Taiheiki

Chapter 165 Two Lines

However, if we set aside the partisan perspective presented in traditional historical records, we find that the views of Empress Dowager He, He Jin's brother, and mother are quite reasonable—as long as there is a harem, there must be eunuchs. Jian Shuo has already been killed, and among the other eunuchs are benefactors and allies of the He family. Most of them are now thinking of returning to their hometowns to retire. Why go through all this? If you kill them all, won't you just bring in another batch of eunuchs? Besides, the He family originally came from a humble background. If you really kill all the old eunuchs in the palace whose origins you know, you won't be able to identify the new ones who are brought in. How will you deal with those aggressive partisans under your command?
Yuan Shao's next move was intriguing. He suggested to He Jin that they summon troops from outside the capital to subdue the Empress Dowager. So he "summoned General Dong Zhuo to the west to garrison the Shanglin Garden in Guanzhong, and ordered his aide Wang Kuang of Taishan to send out strong crossbows from his prefecture. He also summoned Qiao Mao, the governor of Dongjun, to garrison Chenggao, and ordered Ding Yuan, the Martial and Fierce Commandant, to burn Mengjin. The fire illuminated the city, all under the pretext of killing the eunuchs."

Faced with immense external pressure, the Empress Dowager withstood the pressure. Yuan Shao then persuaded He Jin again, prompting He Jin to take a crucial step: he appointed Yuan Shao as the Commandant of the Capital Region, granting him the authority to act on behalf of the emperor and order him to take decisive action; and appointed Wang Yun, the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, as the Governor of Henan. The Commandant of the Capital Region and the Governor of Henan were the responsible officials for maintaining order in Luoyang and the surrounding areas of the capital. After gaining power, Yuan Shao ordered military officials from Luoyang to monitor the eunuchs and urged Dong Zhuo and others to rush to the post stations, preparing to advance on Pingguan Pavilion. (The Han Dynasty imperial palace was located outside the west gate of Luoyang.)
Was Yuan Shao doing this to put more pressure on the Empress Dowager to eliminate the eunuchs? It's unlikely, because sending military officers to monitor the eunuchs would threaten them, not the Empress Dowager. Dong Zhuo's actions might have frightened the Empress Dowager, but He Jin would probably not have agreed to directly sending troops into the palace. Considering what happened next, Yuan Shao's true purpose becomes clear.

The *Book of the Later Han* records it as follows: The Empress Dowager, fearing for her life, dismissed all the eunuchs and palace attendants, sending them back to their homes, leaving only Yuan Jin's close associates to guard the palace. All the eunuchs and palace attendants went to Yuan Jin to apologize, agreeing to his arrangements. Yuan Jin said, "The world is in turmoil, and the problem lies with you gentlemen. Now that Dong Zhuo is about to arrive, why don't you all return to your respective states as soon as possible?" Yuan Shao urged Yuan Jin to make a decision on this matter, repeatedly. Yuan Jin refused. Shao then wrote a letter to the various prefectures and counties, falsely conveying Yuan Jin's intentions, ordering the arrest of the relatives of the eunuchs.

According to the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, He Jin had actually reached an agreement with the eunuchs: "The world is in turmoil because of you. You should leave Luoyang and go back to your hometowns quickly! Otherwise, things will get difficult when Dong Zhuo arrives." After repeatedly advising He Jin to immediately kill the eunuchs, Yuan Shao used his power as the Commandant of the Capital Region and the authority to issue documents to various prefectures and counties, falsely in He Jin's name, ordering them to arrest the family members of the eunuchs who were about to leave Luoyang and return to their hometowns.

It's not hard to imagine the despair of the eunuchs upon receiving the devastating news from their families back home—He Jin wasn't going to let them go, but rather to lure them out of the palace and then have the prefectures and counties exterminate their entire clans. Desperate, the eunuchs decided to fight to the death; they forged an edict from the Empress Dowager, summoning He Jin to the palace.

He Jin was completely unsuspecting—in his view, the eunuchs had no motive to harm him. The Empress Dowager was his sister, the Emperor was his nephew, and he had promised that as long as they relinquished power and returned to their hometowns, they could safely enjoy the enormous wealth he had accumulated. How could the eunuchs possibly harm him? However, their plan backfired. On September 22, 189 AD, the eunuchs beheaded He Jin in front of the Jiade Hall, but they were not the final victors.

What happened next is well-known. Upon learning of He Jin's murder in the palace, Yuan Shao immediately assembled an army to besiege the city, slaughtering all the eunuchs. In the chaos, not only eunuchs were killed, but also He Jin's younger brother, General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao. Had it not been for the panic that Zhang Rang, Duan Gui, and others managed to escape Luoyang with the young emperor and the Prince of Chenliu, encountering Dong Zhuo at the foot of Beiman Mountain, Yuan Shao's plan would have been a complete success. With General He Jin dead, the Secretariat was now in the hands of Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, who held the position of Recorder of the Secretariat; and with General of Chariots and Cavalry He Miao dead, the army of Luoyang should have been under the control of Yuan Shao and his allies.

Yuan Shao, standing in Chengming Hall at that time, must have been full of ambition. The ambitions of the scholars of the Eastern Han Dynasty over the past decades had finally become a reality. The once invincible eunuchs and relatives of the empress had been completely eliminated. With the emperor young and the empress dowager helpless, power finally fell into his own hands.

It can be said that during the four months between the death of Emperor Ling of Han and Dong Zhuo's entry into the capital, Yuan Shao, hiding behind He Jin, skillfully manipulated his superior, unwittingly driving the eunuchs and imperial relatives—two pillars of imperial power—into the arena of power struggles, ultimately leading to their mutual destruction. If not for a few unexpected events, the highest power of the empire would have fallen into the hands of Yuan Shao, a schemer who had lived in seclusion for nearly twenty years and had only served for five years since being recruited by He Jin in 184 AD.

What Yuan Shao is doing now is no different from what he did twenty years later in real history. If there is any difference, it is that Yuan Shao is more radical and bolder now. Instead of hiding behind the scenes to direct and instigate others, he is risking his life, drawing his sword and directly confronting the eunuchs. He has forced his predecessor, the current Grand General Dou Wu, a member of the partisan faction, onto a path of no return to fight the eunuchs to the death.

Thinking of this, Wei Cong pictured Yuan Shao, dressed in a crimson robe and wearing a tiger-patterned crown, who drew his sword at Dong Zhuo and shouted, "My sword has never been dull!" He truly deserved to be called the last elite cultivated by the scholars of the Han Dynasty over four hundred years! He possessed courage, strategy, and ambition. It wouldn't be a bad thing to cooperate with such a person, would it?

"Very well!" Wei Cong smiled and tucked the letter into his sleeve. "However, there's nothing I can do to help you right now, so I can only send some rare gold and silver as a token of my goodwill!"

"That's good!" Cao Cao laughed nonchalantly, "Mengde, you've now taken over the five commanderies of Jiaozhou, you must be quite wealthy now, so it's only right that you bleed a little!"

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"You're giving these to us too?" Cao Cao looked at the two red corals, each over four feet tall, in front of him with some surprise. Under the sunlight, they were colorful and emitted a mesmerizing light.

"Hmm!" Wei Cong nodded nonchalantly. In his opinion, although this thing was very beautiful, it was ultimately just an ornament and didn't have much significance for the national economy. Unlike gold, silver, and copper, which could be minted into currency to pay soldiers, purchase supplies, and hire labor, this thing had very few customers when it came to selling. Its greatest use was to bribe high-ranking officials and build goodwill. Giving it to Cao Cao and Yuan Shao was making the most of it: "It's just that it's not very convenient to move. If you don't like it, you can exchange it for something else!"

"Who said I don't like it!" Cao Cao quickly retorted, "Wrapping it in cloth and fur before packing it in a box will prevent it from breaking. You're really generous, giving away such a large red coral. There aren't many corals this big in the palace, let alone a red one!"

"Oh? There's a specific color requirement for this?"

"Of course!" Cao Cao laughed. "Coral is precious, and red coral is even rarer. The *Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital* written by Liu Xin of the Former Han Dynasty records: In the palace's grass pond, there is coral, twelve feet tall, with three branches on one trunk. It has four hundred and sixty-three corals. It was presented by Zhao Tuo, the King of Nanyue, and is called the 'Beacon Fire Tree.' It glows at night and is always about to light up. Although that coral is twelve feet tall, it is made up of three four-foot-long corals pieced together. You have two of them now! Take them to Luoyang, and everyone will be amazed!"

"Alright, then you can have them all! There are also some pearls, tortoiseshell, and various spices, all packed up, you can take them with you!" Wei Cong said nonchalantly, "I won't beat around the bush, Governor of Jiaozhou, Protector of the South China Sea, how about it?"

"The position of Governor of Jiaozhou is not a problem!" Cao Cao replied. "If it were a few years ago, these two corals alone would have been enough. One could be given to the eunuch who helps with communication, and the other to the Emperor. The Emperor would certainly be delighted. The position of Governor of Jiaozhou isn't a particularly important one, and you have proven your abilities, so it would be fine to give it to you! However, what kind of official is the Protector of the South Sea? I've only ever heard of Protector of the Qiang, Protector of the Wuhuan, and Protector of the Xiongnu, but I've never heard of Protector of the South Sea!"

"I created this position, similar to the Protector of the Qiang, the Protector of the Wuhuan, and the Protector of the Xiongnu. The Governor of Jiaozhou's authority is limited to Jiaozhou, but there are many barbarians and few Han people here, which greatly restricts my military operations. If I have the title of Protector of the South China Sea, things will be much easier!" "Alright, I will pass on your words to Brother Yuan!" Cao Cao nodded: "However, it's not certain whether things will work out. You need to make some contributions before it's easier for them to speak to you in Luoyang!"

"The barbarians are invading Jiuzhen and Rinan Commandery, and the current governor of Jiaozhou, Zhang Pan, is locked in a stalemate with them!" Wei Cong said. "I am not yet firmly established in Jiaozhou, and the weather is too hot for military action. If Zhang Pan cannot quell the local barbarian unrest by the end of the year, I will send troops!"

"You decide on the military strategy yourself! But why not directly attack the E bandits? If you can attack Jiaozhou from Yuzhang, you can naturally attack Yuzhang from Jiaozhou. You attack from the south, and Feng Kun from the north. It will only take two or three months to quell the E bandits. When that time comes, it will be a piece of cake for you to be stationed in Jiaozhou to reward your merits."

"Aman, let me tell you a secret!" Wei Cong waved his hand, signaling the guards beside him to step back.

"What secret?"

Do you know Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe?

“I know!” Cao Cao nodded. “My grandfather told me that he was the great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang (Liu Da) and the son of Prince Gong of Qinghe (Liu Yanping). After Emperor Chong and Emperor Zhi of Han died, Grand Commandant Li Gu advocated making him emperor, but both times it was abandoned because Liang Ji opposed it. Later, he was exiled for being involved in a treason case and committed suicide by poison! What does he have to do with that secret?”

"It seems Cao Teng didn't mention to his grandson that he himself was also one of those who opposed Liu Suan becoming emperor!" Wei Cong thought to himself, but said aloud, "That's right, it's him. However, he didn't commit suicide back then; he faked his death to escape. Today, the great wise teacher of the Emei bandits, named Liu Xin, is him!"

"What?" Cao Cao was startled upon hearing this: "The great wise teacher of the Moth Rebel is Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe? He is the late emperor's cousin and the current emperor's uncle?"

“That’s right!” Wei Cong nodded. “Exactly. You don’t need to ask me where this secret came from. You just need to know that it’s true!”

"Alright!" Cao Cao shook his head: "But I still don't understand. So what if the bandit leader is Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe? Even if he faked his death to escape, as long as the court announced that Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe, was dead, then Liu Suan no longer existed. He was no longer recorded in the genealogy. That Great Teacher of Virtue was the leader of the bandits. The throne had nothing to do with him. You don't really intend to enthrone him as the emperor, do you?"

"Of course I have no such intention!" Wei Cong laughed. "But don't you think it's interesting that the leader of the Moth Rebellion has the blood of Emperor Xiaozhang flowing through his veins? Moreover, as long as the Moth Rebellion is not eliminated, the court will not be able to send troops to Jiaozhou. Wasn't the reason the late emperor lifted the shackles on the partisans because of the Moth Rebellion and was afraid that the partisans would join forces with the Moth Rebellion? Keeping the Moth Rebellion alive may not be a bad thing for me or for you!"

"While what you say makes sense, Mengde, you are truly audacious!" Cao Cao laughed. "You actually thought of raising moths to enhance your own prestige!"

"I'm just telling the truth. There are only the two of us in this room right now. Why would I lie to you and deceive myself?" Wei Cong laughed. "Besides, the biggest reason why the Han Dynasty has come to this state is that after the emperor ascends the throne, he can do whatever he wants, and no one can do anything about it. Everyone says that eunuchs are bad, but in the end, eunuchs are just accomplices to evil. If there were something that could check and balance the emperor, it might not necessarily be a bad thing!"

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao's expression changed drastically; his dark face turned deathly pale. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching before lowering his voice and asking, "Mengde's intention is to use that Great Teacher of Virtue—"

“That’s right. If the emperor is acting recklessly, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to invite the Great Teacher of Virtue to sit on the throne of the Han Dynasty. At least in my opinion, he is much more reliable than the late emperor. If he had really ascended the throne back then, the lives of the common people and scholars would have been much better!”

"But didn't you just say you had no intention of supporting the Great Teacher of Virtue as emperor?" Cao Cao asked anxiously.

“I certainly don’t, but I can’t let the emperor become truly fearless!” Wei Cong said, “It’s like raising children. A father certainly doesn’t want to beat his children with a stick, but he can’t be without a stick in his hand, otherwise the children will run wild!”

"You mean that the Great Teacher of Virtue is that thorn staff?" Cao Cao asked. "I think I understand what you mean. There is some truth to it, but comparing the emperor to a child is rather impolite!"

"That's about the gist of it! You can relay my words to Yuan Shao: as long as I become the Governor of Jiaozhou and the Protector of the South Sea, within five years at most, or two years at least, I can lead dozens of longboats and hundreds of small boats, carrying strong crossbowmen and iron cavalry, to inspect the troops on the Huai River to support you all!"

(End of this chapter)