Lu Bu's Revolt occurred on 22 May 192 AD when Dong Zhuo's henchman Lu Bu, manipulated by the Han official Wang Yun, rose up against his overlord and slew him due to jealousy over his relationship with the singing girl Diaochan. Dong Zhuo's death was a watershed in the history of the late Han dynasty, as Han loyalists under Wang Yun (with Lu Bu as his puppet) rose up in a civil war against Dong Zhuo's former generals Li Jue and Guo Si, who attempted to avenge their former master.
Background[]
In 189 AD, the ruthless warlord Dong Zhuo took advantage of the violent demise of the Ten Eunuchs to seize power for himself in Chang'an, deposing Emperor Shao of Han and placing Emperor Xian of Han on the throne as his puppet ruler. Dong Zhuo reigned with an iron fist, murdering those who opposed him and amassing wealth and women through evil means. In 190 AD, a coalition was formed against him by Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and they were victorious over his armies at the gates protecting the imperial capital of Luoyang. In 191 AD, Dong Zhuo burned Luoyang to the ground and fled with the Imperial Court and the Emperor in tow, moving the capital to Chang'an, which became his new seat of power.
The Han official Wang Yun, tired of Dong Zhuo's dictatorial rule and yearning to set the Emperor free, began a conspiracy to murder the tyrant, and he sought to utilize Dong Zhuo's powerful right-hand man Lu Bu against him. He sent his adoptive daughter Diaochan, a 21-year-old singing girl, to the capital in an attempt to create a rift between the two men. He had Diao Chan betrothed to marry Lu Bu, but he also presented her to Dong Zhuo, a lascivious and brutish man who was known for his lust for women. Lu Bu was angered when he saw that Diao Chan had slept with Dong Zhuo, and, when Dong Zhuo realized feelings of love between the two, Dong Zhuo jealously barred Lu Bu from visiting his home. He later apologized to Lu Bu and gave him 300 ounces of gold and 20 rolls of brocade, but he later walked in on Lu Bu and Diao Chan having a tryst in a garden and angrily threw Lu Bu's own halberds at him as he ran away.
Dong Zhuo collided with his strategist Li Ru as he pursued Lu Bu, and Li Ru advised Dong Zhuo not to put a handmaid before his most trusted friend. When Dong Zhuo confronted Diao Chan about the incident, she claimed that Lu Bu had attempted to rape her, so Dong Zhuo decided to take her to his castle at Meiwo the next day rather than send her to Lu Bu as Li Ru had advised. Meanwhile, Wang Yun spoke with Lu Bu, saying that Dong Zhuo had corrupted his adoptive daughter and stolen Lu Bu's wife, and reminded Lu Bu that he did not even share Dong Zhuo's name, and that there was no paternal feeling when Dong Zhuo threw the halberd at Lu Bu. Wang Yun then pretended to dissuade Lu Bu from plotting to murder Dong Zhuo, but he ultimately thanked him for his decision to murder his adoptive father, saying that it would be of great service to the Han.
Revolt[]
After Emperor Xian recovered from his illness, Court Administrator Shisun Rui and commander Huang Wan (both of whom were allies of Wang Yun) sent for Dong Zhuo to return to Chang'an from Meiwo to discuss affairs. Meanwhile, they authored a secret decree authorizing Lu Bu to ambush Dong Zhuo as he entered the palace; they had the military support of Li Su, the commander of the Imperial Tiger Army, who was a neighbor of Lu Bu, and who shared his resentment for Dong Zhuo due to a lack of promotion.
Li Su and a small escort arrived at Meiwo and convinced Dong Zhuo to come to Chang'an, claiming that Emperor Xian was prepared to abdicate the throne in Dong Zhuo's favor. Dong Zhuo eagerly proceeded on to the capital, and he left Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, and Zhang Ji in command of Meiwo and promised to make Li Su commander of the capital district and Diao Chan Lady of the Palace.
When Dong Zhuo arrived in the capital, he saw the officials waiting for him, and he met with Lu Bu, promising to give him command of all of the armies of the land once he became Emperor. The next day, Dong Zhuo headed in his carriage to the reception hall in the Forbidden City, where he was confronted by Wang Yun and armed retainers. Dong Zhuo was ambushed when Wang Yun called for the "executioners" to attack, and he called for Lu Bu.
Lu Bu then said that he had a decree to deal with a rebel, and he thrust his trident halberd through Dong Zhuo's throat before Li Su hacked off the head and held it up. Li Su then had the sick Li Ru taken to the marketplace, where Wang Yun had him executed immediately.
Aftermath[]
Dong Zhuo's head was exposed in a crowded thoroughfare, and passers-by kicked and pelted his headless body, while the Imperial Court celebrated his death. Lu Bu, Huangfu Song, and Li Su were then sent with 50,000 troops to destroy Dong Zhuo's home at Meiwo, and Dong Zhuo's loyal generals fled the city for Liang Province. The Han troops slaughtered Dong Zhuo's entire family, including his aged mother, and the heads of his brother Dong Ming and nephew Dong Huang were publicly displayed alongside his own head. Dong Zhuo's death led to a civil war within his faction as those loyal to the Han dynasty fought against those seeking to avenge their master.