Dong Cheng

The 'State Uncle': gallops out of the southeast to break Guo Si's encirclement at Huaying and pledges with Yang Feng to kill both rebels. From there he shares every mile of the flight - Dongjian, the river crossing, Anyi - and pushes the court's return to Luoyang over Li Yue's objection, racing the convoy toward the Gu Hills as the betrayed ambush lights the mountainside.

Argues at ruined Luoyang that the court cannot stand a siege and must move east of the Huashan Mountains; raised to a lordship with thirteen others in the Xuchang rewards.

Summoned to the Temple of Ancestors, gifted the robe and jade girdle under the portraits of Zhang Liang and Xiao He, and stopped at the Donghua Gate by Cao Cao - who tries the robe on, jokes about intrigue, and hands it back. A candle snuff burns the girdle's lining open that night: the blood decree. He gathers Wang Zifu, Chong Ji, Wu Shi, Wu Zilan, and Ma Teng onto the silk pledge.

Dong Cheng; brings the belt-decree to Liu Bei at his lodging in Xuchang; Liu Bei signs the pledge.

Recruits the volunteer Ji Ping - who bites off a finger over the girdle decree - then wrecks everything by flogging the servant Quin Quington over a garden dalliance. Summoned to watch Ji Ping's torture, he brazens it out until the search of his bedroom turns up the decree and the signed pledge; he and his whole household are arrested.

Dong Cheng; whole household executed when the belt-decree is found at his home. Goes to his death without recanting.

The dead conspirator whose Girdle Edict still binds: Ma Teng recounts the society to Ma Chao, and Huang Kui's shout - 'then you have quite forgotten the Girdle Edict, eh?' - is the password that joins the two plotters.

Dong Cheng; named in passing in the chapter's recap of the previous belt-decree.

Dong Cheng; named in passing in the conspiracy recap.

Dong Cheng; named in passing - appears as a ghost in Cao Cao's deathbed visions.

Dong Cheng; named in passing in the historical recap.