After taking Emperor Shao of Han and Prince Chenliu to Luoyang, Dong Zhuo first announced the deposition of Emperor Shao to the whole country, then installed Prince Chenliu, Liu Xie, as the new emperor, known as Emperor Xian of Han, while Dong Zhuo appointed himself as Chancellor, requiring all court affairs, big or small, to be approved by him. With great power in his hands, Dong Zhuo committed many evil deeds and forbade anyone from offering remonstrance; if anyone spoke a single word against him, they would be immediately killed by Dong Zhuo.
The ministers dared not offend Dong Zhuo, fearing for their own heads, but Minister of the Interior Wang Yun decided to eliminate Dong Zhuo for the people's sake.
This Wang Yun was no ordinary figure; born into a family of high-ranking officials with a prestigious lineage, he assumed a key government post at the age of nineteen, later serving as the Inspector of Yuzhou and then as the Governor of Henan, and after Dong Zhuo took the emperor hostage, he appointed Wang Yun as the Chief of the Imperial Secretariat.
Dong Zhuo was by nature vicious and held immense power; if anyone rashly opposed him, they would only bring harm upon themselves, and Wang Yun fully understood the stakes involved. To stabilize Dong Zhuo, Wang Yun outwardly pretended to be utterly loyal, obediently going along with every decision Dong Zhuo made, and over time, Dong Zhuo genuinely believed Wang Yun was completely devoted to him, treating him as a trusted confidant. Whether matters were big or small, Dong Zhuo let Wang Yun take charge, and Wang Yun eagerly embraced this trust, using his position to enact many policies beneficial to the state and its people.
Although Wang Yun appeared to comply with Dong Zhuo in every matter, he actually had his own principles. Many officials in the court opposed Dong Zhuo, greatly angering him. Among them was a man named Yang Xun, who resisted particularly fiercely. Later, realizing he was alone and powerless against Dong Zhuo, Yang Xun had no choice but to give up. However, Wang Yun considered Yang Xun a talented individual. When Dong Zhuo asked Wang Yun who was capable of serving as the Colonel of the Capital, Wang Yun immediately recommended Yang Xun. Although Dong Zhuo disliked Yang Xun, he trusted Wang Yun's judgment and appointed Yang Xun to the position.
Wang Yun outwardly catered to Dong Zhuo, but secretly contacted people from all walks of life to discuss a campaign against him. Colonel of the Capital Police Huang Wan, Minister Zheng Gongye, and others were all involved. Wang Yun requested Emperor Xian of Han to appoint Colonel of the Qiang Protectorate Yang Zan as Left General and Commander of the Capital Guards Sun Rui as Grand Administrator of Nanyang, gradually placing opponents of Dong Zhuo in key court and regional positions. Subsequently, Wang Yun issued an order to attack Yuan Shu, planning to have Sun Rui station troops at Daowu Pass, all as preparations to assassinate Dong Zhuo, fearing he might flee. The cunning Dong Zhuoseemed to have caught wind of Wang Yun's plan and did not allow Sun Rui to leave the city. To avoid exposing his scheme, Wang Yun went along with Dong Zhuo's wishes, promoting Sun Rui to Imperial Secretary and elevating Yang Zan to Minister, further tightening their control over the court.
In 191 AD, Dong Zhuo enfeoffed Wang Yun as the Marquis of Wen as a reward for his loyalty. Wang Yun hesitated and wanted to decline the title, but at that moment, Shi Sunrui reminded him. Shi Sunrui said that Dong Zhuo was suspicious and violent; if Wang Yun refused the enfeoffment, it might arouse Dong Zhuo's suspicion and jeopardize their plan. Wang Yun found this reasoning sound and gladly accepted Dong Zhuo's enfeoffment.
In the year 192 AD, during the spring plowing season, the weather remained persistently overcast, with heavy rain falling for over two months straight, leaving farmers unable to sow their seeds, all shaking their heads and sighing in despair. Seeing this, the imperial court prepared a grand sacrificial ceremony to pray for clear skies, and Wang Yun, along with a group of officials, attended the event. As they gazed upon the endless, unrelenting rain, they reflected on how the nation had become corrupt and chaotic under Dong Zhuo's rule, with everyone living in fear, and felt deeply troubled. Several of them gathered on the altar and discussed using this natural disaster as an opportunity to begin executing their plan to eliminate Dong Zhuo, realizing that every day they delayed would only make matters worse and lead to unpredictable outcomes.
After gaining everyone's agreement, Wang Yun revealed his plan. Dong Zhuo had an adopted son named Lü Bu, and although the two appeared harmonious in front of others, they were both deeply wary of each other; Wang Yun intended to exploit their mutual suspicion to incite Lü Bu to eliminate Dong Zhuo.
At first, Lü Bu was not opposed to Wang Yun's plan, but he felt that someone else, rather than himself, should carry out the assassination of Dong Zhuo. Wang Yun persuaded Lü Bu, saying, "Everyone in the world knows that Dong Zhuo is a treacherous villain. Besides, you are not of the same clan as him, so you should not regard him as a father. Moreover, he has failed to fulfill his duties as a father. Now that he is despised by all, do not mistake a villain for a father; it is right for you to extricate yourself as soon as possible." Wang Yun's words struck a chord deep within Lü Bu. After thinking it over, Lü Bu gritted his teeth and decided to take on the task himself.
Shortly after this, Emperor Xian of Han, who had been ill for a long time, recovered. All the civil and military officials gathered at Weiyang Palace to celebrate the emperor's recovery, and Wang Yun made preparations during this gathering. Before the celebration, Lü Bu ordered Colonel Li Su to select ten agile soldiers from the army. Dressed as palace attendants, they stood outside the gate of Weiyang Palace, waiting for the right moment. Before long, Dong Zhuo entered the palace. As soon as he stepped inside Weiyang Palace, the ambushing soldiers rushed out and surrounded him, their eyes blazing with anger and their swords and spears pointed at Dong Zhuo. Terrified, Dong Zhuo screamed for help. At that moment, Lü Bu charged out from behind. Dong Zhuo thought he was saved, but to his shock, Lü Bu swung his weapon and struck Dong Zhuo down. Before Dong Zhuo could even realize what was happening, he was dead.
After Dong Zhuo's death, his body was left on the street for people to trample, and his entire family was executed. When the people learned of Dong Zhuo's death, everyone clapped and cheered in delight. Wang Yun used his wisdom to give the Eastern Han Dynasty a chance to catch its breath, earning the praise of the people. Afterward, he took office as Director of the Imperial Secretariat, managing court affairs.