Dong Zhao 董昭

Dong Zhao was nominated as Filial and Incorrupt and served as Chief of Yingtao and Prefect of Boren, then became Army Adviser (canjunshi) to Yuan Shao. When Yuan Shao was fighting Gongsun Zan at Jieqiao and Li Shao, Administrator of Julu, and others wanted to go over to Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao put Dong Zhao in charge of Julu; Dong Zhao forged a proclamation from Yuan Shao, beheaded Sun Kang and several dozen others who had led the plot, and then soothed and settled the commandery. Next, as acting Administrator of Wei Commandery, he used the bandits' envoys as spies and attacked them where they were unprepared, defeating them every time. Records, Wei 14 §45–47

His younger brother Dong Fang was in Zhang Miao's army, and when Zhang Miao fell out with Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao listened to slander and was about to charge Dong Zhao with a crime. Dong Zhao set out to join Emperor Xian, but was detained by Zhang Yang in Henei and made Chief Commandant of Cavalry. When the Grand Progenitor, then governing Yan Province, wanted passage through to Chang'an, Dong Zhao, saying that 'Cao Cao is weak now, but he is truly the hero of the realm,' persuaded Zhang Yang to pass on the Grand Progenitor's memorial to the court and recommend him, and he also wrote letters on the Grand Progenitor's behalf to Li Jue, Guo Si and others. When the emperor was at Anyi, he went to him and became a Gentleman-Consultant. Records, Wei 14 §48–49

In the 1st year of Jian'an (196) the emperor returned to Luoyang, but Han Xian, Yang Feng, Dong Cheng and Zhang Yang could not get along with one another. Dong Zhao wrote a letter in the Grand Progenitor's name to Yang Feng, who had the strongest army but few allies, saying, 'I have provisions, and you, General, have soldiers.' Delighted, Yang Feng together with the other generals memorialized to make the Grand Progenitor General Who Guards the East and to let him inherit the title of Marquis of Fei Precinct. Dong Zhao became Prefect of Tallies and Seals. Records, Wei 14 §50–52

At Luoyang the Grand Progenitor had Dong Zhao sit beside him and asked his advice. Dong Zhao said that the generals would not necessarily obey, so there was no choice but to move the imperial carriage to Xu, and that 'only by doing extraordinary things are extraordinary achievements made.' To the Grand Progenitor, who was worried about Yang Feng, he said that if he told Yang Feng, 'There is no grain in the capital, so I intend to escort the carriage to Luyang for a while,' Yang Feng, brave but short on forethought, would not suspect anything. When the carriage was moved to Xu, Yang Feng, his hopes dashed, turned to plundering and was put down by the Grand Progenitor. The Annals of Emperor Wu also record that Dong Zhao and others urged him to make Xu the capital. Records, Wei 14 §53–56Records, Wei 1 §39

In the 3rd year of Jian'an (198) he became Intendant of Henan. When Zhang Yang was killed by his subordinate general Yang Chou (楊醜), Dong Zhao went into the city alone, talked to Zhang Yang's Chief Clerk Xue Hong and others, and got them to surrender that same day, and he became Governor of Ji Province. When the Grand Progenitor had Liu Bei block Yuan Shu, Dong Zhao said that Liu Bei was brave and ambitious, with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei as his wings, so his true intentions could not be gauged. When Liu Bei killed Che Zhou, Inspector of Xu Province, and rebelled, Dong Zhao became Governor of Xu Province, and when Yuan Shao sent Yan Liang, he was transferred to Administrator of Wei Commandery and followed the campaign against Yan Liang. Records, Wei 14 §56–57

During the siege of Ye, he wrote to Yuan Chunqing, a member of Yuan Shao's clan who was inside the city, urging him to change sides. After Ye was pacified he became Counsellor Remonstrant (jianyi dafu). When Yuan Shang took refuge with Tadun of the Wuhuan and the Grand Progenitor was about to campaign against them, it was Dong Zhao's proposal to dig the two canals Pinglu and Quanzhou to reach the sea and carry provisions. The Grand Progenitor memorialized to enfeoff him as Marquis of Qianqiu Precinct and made him Libationer of the Army under the Minister of Works. Records, Wei 14 §58–63

Dong Zhao proposed establishing the five ranks of nobility according to the ancient system. When the Grand Progenitor said it was not a matter for a subject to decide, Dong Zhao said that since antiquity no one who had achieved merit like his had remained long in the position of a subject, and urged him to secure his foundation with land and people. The later receipt by the Grand Progenitor of the titles of Duke of Wei and King of Wei was all first planned by Dong Zhao. Xun Yu's biography records that in the 17th year of Jian'an (212) Dong Zhao and others secretly sounded out Xun Yu about the rank of duke of a state and the Nine Bestowments, and Xun Yu opposed it. Records, Wei 14 §64–66Records, Wei 10 §42

When Guan Yu besieged Cao Ren at Fan, Sun Quan sent an envoy saying he would make a surprise attack on Guan Yu and asking that the secret be kept. The ministers all said it should be kept secret, but Dong Zhao said they should agree outwardly and leak it inwardly. His reasons were that if Guan Yu went back the siege would be lifted and they could set the two enemies against each other and wait for them to wear each other out; that if the generals in the besieged city did not know help was coming they might have second thoughts; and that Guan Yu, being stubborn and fierce, would rely on the defenses of his two cities and not withdraw quickly. When Xu Huang shot Sun Quan's letter by arrow into the besieged city and into Guan Yu's camp, the morale inside the city rose a hundredfold, and Guan Yu hesitated, lost his two cities and was defeated. Records, Wei 14 §67–69

When Emperor Wen became king, Dong Zhao became Court Architect, and when he ascended the imperial throne, Grand Herald, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of You District; in the 2nd year of Huangchu (221) he was transferred to Palace Attendant. In the 3rd year of Huangchu (222), when Cao Xiu memorialized that he would sweep through the land south of the Yangtze, Emperor Wen worried that he would cross the river straight away, but Dong Zhao said that Zang Ba and the other generals were already rich and noble and would not take risks, so Cao Xiu's resolve would collapse of itself. Records, Wei 14 §70–71

When Xiahou Shang, attacking Jiangling, wanted to camp on a sandbar in the middle of the river and go back and forth by a pontoon bridge, Dong Zhao memorialized that this was extremely deep, dangerous and narrow, things military men avoid. Emperor Wen had Xiahou Shang and the others hurriedly withdraw, and ten days after the army came out, the river suddenly rose. Emperor Wen said that even Zhang Liang and Chen Ping could have done no better. In the 5th year of Huangchu (224) his fief was changed to Marquis of Chengdu District; he became Minister of Ceremonies, then Household Grandee and Supervisor of the Palace (jishizhong), and in the 7th year (226) Minister Coachman. Records, Wei 14 §73–77

When Emperor Ming took the throne, Dong Zhao's rank was raised to Marquis of Leping and he was transferred to Minister of the Guards. In the 4th year of Taihe (230) he became acting Minister over the Masses, and in the 6th year (232) he was formally made Minister over the Masses. He memorialized that the young men no longer took learning as their foundation but devoted themselves to socializing and forming cliques, and Emperor Ming issued a stern edict dismissing Zhuge Dan, Deng Yang and others. According to the Annals of Emperor Ming, Dong Zhao, Minister over the Masses, died in the 5th month of the 4th year of Qinglong (236). He was eighty-one; his posthumous title was Marquis Ding, and his son Dong Zhou succeeded him. Records, Wei 14 §77–81Records, Wei 3 §26 · 45

In his assessment, Chen Shou said that Cheng Yu, Guo Jia, Dong Zhao, Liu Ye and Jiang Ji were remarkable men of their age in talent, strategy and planning, and that although their achievements in honest governance and virtuous conduct differed from those of Xun You, in devising plans and making estimates they were of his kind. Records, Wei 14 §158