194-195: THE FATE OF DONG HUANG
Dong Huang had managed to end the war before the rebels reached Luoyang, but he had done so by accepting the demands of Guo Si and Lü Bu, recognizing that they were now free of the his authority. While he hoped that he would be praised for saving the capital from pillage, and at the same time save face, he soon realized that his position was in fact irredeemably damaged at court. To many, he had proven that he was a coward who couldn’t defeat the rebels, a man incapable of protecting the Dynasty. Some who had accepted him as the compromise candidate between his uncle’s followers and those that murdered Dong Zhuo began to wonder why they still followed him. After all, most of said generals had just broken away from the imperial government. Any attempt to spin the current situation in a positive light backfired, and soon Dong Huang began to fear that he was critically isolated in the Imperial Capital.
Thankfully, he could still count on court etiquette to at least force the people to show him respect in public. They might be grumbling in private, but it wasn’t like they were going to publicly talk him down, right? It was a good thing too, as the Emperor was becoming hard to manage. He was now complaining about Dong Huang’s decisions and actually considering that his Chancellor needed to listen to him. The teenage brat somehow thought he had real authority. Hadn’t he learned anything by now? He was supposed to be a good obedient puppet and nothing else! With his court possibly talking behind his back and his puppet now showing a mind of his own, Dong Huang was getting more and more nervous. But he was shocked when one day an official came forward with a petition to the Emperor, asking for the Chancellor’s removal from office. Dong Huang was present when the petition was handed, a clear show of how much bolder his opponents had become. As the Emperor’s co-regent, Dong Huang was able to refuse it, but was spooked by this event, especially as his co-regent Yang Biao did nothing to stop this whole affair.
This event had been engineered by
Jiang Xian, who wanted to use this to test the waters, to see how much support there would be to the removal of Dong Huang. And who knew? Maybe this little scheme was going to work? Of course, it hadn’t worked like that, but the fact that no one jumped forward to defend Dong Huang was a good sign that the Chancellor had lost most of his support. The fact that Yang Biao hadn’t done anything to help Dong Huang was a good sign that the alliance their group had with him would soon come to an end. Shisun Rui, who was in attendance when the petition was presented, quickly linked this whole scene to his fellow conspirator. Unlike Jiang Xian, he wasn’t amused by this, and feared that this would lead Dong Huang to retaliate blindly. He even went so far as visit Jiang Xian at his home that night, demanding that he be quieter and less ostentatious from now on. Critically, however, he did not told Jiang Xian to stop.
Now feeling his power falling out of his grasp, Dong Huang consulted with his main advisor, the eunuch Sui Boneng. Dong Huang was afraid that courtiers were trying to undermine his power, that the court might get rid of him if he didn’t do something. He had to betray his uncle to get here, and he wasn’t going to let it go that easily. Sui Boneng, who realized the fragile situation Dong Huang was in, gave him the advice to dispel the doubts with a swift series of reforms and new laws. By reforming the imperial government to finally root out the corruption and restore righteousness, he would reaffirm his position in the eyes of the court. The Confucian scholars might even become his staunchest allies if he went that path. He needed to prove that while he was not a war Chancellor, he was definitively the right man for the job. He needed to be so unreproachable that it would silence his opponents. But Dong Huang didn’t listen to most of the advice. After all, he was the one behind most of that corruption. The only thing he would clean would be his last allies, which would leave him defenseless. That part about silencing his opponents, though…
In mid-October 194, a few weeks after the end of the war, Jiang Xian summoned his fellow conspirators Yang Biao and Shisun Rui to his home. Officially, this was just an invitation for friends to drink tea. After all, Jiang Xian was still renowned for his tea, even if his duties left him with little time to train his craft. But the meeting of these three high ranking officials was obviously political. It was during that meeting that Jiang Xian really began to push forward the idea of getting rid of Dong Huang like they had done with Dong Zhuo. He had already began talking with other officials and he was convinced that there would be support for such move. Yet Jiang Xian soon realize that both of his allies had issues with this idea and weren’t on board like he had hoped.
Yang Biao believed that they would be able to remove him through legal means. The Emperor would be an adult in a few years. Soon he would be able to remove his problematic chancellor. Jiang Xian tried to convince him that they needed to save the Emperor from Dong Huang, but Yang Biao refused to hear any more talks of what he saw as treason. Shisun Rui was far more open to the idea, but did point out the many issues they had to face. Since the death of Feng Fang, the palace’s guard was no longer under their sway, and it was unlikely they would regain it anytime soon. They also didn’t know if the provincial officials would support them with an army like last time. Niu Fu didn’t seem like the kind of man to support such actions. And finally, they lacked a “Dong Huang” to open them access to the inner circles of the Chancellor. So to Jiang Xian’s annoyance, he was told to drop this before Dong Huang heard of it.
But as it turned out, Dong Huang did hear of it. Like many plots and conspiracies before, someone spilled the bean and told the Chancellor that Jiang Xian was meeting with his allies and other officials. Wrongfully believing that Yang Biao was the mastermind behind it, he decided to act decisively against his co-regent. Forging proofs of Yang Biao’s desires on the throne, he was able to convince the Emperor to write two edicts for him. The first one summoned Yang Biao to the palace for an urgent audience with the Son of Heaven. Loyal as he was to the Dynasty, Yang Biao presented himself without worries, even if Shisun Rui warned him that this might be a trap. As soon as he stepped in, the palace guards seized the co-regent and executed him. As they moved to cut his head, Yang Biao screamed
“Wait! I came to see the Emperor! This is a mistake!” The second edict, which condemned Yang Biao and his clan as traitors to the Han, was soon posted throughout the city. While all members of the Yang Clans were condemned to death, only Yang Biao was present in Luoyang at the time, his son and relatives thus escaping his gruesome fate.
Yang Biao’s associates were quick to realize that this sudden execution only marked the start of Dong Huang’s crackdown against his opponents. Guards and imperial agents were sent throughout the city to arrest and imprison all of Yang Biao’s allies and associates at court. The Chancellor hoped that he could arrest them all in one swoop, after which he would condemn them through a sham trial which would secure his hold on the capital. Everyone who believed themselves targeted were quick to pack their bags and make a run for it. As the minister of Justice, Shisun Rui was quickly made aware of things to come when his own arrest order landed on his desk. He was quick to dispose of it, which gave him the time to flee Luoyang and join his holdings in Sili Province. On his way, he sent envoys to all administrators and magistrates of the province, telling them of Dong Huang’s tyrannic hold on the capital and the Emperor. Niu Fu was the first to rally Shisun Rui’s banner against the Chancellor, but not the last. Within a week, most of Sili Province was in revolt, to Dong Huang’s horror.
Jiang Xian wasn’t as lucky as his associate. While he was among the firsts to learn of Yang Biao’s death, he hoped that this would allow him to rally others so they could make a move against Dong Huang. This useless attempt to act would cost him his window of opportunity to flee the capital. He attempted to reach a gate to escape, but his height made him noticeable and he was quickly apprehended as he made a detour to his home, unaware that his wife and daughter had already fled. Jiang Xian was dragged away with the other officials and thrown into a jail cell. He had hoped that his high-ranking position in the imperial government would ensure that he was treated well, but he was thrown in a simply cell like any criminal. His attempts to have an audience with Dong Huang to explain himself were also refused. The Chancellor had no time for him. No, Dong Huang had already decided that Jiang Xian would rot in his cell until the end of the revolt, when he would be executed along the other rebels.
Dong Huang was horrified to learn that his Grand Commandant Yao Xu had been captured by the rebels on his way to the capital. A survivalist, the barbarian had found it wise to simply surrender and not try to run. This meant that Dong Huang had to rely on Duan Wei. In normal times, Dong Huang would have no issue with this. But he had become suspicious of his general during the war with Guo Si, suspecting that the man had deliberately botched the war due to his ties with the rebellious generals. And with the recent betrayals from the courtiers and officials, the Chancellor’s paranoia was more rampant than ever. Yet Duan Wei was one of the few generals still loyal to him, for better or worst.
Xu Rong, the former Commandant of Lü Bu who had switched side, was quick to notice that they barely had 800 men to their army. Meanwhile, the rebels had a few thousands to throw at them. Adding to that was the fact that they only controlled Luoyang, the former western capital of Chang’an and some territories in the west, and their situation looked dire, if not doomed. Xu Rong was also made nervous by Dong Huang’s current paranoid purges. Had he switched side to save his life from Lü Bu’s wrath, only to die at Dong Huang’s hands? He told his fears to Duan Wei, telling him that they were too good to die for Duan Wei. But Duan Wei did his best to calm him down. Ever since the campaign against Guo Si, Duan Wei’s ego had skyrocketed due to his newfound authority with the troops. He promised his fellow commander that at the end of this war, they would come out on top, convinced of his military skills.
Meanwhile, Niu Fu was linking up with Shisun Rui. Shisun Rui was especially pleased to have managed to rally such a hero to his cause. Niu Fu’s had become something of a hero among the people loyal to the Han, where he was praised for his loyalty to the Dynasty in this time of selfish ambitions. His presence by his side would ensure that they would win on the battlefield against the Chancellor’s forces. Niu Fu was important enough to the rebels’ propaganda that Shisun Rui actually worked with him on the official declaration he would send throughout the Dynasty. He needed to explain why he was revolting against the Chancellor after all, so having parts of the text coming from such a virtuous man would ensure that they had the people on their side.
When Niu Fu finally arrived, he brought two surprising news with him. The first was that he had actually defeated a small force while on his way. It had been a quick battle, and he only lost one man during the fighting while he managed to kill 118 enemies. This was great news, as Shisun Rui was aware of Dong Huang’s manpower issue. Cutting that many troops was a great achievement for their cause. The second news was far less joyful, however. While on the run, Diaochan and her daughter had reached Niu Fu, who took them under his protection. Since Jiang Xian wasn’t with them, Shisun Rui guessed that his colleague hadn’t been able to make it out of the capital. With Heaven on their side, maybe they could take the Capital before Dong Huang decided to execute him, if it wasn’t done already.
It was in late December that the rebel force arrived in sight of the walls of Luoyang. A small mist had made it hard for the defenders of the city to notice their slow but sure approach. By the time the mist dissipated, the people of the capital could see the full extend of the force coming for them. Shisun Rui could only smile as he saw the city. While Niu Fu was certainly the better general, Shisun Rui was the one who started the uprising. As its head, he had to be the one in command. And with Yang Biao dead and Jiang Xian’s fate unknown, he was now positioned to be the highest ranking official at court once Dong Huang was removed. Cementing his position as leader now would ensure that there wouldn’t be some opportunistic general to take control of the Emperor. So Shisun Rui ordered the assault on Luoyang, ready to defeat Dong Huang and save the capital.
And then Duan Wei defeated them.
The defenders had been drilled and prepared by Duan Wei and Xu Rong and were ready when the enemies arrived. Meanwhile, the rebels banked on their numerical advantage, outnumbering Duan Wei’s troops four to one. So when they faced surprising resistance while attacking the walls, Shisun Rui’s men panicked. They had expected an easy victory, but it seemed like their enemies would fight to the bitter end. They began to flee in panic, which led to more deaths and wounded. In the end, it resulted in the death of 115 soldiers. This might seem insignificant until compared to the 19 troops lost by Duan Wei and his defenders. So while this was a short engagement, it went straight to Duan Wei’s head, and soon everyone looked at him as the genius who had achieved an impossible victory. Even in the rebel camp his unexpected exploit would be acknowledged, with Niu Fu saying to his men
“We entered battle without realizing it was already under General Duan’s control.”
Dong Huang was certainly quick to reward Duan Wei over his successful defense of the Imperial Capital. Only a few days before, the Chancellor had been expecting his enemies to swarm into the palace and kill him. In fact, when a messenger was sent by Duan Wei to announce the victory, he found Dong Huang hiding behind a curtain. He actually had to explain that he was sent by Duan Wei, not the rebels, that no, it was not a trap, and that yes, Duan Wei had emerged victorious.
Overjoyed, Dong Huang spent the next weeks showering Duan Wei with promotions and honors. He appointed him General who Protects the Empire and Marshal of the Imperial Capital. Soon after, he was given the seal of the Grand Commandant, making it clear that Duan Wei was now the top military officer of the imperial army. Duan Wei was also made Marquis of Youfufeng by the Emperor himself. Finally, he gave him many administrative positions in the western territories still loyal to the capital. This included Chang’an, the former Han capital. The reason for this was that Dong Huang hoped to possibly make a run for it there, abandoning Luoyang to the rebels and regrouping in the older capital. The Chancellor still wished to remain here and defeat the rebels, of course, but it didn’t hurt to have a plan B.
Meanwhile, the rebel force fled the surroundings of the capital to regroup up north, still shaken by what had just happened. Even with their righteous cause and their superior army, they had still lost to Duan Wei. Shisun Rui was understandably shaken by this setback. If they could lose this, what guaranteed they wouldn’t lose the next battle? Or the war? Thankfully, the noble and righteous Niu Fu was able to convince him to keep his spirit high. Yes, it had been a setback, but they couldn’t start doubting now. The Emperor still needed their help. Dong Huang still needed to be removed. Shisun Rui, seeing the effect Niu Fu’s words had on everyone, continued to play the depressed so that Niu Fu would continue to inspire the men. Shisun Rui was eventually “convinced” by the general’s words and proclaim once against that they would free the Emperor, together. Niu Fu, now clearly an equal in this relationship, was quick to train the troops for another battle. This time however, they took their time to prepare a strategy, and it was only in February 195 that they marched against Luoyang for the final confrontation…
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Most people would expect that being tall would have been an advantage in life. Yet, every time his size came into his life, it was as a disadvantage. When Dong Zhuo took over, he had always been afraid that his height would get him noticed and sent to his death. Thankfully, he had survived the fat warlord, but it didn’t do anything other than make him stand out more. His size was even the reason why he was in this dimmed lit cell, with cold stones under him and the sounds of the guards walking upstairs stopping him from sleeping. But now he had realized one of the most basic problems with his size: he was far too long for the straw bed they had given him. In his home, he had always had a large bed to make sure he was comfortable. His attempts at crawling himself over it had only sent straws all over the floor and damaged his only mean to rest. He had asked the guards for another bed, but they didn’t care.
The fact that the guards had finally changed his bed only made Jiang Xian more worried however. He feared that it meant Dong Huang would execute him soon. Still, it felt good to sleep on a “comfortable” bed for once. When he had been thrown in, he was wearing his court outfit, so he had been using them as drapes when he slept. The stone floor was cold at time. Thankfully, he still had his shoes, which was not the case of all the prisoners. He heard many of them complain about their cold feet, or complain about the smell. The smell. At times it was horrendous. The buckets each prisoner had been given tended to smell, and since the cells were often close, he had to smell what everyone produced. Thankfully, this was something the guards changed often.
How long had it been since he had been arrested by Dong Huang’s men? Jiang Xian could only wonder. How many of them had been caught? That he didn’t know. Many, if the number of voices on this floor were any indication. He could only guess they had all been associated one way or another with him or his former partners. He had hoped that they could help him remove the Chancellor from power, yet here they were, horded up like cattle awaiting slaughter. At times, he had wondered who was close to him, but it proved a difficult task. Other than the occasional torches on the walls, the dim daylight was the only thing chasing the darkness, and it was barely enough to see in his cell. As for their voices, he didn’t recognize them. It didn’t help that some of them started dropping dead, their health unable to handle their current situation.
He envied them, in a way. He knew that his body was strong enough to make him live. He would not escape whatever punishment Dong Huang had for him. Death, surely. The only question was which kind. Would he have to watch his wife and daughter die before him? He could only guess that they had also been captured. The thoughts of what happened to everyone always filtered their way into his mind. What had happened to his family? Had Shisun Rui escaped? Was everything they had all worked for doomed? He couldn’t decide what had broken his spirit more: the realization of what fate awaited him or the fact he was kept in the dark from what was happening. After all, he had expected to be kill swiftly, yet here he was, still alive, sitting uncomfortably on his straw bed.
He looked at the grey ceiling and sighted. How could it have gone so wrong? He had done it all for the Emperor, to save the Han! Why hadn’t Heaven been on his side? Or was it because his intentions weren’t as pure as he might have thought? His time in his cell had left Jiang Xian with a lot of time to think. He had begun to question if he hadn’t given himself priority. After all, everything he had done so far had advantaged him. So he began to wonder. Had he put himself first because he
“Get up!” screamed a guard.
“W-what?”
“I said get up!”
Jiang Xian did as he was ordered and stood up. From what he could see of himself, his dress was a mess, full of dirt and straws covering it. Still, he did his best to straighten his clothes as best as he could in these circumstances. The guards, who clearly wished to rough him up a bit, stopped when they noticed his size. Feeling a bit intimidated, they actually backed down.
“We’re taking you to the Chancellor.” one of them said, taking out cuffs to put on Jiang Xian’s wrists.
“Oh.” he said in a passive tone.
So it was time. He wasn’t sure how to feel right now. He wondered how he was about to be executed when the guards dragged him out of the prison building, tugging the rope tied to his cuffs. Sometimes, the other guard gave him small shoves, as if he needed to assert his authority over the taller man. They dragged him in the streets and led him inside the palace’s courtyard, where palace guards took over and dragged him into the court, bringing him in the throne room. He was pushed on his knees by one of the guards, right in front of the Chancellor.
“Remove the cuffs off this brave man.” he ordered in a calm voice.
Jiang Xian’s eyes widened when he heard this voice. It wasn’t Dong Huang.
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When he learned in mid-February that the rebel forces would be back to Luoyang in a week, Duan Wei first thought that he could pull out another miracle victory like he had done previously. Xu Rong was quick to bring him back to reality though. They had only won last time because their discipline and fierceness had caught the enemies by surprise. Surely, rebels would have spent the last month preparing for the next fight. Duan Wei was forced to realize that they would likely lose the incoming battle. Yet he had all this authority, this power, these titles… He was now a hero among the troops and the people of Luoyang for saving the capital. And with all that Dong Huang had given him as a reward, he was actually far more powerful than the Chancellor.
After a few hours of thinking, Duan Wei made the only choice he could think of, the only option he saw to retain power and evade the coming defeat. On the morning of February the 15th, 195, Duan Wei appeared in front of his troops, flanked by Xu Rong and other loyal officers. He then ranted against the tyranny that plagued the palace, that had led loyal servants of the throne into this dire situation. There had been a call to save the Emperor from Dong Huang. It was about time that they answered it. On his orders, the troops then left the walls and occupied the capital. They made their way to the inner palace with their commander at their head. By the time they arrived the palace was mostly undefended, most guards having abandoned their post when they learned of the soldiers approaching. Those that loyally remained to their posts were slaughtered, as were many officials who wrongly attempted to calm the men.
Dong Huang learned of this and panicked. He sent envoys to Duan Wei demanding an explanation and asking for the troops to return to their barracks, but the envoys were killed. Now reasonably fearing for his life, the Chancellor left everything behind and tried to make a run for it with his wife and concubines. But the palace was surrounded and they couldn’t escape. In a last ditched effort to survive, Dong Huang attempted to hide in the imperial quarters with the Emperor. But one official successfully bargained his life by snitching on him. Soldiers barged into the quarters to find the Chancellor cowering behind the teenage Emperor, who was himself livid at the sight of the armed men. Duan Wei had the decency to come in and reassure the Emperor before dragging the Chancellor outside. Dong Huang screamed as he was dragged out, pleading Duan Wei to spare him. Duan Wei then asked the Emperor to appose his seal on a decree he had written a few hours before his coup. Spooked, but smart enough to realize the situation, the Emperor obliged.
With a decree to validate his coup and subsequent purge in hand, Duan Wei had Dong Huang beheaded down the steps of the palace, right where his uncle had fell four years before. This time though, it was ensured that no member of the Dong Clan survived this regime change. Dong Huang’s uncle and cousins were all tracked down and slaughtered, as well as their in-laws. Officials who were considered part of Dong Huang’s inner circle were also put to death. This included, to the cheers of many, the eunuch Sui Boneng, who died for the crime of attempting to help his master be a better ruler. Many officials who had been close to Don Huang in his struggle with Dong Zhuo’s murderers were able to escape the purge by pledging their loyalty to Duan Wei, who happily offered them his clemency. For his “cleaning of the corruption”, the Emperor “rewarded” Duan Wei by making him his Chancellor, a position which the general quickly accepted.
Now Chancellor, Duan Wei quickly dispatched messengers throughout the realm, proclaiming:
“The villain Dong Huang has been slayed and his corrupt regime has been destroyed. Imperial power has been restored thanks to the effort of his Excellency Duan Wei, Chancellor of the Han and righteous liberator of the Imperial Capital.” Needless to say, the rebels were surprised and unsure how to handle this new development. While Shisun Rui didn’t trust their enemy to suddenly be their friend, his rebellion quickly lost its wind as most of his allies chose to return home, satisfied with this turn of event. After all, hadn’t Duan Wei just done what they wished to achieve? Niu Fu, who had previously fought side-by-side with Duan Wei, was certainly satisfied with this outcome. To sweeten the deal, Duan Wei even released all Shisun Rui’s allies that had been imprisoned by Dong Huang, including Jiang Xian.
Seeing that there would be no point in continuing the fight, Shisun Rui grudgingly accepted the change and made his way to the capital. But to his surprise, he was met by messengers of the new Chancellor telling him that he shouldn’t go. He was instead to report to the provincial posts he had. These counties needed to be administrated after all, right? So… you go do that. The former Chief Censor was smart enough to understand that refusing to comply might lead to him never reaching Luoyang alive, and so turned back. Meanwhile, Jiang Xian and the other released officials soon discovered that their influence was greatly diminished. They were welcomed to stay and be part of the court, of course. Duan Wei was happy to see them here… just not nowhere close to any real power. These posts were filled by officials Duan Wei could count on, if it hadn’t been given to his officers as a reward. For example, Xu Rong found himself the new Grand Commandant, and Niu Fu, a commander Duan Wei wanted to rally by his side, was given a chosen place among his advisors. So the nephew of Dong Zhuo was finally gone, replaced by one of his former generals. And this one seemed to hold all the cards.
