Chapter 1: Dong Zhuo's Demise
Strategem(s):
3. "借刀殺人" Kill with a Borrowed Knife
10. "笑裡藏刀"Hiding a Knife Behind a Smile
11. "連環計" Chain Strategems
Mastermind: The Alluring Spider
"Wenhe, I beg of you... My uncle, Marquis Zhang Ji, was treated well by Dong Zhuo. He wishes to serve him in all things. But I am well aware of what Dong Zhuo wants. Please, I need someone to help me ensure that my family can keep our heads. The world knows what Dong Zhuo has done, and I can sense anger across the land. If my clan makes one false move, we will all be dead. The late strategist Yan Zhong spoke of your wisdom. Please, help me!" Zhang Xiu, General who Establishes Loyalty, prostrated himself before a man in a blue turban.
The man snickered. "You do understand that my services come with a price?"
"I'll give you anything... Just help me protect my family!"
"Your back is certainly against the wall. But as you have stated, Dong Zhuo is a wanted man. He is on the blacklist of every feudal lord in the land, even those who might seem friendly to him! The people curse his name, and he is not destined to live for long."
The strategist slowly paced the floor in front of the prostrating general.
"You don't want him to soil your reputation, so we need to make sure that we sever your link with him, that we make sure he can never again affect the affairs of your clan. I know that Minister Wang Yun has been muttering dissent lately... He seems to forget that the corridor in front of his quarters is an ideal place for sharp ears.
"That man's been plotting with his colleagues and shares our goal. Very well: if you want to remove your family's ties with Dong Zhuo, the easiest way is to stir the proverbial pot. I will speak to Li Ru, and make certain that he thinks of Wang Yun in a positive light. Then Wang Yun can do the deed for us, and Dong Zhuo's influence will cease to plague your clan so long as you keep a low profile." The strategist grinned.
"What about my uncle?"
"What about him?"
"Can't you help him as well?"
"He acts independently of you, General, and so I cannot reliably factor him into our plans. You say that he is loyal to Dong Zhuo, so he is part of that unwanted link. I'll see what I can do about the rest of your relatives, but I don't think Zhang Ji has good odds."
"You..."
"I can, however, guarantee your safety. Or if you don't want to pay my toll I can turn around and report this conversation to Li Ru for you."
Zhang Xiu's eyes widened. "Are you threatening me?"
The strategist laughed. "Of course not, just making our deal and terms more clear. Rest assured, with this payment I'll keep you alive, but I can't guarantee that everyone else will stay alive."
Luoyang, Imperial Palace, AD 191
Li Ru, Dong Zhuo's strategist, approached the quarters of the Minister of the Interior, Wang Yun.
Some of the palace guards reported seeing messages addressed to Yuan Shao, the very leader of the Coalition against Dong Zhuo, leaving Wang Yun's quarters!
But as Li Ru neared that structure, a clerk wearing a turban appeared.
"Ah, Jia Xu of Wu Wei." Li Ru smiled politely. This clerk had provided Li Ru with advice and assistance with some legal work in the past, and had ensured that propaganda from Dong Zhuo's office would sound convincing.
Jia Xu took one look at the edict in Li Ru's hand. "Master Li, is that a memorial approving an investigation of Master Wang Yun's quarters?"
"It is." Li Ru frowned. "We have reason to believe that Wang Yun is a traitor."
Jia Xu's eyes widened, and he gasped rather dramatically. "Minister Wang Yun has served the realm with loyalty and distinction. Why, just the other day he spoke to me in private, praising your wisdom and courage in ordering the relocation from capital Luoyang. The traitor legions amass in Jinyang, Ye, and Xuzhou, but only you were wise enough to see that staying in Luoyang would make it much easier for these rebels to hurt our Emperor. How, then, can he be seen as a traitor?"
Li Ru seemed unmoved. "There are rumors that he has been voicing discontent with some of the other ministers at court..."
Jia Xu smirked, and bowed low. "Master Li, you know as well as anyone the kind of childish and foolish rumors that spread in the halls of government. Many of these ministers are drunk with power and influence, and so they turn on one another. Such men are petty and foolish, and you should not entertain their folly. Master Wang has committed much service to the state, moreso than most of these corrupt ministers, and I suggest you take Wang Yun's words over the rest of the rabble."
Li Ru rubbed his chin. "There was that rumor that one of the concubines brought a goat to her quarters... That rumor was very popular at court. Very well, I shall not enforce this memorial just yet. Perhaps it would be wise to investigate the situation further without disrupting Master Wang's work."
And while Wang Yun prepared his Beautiful Woman Ploy, Jia Xu knew that the plan could only work in tandem with his own machinations.
Lady Diao Chan became Dong Zhuo's bait, but Dong Zhuo was surrounded by loyal friends. Li Ru was Dong Zhuo's mind, but that old bastard had some muscle too.
A few days after Jia Xu intercepted Li Ru's investigation, the palace was in an uproar.
As the ministers Wang Yun and Li Su prepared to trap Dong Zhuo in the Imperial throne room, right where Lu Bu could cut him down, several of Dong Zhuo's lackeys fled to call for help.
"General Li!" One of them managed to rouse Li Jue, Dong Zhuo's chief lieutenant, from slumber.
"What is going on?" The commander yawned.
"Lord Dong Zhuo, he..."
But before the lackey could complete his statement, another hand reached out and grabbed him.
"Wha-?" The lackey shivered in a panic, only to be greeted by the smiling face of Jia Xu.
"What could you be babbling about at this hour?"
"Our lord, he- He-"
"What could he be doing other than sleeping?"
"Master Jia, could you get this fool to leave me alone?" Li Jue yawned.
"With pleasure, General."
And Jia Xu dragged Dong Zhuo's aide out of Li Jue's quarters.
"M-Master Jia? Why did you?"
"Oh why not? You nearly gave me a scare, but thankfully you failed to tell him what you knew. A great and terrible plan was underway and you almost foiled it."
"But, but I... Master D-"
Jia Xu sighed, and flicked his sleeve. A knife came out and lodged itself in the aide's throat.
"You shall remain silent, fool. You nearly ruined everything, but even so we will prevail."
And as Dong Zhuo expired in a pool of his own blood, none of his subordinates arrived in time. Jia Wenhe made sure of that.
It was surprisingly quiet, Zhang Xiu noted, as the corpse was removed from the premises.
But that quiet did not last for long.
Yuan Shao's rebel army was en route, and more threats came from within. Wang Yun, Li Su, and their supporters rushed to kill Li Ru. As someone who had a working relationship with Li Ru and Li Jue, Wang's men swept the palace, searching for the likes of Zhang Ji, Zhang Xiu, and Jia Xu.
But before Wang Yun could catch Jia Xu, the strategist snatched Zhang Xiu and dragged him to an as-yet unoccupied room.
"Master Jia, what should we do?"
"We have successfully orchestrated the death of Dong Zhuo, but Wang Yun still thinks that you are and I are in league with him. Our best option is to support Li Jue's counterattack."
"But Minister Wang...!"
"Is an honorable man who wants us dead. And so we must play both sides if we hope to live. You paid me to protect you, right?"
Zhang Xiu shivered at Jia Xu's sneer.
"Your uncle will be hunted down as well. If you wish to keep your family safe, then listen to what I have planned. We must act quickly, or death will find us."
With the announcement that they were indeed Li Jue's supporters, Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu joined General Li's army, joining the assault on Wang Yun's regiment of scholars.
Standing shoulder to shoulder, they slaughtered these thinking men. Minister Wang seemed to think that equipping scrawny researchers with swords would help them fend off armed thugs.
"General Li, the enemy continues to harass us at every turn. Even though our men can best theirs on an individual level, they have taken advantage of the chaos to go after our wives and weaker members. You should conduct a strike upon Wang Yun himself, while we shall cover your rear and flanks."
But as Zhang Xiu's men gathered themselves, there was a scream:
"You bastards torched my hometown! Enjoy that breath for it will be your last!"
Zhang Ji was an aging commander, and before he could raise his spear one of Wang Yun's men charged forth and stabbed him in the chest.
Even as he flailed his arms, sending knives everywhere, Jia Xu could only watch as his client's uncle fell in combat.
Zhang Xiu roared as he charged through the melee, slicing arms and hands as he rushed towards his uncle's killer.
Though Zhang Ji was avenged, the old commander breathed his last.
When the dust settled, Li Jue roared in triumph as his forces claimed Chang'an. Unfortunately, Zhang Ji died in the fighting, as Jia Xu predicted. Zhang Ji's wife Lady Zou, however, managed to find protection among Zhang Xiu's army.
Yet although the young Emperor was scared out of his wits, and summoned one of the last surviving ministers, Dong Cheng, to his side in a desperate gambit for protection, Jia Xu addressed the young ruler.
"You are a ruler without an army, but you just might be able to gather one. Your majesty, you are vulnerable here in Li Jue's clutches. It will be best for you to flee eastward. Luoyang might not be safe enough, but the warlords Cao Cao in Xuchang and Yuan Shao in Ye are close enough to provide you with assistance. Go to either of them, and you just might be safe."
"Why are you doing this? Your men helped kill Wang Yun!" Liu Xian, Han's last Emperor, snarled defiantly at this conniving and mysterious mind.
Jia Xu just grinned as Dong Cheng urged his young master to escape.
"What now?" Zhang Xiu asked when Jia Xu returned to his side.
"We helped pave the way for Dong Zhuo's death because we wanted you to be safe from the fighting. Your esteemed uncle is dead, but we managed to secure your aunt. Let us ask Li Jue for the post of 'Governor of Wancheng.' That city is relatively far from the fighting and reports have shown that it suffers from mismanagement. From that city, we can forge additional plans."
"Very well, Master Jia, it seems that our lives are in your hands."
AN: This tale will be historically based up to a certain turning point, from which it will be affected by the events in the prologue.
Keep in mind that the lines stated in the prologue will be significant later in the tale...
This chapter is rather short, yes, but the next few chapters will involve the war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. That will certainly be a more exciting sequence of events!