress Dowager He , empress dowager of the Eastern Wu of the Three Kingdoms* Empress He , empress and empress dowager of Tang Dynasty...
killed.
Since then, Dong Zhuo had established a strong influence in the imperial court. He was authoritarian and showed no regard for the absolute monarchy as he made the final decisions on policies without consulting or seeking approval from the emperor. He eliminated several of his opponents in the imperial court to further strengthen his grip over the feudal system. Yuan Shao fled from Luoyang after openly disagreeing with Dong Zhuo's decision to depose Emperor Shao. Dong Zhuo feared that Yuan Shao might rise in revolt against him as Yuan was also an influential figure in politics as well. Dong heeded his advisor's suggestions and proposed to the emperor to appoint Yuan as Grand Administrator of Bohai as an act of appeasement.
Formation of the coalition
While in Bohai, Yuan Shao was not appeased by Dong Zhuo's proposal to appoint him as Grand Administrator. He planned to start a coup d'etatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
to remove Dong from power by rising in revolt but he was kept in check by Han Fu, the Governor of Ji Province (冀州).
At the same time, the Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery (東郡), Qiao Mao
Qiao Mao
Qiao Mao was the governor of Dong Commandery during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the nephew of Qiao Xuan and cousin of the Two Qiaos. Qiao joined the coalition force in the campaign against Dong Zhuo...
, forged letters of accusation against Dong Zhuo, denouncing him as a traitor with the intention of usurping the throne, calling for a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
against Dong. These letters were distributed all around the nation in the name of officials from the capital. Regional officials and warlords all around China received the letters and responded to the call to remove Dong Zhuo from power.
In February 190, the Guandong Coalition (關東聯軍, literally: Coalition East of the Pass) was formed after several regional officials and warlords gathered east of Hangu Pass
Hangu Pass
Hangu Pass was a strategic pass in ancient China just south of the great eastern bend of the Yellow River in today's Lingbao, Henan Province...
with their armies in response to the call for a punitive war against Dong Zhuo. Yuan Shao was elected to be the leader of the coalition. The forces of Sun Jian
Sun Jian
Sun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
and Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
also participated in the campaign under the banners of Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu
Yuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
and Zhang Miao
Zhang Miao
Zhang Miao , style name Mengzhuo , was a minister of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as prefect of Chenliu Commandery. Zhang Miao led an army during the coalition against Dong Zhuo. In the coalition Zhang expressed displeasure at their leader, Yuan Shao, and Yuan sent Cao...
respectively.
The participants of the campaign included:
- Yuan Shu, General of the Rear
- Han Fu, Governor of Ji Province (冀州)
- Kong Zhou, Inspector of Yu Province (豫州)
- Liu DaiLiu DaiLiu Dai , style name Gongshan , was an official of the late Eastern Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. His ancestral home was in Mouping County , Donglai Commandery ....
, Inspector of Yan Province (兖州) - Wang KuangWang KuangWang Kuang, style name Gongjie , was a minor warlord who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:Wang first served under General-in-Chief He Jin, but resigned and lived as a commoner after He Jin was killed by the Ten Attendants. He rose through the ranks in the...
, Grand Administrator of Henei - Yuan Shao, Grand Administrator of Bohai
- Zhang Miao, Grand Administrator of Chenliu (陳留)
- Qiao Mao, Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery
- Yuan YiYuan YiYuan Yi was an official and scholar during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also an older cousin of the warlords Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu...
, Grand Administrator of Shanyang - Bao XinBao XinBao Xin was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty of China. Initially, he participated in the imperial campaign against the Yellow Turbans along with other regional warlords. After the rise of Dong Zhuo, who usurped the power of the Imperial Court, Bao joined the campaign...
, Chancellor of Jibei (冀北) - Zhang Chao, Grand Administrator of Guangling
- Zhang Yang, Grand Administrator of Shangdang (上黨)
- YufuluoYufuluoYufuluo was a puppet Chanyu of the southern Xiongnu during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. In 188, he was appointed to the Chanyu position by the Chinese imperial court following a slaying of his father Qiangqu, also a Han puppet from ineligible succession line, and would later...
, ChanyuChanyuChanyu , was the title used by the nomadic supreme rulers of Middle and Central Asia for 8 centuries, starting...
of the southern XiongnuXiongnuThe Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
- To the north, in Henei (河內): Yuan Shao, Wang Kuang, Zhang Yang, Yufuluo
- To the east, in Suanzao (酸棗): Zhang Miao, Liu Dai, Qiao Mao, Yuan Yi
- To the south, in Luyang (魯陽): Yuan Shu
- To the southeast, in Yingchuan (穎川): Kong Zhou
- To the northeast, in YeYe, ChinaYe or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
: Han Fu
The blockade had the effect of cutting supplies from the eastern part of the Han empire from the capital, which drastically reduced the government's tax revenue. In response, Dong Zhuo melted statues and treasures for all the bronze he could find to mint more coinage, flooding the market, with the ultimate effect of rampant inflation
Inflation
In economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation also reflects an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a...
throughout the empire.
Despite the impressive showing of force, most of the coalition's armies were hurriedly rallied family retainers and opportunists for loot with little battle experience. The leader of the coalition Yuan Shao himself had not seen action in much of the 180s since he had been in six years mourning for first his mother and then his adoptive father, during which he could not participate in military matters. This is contrasted with Dong Zhuo's battle-hardened frontiersmen, who had previously fought in the Liang Province Rebellion.
Razing of Luoyang
Dong Zhuo was alarmed by the formation of the Guandong Coalition against him. He proposed that the capital of LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
be evacuated immediately and the imperial court be shifted to Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
in the west. All civilians were to evacuate Luoyang as well and move to Chang'an, with only Dong and his military staying behind to defend Luoyang from the coalition forces.
Dong Zhuo's proposal was met with strong criticisms from other court officials but Dong silenced them by deposing anyone who opposed him. On April 9 of 190, Dong's proposal was implemented. He ordered his soldiers to loot and rob the rich households of Luoyang and drive Luoyang's civilian population towards Chang'an. Emperor Xian, nobles, aristocrats and officials followed the civilians and Dong's troops as they made their long journey towards Chang'an. Anyone who refused to obey orders to evacuate Chang'an was killed immediately on the spot. Dong Zhuo also ordered Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
to lead men to raid ancient tombs and burial mounts for their valuables and treasure. After the evacuation, Luoyang was set on fire and razed to the ground. Chen Shou
Chen Shou
Chen Shou was a historian during the Jin Dynasty period of Chinese history. He is best known as the author of Records of Three Kingdoms, a historical account of the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period.-Biography:...
's Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
described the event as "the numbers of the innocent dead were beyond measurement".
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
led his men westward to attack Dong Zhuo's forces. He was followed by a contingent from Zhang Miao
Zhang Miao
Zhang Miao , style name Mengzhuo , was a minister of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as prefect of Chenliu Commandery. Zhang Miao led an army during the coalition against Dong Zhuo. In the coalition Zhang expressed displeasure at their leader, Yuan Shao, and Yuan sent Cao...
's army led by Wei Zi. Cao Cao's army was defeated by Dong's forces, led by Xu Rong, in the Battle of Xingyang
Battle of Xingyang
The Battle of Xingyang was a battle fought in 190 during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. The battle, which was part of the campaign against Dong Zhuo, took place when Dong Zhuo's retreating forces, led by Xu Rong, encountered Cao Cao's pursuing army at Xingyang.-Background:In 190,...
, and Cao Cao himself was injured in battle. Cao Hong
Cao Hong
Cao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
offered his steed to him and he followed Cao Cao on foot, and they managed to escape from the battlefield. Xu withdrew his troops after the battle.
When Cao Cao returned to Suanzao, he suggested that the coalition pursue Dong Zhuo's retreating forces to threaten Dong by showing him that the coalition was still on the move. However, Zhang Miao and the others present dismissed his suggestion. Cao Cao then led his men to join Yuan Shao in Henei together with Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Cao Cao's original family name was Xiahou, but his father Cao Song was the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng, so Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao share blood relations...
. After Cao's departure, the coalition forces stationed in Suanzao ran out of supplies and dispersed. Liu Dai
Liu Dai
Liu Dai , style name Gongshan , was an official of the late Eastern Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. His ancestral home was in Mouping County , Donglai Commandery ....
seized the opportunity to kill Qiao Mao
Qiao Mao
Qiao Mao was the governor of Dong Commandery during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the nephew of Qiao Xuan and cousin of the Two Qiaos. Qiao joined the coalition force in the campaign against Dong Zhuo...
, whom he held a grudge against.
At the same time, Dong Zhuo sent reputable men such as Han Rong (韓融), Yin Xiu (陰修), Humu Ban (胡毋班), Wu Xiu (吳修), and Wang Gui (王瑰) to see Yuan Shao and negotiate for an armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
. However, Yuan had all the negotiators detained and killed except for Han Rong. Seeing peace was impossible, Dong Zhuo rapidly surrounded Wang Kuang's encampment in Heyang Ford (河陽津) north of Luoyang and dealt a defeat so severe that Wang Kuang abandoned the coalition and fled back to his home in Taishan commandery (泰山郡).
Sun Jian's advances
In Luyang to the south, Sun Jian, who had joined Yuan Shu with 20,000 - 30,000 men, was given the rank General Who Quells Rebels (破虜將軍) and Governor of Yu Province by Yuan. Yuan made Sun the vanguard, and Sun started to train his men in Luyang.In the winter of 190, Dong Zhuo sent a force of some ten thousands to attack Luyang. At the time, Sun Jian's men were having a drinking party, but Sun did not stir upon hearing the news; instead, he calmly continued to pass his wine around while his troops gathered into formation. Seeing such discipline, Dong Zhuo's men turned around and retreated.
In March 191, Sun Jian moved his camp north to Liangdong (梁東), but he was outnumbered by Xu Rong there. With several dozen men, he broke through the encirclement. Seeing that his red scarf could easily identify him, Sun gave it to his trusted general Zu Mao
Zu Mao
Zu Mao was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period in China. He was one of the first four generals of Sun Jian and set out with Sun Jian to fight Dong Zhuo....
, whom Xu Rong's soldiers chased while Sun escaped. Zu Mao later hung the scarf onto a half-burnt pillar, and hid himself in the tall grasses nearby. The enemies surrounded the pillar and approached cautiously till they realized they had been fooled, whereupon they retreated.
Gathering his scattered armies, Sun Jian went forward to camp in Yangren (陽人). This time, Dong Zhuo sent Hua Xiong
Hua Xiong
Hua Xiong was a military general under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. In 190, various warlords from around the country formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo, who was holding Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial court...
, Hu Zhen
Hu Zhen
Hu Zhen, style name Wencai , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was described as a man of influence in Liang Province ....
, and Lü Bu with 5000 men to attack Sun. However, Lü Bu, who was in charge of cavalry, was not in good terms with Hu Zhen and quarrelled with him. Sun Jian seized the opportunity to attack them, and Dong Zhuo's forces were defeated in a rout. Hua Xiong was captured by Sun and promptly executed.
At this time, someone told Yuan Shu that if Sun Jian defeated Dong Zhuo and took over the capital, he would not be controllable anymore. The doubtful Yuan then ceased providing supplies to Sun. Sun rode the hundred odd li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
from Yangren to Luyang in the night to see Yuan, whereupon he said to the latter, "I put myself in danger during battle, with a primary purpose to eliminate a traitor (Dong Zhuo) for the country and second to avenge the deaths of your kinsmen (Yuan Shu's uncle was killed by Dong Zhuo). I have no personal grudge against Dong Zhuo. Yet you believed slanderous talks and suspect me!" The words put Yuan to shame and he immediately ordered the food supply to be delivered.
Fearing Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo sent his subordinate Li Jue as an emissary to seek peace and cement an alliance. Li Jue also promised Sun Jian appointments in the government service for his sons. To this, Sun replied, "Dong Zhuo opposes Heaven and defies the law. Until I have killed you and all your clan, and shown your heads to the four seas, I shall not be able to die in peace. How can I ally with you?"
Mianchi County
Mianchi County falls under the jurisdiction of Sanmenxia City, Henan. In Chapter 3 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, He Jin sends someone to Mianchi County to meet with Dong Zhuo, and convince him to hold off from invading Luoyang....
and Shan (陝), west of Luoyang. Sun Jian then continued to march into Luoyang, where he met and routed the forces of Lü Bu. Settling in, Sun ordered his men to reseal the tombs of former emperors that were excavated by Dong Zhuo. It was said in Wei Zhao's Book of Wu (吳書) that Sun Jian found the lost Imperial Seal
Imperial Seal of China
The Imperial Seal of China, or the Heirloom Seal of the Realm is a Chinese jade seal carved out of the He Shi Bi, a historically famous piece of jade.-Creation:...
in a well south of Luoyang and kept it for himself.
Sun Jian then sent part of his force forward to Xin'an
Xin'an County
Xin'an County is a part of Luoyang City, Henan Province, People's Republic of China.-History:...
and Mianchi to threaten Dong Zhuo's defense positions. Dong now sent Dong Yue (董越) to camp at Mianchi, Duan Wei (段煨) to camp at Huayin
Huayin
Huayin is a county-level city in Weinan, Shaanxi, China. Prior to 1990, Huayin had been regarded as a county. Huayin literally means to the north of Mount Hua, because it is situated to the north of that mountain....
, and Niu Fu
Niu Fu
Niu Fu was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Niu Fu served under Dong Zhuo, who was also his father-in-law. When Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang to the ground and retreated to Chang'an, Niu Fu was sent to defend Anyi. After Dong Zhuo was...
to camp at Anyi (安邑). His other commanders were spread out among the counties to block any attack from the east of the mountains. After these arrangements, Dong Zhuo led his own troops away to Chang'an.
Having repaired the imperial tombs, Sun Jian led his army back to Luyang as the ruined Luoyang was vulnerable to possible counterattacks by Dong Zhuo. The former capital of Luoyang was now abandoned by both contending forces.
Internal conflict
Despite Sun Jian's successes, the coalition did not build upon them due to poor communication and coordination among the leaders. The warlords in the east were unaware that Emperor Xian was still alive as they were isolated by the passes separating Luoyang from the east. Yuan Shao and Han Fu proposed to enthrone Liu Yu, the Inspector of You Province (幽州) and a member of the imperial clan, as the new emperor. Cao Cao and Yuan Shu disagreed with the proposal. When Yuan Shao and Han Fu sent a messenger to Liu Yu to inform him, Liu rebuked the messenger sternly and refused the offer flatly. Liu expressed his loyalty to the current Emperor Xian and threatened to head north into XiongnuXiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
territory if Yuan Shao insisted that he become the new emperor. After repeated failed attempts, Yuan Shao decided to give up. In addition, the warlords turned their attention from Dong Zhuo back to themselves and started to pursue their individual interests again instead of uniting against Dong Zhuo.
Han Fu, who was in charge of provisions, gradually stopped supplying the coalition army. His subordinate Qu Yi
Qu Yi
Qu Yi was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.He Hailed from a prestigious family in Liang province and was very familiar with the military strategy of the Xiongnu and Qiang nomads. During the Yellow Turbans Rebellion, he...
rebelled against him and defeated him before defecting over to Yuan Shao. The incident alerted Yuan of his need to secure his sources of supply and he plotted to seize Han's lands. Yuan collaborated with Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan
Gongsun Zan , style name Bogui , a native of Liaoxi , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
secretly to attack Han Fu's Ji Province (冀州) and eventually Han surrendered Ji Province to Yuan.
Yuan Shao sent Zhou Yu (Renming)
Zhou Yu (Renming)
Zhou Yu, style name Renming , was an official during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a native of Kuaiji, and a younger brother of Zhou Ang and Zhou Xin....
to attack Sun Jian, who was returning from Luoyang to join Yuan Shu. In the Battle of Yangcheng
Battle of Yangcheng
The Battle of Yangcheng was a battle fought between the warlords Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu as the coalition against Dong Zhuo fell apart in 191 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, Zhou made a surprise attack on Sun's camp at Yangcheng
Dengfeng
Dengfeng is a county-level city in Zhengzhou, Henan province. In ancient times, it was known as Yangcheng .Dengfeng has an area of 1220 square kilometers and a population of 630,000....
and captured it. Yuan Shu sent Gongsun Yue
Gongsun Yue
Gongsun Yue , was a younger cousin of the warlord Gongsun Zan during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:Emperor Xian, held hostage by Dong Zhuo secretly sent Liu He to appeal for help from Liu He's father, Liu Yu -- the governor of You Province...
to assist Sun Jian in fighting Zhou Yu. Gongsun Yue was killed in the battle even though it was a victory for Sun Jian. Gongsun Zan held Yuan Shao responsible for Gongsun Yue's death and declared war on Yuan Shao, which led to the Battle of Jieqiao
Battle of Jieqiao
The Battle of Jieqiao or the Battle of Jie Bridge was a military engagement fought between Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan in 191, at the beginning of the civil wars in China leading up to the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was the first significant clash of arms between the rival warlords in the contest...
subsequently.
By then, the coalition had failed and collapsed, existing only in name.
Death of Dong Zhuo
For the following year, the warlords ceased to take any action against Dong Zhuo. Dong occasionally sent an army to attack the warlord Zhu Jun and plundered his territory.Dong Zhuo returned to his tyrant status in the imperial court, but he had become less tolerant towards dissent, as any official who uttered a slight offensive remark would be killed immediately. He installed all members of his clan and relatives by marriage in high-ranking official posts. Even his infant sons were conferred titles of marquises and played with gold seals and purple tassels.
Court officials Wang Yun
Wang Yun
Wang Yun was a Minister over the Masses under Emperor Xian during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. During Wang Yun's time, the emperors were mere puppets under the power of eunuchs and warlords. In 192, Wang Yun plotted and successfully staged Lü Bu's assassination of Dong Zhuo, the...
, Huang Wan (黃琬), Shisun Rui (士孫瑞) and Yang Zan (楊瓚) plotted to assassinate Dong Zhuo. They persuaded Lü Bu to join their cause because Lü's relationship with Dong was becoming increasingly strained after Dong threw a hand-axe at him and due to his affair with one of Dong's chambermaids.
On 22 May 192, Dong Zhuo was on the way to an assembly in his chariot when Li Su advanced towards him and stabbed him. Dong shouted for Lü Bu to protect him, but Lü killed him instead. Dong's relatives were executed after his death while his corpse was left exposed on the streets of Chang'an. The officer guarding the corpse lit a wick on the navel and it burned for days on the fats of the corpse.
After Dong Zhuo's death, several of his loyalists, such as Fan Chou
Fan Chou
Fan Chou was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.After Dong Zhuo died by his adoptive son Lü Bu by an assassination plot by Wang Yun. He along with Li Jue, Guo Si, and Zhang Ji defeated Lü Bu then defeated Wang Yun, which they taken...
, Guo Si
Guo Si
Guo Si , also known as Guo Duo , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He assisted Dong in his many campaigns, and was placed under Dong's son-in-law after Dong relocate the imperial capital to Chang'an...
and Li Jue, escaped as they believed that their loyalty towards Dong Zhuo would be considered as treason. Wang Yun, who had taken control of the government after Dong Zhuo's death, heard their appeal for amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
and said, "Of all those who should be pardoned, they are the exceptions." Dong's loyalists were outraged by Wang's remarks and waged war. However, they were defeated by Lü Bu and the imperial forces. Eventually, Dong Zhuo's remnant forces managed to outwit Lü Bu by distracting him and they seized control of Chang'an. Wang Yun was killed.
The power of the Eastern Han Dynasty fell into the hands of Dong Zhuo's remnants after that and gradually evolved into a struggle for power, which spread throughout the nation progressively.
In fiction
In the historical novel Romance of the Three KingdomsRomance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century, is a Chinese historical novel based on the events in the turbulent years near the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, starting in 169 and ending with the reunification of the land in...
, the author Luo Guanzhong
Luo Guanzhong
Luo Ben , better known by his style name Luo Guanzhong , was a Chinese writer of the early Ming Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also known as Huhai Sanren...
employed artistic license
Artistic license
Artistic licence is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist to improve a piece of...
rather freely as he changed some details of this campaign to better portray the main characters. For example, there is no historical evidence that Liu Bei
Liu Bei
Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
, Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
, and Zhang Fei participated in the campaign, yet their achievements eclipse that of Sun Jian's in the novel. Luo Guanzhong also simplified some of the historical events, invented fictional battles, and changed the sequence of events. However, due to the popularity of the novel, many people hold the events detailed in the novel to be true, not knowing the true history as presented in definitive sources such as the Book of the Later Han, Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms
Records of Three Kingdoms , is regarded as the official and authoritative historical text on the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history covering the years 184-280 CE. Written by Chen Shou in the 3rd century, the work combines the smaller histories of the rival states of Cao Wei , Shu Han and...
, or Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
. This fictional account of history is also adopted by many Chinese operas and video games.
Uprising against Dong Zhuo
In chapter 5 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao CaoCao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
attempted to assassinate Dong Zhuo by failed and escaped to his hometown in Chenliu. Subsequently, Cao sent secret imperial decrees, in the name of the emperor, to various regional warlords and officials, ordering them to rise up against Dong Zhuo and remove him from power. Many responded to the call and they formed the Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition (反董卓聯合軍).
The novel has a slightly different list of participants in the coalition:
- Cao CaoCao CaoCao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
, Colonel of Resolute Cavalry - Yuan ShuYuan ShuYuan Shu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history. He rose to prominence following the collapse of the imperial court in 189. He was said to be a younger cousin of the warlord Yuan Shao, but was actually Yuan Shao's younger half-brother...
, General of the Rear, Grand Administrator of Nanyang - Han Fu, Governor of Ji Province
- Kong Zhou, Inspector of Yu Province
- Liu DaiLiu DaiLiu Dai , style name Gongshan , was an official of the late Eastern Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. His ancestral home was in Mouping County , Donglai Commandery ....
, Inspector of Yan Province - Wang KuangWang KuangWang Kuang, style name Gongjie , was a minor warlord who lived during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Biography:Wang first served under General-in-Chief He Jin, but resigned and lived as a commoner after He Jin was killed by the Ten Attendants. He rose through the ranks in the...
, Grand Administrator of Henei - Zhang MiaoZhang MiaoZhang Miao , style name Mengzhuo , was a minister of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served as prefect of Chenliu Commandery. Zhang Miao led an army during the coalition against Dong Zhuo. In the coalition Zhang expressed displeasure at their leader, Yuan Shao, and Yuan sent Cao...
, Grand Administrator of Chenliu - Qiao MaoQiao MaoQiao Mao was the governor of Dong Commandery during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was the nephew of Qiao Xuan and cousin of the Two Qiaos. Qiao joined the coalition force in the campaign against Dong Zhuo...
, Grand Administrator of Dong Commandery - Yuan YiYuan YiYuan Yi was an official and scholar during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also an older cousin of the warlords Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu...
, Grand Administrator of Shanyang
- Bao XinBao XinBao Xin was a military general who lived during the late Han Dynasty of China. Initially, he participated in the imperial campaign against the Yellow Turbans along with other regional warlords. After the rise of Dong Zhuo, who usurped the power of the Imperial Court, Bao joined the campaign...
, Chancellor of Jibei - Kong RongKong RongKong Rong was a politician, scholar, and minor warlord of the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also a 20th generation descendant of Kong Qiu . As he was once the chancellor of Beihai Commandery , he was also known as Kong Beihai. He was defeated by Yuan Tan in 196 and escaped to...
, Grand Administrator of Beihai - Zhang Chao, Grand Administrator of Guangling
- Tao Qian, Inspector of Xu Province
- Ma TengMa TengMa Teng was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He controlled Liang Province together with his sworn brother Han Sui...
, Grand Administrator of Western Liang - Gongsun ZanGongsun ZanGongsun Zan , style name Bogui , a native of Liaoxi , was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.-Biography:...
, Grand Administrator of Beiping - Zhang Yang, Grand Administrator of Shangdang
- Sun JianSun JianSun Jian was a military general and warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He allied himself with Yuan Shu in 190 when warlords from eastern China formed a coalition to oust Dong Zhuo, a tyrannical warlord who held the puppet Emperor Xian in his power...
, Grand Administrator of Changsha, Marquis of Wucheng - Yuan ShaoYuan ShaoYuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
, Grand Administrator of Bohai, Marquis of Qixiang
With eighteen warlords participating in the novel, the campaign is thus popularly known as "The eighteen warlords' campaign against Dong Zhuo" (十八路諸侯討董卓). In this campaign, Liu Bei, with his sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, offered their service to Gongsun Zan, Liu's friend and former classmate. After the warlords pledged allegiance to the coalition, they insisted to have Yuan Shao as the commander-in-chief, a role which Yuan Shao reluctantly accepted. Yuan Shao then put Yuan Shu in charge of provisions, and appointed Sun Jian as the vanguard to attack Sishui Pass.
Battle of Sishui Pass
Dong Zhuo placed Hua XiongHua Xiong
Hua Xiong was a military general under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. In 190, various warlords from around the country formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo, who was holding Emperor Xian hostage in the imperial court...
with 50,000 men at the fortified Sishui Pass to ward off the attack. Having repelled Sun Jian and singlehandedly slain four generals of the coalition – Bao Zhong
Bao Zhong
Bao Zhong is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a younger brother of Bao Xin, and participated in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. He led a cavalry unit against Dong's forces of about 5,000 men...
, Zu Mao
Zu Mao
Zu Mao was a military general serving under the warlord Sun Jian during the late Han Dynasty period in China. He was one of the first four generals of Sun Jian and set out with Sun Jian to fight Dong Zhuo....
, Yu She
Yu She
Yu She is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a military general serving under the warlord Yuan Shu. During the Battle of Sishui Pass against Dong Zhuo's forces, Yu volunteered to fight Dong's general Hua Xiong...
and Pan Feng
Pan Feng
Pan Feng is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a military general serving under the warlord Han Fu of Ji Province .-Biography:...
– Hua seemed indomitable. Despite mistrust from many warlords of the coalition, Guan Yu, a mere mounted archer then, volunteered to duel Hua Xiong. To convince them to grant him an opportunity, Guan announced that he would give up his head to the coalition if he failed to defeat Hua. Cao Cao, one of the coalition leaders, was impressed with Guan's bravery and poured him a cup of warm wine, but Guan declined, claiming that he would be back soon. Moments later, Guan returned with Hua Xiong's head as promised, and gulped down the wine, which was still warm.
Alarmed by Hua Xiong's death, Dong Zhuo had Li Jue and Guo Si
Guo Si
Guo Si , also known as Guo Duo , was a general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He assisted Dong in his many campaigns, and was placed under Dong's son-in-law after Dong relocate the imperial capital to Chang'an...
guard Sishui Pass with 50,000 men while he himself went to Hulao Pass
Hulao Pass
Hulao Pass is a mountain pass northwest of Xingyang, Henan, China. It is the site of many historical battles, being the eastern guard for the capital Luoyang for several dynasties. With Mount Song to the south, the Yellow River to the north, the pass holds up a formidable defense...
with Lü Bu
Lü Bu
Lü Bu was a military general and later a minor warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. According to the Records of Three Kingdoms, Lü Bu was highly-skilled in horse-riding and archery, and was thus nicknamed "Flying General"...
with a force of 150,000. Seeing this, the coalition then turned around to attack Hulao Pass, hoping to strike Dong Zhuo directly.
Battle of Hulao Pass
Eight coalition leaders were sent to confront Lü Bu at his camp in front of Hulao Pass. Wang Kuang was the first to strike, and Lü Bu led 3,000 men to meet Wang. Fang Yue
Fang Yue
Fang Yue is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a military general serving under the warlord Wang Kuang. Wang was one of the members of the coalition against Dong Zhuo. When the coalition faced Dong's forces at the Battle of Hulao Pass,...
, one of Wang's generals, rode out to duel Lü Bu but was soon killed by him. Lü Bu continued on, dashing Wang's army apart. Zhang Yang's general Mu Shun, Kong Rong's general Wu Anguo (武安國), and Gongsun Zan, consecutively took turns to fight Lü, but none of them was able to win - Mu Shun was slain; Wu Anguo lost a hand; Gongsun Zan retreated.
Riding forth on his steed, the Red Hare
Red Hare
Red Hare was Lü Bu's horse during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Historical records only mention the horse when Lü Bu temporarily became a subordinate of Yuan Shao, where he charged and defeated the armies of Zhang Yan while riding the Red Hare...
, with halberd in hand, Lü Bu taunted for more challengers to duel him. Wielding his Serpent Spear, Zhang Fei galloped out to fight Lü Bu. Neither could gain an advantage over the other for more than 50 bouts. Then Guan Yu, brandishing his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, dashed out to assist his oath brother. The three fighters were engaged in another 30 bouts or so when Liu Bei, holding up his Twin Swords, also joined in the fray.
Like a merry-go-round, the three brothers galloped in a circle caging Lü Bu inside. Unable to face the combined efforts of his three opponents, Lü then made a feign at Liu Bei and retreated through the resulting gap back to the pass gate. The trio pursued Lü but were unable to catch up as the Red Hare was faster than their horses. They turned their attention to Dong Zhuo after spotting him, but were unsuccessful in the chase.
Battle of Xingyang
In light of his recent defeat, Dong Zhuo asked his aide Li RuLi Ru
Li Ru, style name Wenyou , was a scholar and advisor to the warlord Dong Zhuo during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a native of Heyang , Pingyi , located in the capital province Sili .-Biography:...
for advice. Li responded that the whole army should retreat to Chang'an, bringing Luoyang's citizens and the imperial court with them. Dong Zhuo applauded the idea, and, despite heavy objection, carried on with the move, and razed Luoyang to the ground. Zhao Cen
Zhao Cen
Zhao Cen is a fictional character in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He was a military general serving under the warlord Dong Zhuo. He participated in the Battle of Sishui Pass and Battle of Hulao Pass against a coalition force led by Yuan Shao. When Dong moved the...
, the guard for Sishui Pass at the time, abandoned the pass once he knew of Dong Zhuo's retreat.
The coalition pressed on to Luoyang, where Sun Jian ordered his men to put out the fire while the warlords settled in the former capital, which was now in ruins. Cao Cao proposed to pursue Dong Zhuo's retreating army, but was rejected by Yuan Shao, who said that their troops needed rest. Cao ignored Yuan and proceeded to lead his own men in pursuit of Dong Zhuo.
At Xingyang, Cao Cao encountered Lü Bu and they engaged in fighting, but Dong Zhuo's other generals Li Jue and Guo Si appeared from behind Cao and surrounded him. Cao's forces were eventually overwhelmed and retreated. As Cao Cao's troops were preparing to settle for the night, Dong's general Xu Rong launched a surprise attack and routed Cao's camp. During his escape, Cao Cao was hit in the shoulder by an arrow and lost his horse; however, due to the heroics of Cao Hong
Cao Hong
Cao Hong was a military general of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He started his career during the late Han Dynasty under the warlord Cao Cao, who was also his cousin.-Early career:...
, Cao Cao was able to return safely to the coalition headquarters. Xu Rong gave chase to Cao Cao but was intercepted by Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun
Xiahou Dun was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Cao Cao's original family name was Xiahou, but his father Cao Song was the adopted son of the eunuch Cao Teng, so Xiahou Dun and Cao Cao share blood relations...
and killed. Dong Zhuo's remaining forces then left Xingyang to follow their lord to Chang'an.
Dissolution
While restoring order in Luoyang, Sun Jian was alerted by his men that there is light faintly emitting from a well. He ordered to retrieve whatever was in the well, and they found a dead woman with the Imperial SealImperial Seal of China
The Imperial Seal of China, or the Heirloom Seal of the Realm is a Chinese jade seal carved out of the He Shi Bi, a historically famous piece of jade.-Creation:...
in a silk bag around her neck. As advised by Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu
Cheng Pu was a military general serving under the warlord Sun family of Eastern Wu for three generations during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history.-Early service under Sun Jian:...
, Sun kept the Seal for himself and warned his men not to reveal anything about the discovery.
Unfortunately for Sun Jian, one of his soldiers went and told Yuan Shao about it, and was heavily rewarded. During a meeting on the following day, Sun cited health problems as a excuse to return to Changsha, to which Yuan remarked sarcastically, "I know you're ill because of the Imperial Seal", causing Sun to be stunned. After rounds of accusations and denials, Yuan Shao and Sun Jian's men drew swords in preparation for a fight, but the conflict was defused by the rest of the coalition members. Sun then quickly fled from Luoyang with his men. In anger, Yuan Shao sent a letter to Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
of Jing Province, asking Liu to intercept Sun on the way and take him into custody. This gave rise to the conflict between Sun Jian and Liu Biao, which eventually culminated in the death of Sun at the Battle of Xiangyang
Battle of Xiangyang (191)
The Battle of Xiangyang in 191 was a battle fought between Sun Jian and Liu Biao during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Liu Biao emerged victorious against Sun Jian's forces...
.
The next day, Cao Cao returned to the main camp from his defeat in Xingyang. He lamented at the lack of motivation within the coalition and left as well. Gongsun Zan told Liu Bei, "Yuan Shao is an incapable leader, and together there will be strife, we should leave", and so they also pulled their forces from the alliance and retreated north. Seeing everyone had dispersed, Yuan Shao dismantled the camps and led his army back to his base.