Super Rich Preppers in their Bunkers
On Dǒng Zhuó's New Zealand Bunker and Niú Fǔ's Escape Plan
For most regular readers, Dǒng Zhuó needs no introduction, but for the rest: Dǒng Zhuó more than any other individual probably deserves to be the “face” for the downfall of the Hàn Empire. Now, obviously things were not exactly going well for Hàn even before Dŏng Zhuó appeared. As is often the case, a society has to already have been in serious decline for the person who finally kicks it over to have been in the position to kick it over in the first place. A Hàn still in its glory days would never have allowed Dǒng Zhuó to have come into power, and had Dǒng Zhuó never lived it is perfectly possible that someone else would have ended up playing the same role he did. But Dǒng Zhuó did live, and he was the one who brought the Hàn Empire down.
Rather than go into detail on Dǒng Zhuó's reign, or the various atrocities attributed to him, or the accounts of a rather vicious personality, today I only wish to discuss his death in the context of the safeguards he had sought to create for himself, which perhaps can in modern terms be described as “prepping.”1
For a quick summary, Dǒng Zhuó came to power over the empire in the autumn of 189, when, on seeing the chaos in the capital city of Luòyáng, he led his army into the city, ignored the civil government’s order to remove his troops,2 and installed himself as the de facto master of the central government.3 Such a naked seizure of power through military force meant that only military force could remove him, and by 190, local authorities across the east of the empire raised troops in a coalition aimed with exactly that purpose.4 Dǒng Zhuó in response forcefully relocated the capital west to the more easily defensible Cháng'ān.5 Eventually the war between the eastern coalition and Dǒng Zhuó ground into a stalemate, and with central authority completely gone in the east, the coalition members began to turn against one another to build up their own personal power.
Meanwhile in the west, Dǒng Zhuó greatly empowered and renriched himself, his family, and his close followers,6 and furthermore constructed a personal fortress at Méi, a bit west of Cháng'ān, with high walls and a store of grain to last for over thirty years. Reportedly he remarked that if he were successful he could dominate the entire empire, but even if not he could always fall back to this fortress and enjoy the rest of his life in luxury.7
Of course, despite all this “prepping,” Dǒng Zhuó was not able to enjoy the rest of his life in luxury. On the 22nd of May, 192, while visiting the Palace in Cháng'ān, Dǒng Zhuó was ambushed and assassinated by his own guard Lǚ Bù.8 Troops were sent to attack the fortress of Méi, completely exterminating Dǒng Zhuó’s clan.9 By one account, the Dǒng clan was betrayed and attacked by their own subordinates when they sought to take refuge at the fortress.10
The records include a summary of the treasures found in the Méi fortress after it was taken:
twenty to thirty thousand jīn of gold
eighty to ninety thousand jīn of silver
pearls and jade and jewels and silk and brocade and various treasures piled up in mountains, utterly uncountable11
Assuming that one jīn is 220 grams,12 that amounts to about 4400-6600 kg of gold and 17600-19800 kg of silver.13
Dǒng Zhuó’s son-in-law Niú Fǔ was in command of a separate division of troops nearby at Shǎn, and was also attacked, but Niú Fǔ was able to repulse the initial approaches. However, Niú Fǔ was terrified and attempted to flee with a small following and as much treasure as he could carry. His followers instead betrayed and killed him, taking his treasure and sending his head to Cháng'ān.14
One account tells of Niú Fǔ’s fate in more detail: He sought to flee, carrying over 20 golden discs and white pearl necklaces on his person. Going over the city wall, he tied a rope around his waist, and had his followers lower him down, but before he reached the ground he fell and broke his lower back, and was unable to walk. His followers then killed him, took his treasures, and sent the head to Cháng'ān.15
The fates of Dǒng Zhuó and Niú Fǔ should hopefully be self-explanatory to most people, but if not, I will spell it out: the 30 year food supply and $300 million wealth hoard piled up in that New Zealand bunker16 is not actually going to be all that useful in a collapse scenario, where there is no reason for any of your personal followers and subordinates to stay loyal to you.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/prepping
(Canada, US) The practice of making active preparations for a possible catastrophic disaster or emergency, typically by stockpiling food, ammunition, and other supplies.
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》靈帝崩,少帝即位。大將軍何進與司隷校尉袁紹謀誅諸閹官,太后不從。進乃召卓使將兵詣京師,并密令上書曰:「中常侍張讓等竊幸乘寵,濁亂海內。昔趙鞅興晉陽之甲,以逐君側之惡。臣輙鳴鍾鼓如洛陽,即討讓等。」欲以脅迫太后。卓未至,進敗。中常侍段珪等劫帝走小平津,卓遂將其衆迎帝于北芒,還宮。進、苗部曲無所屬,皆詣卓。卓又使呂布殺執金吾丁原,并其衆,故京都兵權唯在卓。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》卓遠見火起,引兵急進,未明到城西,聞少帝在北芒,因往奉迎。
《後漢書注·卷七十二·董卓傳》典略曰:「帝望見卓涕泣,群公謂卓有詔卻兵。卓曰:『公諸人為國大臣,不能匡正王室,至使國家播蕩,何卻兵之有?』遂俱入城。」
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》於是以乆不雨,策免司空劉弘而卓代之,俄遷太尉,假節鉞虎賁。遂廢帝為弘農王。尋又殺王及何太后。立靈帝少子陳留王,是為獻帝。卓遷相國,封郿侯,贊拜不名,劒履上殿,又封卓母為池陽君,置家令、丞。卓旣率精兵來,適值帝室大亂,得專廢立,據有武庫甲兵、國家珍寶,威震天下。
《三國志·魏書一·武帝紀》初平元年春正月,後將軍袁術、兾州牧韓馥、豫州刺史孔伷、兖州刺史劉岱、河內太守王匡、勃海太守袁紹、陳留太守張邈、東郡太守橋瑁、山陽太守袁遺、濟北相鮑信同時俱起兵,衆各數萬,推紹為盟主。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》卓以山東豪傑並起,恐懼不寧。初平元年二月,乃徙天子都長安。焚燒洛陽宮室,悉發掘陵墓,取寶物。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》及聞東方兵起,懼,乃鴆殺弘農王,欲徙都長安。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》卓至西京,為太師,號曰尚父。乘青蓋金華車,爪畫兩轓,時人號曰竿摩車。卓弟旻為左將軍,封鄠侯;兄子璜為侍中中軍校尉典兵;宗族內外並列朝廷。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》卓諷朝廷使光祿勳宣璠持節拜卓為太師,位在諸侯王上。乃引還長安。百官迎路拜揖,卓遂僭擬車服,乘金華青蓋,爪畫兩轓,時人號「竿摩車」,言其服飾近天子也。以弟旻為左將軍,封鄠侯,兄子璜為侍中、中軍校尉,皆典兵事。於是宗族內外,並居列位。其子孫雖在髫齔,男皆封侯,女為邑君。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》築郿塢,高與長安城埒,積穀為三十年儲,云事成,雄據天下,不成,守此足以畢老。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》又築塢於郿,高厚七丈,號曰「萬歲塢」。積穀為三十年儲。自云:「事成,雄據天下;不成,守此足以畢老。」
《後漢書·卷九·孝獻帝紀》夏四月辛巳,誅董卓,夷三族。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》三年四月,司徒王允、尚書僕射士孫瑞、卓將呂布共謀誅卓。是時,天子有疾新愈,大會未央殿。布使同郡騎都尉李肅等將親兵十餘人,偽著衞士服守掖門。布懷詔書。卓至,肅等格卓。卓驚呼布所在。布曰「有詔」,遂殺卓,夷三族。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》三年四月,帝疾新愈,大會未央殿。卓朝服升車,既而馬驚墯泥,還入更衣。其少妻止之,卓不從,遂行。乃陳兵夾道,自壘及宮,左步右騎,屯衛周匝,令呂布等扞衛前後。王允乃與士孫瑞密表其事,使瑞自書詔以授布,令騎都尉李肅與布同心勇士十餘人,偽著衛士服於北掖門內以待卓。卓將至,馬驚不行,怪懼欲還。呂布勸令進,遂入門。肅以戟刺之,卓衷甲不入,傷臂墯車,顧大呼曰:「呂布何在?」布曰:「有詔討賊臣。」卓大罵曰:「庸狗敢如是邪!」布應聲持矛刺卓,趣兵斬之。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》使皇甫嵩攻卓弟旻於郿塢,殺其母妻男女,盡滅其族。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》引《英雄記》旻、璜等及宗族老弱悉在郿,皆還,為其羣下所斫射。卓母年九十,走至塢門曰「乞脫我死」,即斬首。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》引《英雄記》卓塢中金有二三萬斤,銀八九萬斤,珠玉錦綺奇玩雜物皆山崇阜積,不可知數。
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》塢中珍藏有金二三萬斤,銀八九萬斤,錦綺繢縠紈素奇玩,積如丘山。
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/中國度量衡
The price of gold and silver can fluctuate a lot, especially with all the modern day market manipulation going on, but assuming approximate prices of $60,000 per kilogram gold and $700 per kilogram of silver, that would be about $264,000,000-396,000,000 in gold and $12,320,000-13,860,000 in silver in modern USD. Price estimations based on recent historical prices taken from:
https://www.bullionbypost.com/gold-price/gold-price-history-chart/
https://www.bullionbypost.com/silver-price/history/
《後漢書·卷七十二·董卓傳》初,卓以牛輔子婿,素所親信,使以兵屯陝。輔分遣其校尉李傕、郭汜、張濟將步騎數萬,擊破河南尹朱雋於中牟。因掠陳留、潁川諸縣,殺略男女,所過無復遺類。呂布乃使李肅以詔命至陝討輔等,輔等逆與肅戰,肅敗走弘農,布誅殺之。其後牛輔營中無故大驚,輔懼,乃齎金寶踰城走。左右利其貨,斬輔,送首長安。
《三國志·魏書六·董卓傳》卓死,呂布使李肅至陝,欲以詔命誅輔。輔等逆與肅戰,肅敗走弘農,布誅肅。其後輔營兵有夜叛出者,營中驚,輔以為皆叛,乃取金寶,獨與素所厚友胡赤兒等五六人相隨,踰城北渡河,赤兒等利其金寶,斬首送長安。
《後漢書注·卷七十二·董卓傳》獻帝紀曰:「輔帳下支胡赤兒等,素待之過急,盡以家寶與之,自帶二十餘餅金、大白珠瓔。胡謂輔曰:『城北已有馬,可去也。』以繩繫輔腰,踰城懸下之,未及地丈許放之,輔傷腰不能行,諸胡共取其金并珠,斬首詣長安。」
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/sep/04/super-rich-prepper-bunkers-apocalypse-survival-richest-rushkoff