kingnovel Chapter 452 Eunuch Infighting
Chapter 452 Eunuch Infighting
"They instigated a conflict between him and the eunuchs, and then the two devised a plan and informed Empress Dowager He."
"But the eunuch group, to put it bluntly, has existed since ancient times. Not all of them are distrustful, but He Jin has Yuan Shao stirring things up, making him suspicious of everything."
"This further strained the situation, especially given the previous persecution of the Party, which hung like a knife over his head."
"So he held a meeting with Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, along with the other eight colonels of the Western Garden. Surprisingly, the two of them wanted to lead their troops into the city, which was Dong Zhuo."
"But at the time, Cao Cao, who was still loyal to the court, was very puzzled by this move. Had these people lost their minds?"
Cao Cao, the boss: ...
"At this critical juncture, the execution of the Ten Attendants is imminent, but He Jin is unwilling to go all out. Yuan Shao, who is watching from the sidelines, is very anxious. If He Jin doesn't move, won't he have wasted all his scheming?"
"Let's go through this process first!"
"First, Yuan Shao ordered his people and protégés in various prefectures and counties to arrest the relatives of the Ten Attendants in different places, so that they would walk into the trap."
"Then, the Ten Attendants, based on their own predictions, felt that their local area was unreliable, so they requested Empress He to let them return to the palace."
"Then, He Jin was very dissatisfied with this. You have gone back on your word. Just then, there was a rumor outside Luoyang that General He Jin wanted to kill the Ten Attendants."
"Finally, the eunuch was terrified and secretly took more than a dozen men. Under the pretext that Empress Dowager He had summoned He Jin to the palace, he killed He Jin. This time, no fellow townsmen gave him any warnings."
"But this matter is far from over. Those who entered the palace with He Jin included Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others."
"Of course, some say that Yuan Shao had planned this all along and had been waiting outside for a long time. Then, when Yuan Shao and Cao Cao saw that He Jin was dead, they immediately stormed into the palace."
"In an instant, flames soared into the sky inside the palace. Zhang Rang found Empress Dowager He, Emperor Liu Bian, and Emperor Liu Xie, and took them hostage to escape. In the end, the one who rescued them and escorted them was Dong Zhuo, who had been summoned to the capital."
"It is said that someone informed Dong Zhuo at the time, otherwise it would be too much of a coincidence!"
"In this operation, the eunuchs were executed, the He family relatives were also purged, and the emperor was about to be replaced. Some people believe that Yuan Kui was the mastermind behind it. In short, among the aristocratic families, the imperial relatives, and the eunuchs, the Yuan family of the aristocratic family was the victor."
"But Yuan Shao would never have imagined that allowing Dong Zhuo into the capital would also hasten the demise of the Eastern Han Dynasty."
Yuan Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty: ...Who could have imagined that Dong Zhuo would seize the emperor and use him to command the other warlords?!
Liu Bei: Dong Zhuo is a villain, and everyone should kill him!
Emperor Zhu Zhanji of the Ming Dynasty: That period was truly chaotic, with warlords vying for power and the people suffering immensely!
Liu Xiu, the Chosen One of the Great Han Dynasty: I never imagined the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty would be so chaotic... Is this how the Eastern Han Dynasty is going to end?!
Liu Zhuzhu (Big Han): ...Is Yuan Shao stirring up trouble? He gave He Jin advice, but Dong Zhuo stole the credit!
A minor official in the Qin Dynasty: In a way, these people also fulfilled Emperor Ling's dying wish: that his eldest son would become emperor!
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! I never expected Dong Zhuo to use such ruthless methods to subdue people with force!
A farming expert from the Ming Dynasty: What's this called? It doesn't matter if it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat!
……
At this moment, in Yuan Shao's camp during the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Yuan Shao felt a prickling sensation on his back. In an instant, his eyes sharpened, and everyone immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look any longer.
However, what later generations described seemed to be the lord's "dark history".
At this moment, Yuan Shao never thought that Lin Ke was so talkative. He thought it was enough to just tell the historical records. Why bring up the speculations of later generations?
If possible, talk more about how many talented people he had in his time, because Yuan Shao is currently lacking a great talent!
Consider the Yuan family, four generations of high-ranking officials. Even when Emperor Ling suppressed powerful families, they remained stable and unaffected. That's no small feat!
If he were to be assisted by a person of unparalleled talent, Yuan Shao would surely be even more powerful and would be able to secure a place for himself in the warlord era!
That Cao Mengde? I'm not afraid of him!
……
Liu Che's question was unexpected by Wei Qing. He thought to himself: Even if we knew that this kind of beginning was lacking more than just a wise ruler.
"Your Majesty, everything is ordained by Heaven." Wei Qing thought of He Jin. Emperor Ling of Han probably misjudged him and underestimated his ambition to climb the ranks!
Upon hearing this, Liu Che closed his eyes. The Han Dynasty was nearing its end, and it was not something that a wise ruler who knew the future could save!
Like the Song Dynasty, Zhao Gou (Emperor Gaozong of Song) wouldn't die no matter how much trouble he caused until the very end!
Four hundred years is enough! His Han Dynasty is still the powerful Han Dynasty that later generations called it!
……
At this time, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty
Thanks to Emperor Wu of Han's decree of grace, the young Liu Bei was still weaving straw sandals at this time, completely unaware that he would one day win a third of the world during the struggle for power among heroes.
At this moment, his entire focus was on the newly discovered small screen. What was this thing? And how could someone be inside it?!
He stroked his chin thoughtfully, and from the words above, it seemed as if he knew about his future!
Perhaps he should listen again; he wants to know what kind of person he will be in the future!
At this time, Cao Cao was young and had just entered the capital Luoyang to serve as an official. He was full of enthusiasm and only wanted to serve his country.
Equally unpredictable, in the final years of the Han Dynasty, the situation was beyond redemption.
……
At this moment, in the live broadcast room.
Lin Ke sighed. "The war raged on and on at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. That's absolutely true."
"The Eight Colonels of the Western Garden were under the command of the eunuch Jian Shuo. To put it simply, even General He Jin had to listen to him, and Jian Shuo's direct superior was Emperor Ling of Han."
"This move also shows that a rift had developed between Emperor Ling of Han and the He family."
"This is related to the power struggles in the harem. I will describe the details here. The newly established Empress He was intolerant of others, and at that time, Consort Wang was poisoned after giving birth to a child."
"Emperor Ling was very angry. He was just about to punish Empress He when suddenly, a large group of eunuchs knelt down. This means that the Empress He family and the eunuchs were on the same side."
"The lesson of how powerful relatives of the empress dowager controlled the government was too profound. So, the son born to Consort Wang, who later became Emperor Xian of Han, was raised by the Empress Dowager."
Emperor Ling: I was asking them to unite against external enemies, not against our emperor!
"He Jin, a butcher by origin, rose to prominence through his sister. His change of status was too rapid, and he too was [forced] to become corrupt. He also wanted to become a more powerful person and pass on his wealth to his descendants!"
He Jin: I desperately want to improve, is that not allowed?!
"Actually, Yuan Shao had already entered the fray at this point. He was trying to win over He Jin on behalf of the Yuan family, since He Jin was someone whom the emperor had personally promoted."
"Not long after, Emperor Ling suddenly contracted a serious illness and died in the Jiade Palace. Before that, the selection of the crown prince had been a source of great trouble for him."
"Because he discovered that the eldest son, Liu Bian, was a spoiled brat, not intelligent at all. Furthermore, considering the influence of his maternal relatives and the gentry, he couldn't let the Liu family work hard their whole lives only to pass the throne to him."
"If this crown prince is established, and his maternal uncle and other powerful clans later turn against him, wouldn't all that work have been for nothing?!"
"So he preferred the younger Liu Xie, but the ministers opposed it. However, he never established a crown prince before his death, which gave the younger one a chance. On his deathbed, he entrusted his son to the eunuch Jian Shuo and asked him to be made the next emperor."
Yuan Shao of the Eastern Han Dynasty: Ah, yes, yes, I've already appeared! Now all I lack is a great talent and good advice!
Cao Cao: You have no shame! You'd be better off serving under me than under him!
Zhou Yu: ...
Liu Bei: I also lack a great talent to devise a plan to restore the Han Dynasty!
Zhu Baba of the Ming Dynasty: Natural disasters and man-made calamities, rampant plagues, and refugees everywhere – this is a disastrous start!
The optimist Su Dongpo: The disaster of the Party Proscription foreshadowed the endless struggle between eunuchs and aristocratic officials! Why does this feel so familiar?
Judy, the Grand General Who Conquers the North: Sorry! This is the script for the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty!
……
Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, his mind carefully noting down the future of his Ming Dynasty and the fierce struggle between powerful eunuchs and civil officials.
It seems that in every dynasty, the imperial court could not escape the presence of eunuchs, powerful ministers, and relatives of the empress.
Compared to the Eastern Han Dynasty under Emperor Ling, he was more concerned about the late Ming Dynasty under Emperor Chongzhen, which was also plagued by natural disasters and plagues, powerful ministers, and intense land annexation.
It's just a matter of whether it will be too late. According to what Lin Ke said in the past, Chongzhen was not necessarily a very talented emperor.
Given his abilities, I wonder if he can save the Ming Dynasty?
To be honest, Zhu Yuanzhang felt it was a bit risky. He had no money and little power. He had to deal with the civil officials, the rebels and bandits, and the Qing Dynasty was an even bigger problem!
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes revealed helplessness, and he sighed deeply!
……
Back to the live broadcast room.
"However, despite this, looking at Emperor Ling of Han's life as a whole, he was not a good emperor. For example, during his reign, the 'Party Prohibitions' implicated many."
"In order to suppress scholars, they did not hesitate to appoint treacherous eunuchs such as Cao Jie, which led to a large number of scholars fleeing for their lives, and the number of people who lost their lives as a result could reach six or seven hundred."
"After Cao Jie passed away, Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong became his trusted men. How trusted? He regarded these two men as his own parents!"
"Not to mention how many outrageous things the eunuchs did with his indulgence!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Recognizing a eunuch as one's father was probably a first in history!
This is absolutely outrageous! This is another major dark chapter in the Liu family's history!
Liu Che and Liu Xiu, the original members of the Liu family, were truly furious. How could the emperor of a country recognize a eunuch as his father and mother?
He walked shoulder to shoulder with the sun; they thought he was incredibly ambitious!
"Leaving aside his obsession with women, he also sold official positions to make money. Because the fees for becoming an official were extremely high, it scared off quite a few people! But several emperors have done this before. I don't know whether to call it making money or just absurdity!"
"After acquiring wealth, he embarked on extravagant construction projects, building gardens and palaces for his own luxurious enjoyment. This practice of selling official positions continued until his death, adding fuel to the fire of the later demise of the Eastern Han Dynasty."
Therefore, in Zhuge Liang's "Memorial on the Expedition," he wrote: "...When the late emperor was alive, he would often discuss this matter with me, and he would always sigh and feel deep resentment towards Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling!"
The Eastern Han Dynasty at this time
Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang, who was in Longzhong, Nanyang, picked up the small light screen that he had placed aside.
He never imagined that his story would come to light in the mouths of future generations.
But who was this late emperor? And who was he about to serve as regent?!
Unfortunately, this was only mentioned briefly by later generations, but if it was someone he was assisting, they would definitely appear.
……
"The regent Jian Shuo also quickly took action, planning to use the pretext of discussing important matters to invite He into the palace, and then kill the traitor and install a new emperor."
"The late emperor suddenly passed away. He Jin didn't think too much about it and went to the palace. But as the saying goes, if you don't expect something unexpected, something unexpected will happen. One of Jian Shuo's subordinates was a fellow townsman of He Jin!"
"When He Jin saw Jian Shuo, he noticed his fellow townsman winking at him. He was immediately alarmed, understanding the meaning behind it, and thus the assassination attempt failed!"
"Throughout history, there have been many instances where the actions of ordinary people have led to a chain of consequences, and this time is no exception. However, sometimes I really feel that my subordinates need to investigate more thoroughly. Why do they leak information so easily?!"
Fellow villager: A good eye strike can take down even a dynasty!
"Both the mastermind and the victim were terrified by this failed assassination attempt and dared not show themselves, fearing they would be killed the moment they did!"
"Therefore, the successor to the throne was Liu Bian, the son of Empress He, who became Emperor Shao of Han!"
"The matter was already settled, and Empress Dowager Dong and others who supported Liu Xie were brought down by the He family, a powerful clan."
"In an instant, Yuan Wei became Grand Tutor and co-director of the Secretariat with He Jin, and their combined power increased dramatically."
“The situation is not the same today. Although both are ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor, Jian Shuo’s power is much weaker than that of Huo Guang in the Western Han Dynasty.”
Jian Shuo may have been loyal to Emperor Ling, but the other eunuchs might not have been. He Jin himself sought advancement by associating with the gentry, but he never imagined that Yuan Wei and others were also using him to deal with the eunuchs.
"At this moment, Jian Shuo originally intended to join forces with the Ten Attendants to get rid of He Jin, but due to their betrayal, Jian Shuo met his end. It seems that this man was indeed loyal to Emperor Ling!"
Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty: He Jin's defection from the aristocratic class may not necessarily get him what he wants.
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: That's right, he'll regret it later!
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: In the end, it was still a struggle between the empress's relatives, eunuchs, and aristocratic families!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty: I always feel that the emperor isn't that important; the focus is on these people!
.........
People from other timelines, upon hearing this, couldn't help but widen their eyes and feel a pang of worry for the people of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, whose peaceful days were about to be swept away once again!
Especially in the final years, countless people starved to death, and natural disasters and plagues raged, leaving very few survivors.
As Cao Cao wrote in his poem: "White bones are exposed in the wilderness... Only one in a hundred of the people survive..."
Thinking of this, they were filled with envy. When would the era Lin Ke lived in finally achieve complete peace and stability?
……
Lin Ke continued, "On the other hand, He Jin himself did not have complete trust with the Ten Attendants."
"This gave Yuan Shao an opportunity to whisper in He Jin's ear and ignite the flames."