During Yuan Shao's tenure as a military aide to General He Jin, the Eastern Han Dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse, with the empire as precarious as a stack of eggs.
After Emperor Ling of Han died, He Jin sought to use Dong Zhuo's forces to weaken the eunuchs' power. Dong Zhuo marched his army into the capital, Luoyang. Cavalry Commandant Bao Xin urged Yuan Shao, "Dong Zhuo is ambitious and plotting treachery. If we don't deal with him now, the consequences will be endless. We can strike him down while he's new in town and his troops are exhausted." But Yuan Shao, fearing Dong Zhuo's strong army, dared not act rashly.
Soon, Dong Zhuo summoned Yuan Shao to discuss deposing the young Emperor Liu Bian and installing Prince of Chenliu Liu Xie as emperor. Dong Zhuo said, "The ruler of a nation should be wise and capable. The current emperor is too weak and truly unfit to be the sovereign. I think Liu Xie is suitable. What do you think of making him emperor?"
Yuan Shao countered, "The emperor is young but has committed no wrongs. If we violate ritual law to depose the rightful heir, I doubt anyone will agree." Dong Zhuo scowled, "How dare you say that! Matters of the empire—can I, Dong Zhuo, not decide them? If I want this done, who dares disobey?" Realizing the danger, Yuan Shao quickly replied, "This is a state affair. Allow me to consult the Grand Tutor." He bowed, gripped his sword horizontally, and strode out, fleeing to Jizhou.
Dong Zhuo placed a bounty on Yuan Shao's head. Captain of the City Gates Wu Qiong and others advised Dong Zhuo, "Yuan Shao fled out of fear, not rebellion. His family's former students and subordinates are everywhere, a formidable force. Pursuing him now will surely stir up trouble. Better to pardon him and appoint him a commandery governor to avoid future disaster." To stabilize Yuan Shao, Dong Zhuo appointed him Grand Administrator of Bohai and concurrently Imperial Clerk.
Dong Zhuo's tyrannical rule in the capital, with his perverse and oppressive actions, sparked widespread public outrage.
Yuan Shao raised an army from Bohai Commandery, joining forces with Yuan Shu, Han Fu, and others, each commanding tens of thousands of troops under the banner of punishing the tyrant Dong Zhuo. The allied armies convened and elected Yuan Shao as their leader.
When Dong Zhuo learned that Yuan Shao had raised an army, he killed Yuan Shao's uncle Yuan Wei and slaughtered every member of the Yuan clan in the capital. The regional heroes, already loyal to Yuan Shao, were enraged by this atrocity and rose up to avenge him, with all rebellions rallying under the Yuan banner.
Later, Cao Cao welcomed Emperor Liu Xie, moving the capital from Luoyang to Xu County. He issued an edict to Yuan Shao, rebuking him for commanding vast territory and troops yet only building his own faction. Yuan Shao submitted a memorial recounting his experience: "When Dong Zhuo exploited the chaos with treasonous intent, my family served at court. I set aside personal safety for the sake of state ritual, so I resigned my post and fled to Jizhou to plan a countermeasure. Later, Dong Zhuo appointed me Grand Administrator of Bohai. Had I sought only profit and glory, I could have enjoyed wealth and honor. Yet my resolve was firm; I gathered heroes from across the land and swore an oath by the Zhang River. Dong Zhuo murdered my family—even beasts cry out in anguish. That I set aside my grief is because loyalty and filial piety cannot both be fulfilled!" Consequently, the court made Yuan Shao Grand Commandant and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Ye. The following year, he was appointed General-in-Chief, overseeing the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing.
Later, the idiom "harboring illicit designs" came to refer to plotting illegal or improper activities.
Source: *Book of the Later Han*, Chapter "Biography of Yuan Shao"
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "所图不轨" came to describe plotting illegal or improper activities.