Chapter Fifteen: Heroes Compete for Hegemony

  Last time it was mentioned that Dong Zhuo believed Li Su's words and went to Chang'an City to prepare for the abdication of Emperor Xian of Han!

  Dong Zhuo emerged from Mei Wu and boarded his carriage, surrounded by attendants in front and behind, heading towards Chang'an. Before they had traveled thirty miles, the wheel of the carriage suddenly broke, and Dong Zhuo had no choice but to dismount and ride a horse instead. After traveling less than ten miles further, the horse let out a loud whinny and snapped its reins. Dong Zhuo felt a sense of foreboding in his heart and asked Li Su, "The wheel of my carriage broke, and the reins of my horse snapped - what omen is this?" Li Su saw that Dong Zhuo was suspicious and thought for a moment before responding, "This is an auspicious sign that you will ascend to the throne and discard the old to take on the new, riding in a jade carriage with golden saddles." Dong Zhuo was delighted and believed Li Su's words. The next day, as they were traveling, a strong gust of wind suddenly arose, and dark clouds obscured the sky. Dong Zhuo asked Li Su, "What omen is this?" Li Su had already thought of a response to this question from the previous incident and immediately replied, "This is an auspicious sign that you will ascend to the dragon throne, with red light and purple mist to awe the heavens." Dong Zhuo was once again delighted and did not suspect anything. When they arrived outside the city, all the officials came out to welcome him, except for Li Ru, who was ill at home and could not come out to greet them. Dong Zhuo entered the prime minister's residence, where Lü Bu came to pay his respects. Dong Zhuo said to Lü Bu, "When I ascend to the throne, you will be the Grand Marshal of all the empire's armies." Lü Bu thanked Dong Zhuo and said, "May my emperor live for ten thousand years!" Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and personally helped Lü Bu up, then rested in front of his tent. That night, a group of children sang a song outside the city walls, which was blown into the camp by the wind. The lyrics went: "The grass is green, how can it be so? Ten days have passed, but I still cannot live!" The singing was mournful and sorrowful. Dong Zhuo heard this and once again felt a sense of foreboding in his heart, asking Li Su, "What does this children's rhyme portend?" Li Su had already dealt with two previous incidents and now responded to Dong Zhuo even more smoothly, saying, "This is simply a phrase that means the Liu family will be destroyed and the Dong family will rise."

  The next day, at dawn, Dong Zhuo led the procession into the palace. Suddenly, a Taoist appeared, wearing a green robe and white scarf, holding a long pole with a piece of cloth tied to it, on which were written two "mouth" characters. Dong Zhuo saw this and thought of his previous encounter, so he asked Li Su, "What does this Taoist mean?" Li Su feared that Dong Zhuo would react, so he quickly said, "He's just a madman." He ordered the soldiers to drive him away.

  Dong Zhuo entered the palace, where all the officials were dressed in their court attire and greeted him along the way. Li Su held a precious sword and accompanied the carriage as it proceeded. When they reached the North Gate, the soldiers blocked the entrance, but only about twenty people, including the imperial carriage, were allowed to enter.

  Dong Zhuo saw Wang Yun and others standing at the palace gate, each holding a precious sword, and asked Li Su in surprise, "What do they mean by holding swords?" Li Su didn't respond, but instead ordered the carriage to proceed directly. When Wang Yun saw Dong Zhuo arrive, he shouted loudly, "The rebel has arrived! Where are the brave warriors?"

  Over a hundred people emerged from both sides, holding halberds and spears, and stabbed at Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo was desperate to save his life, so he had made a precious armor that he wore day and night without taking it off. Generally, swords and spears couldn't penetrate the armor, but they injured Dong Zhuo's arm.

  Dong Zhuo fell from the carriage and fled, shouting, "Where is my son Lü Bu?" Lü Bu emerged from behind the carriage, scolding Dong Zhuo loudly, saying, "Today, I have an imperial edict to punish the rebel!" With one thrust of his spear, he stabbed Dong Zhuo in the throat. Dong Zhuo couldn't avoid it and was killed by Lü Bu's Heaven-Slaying Halberd.

  Li Su cut off Dong Zhuo's head and held it in his hand. Lü Bu held the halberd in his left hand and took out the imperial edict from his right sleeve, shouting loudly, "I have an imperial edict to punish the rebel minister Dong Zhuo! The rest of you are not to be blamed!" All the officials shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

  Later, people composed a poem lamenting Dong Zhuo's fate: "When he succeeded in his ambitions, he became an emperor or king. If not, he would have been just a wealthy gentleman. Who knew that Heaven's will is impartial and without bias? The city of Mei was already doomed to destruction."

  But then Lü Bu suddenly shouted: "Those who assisted Zuo in his tyranny were all Li Ru! Who can capture him?" Li Su responded and volunteered to go. Suddenly, a shout was heard outside the palace gate, and someone reported that Li Ru's family slaves had bound Li Ru and brought him to surrender. Wang Yun ordered him to be taken to the market and executed; he also displayed Dong Zhuo's head in the streets. Because Dong Zhuo's corpse was fat, the soldiers who watched the corpse used fire to burn his belly as a lamp, and oil flowed all over the ground. The people passing by all threw stones at his head and trampled on his corpse. Wang Yun also ordered Lü Bu, along with Huangfu Song and Li Su, to lead an army of 50,000 to Mei Tao to confiscate Dong Zhuo's property and capture his family members.

  But Li Jue and Guo Si, upon learning of Dong Zhuo's death and Lü Bu's impending arrival, led the Flying Bear Army to flee to Longzhou overnight. Lü Bu arrived at Meiwo and first took Diao Chan. Huangfu Song ordered the release of all the innocent women and children who were being held captive in the city. However, those who were related to Dong Zhuo, regardless of age, were all executed. Dong Zhuo's mother was also killed. Dong Zhuo's brother Dong Min's son and nephew Dong Hua were beheaded as a warning to others. The spoils of war from Meiwo included tens of millions of taels of gold, hundreds of millions of taels of silver, countless silks, jewels, utensils, and food supplies. A report was sent back to Wang Yun. Wang Yun then issued an order to generously reward the soldiers, hosted a banquet at the capital hall, summoned all officials, and toasted to celebrate.

  During the banquet, a man came to report: "Dong Zhuo's body is exposed in the market, and suddenly someone is crying over his body." Wang Yun heard this and became very angry, saying: "Dong Zhuo has been punished, and everyone is celebrating; who dares to cry for him?" He immediately called the guards and said: "Quickly, bring that person here!" Soon, the man was brought before them. All the officials were shocked to see that it was none other than Cai Yong, the Imperial Secretary. Wang Yun scolded Cai Yong, saying: "Dong Zhuo was a rebel, and his punishment is a great fortune for the country. You are an official of Han, but instead of celebrating with the country, you cry for the rebel; why?" Cai Yong knelt down and said: "Although I am not talented, I know what is right. How could I betray the country and follow the rebel Dong Zhuo? I only cried because of a momentary feeling of familiarity, and I know it was wrong. Please forgive me; if I can continue to write the history of Han as punishment for my crime, it would be a blessing for me." All the officials pitied Cai Yong's talent and tried to save him. Taifu Ma Midi also secretly told Wang Yun: "Cai Yong is a rare talent in this world. If he can continue to write the history of Han, it would be a great thing. Moreover, his filial piety is well-known; if we kill him hastily, we will lose the people's trust." Wang Yun did not listen and said: "In the past, Emperor Wu did not kill Sima Qian, but instead let him write history, which led to slanderous books spreading in later generations. Now, with the country's fate declining and the government in chaos, we cannot let a sycophant hold the pen near the young ruler, so that we will be ridiculed." Ma Midi had no words and retreated, privately telling the officials: "Wang Yun has no future! A good person is the standard of the country; writing history is the norm of the country. If we destroy the standard and abandon the norm, how can it last?" At this time, Wang Yun did not listen to Ma Midi's words and ordered Cai Yong to be imprisoned and executed the next day. When the scholars heard about it, they all shed tears. Just then, a man came to report: "Han Xing Emperor Liu Bei has sent an envoy to request an audience!" Wang Yun ordered him to come in; the envoy was none other than Huang Quan, Liu Bei's messenger. Wang Yun asked Huang Quan: "What brings you here today?" Huang Quan replied: "I have been ordered by my lord Han Xing Emperor to invite Cai Yong to enter Shu and become the teacher of Li Yu's son!" Wang Yun was in a difficult position and said: "Cai Yong has been imprisoned for crying over Dong Zhuo, and I plan to execute him tomorrow." Huang Quan heard this and thought it would not do; Liu Bei had repeatedly instructed him to invite Cai Yong. After thinking carefully, Huang Quan told Wang Yun: "Although Cai Yong's actions were wrong, your punishment is also too severe. There is a poem that says: 'Dong Zhuo abused his power and was cruel; why did the Imperial Secretary lose his life?' I beg you to pardon him this time." Many officials also pitied Cai Yong's talent and advised Wang Yun to spare his life. Wang Yun thought carefully and felt that it would not be good to offend Liu Bei at this time, so he nodded in agreement: "I will spare his life for the sake of your lord and the many officials here, but he must leave Chang'an before noon tomorrow." Huang Quan thanked him and met with Emperor Xian of Han, who also comforted him. Then he ordered Huang Quan to convey his thoughts to Liu Bei. The next day at noon, Huang Quan led Cai Yong and his family back to Yi Province.

  The Emperor Xian of Han was in a precarious situation, and Li Jue and Guo Si fled to the west overnight, sending someone to Chang'an to petition the emperor for forgiveness. Wang Yun saw this and said: "In the past, Dong Zhuo's arrogance was all due to these two men; now that there is a great amnesty throughout the land, why should we not forgive these two men?" The messenger returned to report to Li Jue. Li Jue saw him and said: "If seeking forgiveness does not work, then each of us can escape on our own." Advisor Jia Xu said: "Gentlemen, if you abandon your army and flee alone, even a small village head can bind you up. Why not gather the people of Shaanxi and combine them with your own troops to attack Chang'an and avenge Dong Zhuo? If we succeed, we will follow the imperial court to rectify the world; if we do not win, it is not too late to flee." Li Jue and Guo Si agreed with his words and spread rumors in Shaanxi that "Wang Yun wants to slaughter all the people of this region!" Everyone was shocked. Then they spread another rumor saying: "It's pointless to die without a fight; who can follow me in rebellion?" Everyone wanted to follow them. They gathered tens of thousands of people, divided into four routes, and attacked Chang'an. Along the way, they met Han Sui and Ma Teng, and Jia Xu borrowed troops from them before joining forces with Li Jue and Guo Si to attack Chang'an. Li Quan ordered the borrowed Western Liang troops to be the vanguard. The tens of thousands-strong army advanced in succession. Wang Yun heard that the Western Liang army was coming and consulted with Lü Bu. Lü Bu said: "Don't worry, sir. These people are nothing but mice; what can they do?" He led Li Su's troops out to fight the enemy. Li Su fought bravely against Guo Si, but Guo Si could not withstand him and fled in defeat. Unexpectedly, that night at the second watch, Guo Si took advantage of Li Su's unpreparedness and launched a surprise attack on his camp. Li Su's army was thrown into chaos, and they retreated more than thirty miles, losing half their troops. They came to see Lü Bu, who was furious and said: "You have ruined my momentum!" He wanted to behead Li Su and hang his head at the military gate. Fortunately, many officers dissuaded him! The next day, Lü Bu advanced his troops to fight against Guo Si. Guo Si could not withstand Lü Bu's attack and fled in defeat once again. That night, Guo Si called his trusted advisor Hu Che'er to discuss matters: "Lü Bu is a fierce warrior; we cannot defeat him. Why don't we wait for Li Jue's troops to arrive and then surround the city together? If we do not win, we can escape." Hu Che'er agreed.

  The next day, Lü Bu led his army forward and encountered Li Jue's troops. Lü Bu did not wait for them to form a battle line, but instead charged forward with his spear, leading his army in a direct attack. Li Jue's army was unable to withstand the assault and retreated more than 50 miles, setting up camp at the foot of a mountain. They invited Guo Si and Jia Xu to come and discuss how to deal with Lü Bu together. Jia Xu said to Guo Si and Li Xian, "Although Lü Bu is brave, he lacks strategy and is not worth worrying about. I will lead my army to guard the valley entrance and every day lure him into a fierce battle. General Guo can lead his army to attack from behind, using the tactics of Peng Yue disrupting Chu. We will sound the drums to advance and beat them to retreat. If you trust me, I will personally lead one route and take a direct path to Chang'an. Their front and rear will be unable to support each other, and they will certainly suffer a great defeat." Everyone adopted his plan.

  Lü Bu's army arrived at the foot of the mountain, and Li Jue led his troops to challenge them. Lü Bu was enraged and charged forward, but Li Jue retreated up the mountain. The mountain was filled with arrows and rocks, making it impossible for Lü Bu's army to advance. Suddenly, a report came that Guo Si was attacking from behind, so Lü Bu hastily turned back to fight. Just as the drums were beating loudly, Guo Si's army had already retreated. Lü Bu was about to withdraw his troops when the sound of gongs echoed, and Li Jue's army arrived again. Before they could engage in battle, Guo Si led his troops to attack from behind once more. When Lü Bu arrived, he beat the drums and withdrew his troops again. This repeated for several days, with Lü Bu unable to fight or stop fighting. In the midst of his anger, a flying horse suddenly reported that Jia Xu was leading two routes of troops to attack Chang'an. The capital city was in urgent danger. Lü Bu hastily led his troops back, but Li Jue and Guo Si attacked from behind. At this time, Lü Bu had no intention of fighting and only focused on retreating, losing many soldiers and horses along the way. When they arrived at the foot of Chang'an City, the enemy's army was like a dark cloud, surrounding the city walls. Lü Bu's army fought unfavorably, and many soldiers were afraid of Lü Bu's cruelty and defected to the enemy. Lü Bu was deeply worried about this.

  After several days, Li Jue's remnants in Chang'an City colluded with the rebels and opened the city gates at night. Jia Xu and Li Ru, along with tens of thousands of rebel soldiers, poured into the city. Lü Bu fought valiantly but was unable to hold them back. He led a few hundred cavalrymen to the Qingyang Gate and urged Wang Yun to flee, saying: "The situation is critical! Please, Your Excellency, mount your horse and leave with me through the pass, so we can devise another plan." Wang Yun wept and said: "If I am fortunate enough to bring peace to the country, that would be my greatest wish. If not, then I, Wang Yun, will die for my country. To flee in times of danger is not something I would do. Please thank the lords of the east for me, and urge them to work tirelessly for the sake of the nation!" Lü Bu repeatedly tried to persuade him, but Wang Yun refused to leave. Before long, flames engulfed the city gates, and Lü Bu was forced to abandon his family and flee with over a hundred cavalrymen, joining Yuan Shu.

  Li Jue and Guo Si led their troops to plunder the city. The officials who died in the disaster included Taichang Gongzi Fan, Tai Pu Lu Wei, Da Honglu Zhou Xuan, Chengmen Xiaowei Cui Lie, and Yue Qi Xiaowei Wang Qi. The bandits surrounded the inner court, and the situation was urgent. The attendants asked the emperor to go up to the Xuande Gate to calm down the chaos. Li Jue and others saw the yellow canopy, stopped their soldiers, and shouted "Long live!" Emperor Xian leaned on the building and asked: "You did not wait for the memorial to be presented, but entered Chang'an, what do you want to do?" Li Jue and Guo Si looked up and replied: "Dong Taishi was a minister of Your Majesty's altar, and he was killed by Wang Yun's conspiracy without reason. We came to avenge him, not to rebel. But seeing Wang Yun, we will retreat." Wang Yun was beside the emperor at that time, heard this and stood up to memorialize Emperor Xian: "I originally made plans for the country. Now that things have come to this point, Your Majesty cannot spare me, so as to mistake the country. I ask to see the two bandits below." Emperor Xian hesitated and was reluctant in his heart. Wang Yun jumped down from the Xuande Gate building and shouted: "Wang Yun is here!" Li Jue and Guo Si drew their swords and angrily rebuked: "What crime did Dong Taishi commit to be killed?" Wang Yun said: "The crimes of Dong Ze are as high as the sky, and cannot be spoken of! On the day he was executed, the people of Chang'an all celebrated, haven't you heard?" Li Jue and Guo Si said: "Taishi had a crime; what crime did we commit, but you won't forgive us?" Wang Yun scolded the two: "Why do you need to talk so much, you rebels! Today, I, Wang Yun, will die!" The two bandits raised their hands and killed Wang Yun under the building. Historians have a poem praising him: "Wang Yun's plan was clever, Dong Zhuo was finally at rest. He had hatred for his family and country in his heart, and worries about the temple hall on his eyebrows. His heroic spirit connected with the sky and Han, his loyalty and integrity penetrated through Dou Niu. Until today, his soul and spirit still linger around the Feng Huang building."

  The bandits killed Wang Yun, and at the same time sent people to kill all the members of Wang Yun's family, young and old. The scholars and commoners were all in tears. Li Jue and Guo Si thought: "Now that we have come this far, if we don't kill the Emperor and make a big move, when will we?" They held their swords and shouted loudly, killing their way into the palace.