The Upheaval at the End of the Han: Cao Cao's Rise and Dong Zhuo's Death

The book focuses on Cao Cao and Dong Zhuo before the third year of the Chuping era (192), with the theme “The True Faces of Usurpers.” It explores the different choices made by these two powerful late-Han ministers, who held the emperor and court in the palm of their hands, amid the chaos at the end of the Han dynasty. It also examines the complex sides of such heroes as He Jin, Wang Yun, Yuan Shao, and Yuan Shu against the backdrop of an era of great upheaval.

Dong Zhuo entered the capital, deposed the young emperor and installed Emperor Xian, taking control of the court in an attempt to resolve the ruling crisis of the Han dynasty. But his abuse of power plunged society into turmoil, and the Han realm entered a period of warlord division and military conflict. Cao Cao rose with the tide, using the campaign against Dong Zhuo to build his reputation among both the military and the people. Later, Cao Cao “held the emperor to command the lords,” portraying himself as the “protector of the court” and concealing his true face as a usurper. The Han dynasty became an empty name.

In the chaos at the end of the Han, opportunists with no principles and two-faced schemes were not the only ones who maneuvered to their advantage. Scholar-officials who claimed loyalty to the Han and said they were following the will of Heaven also disrupted the court. Their loyalty or treachery, wisdom or folly, is all concealed between the lines of the history books.