(8) No longer playing along with the leaders
Not long after, Han Sui once again joined forces with Ma Teng, fought back, still under the resounding banner of "clearing the court of corrupt officials." Unfortunately, Dong Zhuo was too fierce and once again defeated the two.
Good news reached the court, and so the court held a celebration and commendation meeting. At the meeting, leaders at all levels spoke one after another, saying: ‘The unrest on the border is more or less taking shape. Han Sui and Ma Teng are nothing more than mere grains of rice, without any brilliance to shine. But the problem is that this Dong Zhuo is outrageous. Today he wins a battle, tomorrow he achieves military merit. Shouldn't our court show some acknowledgment, at least a token gesture? But this fellow keeps accumulating military achievements endlessly, forcing us to continuously reward him. We've given him all the silver—so what do we eat?
We can't let Dong Zhuo keep doing this. If this continues, the country will no longer be a country!' The crowd shouted loudly.
But how should they act to end Dong Zhuo's mischief? Everyone pooled their ideas and finally decided to use the method they had used against Cao Cao: promote him publicly while demoting him privately, thereby stripping Dong Zhuo of military power. Without military authority, he wouldn't dare achieve further military merit.
Historical records state that Dong Zhuo's power grew day by day, and he no longer obeyed the court's control. In order to deal with him, the court transferred him to the office of Shaofu, intending to take away his military authority.
So what exactly is this Shaofu position?
Shaofu, originating in the Warring States period and continuing through the Qin and Han dynasties, was one of the nine ministers. It oversaw taxes from mountains, seas, and fertile lands, as well as the manufacture of the royal household's handicrafts—it was the emperor's private treasury… This position was similar to the modern role of a director of the national tax bureau combined with the director of the commerce bureau.
The messenger delivered the imperial decree, and before leaving, Dong Zhuo's reply arrived.
In his letter, Dong Zhuo said: ‘Respected leaders at all levels, upon receiving the new appointment, I am full of spirit, roll up my bedding, and prepare to set off. I have made a silent vow in my heart not to disappoint your nurturing and to work hard at my new post, achieving new meritorious deeds. But just as I was about to leave, the soldiers blocked my way. One by one, they cried like rivers of tears, saying: the court has delayed the soldiers' pay, and the transported military grain has never arrived due to interrupted roads. Now the soldiers and their families are so hungry that their bodies are pressed together, their eyes darkened from hunger. The soldiers, while crying and pleading, clutched my clothes, refusing to let me take up the new post.'Dear leaders at all levels, I, Dong Zhuo, will carry out orders without compromise once I receive them. Before executing the orders, I will first comfort these soldiers who are starving to death. Once they are pacified, I will certainly come—don't miss it…” Everyone read Dong Zhuo's reply over and over again: what does it mean? What on earth did Dong Zhuo mean by this? What else could it mean? Dong Zhuo just doesn't want to play along with the leaders anymore! But why is that? He is no longer the impulsive, naive youngster who would kill an ox to entertain guests; he is also no longer the passionate soldier who distributed every single coin of the court's rewards to his men without keeping any for himself. Back then, Dong Zhuo's mind was extraordinarily simple. And the reason for that simplicity was his youth—he could afford to take losses! When he killed the only ox in his household, he did not expect that the generous Qiang warriors would immediately repay him with thousands of livestock. When he distributed all the silks awarded by the court to the soldiers, he may not have had the thought of receiving an immediate return. It was just that he was young and skilled in martial arts at the time, with plenty of youth to squander. Therefore, he was open and selfless. But now, the cost of life has been almost fully paid, and inevitable aging has gripped him. The decline of his physical strength has made his once agile body increasingly sluggish. Now his only capital is the power in his hands—the iron-blooded army willing to obey his orders. If he were to hand over his military power, what would Dong Zhuo have left? Nothing at all! Young people can't afford to lose because they do not know their own youth; older people can't afford to lose because they know their own aging. Dong Zhuo is no longer the Dong Zhuo of the past, but the empire is still the same as before. This contrast in understanding sets history onto an inevitable path: defiance! Moving the army to Hedong, Dong Zhuo calmly observes the changes in the situation, waiting for his own dominance!