In the Imperial Court of Luoyang City, Dong Zhong's actions to eliminate dissidents escalated like a raging fire, as he ruthlessly suppressed those who disagreed with him, leveraging the power he held.
His actions became increasingly arrogant, and his attitude grew more overbearing, as if the entire city of Luoyang was under his control.
Dong Zhuo, observing Dong Zhong's daily behavior, found Dong Zhong with a worried expression and advised him, "Brother, you now bear a heavy responsibility, and your personal guards are somewhat weak, with no generals to speak of, which is truly improper.
I have many Western Liang generals under my command; I can select one or two to follow you, and you should also add more guards, lest those who are pushed to the brink do something extreme."
Dong Zhong, in his heart, never took Dong Zhuo seriously, only seeing him as a minion he could command at will.
He thought to himself with disdain, "Hmph, Dong Zhuo is merely a tool for me to use; he even wants to send his people to my side."
Yet, he said, "Zhongying, don't worry too much.
Now that I hold great power, in this Luoyang City, who would dare to harbor disloyal intentions?
Those people are merely insignificant ants; there's no need to be so nervous."
Dong Zhuo frowned and continued to advise, "Don't be careless; caution is the parent of safety."
Dong Zhong waved his hand impatiently, "Enough, stop nagging.
I know what I'm doing; you don't need to worry about my affairs."
Dong Zhuo sighed helplessly, knowing full well that Dong Zhong had no intention of adopting his advice.
Dong Zhong continued to act as he pleased, as if the world was in his grasp.
As the Dong clan's actions to eliminate dissidents became increasingly rampant, several important ministers, including Xun Shuang, Yuan Wei, and Zhang Wen, grew deeply concerned.
They secretly gathered to deliberate, jointly plotting a meticulously designed assassination attempt against Dong Zhong.
Seated together, their expressions serious and solemn, they first clearly identified Dong Zhong as the primary target of the assassination, while also preliminarily discussing potential secondary targets.
Next, they began the meticulous work of intelligence gathering, carefully collecting information on Dong Zhong's daily movements, the security measures he employed, the specific details of his personal guards, and so on, for only with such information could they formulate a more detailed and feasible plan.
Then, based on the intelligence acquired, they thoroughly discussed and ultimately determined the specific method of assassination, the precise time of implementation, and the appropriate location.
They repeatedly deliberated on how to breach Dong Zhong's layers of defense, carefully selecting suitable assassins and those who could provide assistance.
Through He Yu's recommendation, they chose Wu Fu's relative, Wu Qiong, whose family had been killed by Dong Chong, and the martial general Zhou Se, who had been severely persecuted in this purge of dissidents, as the main assassins.
Zhou Se also had soldiers under his command, including dozens of personal armored guards.
Xun Shuang, Yuan Wei, Zhang Wen, and others discussed the plan with Wu Qiong, Zhou Se, and the others.
They secretly gathered beforehand in a secluded corner near the Imperial Palace gate in Luoyang City.
Based on Dong Zhong's daily routine, they knew that Dong Zhong passed through this spot to enter the palace every day.
On the day of the operation, Zhou Se led dozens of armored guards, dispersing them in the surrounding streets, while Wu Qiong pretended to be a loiterer in the vicinity.
When Dong Zhong appeared with his guard retinue and gradually approached the Imperial Palace gate, Wu Qiong immediately gave the signal.
Zhou Se and his armored guards instantly surged out from various streets, rushing towards Dong Zhong's retinue with lightning speed.
The armored guards swiftly engaged Dong Zhong's personal guards in fierce combat, using the street terrain and their surprise attack to throw the guards into temporary disarray.
Zhou Se led the charge, holding a sharp blade and pressing directly towards Dong Zhong, while Wu Qiong assisted from the side, continuously distracting Dong Zhong's personal guards.
In the chaotic melee, Zhou Se struggled to break through the defenses, and Wu Qiong, seizing the opportunity, rushed forward with all his might, stabbing Dong Zhong with a knife, causing him to fall on the spot.
However, at that very moment, the Imperial Palace guards swiftly arrived, heavily surrounding the assassins.
Zhou Se and the armored guards fought desperately, but ultimately could not contend with the numerous guards.
The guards tightened their encirclement step by step, eventually killing all the assassins, including Zhou Se and Wu Qiong.
The scene was bloody and tragic, leaving only Dong Zhong's corpse and the fallen assassins, bearing witness to this thrilling yet tragically concluded assassination attempt.
When Dong Zhuo, upon hearing the news, rushed to the scene, the Dong Zhong before his eyes was already in a gruesome state of death, completely devoid of life.
Dong Zhong had only just begun to savor the pleasure of holding great power, but his arrogance and brazenness swiftly cost him his life.
Dong Zhuo was furious at the sight; he knew in his heart that Dong Zhong's death must have been a conspiracy by the powerful ministerial families, meaning there was no longer any possibility of reconciliation between the Dong clan's forces and the powerful ministerial families.
Anger and resentment filled his heart, and he secretly swore to act ruthlessly, showing no mercy to those powerful ministerial families and aristocratic clans, and to use the most brutal means to protect his power and status; a more tragic struggle was about to unfold in Luoyang City.
Yuan Wei, Xun Shuang, Zhang Wen, and the others never, in their wildest dreams, imagined that after meticulously planning and carrying out the assassination of Dong Zhong, they would, in effect, open an incredibly terrifying Pandora's Box, completely unleashing the long-hidden monstrous demon within Dong Zhuo.
Originally, they merely wanted to eliminate Dong Zhong, this arrogant, overbearing, and troublesome scourge who stirred up trouble in the Imperial Court, believing that this might bring stability and peace to the situation.
But who could have foreseen that this action would be like throwing a giant rock capable of causing raging waves into a calm lake?
As Dong Zhong fell, Dong Zhuo's hatred, anger, and cruelty surged forth like a bursting dam, and that long-suppressed dark force spread like a specter, sending shivers down one's spine.
Dong Zhong had long navigated the Imperial Court, immersed for a considerable time in that ever-changing, treacherous arena of power struggles.
Even when he carried out his actions to eliminate dissidents, he still knew how to find some seemingly justifiable charges to level, retaining at least a hint of the veiled and circuitous methods commonly employed in the Imperial Court.
But what about Dong Zhuo?
He was purely a martial man who only knew conquest and slaughter, having led armies on campaigns for years, with very little exposure to or experience in the Imperial Court.
Precisely because of this, his methods of action would only be more bloody and more brutal, without the slightest pretense or circumlocution.
He was like an incredibly ferocious beast, achieving his goals in the most primitive and violent way, completely disregarding delicate balances and proprieties.
In his view, only absolute power and suppression mattered, and this extremely simple and crude style of action was undoubtedly destined to bring even more tragic and turbulent consequences to the entire situation.
Dong Zhuo's revenge descended like a fierce storm, striking with astonishing speed and force.
In an instant, the families of Zhou Se and Wu Fu were swept into this bloody vortex.
Dong Zhuo's subordinates, like ravenous wolves, pounced on them, their blades falling with extreme cruelty, and the entire families were swiftly massacred amidst screams and pools of blood, without even having their names remembered, as if they had never existed in this world.
And in the solemn and dignified Imperial Court, the atmosphere became exceptionally oppressive and terrifying.
Anyone who did not actively support him, dared to openly defy him, or was simply displeasing to his eyes, would see his distorted face instantly covered in frost, and a sinister glint would flash in his eyes.
Immediately afterward, he would ruthlessly issue commands to his subordinates, and those wolf-like soldiers would rush forward like specters, mercilessly killing their targets without a word.
Their swords gleamed with cold light, each strike carrying a fatal threat, and the poor victims did not even have time to utter a final cry.
Even more cruelly, none of these people's families could escape this calamity; whether it was white-haired elders or infants waiting to be fed, all were dragged into this endless slaughter, their fates like fallen leaves in a fierce wind, fragile and helpless, only to be mercilessly destroyed in this bloody storm.
The entire Imperial Court seemed to have transformed into a living hell, permeated with the aura of death and despair.