The biography of Cao Cao: at the crossroads. Emperor Lin's death and Dong Zhuo's takeover (188-189 a. d.)

The article presents the second part of the comprehensive biography of Later Han warlord Cao Cao, based on his biography in «Sanguo zhi» chronicle by Chen Shou and Pei Songzhi and history texts of «Hou Han shu» by Fan Ye and «Zizhi tongjian» by Sima Guang. Before the Later Han crisis of 189 A. D., Cao Cao proved himself to be an ambitious young man with ample military talents. However, his methods of administrative control and zeal in procuring official matters in time of peace had quickly earned rejection of the regional magnates and local officials. In 188 A. D., one year before Emperor Ling’s demise, Cao Cao was recalled from his reclusion, and appointed an officer in a newly organized «Western garden unit» of royal guards’ corps together with other young officials. Cao Cao was in the capital city of Luoyang when Emperor Ling had passed away and witnessed the process of staging up a coup against eunuchs, which was accelerated by his old friend Yuan Shao. Their immediate superior, the Commander-in-Chief and regent He Jin, was reluctant to make harsh moves and, also, was rebuked by his sister, the Empress dowager, who was the mother of the young new Emperor Shao. As a result of Yuan Shao’s activities, a big frontier army had arrived to the capital and the plot got out. Eunuchs killed He Jin and, by doing so, initiated a large-scale mutiny against them among the army leaders. In the confusion the young Emperor Shao and his little brother Xie were abducted by a group of eunuchs, who made an escape out of the capital but were captured and killed. The Emperor returned to the palace, just when the frontier general Dong Zhuo, called in by He Jin and Yuan Shao, entered the capital with his army. Shortly after, he managed to win over most of the late regent’s troops, deposed Emperor Shao and enthroned his younger brother Liu Xie. Such actions of the general pushed Yuan Shao, Cao Cao and other commanders to fly from the capital and Dong Zhuo’s tyrannical authority and start summoning the rebel army. The pathetic speeches, which were ascribed to Cao Cao by ancient chronicles at this crucial period, were most probably the result of pure fiction of their authors, but their contents in general do match the character of the hero. Cao Cao’s attitude towards eunuchs and his actions against general Dong Zhuo were typical for the young representative of local magnates.