While the Han court was in chaos¹ Dong Zhuo marched his 200,000 battlewise Xiliang troops into the capital of Luoyang. He forces Liu Bian to quit the throne and made Liu Xie the Emperor Xian and himself the prime minister. As he rode roughshod over the emperor, manipulated power for personal ends, and had acted extremely cruelly, all ministers and generals wanted to get rid of him.

统帅二十万西凉大军的刺史董卓，乘朝野之乱进军洛阳，废少帝刘辩，立刘协为献帝，自封为相国。他欺主弄权，残暴凶狠；朝中正直的大臣们都想除掉他。

Cao Cao, a wise and resourceful army officer, had long wanted to kill Dong Zhuo. One day, he came to see Dong Zhuo with a borrowed blade. the latter was sitting in his bedroom, his brave step-son Lv Bu standing² by his side. Inquiring why he had been late, Cao Cao said, "My horse was slow." Dong Zhuo, now it's your time to die. But fearful of resistance from the old but still strong Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao waited for the right moment. As Dong Zhuo was a very large man, a while of sitting tired him and he lay down facing inward. Taking the chance Cao Cao unsheathed the knife. It so happened that Dong saw his move in a mirror. He looked back and asked Cao Cao what he was doing. Just then Lv Bu returned with a horse. The quick-witted Cao Cao made up a story, I chanced to secure a very unusual blade the knife to Dong Zhuo. Sure enough, the blade was extremely sharp, and about twenty some centimeters long. Delighted, Dong Zhuo told Cao Cao to have a look at the chosen horse. Outside, Cao Cao pleaded for a test ride. He then leaped onto the horse and sped away. "He must have come to murder me," said Dong Zhuo to Lv Bu. "I agree," the latter chorused. They sent soldiers to give chase, but by then, Cao Cao had fled out of the eastern gate.

校尉曹操，足智多谋并早有杀董卓之心。一日，曹操借王司徒宝刀一口，藏刀来到相府。他走到小阁，见董卓坐在床上，义子吕布侍立于侧。董卓问曹操为何来迟，曹操说：“ 马走不快，所以迟了。”董卓听后，命吕布选一匹西凉好马送给曹操，吕布答应着出去了。曹操心想，老贼该死，欲刺他，又怕董卓力大，没敢妄动，只好站在一旁等待机会。董卓身体肥胖，不能久坐，不一会，即侧身而卧。曹操见他躺下，急抽刀欲刺，董卓在穿衣镜内看见了曹操的动作，转身急问：“你要干什么？”这时吕布也牵马回来。曹操急中生智说：“我得一口宝刀，欲献恩相。”董卓接刀一看，长有盈尺，锋利无比，果然是一口宝刀。董卓引曹操出阁看马，曹操谢道：“愿借马一试。”然后快马加鞭往东南疾去。吕布对董卓说：“曹操有行刺之举。 ”董卓说：“我也怀疑。”于是派人去追。此时曹操已飞马奔出东门，逃得无影无踪了。