The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

Once He Jin was on guard, it would be impossible for him to kill him easily again.

"What do we do now?" a servant asked in a panic.

"What's the panic!" Zhang Rang shouted sternly. "We still have the Empress Dowager! We still have Lord Dong! As long as we defend the palace, He Jin won't dare to act rashly!"

But his words lacked conviction.

Just then, a eunuch from Chang Le Palace rushed in:

"Attendant Zhang! Attendant Zhao! The Empress Dowager has issued an edict ordering you to go to Chang Le Palace to see her immediately!"

Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong exchanged a glance, both seeing unease in each other's eyes.

Empress Dowager He ultimately sided with her son!

Chang Le Palace.

Empress Dowager He sat on the phoenix throne, her face icy cold.

She looked at Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong kneeling below and said coldly:

"His Majesty has passed away, why weren't you informed immediately? Don't you have any respect for me, your Empress?!"

Zhang Rang kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This old servant was only keeping the news of the death a secret for the time being, fearing that it would leak and cause turmoil in the court and among the people."

"Is that so?" Empress He sneered. "So you forged an imperial edict, summoned the Grand General to the palace, and prepared to kill him, all to stabilize the court?"

Zhang Rang was terrified and dared not speak again.

"I tell you," Empress He said sternly, "my son Bian is the eldest son of the legitimate wife and should rightfully inherit the throne. Anyone who dares to oppose him is committing treason!"

"Immediately open the palace gates and welcome the General into the palace. Hold a funeral and mourn, and enthrone my son Liu Bian as the emperor."

"If you dare disobey me, I'll be the first to punish you!"

Zhang Rang and Zhao Zhong looked ashen-faced.

They knew they had lost.

"This servant... obeys the decree."

the next day.

The gates of Luoyang Palace, which had been closed for a day and a night, were finally opened.

He Jin led his civil and military officials into the palace in a grand procession.

There was no resistance.

On that day, the imperial court officially issued an obituary announcing the death of Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, and the whole country mourned.

Two more days passed.

After a series of intensive and complicated rituals.

At the tender age of fourteen, Prince Liu Bian officially ascended the throne as emperor with the support of He Jin and the civil and military officials.

Empress He was honored as Empress Dowager and ruled from behind the throne.

The emperor's younger brother, Liu Xie, was enfeoffed as the King of Bohai.

He appointed General He Jin and Grand Tutor Yuan Wei to jointly manage the affairs of the Secretariat and take charge of the government.

The imperial decree caused an uproar throughout Luoyang.

The powerful and influential families celebrated their success.

They won!

After fighting for so many years, they finally defeated the eunuch faction and seized control of the central government of the Han Dynasty!

Yuan Wei stood in the imperial court, looking down at the obsequious civil and military officials below, and laughed without any attempt to hide his laughter.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the era of the aristocratic families has finally arrived!

And just then...

Huangfu Song, who was defending Liangzhou in Chang'an, and Zhu Jun in Luoyang, had been ill for many days.

Upon learning of Liu Hong's death, the accumulated grief and indignation for their country and family in their hearts completely collapsed, and they died suddenly on the same day, following the late emperor.

In the darkness, the two souls floated into the sky and saw Liu Hong, who had passed away first.

The two looked towards Bingzhou at the same time, filled with remorse, and bowed deeply:

"Your Majesty, it is our incompetence that has failed your grace and brought shame upon the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Hong stood in the void, his life's foolishness and scheming gone, leaving only a clear and profound understanding.

He gently shook his head:

It's alright.

Dynasties may rise and fall, but the Han dynasty's rule will never be broken.

"My great Han dynasty may one day fall, but the bloodline of the Chinese people will endure forever. All the peoples of the four seas will eventually submit to the imperial land and inherit the Han tradition. As long as the land remains, there will be eternal peace."

The matter was settled with a single sentence.

All the court intrigues, family power struggles, and chaotic conflicts that had plagued him throughout his life have vanished like smoke.

As the fog gathered, the three figures gradually disappeared into the vast, dark clouds, marking the end of an era belonging to the older generation of Han emperors and their ministers.

……

Liu Bian ascended the throne, but the power struggles in Luoyang did not stop; on the contrary, they intensified!

He Jin was not satisfied with this.

As long as Jian Shuo is alive, and as long as the Western Garden Army is nominally still in the hands of the eunuchs, he will never sleep soundly.

Immediately after the coronation ceremony concluded, He Jin, in league with Empress Dowager He, issued an order on behalf of Liu Bian:

"Imprison Jian Shuo and thoroughly investigate his crime of treason!"

"Take over all military power of the Xiyuan Army!"

Upon receiving the order, He Jin's general Wu Kuang immediately led the Imperial Guards to surround the Western Garden Army's camp.

Of the eight captains of the Western Garden Army, apart from Jian Shuo, four were either from He Jin or aristocratic families.

The remaining three people from humble backgrounds, seeing this situation and the emperor's order, dared not stand on Jian Shuo's side.

There was absolutely no resistance.

Jian Shuo was trapped in his own tent.

He looked at the imperial guards surrounding him and knew he had nowhere to escape.

He neither resisted nor begged for mercy.

He simply drew his sword slowly and held it against his neck.

He looked up toward the palace, tears streaming down his face.

"Your Majesty... this old servant is incompetent... I failed to protect the Western Garden Army... I failed to support Marquis Dong..."

"This old servant...is ashamed of failing His Majesty's trust in entrusting his son to us..."

"Your Majesty, this old servant has come to keep you company!"

The words fell.

A swift stroke of the sword.

Fresh blood gushed out.

Jian Shuo committed suicide.

He Jin immediately announced, "Jian Shuo has secretly seized military power, concealed the death of a man, and plotted a rebellion. He is hereby executed!"

This news was quickly established through the propaganda of aristocratic families and scholars!

For a time, Jian Shuo was almost universally despised!

When the news reached Jiade Hall, Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, and others felt a chill run through their bodies.

Their last hope has also been shattered!

Jian Shuo is dead, and the Xiyuan Army is gone!

They are now like a pack of toothless tigers, at the mercy of others.

"It's over...it's all over..." Zhao Zhong slumped to the ground, his face ashen.

Zhang Rang gritted his teeth:

"It's not over yet! We still have the Empress... no, the Empress Dowager!"

"Immediately send people to deliver the gold and silver treasures we have accumulated over the years to Chang Le Palace and present them to the Empress Dowager. At the same time, find a way to sow discord between He Jin and Empress Dowager He."

"As long as the Empress Dowager protects us, He Jin won't dare kill us!"

Overnight, the wealth amassed by the eunuch clique over decades was poured into Chang Le Palace like flowing water.

"Your Majesty, we know we were wrong, and we will never dare to do it again."

"Empress Dowager, if you kill us all, who will serve you? Who will manage the harem?"

"Empress Dowager, His Majesty is still young and needs your assistance in governing the country. We are a weapon in your hands!"

Empress Dowager He was soft-hearted to begin with, and considering their past relationship, plus the considerable amount of gold and silver jewelry she had received, she ultimately relented.

She issued the following decree:

"The chief culprit of the eunuch rebellion, Jian Shuo, has been executed. The others will be pardoned and allowed to remain in their positions within the palace."

When the imperial decree reached the General's mansion, He Jin was furious.

"My sister is foolish!" He Jin slammed his fist on the table. "These eunuchs deserve to die! How can we just let them go like this!"

Yuan Shao stepped forward:

"General, since the Empress Dowager has already issued the decree, we cannot disobey it."

However, we can first expel the eunuchs from the palace and send them back to their hometowns to retire. This way, they will no longer be able to interfere in court affairs.

He Jin thought for a moment and nodded: "That's the only way."

……

Bingzhou front.

Outside Wujin City.

Gao Shun stood on the ice wall, looking at the densely packed Xianbei cavalry in the distance.