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Dong Zhuo, courtesy name Zhongying, was from Lintao County, Longxi Commandery. He was a powerful minister and warlord of the Western Liang during the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Dong Zhuo was born in Liangzhou and liked to associate with Qiang heroes. He was known for his bravery. In his early years, he was recruited by the court as a Yulin Lang. Due to his military achievements, he was promoted to Military Commander, Langzhong, Guangwu Ling, Northern Commandant of Shu Commandery, and Commandant of the Western Regions Wuji. Later, he was dismissed from his post.

Soon after, Dong Zhuo was appointed Governor of Bing Province and Prefect of Hedong Commandery. In the first year of the Zhongping era (184 AD), Dong Zhuo was promoted to General of the Household and led the campaign against the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Han Sui, Bian Zhang and others rebelled in Liangzhou. Dong Zhuo was ordered to lead the campaign against them. For his meritorious service, he was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Taixiang and promoted to General of the Vanguard and Governor of Bingzhou.

In the sixth year of Zhongping (189 AD), Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, died, and Emperor Shao, Liu Bian, succeeded him. General He Jin plotted to eliminate the eunuchs and summoned Dong Zhuo to lead his army to the capital to defend the emperor.

Soon after, a rebellion of eunuchs broke out in the capital, and He Jin was killed. Dong Zhuo led his troops to rescue the emperor at Beiman Mountain, quelled the rebellion, and then instructed Lü Bu to kill Ding Yuan, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, thus seizing command of the capital's army.

Dong Zhuo was promoted to Minister of Works, deposed Emperor Shao (Liu Bian), and installed Emperor Xian (Liu Xie) on the throne. Soon after, he murdered Emperor Shao and Empress Dowager He, seized power, and became a powerful figure throughout the land.

Dong Zhuo was promoted to Grand Commandant and granted the title of Marquis of Mei. Soon after, he appointed himself Chancellor and seized power. In the first year of the Chuping era of Emperor Xian of Han (190 AD), Dong Zhuo wreaked havoc on the court. Various prefectures and counties raised troops to fight against Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo forced Emperor Xian of Han and his officials to move the capital to Chang'an and set fire to the palaces in Luoyang.

In the third year of the Chuping era (192 AD), Minister Wang Yun conspired with Lü Bu, a general under Dong Zhuo, to assassinate Dong Zhuo. In April of the same year, Dong Zhuo was killed by Lü Bu, and after his death, Wang Yun exterminated his entire clan. Dong Zhuo's generals Li Jue and Guo Si captured Chang'an and killed Wang Yun.

People of his time and later generations all regarded Dong Zhuo as a traitor and criticized him. For example, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, as well as Zhuge Liang, Sun Quan, Xun Yu and others all hated Dong Zhuo for deposing and installing emperors and disrupting the court. They called him a traitor who stole the power of the state, was extremely vicious, arrogant and cruel, and abused his power.

Later historians such as Chen Shou, Pei Songzhi, Fan Ye, and Hao Jing believed that Dong Zhuo's usurpation of power caused endless harm. Although he was eventually executed, he also caused the chaos that ensued at the end of the Han Dynasty.

Dong Zhuo was from Lintao County, Longxi Commandery. In his youth, he admired chivalry and traveled to the area inhabited by the Qiang people, where he met the Qiang leader. Later, he returned to his hometown to farm.

Some of the Qiang chieftains he had befriended came to seek refuge with him. Dong Zhuo invited them to his home, slaughtered his oxen to entertain them, and feasted them. The Qiang chieftains, grateful for Dong Zhuo's hospitality, gave him more than a thousand head of livestock.

Later, the prefectural government recruited Dong Zhuo as an official, tasking him with monitoring bandits within the prefecture's territory. At that time, some Hu people went out to plunder the people, and Cheng Li, the governor of Liangzhou, invited Dong Zhuo to serve as his aide, allowing him to lead cavalry to suppress the Hu people. Dong Zhuo defeated the Hu tribesmen, beheading and capturing over a thousand enemies. Duan Jiong, the governor of Bingzhou, recommended Dong Zhuo to the Three Dukes' Office, and Dong Zhuo was hired as a staff member by Yuan Wei, the Minister of Works.

At the end of Emperor Huan's reign, the court selected young men from good families in the Longxi region to serve as Imperial Guards. Dong Zhuo was selected because of his talent and bravery and was appointed as a military advisor. He followed General Zhang Huan in attacking Bingzhou and made great contributions, and was promoted to Gentleman of the Palace.

Afterwards, Dong Zhuo successively served as the magistrate of Guangwu County and the Northern Commandant of Shu Commandery; he was dismissed from office while serving as the Commandant of the Western Regions. Soon after, Dong Zhuo was summoned by the court to serve as the Governor of Bing Province and the Prefect of Hedong Commandery.

In the first year of the Zhongping era (184 AD), Dong Zhuo was promoted to General of the Household and led troops to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion; however, he was dismissed and punished for his defeat. Han Sui, Bian Zhang, and others rebelled in Liangzhou, and the court reinstated Dong Zhuo as General of the Household and ordered him to lead troops westward to suppress Han Sui.

Dong Zhuo's army was surrounded by tens of thousands of Qiang and Hu troops north of Wangyuan Gorge, and their food supplies were cut off. Dong Zhuo pretended to fish for food, and built a dam on the only way back to block the river. He secretly ordered his troops to cross the river below the dam. When the enemy arrived, Dong Zhuo ordered the dam to be dug up, and the river rose sharply, making it impossible for the enemy to cross and pursue.

At that time, the imperial court dispatched a total of six armies to Longxi to attack Han Sui. The other five armies were defeated and suffered heavy losses. Only Dong Zhuo's army retreated completely and was stationed in Fufeng County.

Dong Zhuo was rewarded with the title of Marquis of Taixiang and a fief of one thousand households for his merits. In the spring of the third year of Zhongping (186 AD), Li Xiangru, the governor of Longxi, rebelled and joined forces with Han Sui to advance and kill Geng Bi, the governor of Liangzhou.

Sima Ma Teng, a native of Fufeng Commandery and a subordinate of Geng Bi, also rebelled, joining forces with Han Sui to attack the Sanfu region. In the fifth year of Zhongping (188 AD), Han Sui, Ma Teng, and others attacked Chencang.

The imperial court then appointed Dong Zhuo as General of the Vanguard, who, together with General of the Left Huangfu Song, led troops to attack Han Sui, Ma Teng, and others.

In the sixth year of the Zhongping era (189 AD), the court summoned Dong Zhuo to serve as the Minister of the Imperial Household, but Dong Zhuo did not take office. Unable to restrain Dong Zhuo, and with Emperor Ling of Han seriously ill, the court appointed Dong Zhuo as the Governor of Bing Province, and his troops were placed under the command of Huangfu Song.

Dong Zhuo submitted a memorial stating that he was unwilling to relinquish military power and instead led his troops to garrison in Hedong Commandery, awaiting changes in the political situation. In April of the same year, Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, passed away, and the young Emperor Shao, Liu Bian, ascended the throne.

General He Jin and Commandant Yuan Shao conspired to kill the Ten Attendants who were wielding power and causing chaos in the government, but Empress Dowager He refused. He Jin then summoned Dong Zhuo to lead his troops into the capital to defend the emperor, intending to use this to coerce Empress Dowager He.

Dong Zhuo submitted a memorial impeaching Zhang Rang and others, arguing that they had become arrogant and usurped power, and should be imprisoned.

Before Dong Zhuo's army arrived, He Jin was killed by the eunuchs after his plot was exposed. Yuan Shu, the Tiger-General of the Central Army, planned to attack the eunuchs, but Duan Gui, the Palace Attendant, and other eunuchs kidnapped the young Emperor Liu Bian and Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu, and fled the capital overnight, escaping to Xiaopingjin, a ferry crossing on the Yellow River.

Upon learning this, Dong Zhuo led his army to Beiman Mountain in the northern suburbs of the capital to welcome the emperor. Liu Bian was terrified when he saw Dong Zhuo's army and could not even speak to Dong Zhuo.
Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu, told Dong Zhuo about the eunuch rebellion. Dong Zhuo believed that Liu Xie was more virtuous and capable, and that he had been raised by Empress Dowager Dong, who was also of the same clan as him. Therefore, Dong Zhuo had the idea of ​​deposing and installing an emperor.

Dong Zhuo escorted the young emperor and others back to the palace. At that time, He Jin's younger brother, General He Miao, was also killed during the turmoil in the capital. The troops led by He Jin and He Miao lost their commander and were at a loss, so they all surrendered to Dong Zhuo.

Dong Zhuo then ordered Lü Bu to kill Ding Yuan, the Commander of the Imperial Guards responsible for maintaining order in the capital, and to seize Ding Yuan's troops. As a result, all military power in the capital was concentrated in the hands of Dong Zhuo.

At that time, the country was suffering from a severe drought, and it had not rained for a long time. Dong Zhuo used this as a pretext to force the young emperor to issue an edict dismissing Liu Hong, the Minister of Works, and to take his place.

After Dong Zhuo seized control of the army and government, he proposed deposing and installing an emperor, and none of the officials dared to oppose him. Dong Zhuo then deposed Emperor Shao (Liu Bian) and made him the Prince of Hongnong, and moved Empress Dowager He to Yong'an Palace;
Soon after, Dong Zhuo murdered Liu Bian, the Prince of Hongnong, and then poisoned Empress Dowager He. Dong Zhuo then installed Liu Xie, the Prince of Chenliu, as emperor, who became Emperor Xian of Han.

Afterwards, Dong Zhuo was promoted to Grand Commandant, and was granted the imperial staff, yellow battle-axe, and Tiger Guard. He was also appointed General of the Vanguard and granted the title of Marquis of Mei.

Soon after, Dong Zhuo appointed himself Chancellor, refusing to bow when entering the court, and allowed himself to wear a sword and shoes in the palace. He also bestowed the title of Lady of Chiyang upon his mother and appointed her with subordinate officials such as Household Steward and Assistant Steward. After seizing power, Dong Zhuo ran rampant in Luoyang. He allowed his soldiers to plunder the royal family, powerful clans, and high-ranking officials, and even sent men to desecrate the Wenling Mausoleum, the burial site of Emperor Ling of Han, and steal its treasures. Dong Zhuo abused punishments and was extremely vengeful, causing fear and unease among the officials.

In addition, Dong Zhuo once sent his subordinates to inspect Yangcheng County, southeast of Luoyang. It happened to be the day when people worshiped the land god in February, and the people gathered to carry out the sacrificial activities.

Dong Zhuo's army charged into the crowd, killing all the men present. They also seized the people's carts and oxen, loaded women and valuables onto the carts, tied the severed heads to the cart shafts and axles, and drove the oxcarts back to Luoyang, falsely claiming that they had won the attack on the bandits.

At that time, Dong Zhuo trusted Zhou Bi, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Wu Qiong, the Commandant of the City Gates, and others, and appointed Han Fu, Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Zhang Zi, Zhang Miao, and others recommended by them to leave the capital and go to various prefectures and counties to serve as governors or prefects.

In the first year of the Chuping era (190 AD), Han Fu, Liu Dai and others took office and formed an alliance with Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and others, and raised troops to attack Dong Zhuo.

When Dong Zhuo heard that Han Fu, Liu Dai and others had rebelled, he believed that Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong had colluded with Han Fu and others to betray him, so he executed Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong.

At that time, Wang Kuang, the governor of Hanoi Commandery, stationed his troops at Heyang Ferry, preparing to advance on Luoyang to attack Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo dispatched a feint force to launch a frontal attack, pretending to cross the Yellow River at Pingyin, while secretly gathering elite troops to cross the Yellow River north of Luoyang at Xiaoping Ferry, circling around to the rear of Wang Kuang's army and launching a surprise attack. Wang Kuang's army was utterly defeated north of Heyang Ferry, almost completely annihilated.

The various prefectures and counties east of the Xiaoshan Mountains rose up in rebellion against Dong Zhuo, who was filled with fear. In February of the first year of the Chuping era (190 AD), Dong Zhuo ordered Emperor Xian of Han and his officials to leave Luoyang and move the capital to Chang'an.

After Emperor Xian of Han's carriage left, Dong Zhuo ordered the palaces in Luoyang to be set on fire, burning down countless government offices and civilian houses. Dong Zhuo also dug up the tombs of emperors from past dynasties and plundered the funerary treasures inside.

The following year, Sun Jian, the governor of Changsha Commandery, marched into Yangren. Dong Zhuo sent his generals Hu Zhen and Lü Bu to attack Sun Jian, but they were defeated by Sun Jian.

Fearing Sun Jian's prowess, Dong Zhuo sent his general Li Jue to Sun Jian to request peace talks, but was refused. Sun Jian then led his army to attack Dong Zhuo near Luoyang, forcing Dong Zhuo to flee and abandon Luoyang.

In April of the second year of the Chuping era (191 AD), Dong Zhuo led his troops to Chang'an, appointed himself Grand Tutor, and was known as "Shangfu". His carriages, clothing and other items were no different from those of the emperor.

Dong Zhuo then appointed his younger brother Dong Min as General of the Left and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Hu; his elder brother's son Dong Huang concurrently served as Attendant-in-Ordinary and Commander of the Central Army, in charge of commanding the defense troops of the capital; all members of the Dong clan and their relatives held important positions in the court.

When high-ranking officials and ministers saw Dong Zhuo, they had to kneel and bow before his carriage, but Dong Zhuo did not return the courtesy. He also ordered officials from the Secretariat, the Censorate, the Imperial Seal Office, and below to go to his residence to report on official business.

Dong Zhuo also built the Mei Fortress outside Chang'an, which stored enough grain to last for thirty years. On one occasion, when he went to inspect the Mei Fortress, the officials and nobles held a farewell banquet for him outside the Hengmen Gate of Chang'an.

Beforehand, Dong Zhuo ordered his men to set up tents and hold a banquet with his officials. During the banquet, Dong Zhuo ordered his guards to bring up several hundred soldiers from Beidi County who had rebelled and been lured into surrendering. Right there at the banquet, he cut off their tongues and severed their hands and feet in front of everyone. The officials and ministers were all trembling with fear at the sight of the horrific scene before them, but Dong Zhuo ate and drank as usual, as if nothing had happened.

When Dong Zhuo captured the righteous troops of the lords east of Xiaoshan who were attacking him, he wrapped the soldiers' bodies in cloths smeared with lard and then set them on fire, starting with their feet.

Dong Zhuo then captured Li Yan, an official under Yuan Shao in Yu Province, and boiled him to death in a large cauldron. A Hu person favored by Dong Zhuo, relying on his favor, acted recklessly and repeatedly broke the law. He was killed by Zhao Qian, the Commandant of the Capital Region. Dong Zhuo was furious, but out of respect for Zhao Qian, he did not punish him. Instead, he sent men to kill the Commandant of the Capital Region.

Therefore, Grand Commandant Zhang Wen had always disliked Dong Zhuo, and Dong Zhuo also hated Zhang Wen. So, under the pretext of a change in celestial phenomena, Dong Zhuo falsely accused Zhang Wen of conspiring with Yuan Shu to rebel and had Zhang Wen beaten to death with whips.

Dong Zhuo's laws were harsh, and he tolerated false accusations, leading to widespread implication and the wrongful deaths of thousands. Dong Zhuo also destroyed all the large bronze statues and bell stands in Chang'an.
The abolition of the Wuzhu coin and the minting of new coins led to economic collapse, soaring prices, and a bushel of grain selling for hundreds of thousands of coins, causing great suffering to the people.

In April of the third year of the Chuping era (192 AD), Minister Wang Yun devised a scheme to sow discord and successfully provoked Lü Bu to conspire with Minister Shi Sunrui and Lü Bu, a general under Dong Zhuo, to assassinate Dong Zhuo.

Just then, Emperor Xian of Han recovered from his illness, and the court officials gathered in Weiyang Palace to celebrate. Wang Yun and Shi Sunrui secretly submitted a memorial to Emperor Xian, and dispatched Shi Sunrui with a secret imperial edict to deliver to Lü Bu, ordering him to kill Dong Zhuo.

Lü Bu and Cavalry Commandant Li Su led more than ten warriors, disguised as guards, to ambush Dong Zhuo inside the North Gate.

When Dong Zhuo's carriage arrived at the palace gate, the horses were startled. Dong Zhuo was puzzled and intended to return home. Lü Bu repeatedly dissuaded him, and Dong Zhuo then entered the palace gate. Li Su and others immediately drew their halberds to assassinate Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo was wounded and fell from the carriage. He wanted to call for Lü Bu to save him, but Lü Bu took out an imperial edict and showed it to everyone, and then killed Dong Zhuo.

The chief clerk, Tian Yi, lunged at Dong Zhuo's corpse, but Lü Bu killed him as well. Lü Bu then ordered someone to carry the emperor's edict and display it outside the palace gates; soldiers and civilians alike were overjoyed to learn of Dong Zhuo's execution and celebrated fervently.

After Dong Zhuo's death, Minister Wang Yun exterminated his entire clan. Although Dong Zhuo was dead, his generals Li Jue and Guo Si, under the pretext of avenging Dong Zhuo, quickly led their troops in a counterattack, captured Chang'an, and killed Wang Yun and others. Lü Bu was defeated and fled.

Dong Zhuo served as General of the Vanguard, while Huangfu Song served as General of the Left. The two fought together against Han Sui, vying for credit with each other and being evenly matched.

Later, Dong Zhuo was summoned by the court to serve as the Minister of the Imperial Household and Governor of Bing Province. His army was to be handed over to Huangfu Song, which enraged Dong Zhuo. When Dong Zhuo seized power and became Grand Tutor, Huangfu Song became the Imperial Censor and paid homage to Dong Zhuo in his carriage.

Dong Zhuo, using his power to intimidate Huangfu Song, asked if he was convinced of Huangfu Song's authority. Huangfu Song replied, "I never imagined that you, my lord, would achieve what you have today." Dong Zhuo responded, "Such lofty ambitions are beyond the comprehension of sparrows."

Huangfu Song replied, "In the past, you and I were both swans, but I never expected that you would become a phoenix today." Dong Zhuo laughed and said, "If you had submitted to me earlier, you wouldn't be bowing before my carriage today."

Dong Zhuo led his army into Luoyang, with no more than three thousand infantry and cavalry. Dissatisfied with his small force and fearing the lack of obedience, Dong Zhuo secretly sent troops out of the capital's four gates at night for four or five consecutive nights, only to re-enter the city the next day with banners and drums. (End of Chapter)