Is “Whether his remains were struck and destroyed by thunder after death” true?

based on fact

Both the official history and the novel record that after Dong Zhuo's death, his body was exposed in the market and his navel was used as a lamp wick. For example, Records of the Three Kingdoms, Book of Wei, Biographies of Dong, Er, Yuan, and Liu records: 'They placed a wick in Zhuo's navel to serve as a lamp, shining brightly until dawn.' Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 9, also describes: 'They put fire in his navel to serve as a lamp.' However, the novel adds a supernatural element of heavenly punishment. In Chapter 10, it fabricates a mystical scene where, when Li Jue collects his remains for reburial, 'a thunderbolt split open his coffin, and the corpse was thrown out... all the scattered flesh and bones were reduced to ashes by the thunder fire.' This is not recorded in the official history.

Dong Zhuo

Dong Zhuo: Whether his remains were struck and destroyed by thunder after death

Sources cited above. Compiled with AI assistance and checked against those sources; for cultural reference.Data & method →

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