Chapter Fifty-One: Humiliation

The colossal pillars of the hall soared majestically, each one crowned with a dragon’s head spouting water at its base. The roof was covered with yellow glazed tiles trimmed in green, while between each pair of columns, a single carved dragon stretched out, its head jutting beyond the eaves, its tail disappearing into the hall’s summit. The roof, paved entirely with those same yellow tiles and bordered in green, bore at its center a flaming orb-like finial, around which eight iron chains connected to statues of mighty guardians. Before the hall, two grand columns coiled with golden dragons stood sentinel, and inside, the ceiling was adorned with Sanskrit motifs and intricate coffered domes, all contributing to an atmosphere of imperial awe.

As evening descended, the inner palace grew somber.

Empress Dowager He, weary from the day’s council—listening to state affairs behind the veil—gave her attendants early leave to wait outside. Since the passing of the late emperor, and with the new sovereign still a child requiring guidance, she had been stretched thin, especially under the looming threat of Dong Zhuo, the ambitious minister coveting the throne.

Suddenly, the heavy doors of the harem were flung open. Her attendant, face pale with alarm, came running, closely followed by a corpulent figure—Dong Zhuo himself, large and imposing.

Frowning, the Empress Dowager’s anger flared. She was about to rebuke him, but as Dong Zhuo stormed in, she bit back her words, forced by the situation to swallow her indignation.

“Minister Dong, to what do I owe this late night visit?” she asked, struggling to maintain her composure as she sat upright on the phoenix throne.

Dong Zhuo’s eyes sharpened, yet he bowed with exaggerated respect. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, for disturbing you at this hour.”

He entered the inner chamber, followed closely by Lü Bu—broad-shouldered and grim, gripping his halberd with a lethal air.

A chill crept into the Empress Dowager’s heart, tension stringing her nerves taut as a bow. The atmosphere brimmed with dread, as if the end of the world were at hand.

“Minister Dong, have you come tonight to threaten the imperial family? You show little regard for the dignity of the Han,” she said, feigning composure.

Dong Zhuo’s smile was cold. “Your Majesty, tonight’s matter is grave. I have already conferred with the ministers. I must ask for your answer—without delay.”

“What is it you seek, Minister?” Though all knew Dong Zhuo’s intent to depose the emperor, the Empress Dowager calculated her response.

“Your Majesty, the young emperor—your son, Liu Bian—is unfit to rule. I must ask you to issue a decree deposing him, and to install Prince Liu Xie of Chenliu as the new emperor.” Dong Zhuo’s tone grew more frenzied as he spoke.

The Empress Dowager was stunned, nearly toppling from her chair. She sprang up, pointing at Dong Zhuo, but as she faced him directly, his piercing gaze made her shudder. Though she was the mother of the nation, she was still a woman alone, and it was all she could do to suppress her terror.

“How dare you! As a minister, you slander your sovereign and plot against the throne—what punishment do you deserve?” she cried, unable to contain her fury.

“A wise ruler adapts to the times, Your Majesty. Prince Liu Xie is gifted and wise, surely you have heard as much. For the sake of the Han, the emperor must be replaced,” Dong Zhuo replied with feigned innocence, spreading his hands.

Lü Bu, standing behind him, drove his halberd into the stone floor, gouging a deep hole and sending tremors through the palace.

The Empress Dowager glared defiantly, yet her eyes betrayed a flicker of despair. She knew the court was in Dong Zhuo’s grasp, its loyal ministers imprisoned or slaughtered at his command. The government was now a dark cage from which there was no escape.

“Minister Dong, such a decision is momentous. Though I am empress dowager, I must consult with the court. Besides, Prince Liu Xie is three years younger than the Emperor, and with the empire in turmoil, this is hardly the time to enthrone a new sovereign.” Though she longed to see Dong Zhuo destroyed, she dared not openly defy him.

“Prince Liu Xie may be young, but he has the makings of a wise ruler. I act only according to Heaven’s will, Your Majesty. Please, for the sake of the realm, put aside personal sentiments and proclaim him emperor. Even then, you shall remain empress dowager, second only to the throne, your authority intact. No one will interfere with your regency. What say you, Your Majesty?” Dong Zhuo pressed on, his smile hiding a blade.

Rage burned in the Empress Dowager’s chest. If her son were deposed, who would heed her commands? Without him, her title would become an empty shell.

“How dare you! The emperor is the late sovereign’s heir, the Son of Heaven, and you, a traitor, dare speak of deposition in my presence! Guards!” she shouted.

Dong Zhuo laughed. “Your Majesty, I fear you’ll be disappointed. The palace is now surrounded by my Xiliang troops. You may call for help, but none will come. Your anger only makes you more alluring.”

“Shameless villain! Despicable knave—” She raged, but her face turned ashen, her heart pounding, her hands trembling in confusion and dread.

Her title meant nothing now. Though officially regent, all true power had long since slipped into Dong Zhuo’s hands. In the harem’s intrigues she could scheme, but against overwhelming force, she was helpless.

Seeing her refusal, Dong Zhuo glanced at Lü Bu, who strode forward, halberd in hand.

The Empress Dowager recoiled in terror. “How dare you! What are you doing?”

Dong Zhuo laughed maniacally. “Your Majesty, though you are the mother of the realm, your figure is still so full and ripe, and you’ve been widowed for years. I have known many women, but never an empress dowager. At your age, who could resist? What do you think I want?”

The Empress Dowager was struck with horror and revulsion, desperate to fight back. Fleeing in panic, she clutched her skirt with one hand, her phoenix crown with the other—a sense of inescapable doom overwhelming her.

Just as she reached the doors of the palace, two eunuchs seized her like beasts, lifting her off the ground.

“Release me! How dare you! Unhand me!” she cried, struggling.

With a thud, the great black doors slammed shut, sealing off her escape. The Empress Dowager collapsed in tears on the palace floor.

Her attendants rushed to her side, but the palace was already surrounded by Dong Zhuo’s forces. There was nothing left to do but urge her to submit for the sake of survival. How could she, the mother of the realm, suffer such humiliation? But to live, she had no choice.

“Your Majesty, if you do not issue the decree, I will have to resort to force!” Dong Zhuo leered.

Shame and fury tore at her; her chest heaved with anger, only fanning Dong Zhuo’s desire. The empress dowager of a great dynasty, forced to such humiliation! With her attendants’ pleading and no path left to escape, she had no choice but to comply, writing the decree to depose Liu Bian as Dong Zhuo demanded, all the while cursing him in her heart.

“Your Majesty, as long as you write the edict exactly as I say, your life and your son’s hang on this piece of silk! For the sake of the empire, act wisely,” Dong Zhuo sneered.

The Empress Dowager said nothing, only clutching the brush with trembling hands, her heart filled with hatred.

Seeing her ready, Dong Zhuo dictated, “In the ninth month of the sixth year of Zhongping, the young emperor is incompetent and ignorant, unfit for the throne. His mother, Lady He, is deeply ashamed before the ancestors of Han. Today, he is deposed, and Prince Liu Xie of Chenliu is enthroned as the new emperor!”

Word by word, the Empress Dowager wrote the decree, each stroke like blood from her heart.

As Dong Zhuo left, his laughter echoed through the palace. The Empress Dowager collapsed in agony, unable to rise for a long while.

The night wind blew gently, petals drifting in the cold air. On this bleak night, who could light the way for the lost in the flickering candlelight? Who would warm a despairing heart with their own?