[Forwarded] Biography of Dong Zhuo in the Three Kingdoms (Chapter 1)

(1) The Tragic Heroic Knight
The ten great military titans were single-handedly brought together by a young knight.

On the Taihang Ridge, three feet of snow fell; in the hero's embrace lay three feet of iron. This young knight harbored lofty ambitions, traveling alone with his sword, wandering across the world. The leaders of Qiang tribes on the frontier had heard much of his name and admired him greatly. Unfortunately, though the young knight was full of heroic spirit, he was empty-handed and short of money. Before long, he spent all the silver he had and had no choice but to return home and take up the hoe to farm the land.

Hoeing the crops under the midday sun, sweat dripped into the soil beneath the grains. Just as the young knight successfully transformed into a young farmer, he saw in the distance along the courier road, where dust was rising, a continuous stream of Qiang warriors, each carrying spears and broadswords, coming to seek out the young knight, willing to follow him and achieve a great undertaking.

Moved by these sincere Qiang warriors, the young knight put down his hoe and returned home with the followers. He borrowed some wine from his neighbors, but there was no meat. What to do? The young knight grit his teeth, made a firm decision, drew his knife, and with a swift stroke, skewered the plowing ox to the ground. Without skinning or removing the hair, he threw it whole into the pot and boiled it, preparing to serve the warriors who had come to him.

When the beef was cooked, the young knight held up a cup of wine, tears brimming in the corner of his eyes, and said to the warriors who had come to follow him: "Brothers, my brothers, you have left your homes and livelihoods, traveling thousands of miles to join me, Dong Zhuo, because you respect me. I really want to… truly want to lead you all to achieve something great in these chaotic times. But, my brothers, you can see that I, Dong Zhuo, am penniless, both hands empty! If you follow me, where will your food come from? Where will your drink come from? The clothes you wear, where will they come from? I am incompetent! Brothers, I am grateful for your kindness. After drinking this cup of wine, you should go back. I, Dong Zhuo, am powerless. Forgive me, my brothers…" Before he finished speaking, tiny tears, the size of beans, fell fluttering into his wine cup.

The distant Qiang warriors looked on in stunned disbelief, shaking their heads and saying, "Alas, what is this? Dong Zhuo, your bravery is extraordinary, and you wander the world with your sword. We thought you were capable, which is why we traveled so far to join you, but we never expected you to be so poor that you can't even feed yourself."Alas, while the beef was still hot, everyone hurried to eat it; once finished, they would go for a walk...

As they spoke, the warriors crowded around the pot, eating both the meat and the broth, each vying to have more than the other. Afterward, everyone, satisfied and full, dispersed in a commotion. Only the lonely Dong Zhuo remained, guarding an empty pot, sitting aside with a gloomy expression and silently shedding tears.

That day, he did not go out to plow the fields.

Nor did he the next day.

For many consecutive days afterward, Dong Zhuo just sat in the empty courtyard, his face full of despair and cursing the heavens in his heart. Oh, heavens, you are so unfair. I, Dong Zhuo, harbor great ambitions, yet simply because the family has no money, a hero has nowhere to prove himself. What kind of world is this?

While he was in such indignation, suddenly he saw in the distance a rising cloud of dust, as if countless soldiers and horses were coming this way in an endless stream. Surprised, Dong Zhuo climbed onto the roof, hand shading his eyes, and when he focused to look, he was instantly stunned.