Novel scene
The Han Emperor Deposed, the Prince of Chenliu Enthroned 廢漢帝陳留踐位
About this event
The Han Emperor Deposed, the Prince of Chenliu Enthroned is the former scene of the Chapter 4 title of the Romance, "The Han emperor is deposed and the Prince of Chenliu ascends the throne; plotting against Dong Zhuo, Mengde presents a sword," and it brings Dong Zhuo Enters the Capital to a close. It portrays the course of events after Yuan Shao fled to Ji Province, from Dong Zhuo deposing the Young Emperor in the Jiade Hall on the first day of the 9th month to make him Prince of Hongnong and setting up the nine-year-old Prince of Chenliu, Xie, to his then killing the Young Emperor and Empress He. Romance, Ch. 4 §1 · 4–5 · 9 · 17
The biography of Dong Zhuo in Chen Shou's text also records that Dong Zhuo deposed the emperor to make him Prince of Hongnong, soon killed the Prince of Hongnong and Empress He, and set up Emperor Ling's young son the Prince of Chenliu; this was Emperor Xian. Records, Wei 6 §8
In the Romance
At the start of Chapter 4 of the Romance, Yuan Shao, still holding his precious sword, takes leave of the hundred officials, hangs his tally on the East Gate and flees to Ji Province, and Dong Zhuo obtains consent to the deposition from the Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, Yuan Shao's uncle. When Zhou Bi and Wu Qiong say that if Yuan Shao is hotly pursued he will surely cause an uprising, Dong Zhuo makes Yuan Shao Administrator of Bohai that same day. Romance, Ch. 4 §1–3
On the first day of the 9th month Dong Zhuo brings the emperor to the Jiade Hall, gathers the civil and military officials and, sword drawn, has Li Ru read the decree. The decree declares that the emperor is frivolous and was negligent in mourning, that the Empress Dowager lacks a mother's instruction and that there are suspicions about the sudden death of the Empress Dowager of Yongle; then, citing the virtue of Xie, Prince of Chenliu, it deposes the emperor to make him Prince of Hongnong. The emperor takes off the imperial seal and its cord, kneels facing north and calls himself a subject, and the Master of Writing Ding Guan, who strikes Dong Zhuo with his ivory tablet, is dragged out and beheaded. The Prince of Chenliu was then nine years old; the era name is changed to Chuping and Dong Zhuo becomes Chancellor of State. Romance, Ch. 4 §4–10
When a poem the Young Emperor, confined in the Yong'an Palace, wrote on seeing a pair of swallows is presented to Dong Zhuo, Dong Zhuo, calling it a poem of resentment, sends Li Ru. When Li Ru offers the poisoned wine, Concubine Tang asks to drink it in his place, Empress He blames He Jin's recklessness, and the Young Emperor and Concubine Tang compose and sing songs and weep in each other's arms. Li Ru throws Empress He down from a tower, strangles Concubine Tang, and kills the Young Emperor by forcing the poisoned wine down his throat. Romance, Ch. 4 §12–17
After that Dong Zhuo enters the palace every night to violate the palace women, and in the 2nd month, in the Yangcheng area, he slaughters all the villagers gathered for the sacrifice to the earth god, hangs over a thousand heads from his carts and boasts of a victory over bandits. When Wu Fu, Colonel of Garrison Cavalry, stabs at Dong Zhuo with a dagger hidden inside his court robes and is seized by Lü Bu, dragged out and killed, Dong Zhuo from then on always goes in and out escorted by armored guards. Romance, Ch. 4 §18–22
Where the Romance differs
The setting of the deposition: In Chapter 4 of the Romance, Li Ru reads the decree in the Jiade Hall on the first day of the 9th month, and the Master of Writing Ding Guan dies after striking Dong Zhuo alone. The biography of Dong Zhuo in the Records records that, citing a long drought, Dong Zhuo had the Minister of Works Liu Hong dismissed and took his place, then moved on to Grand Commandant and at last deposed the emperor; the date, the decree and Ding Guan do not appear. Romance, Ch. 4 §4–7Records, Wei 6 §8
The deaths of the Young Emperor and Empress He: In Chapter 4 of the Romance, Li Ru, using the Young Emperor's poem as a pretext, kills Empress He, Concubine Tang and the Young Emperor in turn. The biography of Dong Zhuo in the Records says only that after the deposition "before long he also killed the Prince of Hongnong and Empress He," and the Annals of Emperor Wu record this as happening after Cao Cao went back east. Romance, Ch. 4 §13–17Records, Wei 6 §8Records, Wei 1 §6
The affair at Yangcheng: In Chapter 4 of the Romance, Dong Zhuo himself leads troops out of the city and reaches the Yangcheng area. The biography of Dong Zhuo in the Records says that Dong Zhuo sent troops to Yangcheng, and records that the severed heads were brought in through the Kaiyang city gate and burned. Romance, Ch. 4 §18Records, Wei 6 §9
Written by 3KDEX (not yet reviewed) — The tags at the end of each paragraph link to the exact passage in the Records volume or Romance chapter it is based on.